A little after the handshake, we sat down on the machines and endured 5 hours of grueling labor. If we were to take more than 2 minutes to rest our feet or take a break , somehow Phoebe would notice and beat us just like she did with the elderly man before.
A loud announcer buzzed throughout the room, taking over the continuous screeching sound. "You may leave, anyone with a red ticket has to stay due to slacking. I repeat, anyone with a red ticket has to stay due to slacking.
Phoebe starts chanting mythical shit that I can't decipher as red tickets started spawning into people's hands.
The crowd erupts into a groan. The man in front me clenching his fists, "Stupid fairy, I didn't even slack."
cursing her under his breath. Thank god I didn't get that red slip. As everyone who hadn't got the ticket started leaving, I got up to leave as well. The man behind me nudged me, "Follow me, I need you to meet a few friends of mine."
We began walking through the dimly lit tunnel. I was sure as hell getting a workout if not anything. The path then split to two, one labeling "Home" as the other "Field"
"It's sick isn't it? Like I'd call that rat cage a home." The man said scoffing, and continued walking. I followed along not saying anything. We approached the light and made it outside. It was the same field we were sent to when we were on our break that got interrupted. I hadn't noticed it before but there were iron gated spikes on the fences so people couldn't climb it, or get hurt trying. People were in groups clustered, talking or arguing. He looked around before going to the corner in the field, a sewage hatch. He popped the lid off easily and jumped right in. Thud! "Hurry, before someone sees us" This was hella sketchy. I jumped in landing on my butt as the hatch closed behind me.
I landed onto a huge moss pile. There was a ladder that I hadn't seen, the interior of the place was a huge waterway and it would've been dark hadn't there been the glowing butterfly creatures that lit the place. Within, a tall, dark woman stood sitting on a stool. She had long multicolored braids of green and blue and heavy ear jewelry made out of flimsy copper, it looked as if it were handmade. She wore the same bodice as did the girl in the library. The white top with an ankh symbol on, the only difference between her and the girl was that she didn't have the thick round collar on her neck. Instead, the collar was around her hips like a waistband, cracked.
"Where were you Tony?" The woman said, completely ignoring me and locking eyes with the man in front of me. Tony had his hands on his hips, "Labor, what else?" The woman stood up now, towering over Tony. "Who's the girl?" "A spy agent that was sent by aliens." Tony smugly spoke, she didn't laugh. "She's a girl who I thought could help us on our little mission, Jada. Live a little."
Jada looked at me for a second, "What's your name?"
"Aubrey." I muttered, she was intimidating, way more intimidating than Phoebe. Jada hadn't taken her eyes off me, "Full name, Aubrey."
"Aubrey Thorne."
Jada started walking deeper into the little cave, Tony following her. Walking along the thin sidewalk that separated the water, SPLASH!
The water was shallow, soaking my pants, shirt and hair. I was pissed. Groaning as I got up, Jada couldn't contain her giggle as Tony erupted in laughter.
I didn't think it was funny at all.
"I used to do that all the time, don't sweat it kid" Tony said, holding a hand out towards me as I held onto it. Water dripped from where I stood now. "We're almost there." Jada added as we closed into a small doorway. Jada and Tony crouched going inside, as soon as I was about to get inside Jada stopped me. "You're not ruining this cozy place by how wet you are girl, just sit there and Tony will explain." She said fading into the room, from what I could see the room was cozy. A couch, a table, and a few decorations with a bed all being lit by a few torches. Tony blocked my view as he sat down by the door hatch inside, as I sat outside soaking wet. The water trickled back down to the waterway.
"Sorry Aubrey, you're wet we can't let you inside." Tony said, even though I could see his smug face.
"Yeah yeah whatever, why did you want me to meet Jada?" I asked curiously, my eyes on the puddle of water beneath me that was forming.
"Listen. Vampires' base abilities if they aren't born into a noble or royalty family are a slight boost in strength, immortality, and agility. For the Vampires in this category, they compete with each other for a Celestial crest. These crests give bewildering enchantments. Allowing a low rank carnivari possesses a special trait depending on what crest is given to them. These can range in——"
"What's a carnivari?" Interpreting him, he glared at me for a second for cutting him off then continued, "A carnivari is what we call vampires, if we were to call them vampires to their faces they'd get defensive or even beat you for it as it's seen as a derogatory term here. In their eyes the word vampire was labeled as being childish or something that wasn't frightening. — Alright, putting that aside as I was saying the traits abilities can range in shapeshifting, mind control, enhanced senses or teleportation depending on the crest.
"Alright and where do I come in? I assume you didn't just invite me here to educate me, right?" I raised an eyebrow, even if he couldn't see it through the tiny door frame.
He laughed, a fake laugh. "Well, we need someone young and willing to sacrifice themselves into the The Imperial Blood Harvest games."
"Sacrifice?" I say, a bit weary for what I'm here for.
"Sorry, not a sacrifice. I meant someone who was willing to risk their life for the cause. See, if we possessed a Celestial crest, we could possibly turn the tables on the carnivari. Escape their rule on us."
He went on and on about reclaiming our rule and fighting them off, unfortunately for him I didn't have much interest in dying.
"Sorry man, I don't think I'm up to it. I'm not that keen on dying yet." I said, crouching up to leave. He clutched on my hand through the mini doorframe.
"Say you'll consider it. I would go with you, but I'm engaged to Jada and she's pregnant. I just can't leave my baby.''
"Let go of me! i said ill think about it. I also have a family of my own. I'll get back to you if I feel like it. If not…" I said, abruptly shaking his large hand off me before leaving. He didnt chase me, as I walked I heard the creek of the mini door shutting. Was he mad at me? Well not everyone wants to die brutally in some blood bath game, sucks to suck.
I make my way on the steep sidewalk, attempting not to fall in that shallow lake once more. I successfully made it to the ladder, crawling and removing the hatch. Click The hatched opened easily then i thought. Strange enough, it was still dark outside, i dont think ive ever seen daylight since ive got here. Weird. A few groups formed near tables or just sitting on the concrete, the blood still stained near the concrete where the elder man had been beaten to a pulp. Having nothing to do, I sat on the floor, further away from the groups. If Edith or Richard were to come after whatever they were doing they'd come here. Right? I dont think ive seen them anywhere, and ive always had a good eye to spot people. Were they even in my group? What am I even gonna do for the rest of my days, do labor and rot here til my body is weakened? My mind consumed myself enough that I didn't realize everyone had left. Alone on the sidewalk, my mind focused on a torch. I wonder if they're okay. After a bit of grieving even though they were still alive, I made my way back to the cells. I'd learnt from Tony that you were to click on your collar a few times to teleport back to your cell. The only part is I hadn't gotten my little slave branding yet, for better or worse. Seeing how I had nowhere to go, I kept walking to the tunnel. Arriving back to the large machine that's roof wasn't even in point of view, nobody was there. I wouldnt wanna be here if i didnt have to either. The machine had two tunnels to the opposite of it, the one I just came out of and the one that was a long way back to the main door. The door that decided I was a worker til I died. Supposedly, the best option out of the three.
The path was long, with all the labor I'd done the morning before I felt as if I was gonna pass out. As I walked, bodies and bodies were lying on the floor from earlier that day.
PLOP!
Aubrey fell unconscious, her head landing face first onto a fat man's stomach