Chapter 2 Tatina

I stop in front of a mirror. I look like a painted-up hooker. There is nothing beautiful about the way I look. I have on too much makeup and way too revealing clothes. This is ridiculous. I stand in the hall waiting with other people. Men, women, and creatures that I am not sure what they are waiting to have their picture taken for the auction. Every time I pass a mirror, I look at myself. I am disgusted by my appearance. They paint us up like dolls and then buy us to do who knows what to us. Why is this allowed to happen?

"You look sexy, hybrid," Horace says, smiling at me with his nasty teeth. He makes me sick. I hope someone kills you.

I cannot even stand the way he looks at me. He gives me the creeps. No worries, Horace, if I ever get out of this, I will find you and send you far, far away. I will make sure you pay for this someday.

"Can't you even say thank you," he says loudly. I guess he is not used to being ignored by the people of the auctions.

" Hey bitch," Horace yells at me. I keep ignoring him.

"Hey, bitch. I am talking to you. Turn around and say thank you or else," he screams at me and gets right in my face.

A lady comes out of the small room. "Tatina, you are next, honey. Come with me," she says. Thank goodness. I know Horace is ready to kill me. I give Horace a bite-me look and follow her into her office. "You okay?" she asks as she looks back to see Horace mad as hell.

I nod. "Okay, stand on the X, and I am going to make your picture. Smile if you can. I know this is stressful. So do your best," she says. She is sweet and the while selling me to someone, she is sweet to me. Does she even care that she is a part of the process that is dooming me to hell? How can she sleep at night?

I stand on the X and smile while she takes my picture. All I can think about is how can all of these people come in here and work the auctions? How can they live with themselves as they paint us up and sell us?

"There is nothing to worry about here. We screen people very carefully. Do not believe everything you hear. Most of the people who come to us are looking for help. They need a nanny or a maid. It is rarely something sinister. I can almost promise you that you will end up in a good place. You are the top-billed ticket tonight. We do not get hybrids very often anymore. Especially one like you," she says.

"Thank you. That makes me feel better. I am petrified," I say.

"No reason to fret. You are beautiful and young. You are what 21? I hope your auction turns out well," she says.

"I turned 21 yesterday. That is when the authority came to get me," I respond.

"Oh yeah. I remember you are James's daughter. He had so much potential with the authority. Shame he wasted it and now lives in poverty. See, this is a good thing. You can pay off his debt and be happy and far away from him," she says.

"Pay off his debt. Do you mean I am not trapped forever in this? I can leave and have a life," I ask.

"No. Just until you pay off your debt. Honestly, you should fetch enough to take care of it in just a few years. Honey, this is going to be a good thing for you. Just smile. Be kind and obey whoever is lucky enough to get you. You can do this," she says.

This auction might be a blessing. Indeed whoever buys me will be well off enough to treat me right. I am away from that idiot father and my mother. She has followed him around and allowed us to live like pigs for so long. This ordeal might be my saving grace. I need to be polite and perky.

I can do this. "Thank you. I feel so much better. I did not understand, and no one explained anything to me," I tell her.

"Good Now, why don't we retake your picture, and you can smile a big beautiful smile," she says.

I stand on the X again, and this time I smile.

"That is perfect sweet girl. I know that you will land you a big fish," she says.

I laugh. I just want to end up with someone nice. I do not mind cooking and cleaning or tending to kids. I wish to be able to eat and have a roof over my head. I can do whatever it takes to survive. I only want to survive. Please let me survive.

"You can go to the waiting room. When the auction is over, I will come to get you. It won't be long now. I should have everything uploaded for the bidding to start within the hour," she says.

"Thank you for being so kind. Almost everyone had been kind except one person. Thank you so much," I say.

"Don't pay Horace any attention. He is just mad he is stuck here after what he did," she says.

"What did he do?" I ask.

"Trust me. You do not want to know. Just be careful and stay with the group. If he gives you any trouble, Scream loud," she says.

"I will stay with the group," I tell her.

"Good luck. Not that you need it. You got this in the bag, girlie," she says.

I exit the office and walk past all the different people and creatures waiting to have their photographs taken. I wonder how they ended up here. I am sure a lot of them have it worse than me. Everything will be okay. The auction will be over in a few hours, and I will be starting a new life. I can do this.