The Auction

Tatina POV

Yesterday, I was taken from my home. Today, I am here being pampered and primped to be the most beautiful creature I can be. I have never had my hair dyed and curled. I have never had my nails done. I have never been to a spa. Yet here I am today getting pampered. Who knows what hell awaits me. I have heard horror stories about the auction. I have heard about the things that happen to the people who end up here.

Here I am with others just waiting to be auctioned out to the highest bidder. It is not fair. I should not have to be here. My father was an idiot. He could not stop gambling. He lost everything playing poker with the vampire authority elite. Now, I have to pay for his crimes. I have to be here to cover his debts. I should be getting married or going to college, but no, the vampire authorities plucked me out of my home on my 21st birthday and dragged me here to this hell to be auctioned off to some sicko.

Maybe I will get lucky and end up with a nice family that just needs a nanny or a maid. At least I will have plenty of food and a roof over my head. The worst that could happen is I could be killed. Drew was so excited to get his hands on a hybrid. My mother is a fairy, and my father is a vampire. I am their only child. I have the powers of a fairy and a vampire. Unfortunately, I cannot get myself out of this mess. Horace drugged me as soon as I got here to suppress my abilities.

"Are you okay?" the young blonde girl painting my nails asked me.

"I guess. I have no choice but to be fine," I reply.

"True, but you are very pretty. I am sure you will be fine," she says.

"I am scared," I say. I begin to cry. Why am I crying? I am crying because I am about to be auctioned to the highest bidder.

"Shhh. You do not want Horace coming over here. Please calm yourself. Besides, you do not want to be all puffy when they take your picture," she says.

She is right. I need to remain calm and smile. I need to be prepared for what comes. The first chance I get, I can run. If the drugs wear off, I can free myself from this place. I can fight my way out. I feel a pinch. I look to my left; he got me again. He will keep me drugged. It doesn't mean whoever gets me will keep me drugged, though. I can do this. I can survive.

"Now, look at your nails. They are perfect. I am going to get Lisa to come to do your makeup, and JoJo will do your hair. Okay?" she says.

I nod. I am not in the mood to talk to anyone. Here comes Horace again.

"Smile, girl. You are the big ticket tonight," he says.

I give him a fake smile. I wish I had my powers. I would enchant his ass into a fairy trap.

"Are you scared? Nothing to be scared of unless one of the weirdos get you, like me," he says with an evil laugh.

JoJo comes up behind me and starts pulling at my hair.

"Don't you worry about him. He is not allowed to bid anymore. Not since he killed that girl a few years ago. She was so precious. She was 28 and heavily in debt to the vampire authority. It was sad. Really sad. Horace bought her, and well, she was never heard from again. The vampire authority took him off the auction list, and now, he is stuck working here for them forever," she says.

"How did you end up here?" I ask.

JoJo starts twisting my hair up in braids. "I owe but not a lot. So, I can work here a few years and be done. I was given the option to go in the short-term auction, but since I am a hairdresser, they needed me here instead," she says.

"Oh. My father sold me," I respond.

"I am sorry to hear that. Too bad they couldn't take him instead," she says.

"Yeah. I know. I hate him for doing this to me. My mother stood by and let it happen. I think she was jealous of me because I am a hybrid. I did not ask to be a hybrid or to be born or to be in this mess," I say.

"None of us asked for this, but here we are. The only thing I can do for you is make you beautiful," she says.

JoJo twists and braids my hair into a Viking hairstyle. I never knew my stringy long dark hair could look so beautiful. She is really good at this. I hope she can get out of this life soon.

Lisa comes over to start my makeup. She does not say much. She looks at my skin and dabs some stuff on my face. It is so icky. I have never been one to wear a lot of makeup. She has painted my eyes dark and put on red lipstick. I look like a whore.

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 are waiting to have their picture taking for the auction. Every time I pass a mirror, I look at myself.

"You look sexy, hybrid," Horace says.

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 away.

"Can’t you even say thank you," he says.

I keep ignoring him.

"Hey, bitch. I am talking to you," 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.

I give Horace a bite me look and follow her into her office. "You okay?" she asks.

I nod. "Okay, just stand on the X, and I am going to take your picture. Smile if you can. I know this is stressful, so do your best," she says.

I stand on the X and smile while she takes my picture.

"There is nothing to worry about. 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 very rare that it is 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, especially one like you," she says.

"Thank you. That makes me feel better. I’m very scared," 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. You mean I am not trapped forever in this?" I ask.

"No. Just until the debt is paid. 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 gets you. You can do this," she says.

This might be a blessing. Surely, 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 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 a big fish," she says.

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

"You can go to the waiting room. When the auction is over, I will come to get you. It won't be long. 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 loudly," 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 be photographed. I wonder how they ended up here. I am sure a lot of them have it worse than me. Everything will be okay. In a few hours, the auction will be over, and I will be starting a new life.