14 Months 01: Halloween

"Where else would you go?" Trent asked easily. "He's offering you a job and a home as well as a helping hand to get out of the life you were living."

"As long as I become his whore," she snorted with derision. "What's the difference?"

"Well, he'd pay you a lot more than what you'd be getting out there. He'd also treat you better. Think about the men you've had in the last year and answer me this: Would it be such a hardship to sleep with one man that you knew was safe, considerate and disease-free? Besides the money, there are other benefits, like travel, parties and friends who care what happens to you. You could relax and let your guard down for a little while knowing people are there to look after you, not sell you like a cow at market." Trent pulled no punches in his appraisal of the situation. "If you don't like being told what to do and following a few rules then sweetie, you are in the wrong business to start with and need to make this change. The way I see it, it's a win-win situation for you. You won't find a madame or a pimp out there who will treat you as well as Darius will if you stay."

Sophie said nothing mulling this over as she finished her dinner and pushed the tray away. Trent took the tray from her bed and placed it on the floor near the door. Then turned back to her with a smile.

"You look beat, don't mind me if you want to sleep. I watched you sleep most of the day," he chuckled.

"It's all a bit much, you know? I woke up feeling like my skull was splitting open, and now my brain is spinning with everything else that's happening that I doubt I will sleep at all. Do you think I can have some more aspirin?" Sophie asked.

"I'll call Doctor Howard, she might be able to give you something to help you sleep," he suggested already fiddling with his phone and at her nod of agreement he lifted his phone to his ear and began to speak. Within minutes there was a soft tap on the door, and Susan entered carrying her usual leather bag.

"Feeling better after eating, Sophie?" she asked. The girl looked better, but that might be a result of the bath she had taken and the removal of all that makeup. She still looked too young to be part of the challenge, but she knew Darius well, and he wouldn't break the rules in that way or take advantage of an underage girl.

"A little but my head is spinning on top of the headache. Can I have some more aspirin, or paracetamol if you have it, please?"

"Feeling a little overwhelmed?" the doctor asked. She watched as Sophie gave a small nod and sighed. She began a general examination to check that she was recovering from the sedative she had been given the night before. "Once Darius tells you why he brought you here and what happened at the club things will become clearer and less frightening for you," she opened her bag to pull out a packet of paracetamol popping two from the safe packaging and handing them to her.

"He told me already. I know about the Alliance and their contest. I know you were once a contestant. I know what he wants and about how he found me and took me from the club. I know about Michelle and all of it. I don't know if I am less frightened right now or terrified," Sophie felt the tears welling in her eyes. The one person she had trusted, Michelle, had tried to sell her and now she didn't know if they were feeding her bullshit or if she really had lost part of her memory of the night before.

"I see," Susan said without emotion. "I imagine that is a lot to take in considering how ill you were when you woke. Would you like something to help you sleep?" she asked, patting Sophie's leg sympathetically.

"Please, it's just so much you know," Sophie said in a surprisingly steady voice despite the tears that had appeared.

"This is just a mild relaxant. It will help you fall asleep not put you to sleep like the stuff last night. There should be no side effects," she said helpfully.

"I was put to sleep last night?" Sophie blinked another tear down her face. She'd been told that. Darius had told her the medication was for anxiety, but the Doctor made it seem far more sinister.

"Darius will probably fill in all the details if your memory doesn't return. I'm sure he told you everything he thought was important," Susan quickly reassured her.

"Fuck it," Sophie groaned and took the offered football shaped tablet. Then she lay down and rolled over, facing away from the people in her room. She was done with these people and Darius for today. Tomorrow when her head wasn't splitting open she would consider everything that happened and if it would better to stay with a man who had either purchased her from Michelle or abducted her from her life, the alternative being that she take her chances of renting a cheap motel for a week maybe two if she didn't eat much and trying to get a job to supplement the pitiful savings she would have to use to survive now if she refused his girlfriend offer.

"Good night, Sophie," Susan sighed and patted her leg before leaving the room when Sophie didn't reply.

"You can go too," she said to Trent without facing him.

"I have my book, and it's better if someone is here to help you in case you wake up during the night and need something," Trent said in his quiet, soothing voice. "Maybe tomorrow I can show you around the house, so you know where the kitchen and everything is for when you need something, and no one is there to help you."

"Fine," she sighed and closed her eyes. I'll sleep and deal with all these people tomorrow," she told herself.

*****