Shoe clicks and muffled music melded along the afro lady's continuous chivvy. She seemed to be who coordinates the event, pulling whoever had their proper attire before pushing them out again. It was hectic. Some of the models instantly stripped as they resurfaced, rushing to change. I kept my eyes close to the stage, studying their movements.

The host then took over, talking about a new fashion name which I failed to pronounce. The afro lady who just finished sipping on her drink turned to me, using a pinky to fix the curls on my forehead. "Get ready Charmaine, you are up. Now chop-chop!" She beckoned for me to follow, clapping her hands like she was dancing a salsa.

Confusion tagged along as I chased her. "Sorry, what did you call me?" I asked, confirming something I thought I had misheard. Or was this some kind of way she addressed her models, by their maiden's name?

Waving her hand to dismiss it, she stopped before the gaping runway. "Strut ahead, pause at the point" -she tipped her forefinger towards a circle on the stage- "one hand on hip then flare the dress as you spin around. Now fly belle... Fly! "

"Fly?"

I didn't get everything she said, nor understanding what some of them meant, but no turning back anymore when she practically shoved me to the stage. The lights stabbed my eyes first, but I blinked it straight. Standing upright, I started walking down the aisle. The upbeat music helped boost my confidence. Countless eyes focused on me; among them, I caught Alfie standing where the bodyguards were lining. His face was stern, but I thought it was probably because he wasn't used to being around so many. Reaching the appointed centre, I stopped, flicked the tailing organza back and posed. It seemed to amuse the audience by their awe and rain of camera flashes. On my way back, I noticed Thalaa sitting next to a woman. He looked grim, contrary to his amused companion. However, she gave me disquieting familiarity; her nose, her eyes, especially the waves and colour of her hair, reminded me of someone I couldn't get off my mind.

Rush outmatched the hustling applaud outside after entering the backstage. April, wearing a heavily wrinkled forehead grabbed me, hurrying me to where I remembered was the way to the exit. "What's wrong?" I croaked.

The question left unanswered. No words could escape April's sealed lips. But she reflected her urgency as she started pulling me along to sprint. My heels clank bitterly on the marble tile, staking its durability from the rapid force. Snap! A crack announced one of it broke. I halted, but pulling it off was no use since enforcement of bodyguards were already behind us. The second they started coming, I took it our mission didn't go as planned. Adjacent to us, Ember and July were fighting off a few. April put me in between, ripping her long dress into a mini. She threw her shoes first at them, each one a direct hit to the head. During their recoiling, she touched them, turning them stiff. July finished the last one with a shoulder throw. All of us resumed our haste to the exit.

"What happened? Everything was just fine a minute a-" July didn't get to finish her word, she slurred, cupping her shoulder where a dart hit.

April was next to fall. Ember kept running with me towards the parking lot. When she looked back, she spun me around, protectively shielding me. A whistling sound aired, jolting her from the shot. She mouthed run before consciousness was also taken from her. But I didn't get far, a sting hit my nape, depleting my heart rate. While I crawled, someone put a bag over my head. Everything turned dark.

***

"You crazy bi**h! Mothe*****cker!"

July's screaming jerked me back to reality. My sight was shrouded. My hands were bounded. The cloak on my head sadly hindered smell and muffled the sound aside from the voices. Yet, the vibrating space let known I was on a moving vehicle.

"Oh, boy... Wait until I get this handcuffs off. I'll kick your ass!" July continued her rampage. Her thrashing was evident from the extra shaking.

"Calm down, July. Save your energy. We may need it later." A voice, its gentleness immediately declared Ember as its possessor. "I don't understand. Nothing was going wrong, " she added, disappointment laced her words.

"I'm sorry I got you into this, " I expressed solemnly.

I felt a slight bump on my shoulder before a whisper. "Charis, just stay quiet and don't say anything, okay?" It was Ember.

"Okay."

