Chapter 3 Dakar Ladies

• JUNIPER Point of view
• The hallway is a mess, girls are running out of every room downstairs. I don't understand what's going on. But Aviva never lets me go and drags me with her. Fayette is directly behind us and more girls are following behind. We finally ran into a big hall filled with chairs. Many people are already gathered on the opposite side. I think the hall could pass for a stadium. Aviva, Fayette and I choose to sit in the third. Many other girls rush in and take their seats, the hall finally calms down, and the big doors are shut. I turned to ask Aviva about what was going on, but she shook her head at points forward. I decided to ask her later, Mr. Dakari walks up to the podium in the middle of the hall and coughs into the mic.
• "Well, you all know I don't like to talk much" he started. Yes, you only like to hit people. I think to myself "We've not had an auction in over two years, our clients have been busy and only made personal purchases". I can't believe he's talking about humans like commodities. I feel sick.
• He continues talking "I've spent the past year curating different tastes that will get our clients interested and' finally we'll be having the auction tomorrow!!!" There's a loud gasp from the girls' side of the hall and claps from the guys' side of the hall.
• "F*ck" Fayette whispers to my left.
• "What's wrong?" I asked her.
• "He normally gives a week for everyone to prepare for the auction, according to what the older girls have said, we just have tonight". Aviva answered.
• Oh! "So what now?"
• "He releases the list of eligible tastes", Fayette scoffs.
• "I know most of you think you've been good enough to attend the auction, but I guess we'll all see if you'll be stuck washing dishes till the next auction". Mr Dakari continues, the guys all laugh. I guess it's funny, since they're not the ones being sold off to creepy men.
• I keep wondering how I ended up in this part of the world. I can't remember anything of who I used to be, but how come the police haven't busted this place yet? How can humans getting sold be going on this easily? What sort of sick people are buying us?
• "So the list will be released before your bedtime. I just want to use this time to remind you all to behave yourselves" he says, looking at us girls. For some reason, it looks like his eyes are only on me. "I won't sit around and watch you disgrace me! Do as you're told, and you'll have a new home in no time!" I want to smack the smile off his face, what's wrong with him? What's wrong with everyone here?!
• Aviva squeezes my thighs lightly. "I know you want to explode, but please keep it in" she whispers.
• "Okay, that's all! Move out!" He barks.
• All the girls all stand up and start moving more orderly than when we arrived, roll by roll leaves the hall, all whispers, no one truly soaking out, we're about to be sold off to creepy men who buy girls to have sex with them, or we die and everyone has accepted their fate with no questions. I could feel the tears running out of my eyes. Aviva squeezed my palms to give me comfort. We returned to our station in the kitchen. After a while of sitting in silence, Sarah walks in and all the girls straighten up.
• "What's with the long faces?!" She laughs "Most of you will get into good homes, it's not that bad."
• "This is the closest we will get to a 'I wish you the best' we would get from her for sure", Fayette whispers, and I and Aviva start laughing.
• "Something funny new girl?!!" Sarah barks from the middle of the kitchen where she's standing.
• Sh*t "You were laughing, and I decided to laugh too" I replied. I saw the light draining out of Aviva's eyes.
• Sarah stalks towards me and then drags me by my hair round the kitchen till we get back to the middle. My screams are ignored by everyone.
• "Such a sharp tooth for someone who could barely bite!" Sarah laughs as she throws me to the floor, my head is on fire. "I'd like to see that dumb mouth when you get bought by some bastard who likes to f*ck girls with his feet!" She laughs hysterically, and I think she might have experienced that. The girls are neither smiling nor sad, their faces are lost, nor any emotion, fear, they're scared. This place is sick. My eyes meet with Aviva, and she tells me to keep quiet. I know she's trying to help me, but I don't know how they do it. Almost the time I want to give Mr. Dakari is a piece of my mind.
• "Just because you passed your new girl challenge you think you could be nasty!!" Sarah continues "I run this place rat!" Sarah screams at me and I regret ever thinking I could talk to her. She starts kicking my stomach until she feels she has done enough and then stops.
• "All of you get to your beds!" She screams before walking out the kitchen. The girls start filing out, Fayette and Aviva rush to me and pick me up in my arms, both of them flanking my sides.
• "You need to learn to shut up" Fayette said as we walked out of the kitchen.
• I smiled "I have to give you some entertainment, right?"
• Aviva smacks my palm "Quiet!" She hisses. The hallways are lit up with torches and the flames are bright, it feels like we're walking through a tunnel and I don't bother myself with learning the routes, my eyes are spinning.
• We finally got back to the bunks. Aviva and Fayette are staying on the other end but decide to sit with me for a while as we all wait for the list.