Endlessly

You know those days that you’re really not looking forward to because you didn’t study for that big test, or you’re unathletic, and you don’t want to make a fool of yourself in front of the whole class when you have to do pushups in front of everyone? Today is that day. Only, I’d rather fail a quiz than this.

Today is Auction Day, which means that everyone who is 18 gets sold to the highest bidder. Oh, and did I mention all the bidders are vampires?

Yeah, vampires revealed themselves ten years ago, and ever since then, they’ve taken control of humans. It’s slavery or food for us.

“Are you ready for this?” My best friend Turner asks me.

“What, to be sold to vampires? I was born ready.” I lied.

“Same. Although, I’m still a bit nervous. What if I get some awful vampire?”

"What if? Turner, they’re vampires, they’re all awful.” I replied.

Turner’s blond hair is ruffled by the wind, and his blue eyes show pure terror. “Right, thanks Soph.”

I chuckled. “It’s going to be all right, yeah? Just do as they say, and you’ll be good.” I put on a masquerade to help Turner not to freak out. Truth was, I was terrified, too. I just didn’t want Turner to know.

He and I have been best friends since we were five. We were a duo to be reckoned with. Wherever one was, you could expect to see the other.

A man steps onto the stage and smiles at the crowd. We were inside a tent, at least 50 people all crammed in. “Will the kids please come back stage?” He says in a high voice for a man. “We’re about ready to begin.”

Turner quickly begins to walk backstage, but stops when he sees that I wasn’t coming. “Sophie? What are you doing? We have to go.” He says.

I smile and walk outside to glance up at the stars. “Aren’t you going to miss them?” I asked.

“What?”

“The stars.” I answered. “We’ll more than likely never see them again.” A shooting star shoots by, and I smile wider.

“They’re just gas.” He says.

I turn to him. “Is that how you see them?” I asked, a bit disappointed that’s how he felt.

Turner shrugs. “I guess I never really looked up at them.” He says, then does exactly that. “They are beautiful, though.” The starlight dances in his eyes and he smiled. “In the part of town I live in, you can’t see the sky.”

I gazed into his eyes and watch as he continues to smile, but then when he’s suddenly dragged out of my sight by a large man, I let out a yell. “Wait! No! Turner!” I yell.

“Sophie!” I hear him scream.

Just then a pair of large hands are around me, and I’m pulled into the tent, too. I see Turner being taken to one side, and I’m pulled to the other.

A group of girls stare at me as I’m thrown into a small space behind the stage. “Next time, you do as you say.” The man says, then turns away.

I look over his shoulder to see if I could see Turner, but no such luck. “What’s your name?” a girl asks me, and I turn back around, panic on my face.

“Sophie.” I answered her quickly, then turn back around.

“I’m Elle.” She said, then turned me back around. “This is my sister, Bailey.” Elle gestures to a brown haired girl who looks exactly like her. Both their eyes were green, and their chocolate brown hair went down to their shoulders.

“Hi.” Bailey says timidly.

There were three other girls with us, but they didn’t introduce themselves. “Are you ok? You seem upset?” Elle says.

“I’m about to be sold to a vampire, and my best friend just got taken away from right in front of me. I’d say I’m a little upset.” I answered her shortly.

Elle laughs a little and Bailey snorts. “Of course she’s upset, sis. Aren’t we all?” Bailey asks her sister.

“I know who is going to buy me.” I cringed at the word buy. It shouldn’t be used when talking about people. “He already told me.”

“And you’re ok with it?” I asked, astonished.

She shrugs. “This is how life is now. The sooner we accept that, the sooner we can all move on.”

I stared at her, amazed that something like that could exit someone’s mouth at an occasion like this. Before we could talk any further, the auctioneer steps back onto the stage. “Ladies and gentlemen, we are ready. Will Emma Ackles come onto the stage?”

One of the girls who were sitting quietly beside us gets up and walks out onto the stage. I turn back to the sisters. “So you’re telling me that the fact that you know the vampire buying you makes everything ok?” I asked.

“Sure. He’s a wealthy man, and promised he would give me some of his fortune.” Elle says.

I rolled my eyes. “He’s lying to you, you know?” I said. “There’s no way a vampire would ever do something like that.”

Elle sighs and looks at her sister for backup, but Bailey didn’t say anything. “What, you’re on her side?” She asks.

“Sold! $150 to the woman in the back. Next is...Miss Elle Carter.” the auctioneer says, and Elle gives me a face, then walks onto the stage.

“She’s insane.” I told Bailey.

“The vampire is wealthy, but I too thought he was lying.”

“Is he buying you, too?” I asked.

She shakes her head. “One human per vampire. Until that human dies or is useless.”

My heart pounds. This could go on until I die? “I hope Turner is ok.”

“Is that your boyfriend?” She asks lightly.

I chuckle softly. “No. He’s my best friend. I worry about him. I’m not sure how well he’d serve a vampire.”

“Sold for $400! Next is Bailey Carter.” The auctioneer’s voice rang out above all the talking in front of the stage.

Bailey gives me a quick smile, then follows where the other two girls had gone before her. They seemed to be going in ABC order, so I would be last unless one of these girls has a last name that with X, Y, or Z.

“Sophie!” A familiar voice calls.

I turn quickly to see Turner running towards me. “Turner?!” I grab his arms when he almost runs into me. “What are you doing here? You’ll get caught!”

“I just needed to see you one last time.” He says breathlessly. “I couldn’t go away without saying goodbye to you.”

My heart skipped a beat. “It’s not goodbye, Turner. We’ll see each other again.” I begin to push him away so he wouldn’t get caught. “Now go. Please! You can’t be seen here!” Tears threaten my eyes when a look of hurt crosses his face. I didn’t mean to be pushing him away like I was, but I didn’t want him being killed all because of a silly word he didn’t get to say. He runs off in the direction of the guys just as I hear my voice over the speakers.

I look straight into the lights as I walk up the steps and onto the stage. The other two girls had already been sold when I glance back down in the area where the six of us were.

“C’mon up, beautiful.” The auctioneer says, twirling my light brown hair with his finger. “We’ll start with $50, shall we?”

“$60!” A man called.

“$60! Do I hear $65?”

“$75!” A woman says.

“$75! Do I hear $80?” He asks with excitement.

“$100!” Another woman calls.

The auctioneer smiles widely. “Wow! You all are rambunctious! Do I hear $150?"

"$3,000." Someone calls.

Everyone goes silent, and I frantically search the crowd for who the hell just said they'd spend $3,000 on me. A man, tall and proud, with dark brown hair smiles gently. Utop his head was a crown, golden with jewels decorating every side.

"$3,000, ladies and gentlemen." The auctioneer says quietly. "Going once..." My breathing stopped. "Going twice..." My heart stopped. "Sold to the King!"