𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐓 & 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃

The hum of the jet engines was a steady, rhythmic vibration against the back of my skull. When my eyes fluttered open, the world was a blur of harsh white lights and floating dark spots. My mouth felt like it was full of ash. I was extremely groggy, feeling like my body was heavier than usual.

I tried to pull my arms to my face, but a sharp tug stopped me short. I looked down to see what was restricting me. Thick zip-ties bound my wrists together in front of me, so tight that the skin within them felt raw. My ankles were secured just as tightly, locking my legs against the plush leather seat.

"Would you like a refreshment or a snack?" A clear, proper voice asked from somewhere to my right.

"What?" I rasped. The word was barely a croak, scraped raw from hours of not using my voice.

"She said do you want a drink or a snack, sweetheart? I know you're blonde right now, but you weren't born that way," a heavy voice cut in from across the aisle.

I looked up, squinting through the haze. A massive man in a navy blue suit sat across from me, a broad grin spread across a face that looked like it had taken one too many fists in a New Jersey back alley.

Beside me, a flight attendant held a silver tray bearing glass bottles of sparkling water and small linen napkins. On the seat directly to my right sat a woman in a sharp blazer, her fingers flying over the keyboard of a sleek laptop. She didn't even look up as she waved the attendant off.

"Where am I?" I cleared my throat, blinking rapidly to clear the spots in my vision.

"You're on your way to your new home, my dear," the woman with the laptop finally said, her tone as warm and impersonal as a bank teller's. She tapped a key, closed the screen with a quiet click, and turned to me. "She's okay for now, Darla, thanks so much."

The attendant gave a tight, practiced smile and retreated toward the back of the cabin.

"Hi, I'm your advocate," the woman said, leaning back and smoothing her skirt. "What's the last thing you remember?"

I stared at her, then down at the plastic bindings cutting into my wrists. The cold, hard truth hit me all at once, crashing through the numbness. My memories crashed back into my mind in waves. Tears spilled over my lashes before I could stop them.

"They killed my parents, didn't they?" Was all I said in a solemn voice.

I didn't need her to answer. The memory replayed in my mind like a sadistic home movie. Last night, I woke up to ten men in tactical gear breaking through the front door of our home in the middle of the night. I recalled my mother's screams, the blinding flashlights, the masks they wore from a Halloween store. The way they'd dragged me down the carpeted stairs while my father begged and my mother cried.

They forced them onto their knees in the middle of the living room, lined up like an execution. We love you, Lacey, we're so sorry, were my father's final words to me right before a heavy canvas bag was slammed over my head and I was hauled out to a blacked-out SUV like a bag of trash. I remembered the slamming of the trunk. And then, two sharp, terrible gunshots echoing from inside the house.

My dad's debts had finally caught up to us. My father, a recovering addict, had spent years pawning off gifts and personal items to relapse. He'd tried to fix it, tried to apologize, tried to move and hide us, but you can't run from a debt as large as that. My honey-blonde hair fell over my face as my head dropped forward, heavy with grief. I wept silently, the tears dripping off my chin onto my lap.

The woman gave me a brief, rehearsed moment of silence. "I'm very sorry to tell you this, but yes. Your parents are deceased. I apologize for your loss, dear."

I squeezed my eyes shut, my chest aching so hard I couldn't breathe. I barely had any tears to cry. The pain stung in my chest like the worst heartburn in the world. Overnight, I'd lost everything. My parents weren't perfect, but they were all the family I had. Now, I was nothing more than a missing person being shipped overseas.

"But I have good news!" her voice brightened, completely devoid of empathy. "You were pawned to us, and we are a highly reputable agency. We listed you immediately to our premium buyers. We assumed you were a virgin since you were sedated and couldn't tell us... Listen, honey, at this point, that needs to be the truth regardless of whether it is, understood? And you were bought literally within minutes by a premium buyer! Look at you, you little hot commodity." She took a pause to laugh at her own words. "We received the full deposit, and we're taking you directly to your very first, and hopefully last, owner."

My stomach churned with pure disgust. Owner? What type of sick shit is this?

"What?" I asked her with an agitated tone. She was talking a lot, but I wasn't getting enough information.

She sighed, turned to face me, relocating her heels to the aisle so she could cross her legs. Her red heels shimmered off the overhead lighting. "Let me explain this to you in very simple terms. Mr. Dimitri, your owner, is a very powerful man. He's been waiting a long time for a girl like you, and I'm not just saying that. Six years he's been on our client list and he's never even inquired before you."

I swallowed, trying to lubricate my burning throat. I furrowed my eyebrows, trying to understand what she was telling me.

"Some men, they have ill intentions, but for how much he's paying for you, sweeetheart... I think he will appreciate and take good care of you." She winked at me, placing a hand on my arm in assurance.

She sucked her teeth and opened the manila folder in the seat beside her, continuing. "Now, for your part of the clause..." She slid on a pair of black-framed reading glasses, tapping the papers on the table to align them. "I understand that this is a lot for you right now, but you need to make the best of your situation. Do you understand?"