I waited for April to talk, but I didn't hear anything from her. I couldn't tell if she was even with us. After a creaking sound, someone yanked me. I fell on something hard, spilling a yelp from the pain.

"Charis! Are you okay?" Ember asked, her voice came from my front.

I didn't want her to worry. "Yes, I'm okay."

Again, July started screaming words I didn't quite understand the meaning until she turned muffled. Gags and heavy shuffling were the only sound coming from her direction afterwards.

The hands grasping both my arm continued to pull me, unknown to where. Suddenly, a subtle animated clicking sound I was so much acquainted with resonated, hinting me of my whereabouts.

Bag discarded from my sight, and I was greeted instantly with fear. It was HEROIN. The smell of disinfectant rushed into my nose. The memory of torment made my heart beat furiously. Trying to flee the nightmare, I lurched for the door. But the guard pushed me, sending me flying back. I almost hit the floor, but July and Ember broke my fall.

Ember started checking me. "Are you alright?" She asked.

Visibly I was, but the vile fear had already cut me deep, bleeding me on every passing second trapped at the place.

"This is HEROIN rehabilitation centre, " I let out shaking. My fingers twitched from all the reminder of the electric stun they called as treatment.

Narrowed eyes stirred the two sister's exchanged look. July started looking around the empty white room. Eyes on me, she settled a finger on her lips before rubbing her chin, mouthing the word quiet while doing it. After she stood up, she leaned on a wall.

"They are watching us. Behind me. Speaking of where, April's missing," she said.

Ember slightly nodded. She kept wriggling her handcuffs, probably trying to get them off. "We'll just hope they're okay," she mumbled.

Alas, a piece of my heart, Alfie wasn't anywhere to be seen. Worry barged into the room with us.

Suddenly the door sprang open, the faces of people I recognised stood behind it. April was first to appear. Both her hands were gloved, but she wasn't handcuffed like her sisters. Then Thalaa stood next to the brunette from the show. Behind them were women wearing all white, leaf embroidery on their shoulder representing HEROIN.

"What's the meaning of this. April, what have you done?" July was first to break the mute, she sneered.

April bit her lip, refusing eye contact with any of us.

"Take your sisters and leave." The brunette let out. Her voice was demeaning, matching the peeved on her face.

As if on command, HEROIN enforcers made way to Ember and July, dragging them out.

"You coward piece of sh*t! You coward!! How could you do this again!" July screamed, fighting the women handling her. Just a mere second loose from their grasp, she jumped to April, using her head to hit her over and over.

When the enforcer tried to get her, the brunette held up a hand. She looked amused by the show. April was badly bleeding on her nose and lips by the time July was done. She spat at her before lunging towards her next target; the woman in command. But the enforcers caught her, and it took four of them to bound her rage.

"Leave me here! I rather die!" She blared.

I could only watch as she wailed until calm was forced to her by the needle. Ember was quiet, and her aggrieved eyes were stuck on April who was slowly gathering her remaining pride. While an enforcer dragged her away, her eyes turned black, the movement of her lips aired nothing verbal. She lost her consciousness second later.

Plastering a grin, which so much only sent a chill down my spine, the brunette closed in on me. Thalaa tailed her on every move, placid on his face. I finally knew why I was alarmed on our encounter at the bank; the stench of HEROIN was on him.

"You look just like her. Almost an exact copy." She touched my face with the back of her hand, making me uncomfortable.

"Who are you? What do you want from me?" I croaked, studying her face at the inkling familiarity. The hazel on her eyes made my heart skipped a beat.

She pretended a gasp, putting a hand on her chest before laughing. "I'm surprised she never mention me. Ouch!" She pout. "My identity is not something you would like, so I think we should leave it for now. First, we have fun."

Turning around, she snapped her fingers. One of the enforces grabbed me, pulling me out towards the hallway I was so kin of. The ivory wall, the mercury-vapour lamp lining the ceiling, and the putrid smell of surfactants awry of human waste stench scared the life out of me. When I heard a buzzing sound, I cringed. Gentler handling compared to the enforcer held my arm. It was Thalaa.

