SOLD

BEFORE

June 22, 2023. That was the day I was taken. Or, better put, sold. I remember walking back to my house from school, a strong feeling of being followed enveloping me. I kept looking back, but nothing was there. So I told myself that, until I thought I had believed it. But did I ever?

I shivered as a sudden coldness settled into my skin. I stopped dead in my tracks. I felt a cold drop on my cheek. Looking up, I breathed a sigh of relief. Just rain. Right?

Looking back again, I pulled my hoodie up and walked a little faster. Just rain, just rain, just rain. When I arrived at my house, I breathed out. I hadn’t realize I was holding my breath. I opened the door, and was instantly greeted with silence. Dead silence.

“Mom? Dad? Im home-?” Suddenly, I heard someone…crying?

I paused. Then another cry rang in my ears. I unfrozed and raced towards the sound. “Mom? Dad?” I stood outside the room my parents were in, a door the only thing separating us. It was my parents, right?

Suddenly, the door creaked open, and inside were my mother, crying in my father’s arms. “It’s okay,” he was saying, “we did what we had to do..”

…

What?

“Dad? Mom?”

They each froze, then slowly turned towards me. Mom cried even more, and Dad looked at me with a pitiful look.

“Uhm..Whats going on?” Mom shook her head and tilted her head towards my father. My eyes shifted to his face. Looked a lot like mine, was what everyone told me.

He also shook his head and looked straight into my eyes. “Im sorry. Im sorry. Please. Forgive me. Please please please.” His chanting became frantic, and his eyes widened, suddenly focusing his gaze on something behind me.

A cloth was presses onto my mouth and nose, and I breathed in the sickly sweet smell, and the world went black. The last thing I heard was a deep voice saying, “We have the volunteer."