I finally looked over at her but I didn't lift my head.

"If Mr. Dimitri doesn't want you, we'll have to send our collections team to come pick you up, and that loses us money, which as I'm sure you know, doesn't make us happy. As a return, you're now damaged goods so we'll have to re-sell you for a lower price. Do you want to go with a man who buys you on clearance? Or would you rather end up in one of those massage parlors with a happy ending combo?"

She paused again, waiting to get a reaction out of me. Her words paralyzed me in fear, yet the urge to survive demanded I listen closely. I finally shook my head no, giving her a reply.

"That a girl. So be good. I know you'll want to run, scream, and fight, okay? I'm a woman. I understand that urge. It's very important that you don't do any of that. Where you're going, there is no where to run. This is your life now. The absolute best thing you can do for yourself right now is be perfect for Dimitri. Something about you has him very intrigued, so lean into it. Look cute and be good for him. Please and satisfy him to the best of your abilities."

I swallowed hard, a giant lump rising in my throat before I could even process the sentence. My face turned crimson as I realized what my purpose was. I'd never had sex with anyone before, and now I was being sold as a sex slave. I'd heard the horror stories about sex trafficking on social media. I never dared to walk anywhere alone or opened my car window to a man. Somehow, I still found myself falling victim to the epidemic. The plane began to lower, causing my stomach to drop.

"Oh, it looks like our stop is coming up. I'll finish after our transition." The woman said, gathering her belongings in a neat pile and picking up her phone.

The plane proceeded to land at a private air port where my feet zip ties were cut. I hissed as the feeling was freeing but my legs were like jello after being stationary for such a long time. The duo escorting me demanded I stand up and walk so I obeyed with shakey legs. They held my arms and guided me off the jet. On the private landing, there were no defining land characteristics. There was only a black stretch SUV idling for us. They put me on the bench and sat beside each other on the opposite side.

The car began to move after not long, taking us to what I could only assume was our final destination. She took a sip of a bottled water in the built-in mini cooler before speaking again.

"So, as I was saying, It's in your best interest to stay with him. No one is going to come looking for you. What to expect in the near future, Mr. Mauricio is going to drop you off at the buyer's house. He will conduct his in-person product inspection and make his final decision. If he likes you, he will pay the remaining balance and keep you! If he'd like to return you after that point, we give back 1/2 his money, so don't let that happen."

All these heartless people care about is money. I was a human yesterday but today I was a product to be inspected. I was starting to feel sick as we got closer to my impending doom. My stomach twisted in knots and I struggled to regulate my breathing.

"Now, we've taken care of essentially everything for this to go well. You will obviously learn Dimitri's preferences for you upon meeting him, but you should know in advance that he's a rather... traditional man. No talk back, resistance, back talk, screaming, crying, or disrespect. I wouldn't test his patience if I were you."

The car finally began to make a turn and came to a slow, indicating we were at our destination.

"Looks like we're just about here. Do you have any questions for me, Lacey?" She asked, finally finishing her required pitch.

"No." Was all I could manage to say. My mind was short-circuiting trying to understand how I ended up here.

"Wonderful. Well, Mr. Mauricio will be shuttling you to your final destination, ensuring you get there safely. Before you leave, I'm going to have you freshen up and change in the marina's restroom so you'll be perfect for him upon arrival."

I was confused about what she was talking about until the driver opened the door to expose the open ocean. We were standing on a marina on the coast of God-knows-where. The 'advocate' ushered me into the stand alone bathroom stall where she stood out front. Finally, my wrists were cut free. I instantly rubbed the burning spot where the zip ties had been. I obeyed her as she verbally rushed me through the door so I hurried, scared about what would happen to me if I didn't.

The 'clothes prepared for me' in question was a white, sheer night gown and a white, lace thong. I looked at myself in the mirror and I couldn't believe what I was seeing. My bare body was completely visible through the translucent materials. I was feeling severly exposed and uncomfortable. All of the last hours events scrambled in my mind. What if I was returned? What horrors would await me then?

The 'advocate' called my name loudly again with a hint of annoyance. I rushed to unlock the stall and step out. The cold sea breeze instantly whipped against my exposed skin, making me shiver, and cover myself with my arms.

"Don't you look sexy!" she commented with a grin. "Hurry and put this on, then you need to go. We're already behind schedule."

I quickly shouldered on the trench coat she gave me and buttoned it up, eager to cover myself from the world. I followed her onto the dock and to a speed boat parked on the aggressive water's wake. I gulped hard, terrified for the present moment and my future.

"Lacey," The woman said, seeing the fear in my eyes. "I sincerely hope I never see you again, because that means it worked out for you. Be strong and sexy. Go now." She nodded towards the boat, grabbing my hand firmly.

I looked at her with glossy eyes, nearly feeling some type of attachment to the captor who showed me mercy. I held onto her hand, shaking as I stepped onto the boat Mauricio was already captaining. I took a seat on the bench and finally released her hand. Without another word, Mauricio started the boat's motor and we departed from the only visible shoreline.