"I'll take over from here."

Nodding, the woman on the job stepped back, then gone in a blink. I struggled a little, but Thalaa's grip was firm. He didn't intend to be easy on me.

"I suggest you comply, miss, " he said with indifference.

"What if I don't? What are you going to do with me?" I sneered at him, in no means of being kind anymore for his choice of profession.

The brunette laughed, and Thalaa chose to ignore me. Footsteps were the only sound existing until we met a door. Nothing I wasn't aware of as soon as the room unfold. It was the screen studio. A chair fixed in the middle for whoever was taking the 'treatment'.

While I struggled, Thalaa sat me down for the show, strapping me in so I couldn't get away.

"It's done, Braile." Thalaa began.

Braile, assuming was the brunette's name, kissed him passionately in front of me. "We're going to watch a show! Yay!" She spoke with excitement after pulling away from him.

The screen lit up. My anxiety grew by the second with the puzzlement of what Braile was planning to do; why were she and Thalaa still in their fancy attire, stood in the room with me? From my past experience, I was left inside alone to witness the flashing words of pod men as something non-living.

Shriek and wail were first to ram my hearing, before footage of women chained on walls and put on cages pushed into my sight. My mouth dropped at the horror, as men forced them into intercourse. They were slapped, strangled and beat without mercy. Their pleas ignored as the manner continued. They were treated like animals, something inhuman

"That's call rape and enslavement, my dear, " Braile uttered with a smug smile, she seemed unfazed by it.

Refusing to see more, I closed my eyes. But it wasn't helping. My stomach clenched at the attached memory of blood and bodies sprayed around. The sound of cries from the audiovisual continued to taunt. "Please!!! Please no more!" I begged.

"But why? We just started, " Braile enunciated.

The flashing stopped, and the room turned quiet, announcing the visual had ended.

I opened my eyes, freeing the tears along. "You are wrong! Not every man are like them. I... I met..." My emotion gave away more than I intended, not entirely but enough meaning to expose my secret.

"Oh, do you now? Interesting!" Braile cackled for a few seconds before stopping to give me the most wicked smile. "Then I'm sure you'll like the next video. "

As she worked with the machine at the side, humming a song happily, Thalaa curled an arm on her waist. "Why don't we wait until tomorrow? It's late. Let's go home, " he suggested.

Braile snarled, "I've waited years to do this! I'm not wasting any more time! If you want to leave then go!" Her voice boomed inside the compact room.

Thalaa kissed her cheek, making her frown loosened slightly. "It's okay let's get this done, and we go home."

Rustles brought the opening of the video. My eyes indirectly shut, unwilling to witness whatever it was about to show.

"Grab her, make her watch!" Braile commanded.

Cold hands cupped my face, fingers on my eyelids, forcing it to open. With Braile standing at the front, I knew it was none other than Thalaa who was holding me. "How could you do this! You murdered Amy, and now this!" I screamed. The chair under me shook as I struggled. My wrist bled after pulling so hard on the handcuffs. Unyielding to pain, I finally freed my hand after breaking my joint. My nerve got the better of me, and I slapped Thalaa on the instant. Blood marked my fingers on his face.

With the sudden adrenaline rush, I hurried to open the straps. But something made me halt. The video wasn't new; it was the viral CCTV footage of Amy. My hands turned stiff when it played longer than what I'd seen before. This time the man turned, and seconds felt like minutes on the apprehension.

My eyes widened at the paused video, shaken by the face I recognised as none other than my Alfie. His swear of innocence echoed in my head, taunting me of the lies he had given. Thalaa, who stood at the side, had a look I wanted so much to deny as sympathy.

"As you can see, my dear. They are all the same."

To be continued...

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Woah that was long. So, what just happen? The next update will be out in two days.

Thank you for reading. Vote and comment are highly appreciated.