Chapter 4 Sarahs List

• JUNIPER Point of view
• "What do you think will happen?" I asked. Fayette and Aviva shook their heads. They had both been around for an auction.
• "After you find your name on the lists, Sarah gives you orientation" lists the girl who ignored me in the morning. I guess we're on speaking terms now.
• "What sort of orientation?" Fayette asks.
• "Well, just basically what sex is, how to behave during the auction and the punishment in store for us if we ruin things. She explains.
• "Death?" I ask.
• "That's it. I've watched many girls die trying to escape and then the ones that die at the hands of their owners who treat them no better than a dog. I've been here five years, and luckily I've escaped auctioning for the first three before the dry spell. Just don't think I'll be so lucky now, Mr. Dakari keeps a log of each girl. Sarah reports that after that work every day, he knows each of us, you'll either die here or out there. Another way we're dying. I just think we have more of a chance of choosing the way we go when we go outside" she finishes before turning the other way like she wasn't just speaking to us.
• The three of us were shaking, Fayette was already crying, I thought she had already accepted the gory truth. I guess it's different when it might happen too soon. I slowly raised to sit.
• I wanted to say something, I don't know what, but something that could carry us through the night.
• With my back against the wall, I'm fiddling with my fingers, knees folded. My throat feels dry and itchy.
• "We have to escape" Fayette suddenly whispered. Aviva and I both turned to her in shock.
• "Have you gone mad?" Aviva asked her and asked "How do you plan on escaping here?"
• "Fay, she just told us she's seen many girls die trying to escape", I told her.
• "Aren't you the one that never wanted to stay silent?" She asks, turning to face me.
• I wish I could hide. I've been acting tough since I arrived, but the truth is I'm really scared, death is literally at our door.
• "But I don't want to die, Fay. I don't even know anywhere or how this place works. I don't understand anything going on. Who are these people buying us? Why hasn't the government found out about humans being sold in broad daylight? I'm scared, Fay, both of you are the only ones that have spoken to me. I just got here."
• Aviva sighs "The government is knee-deep in Mr. Dakari's pockets Juni, the mafia run everything in Venice, the men buying us? People who have a lot of blood on their hands, this isn't just a business transaction, it is life and death. We don't own ourselves."
• "Well, I don't want to wait around for some miracle" Fayette says with an annoyed look on her face. "I've been here a year longer than you, Aviva. I know some rooms have wider windows with no rods, we just need to find a rope."
• Fayette is actually serious, there are so many things that could go wrong. "Fayette, the list isn't out yet, our names will probably not be on it." I tried to reassure her tried I am not against her thinking of escaping, but she has no solid plans and Mr. Dakari isn't reserved about hitting girls. I'm scared for our safety if anything was to go wrong.
• "You girls are not listening to me!" Fayette groans.
• "Shhh!" The girl from the bunk hissed "If you're going to think of escaping, at least learn to shut up."
• "The list is here!" A girl screams and the room gets noisy, everyone starts turning on their lights as footsteps get closer to the door.
• The door is pushed open and Sarah and two other women are besides her.
• "Well, put your ears to the floor girls!" Sarah shouted.
• The three of us sat upright to listen. Aviva was already squeezing my fingers to death, but I did not let go of her, the girl on the bunk refused to sit up and continued lying down.
• I could practically hear my heart beating in my ear and I swallowed to lubricate my parched throat.
• "When I call your name, you pick yourself up and join me, I don't want to call your name twice, you hear?!" Sarah orders and all the girls echo yes. "Let's get it on, Tima! Taylor! Sierra! Ames! Lila! Tamaya! Eve!..."
• One by one, each girl that was called stood up and walked to where Sarah was standing at the door, most of them with tears, a few smiling. Aviva said they were sick in the head, but others had no reaction, they just stood up and left. The room was quiet except for Sarah's voice and the girls standing up when they were called. Fayette was now squeezing my other hand.
• "....Nomi!Miko! Veronica! Leah! Serena! June!" The girl sleeping on the bunk beside us stands up at that name, she waves us goodbye and starts walking off. The tears started running out of my eyes. She was right, she wouldn't escape being on the list.
• "Sh*t" Aviva whispered.
• "...Dana! Diana! Fayette! Blessing! Kim! Aviva!" I turned to look at my new friends as Sarah calls their names. Please tell me there's another Fayette and Aviva in this place! A tear drops from Fayette's eyes before they both let go of my fingers and walk off. I feel cold. That is wrong.
• "....Dia! Vicki! Juniper! Gloria! Anitta!" I hear gasps when my name is called, I'm the new girl, nobody expected me to leave this soon. What's going on?
• I walked to Sarah, as she called her last name.
• "Now! Bedtime the rest of you!" Sarah Barks "Auction girls follow me! Time to make you desirable!"
• We all walked in a row of three following Sarah and her assistance. We went up the stairs, but we walked past the kitchen. I'm beginning to remember places. When we get close to the news hall, Fayette breaks out in a run.