A New Game

A few months ago...

The cold breeze blew through the light jacket Becka had worn tonight. Hugging herself to warm up she cursed the rare cold front that had hit the normally warm city of Miami. She hated having to walk through this neighborhood every time she was summoned by that demon she was forced to Daddy. He wasn't her father, of course; just a cretin that trafficked young girls like herself for his own benefit. Oh, how she wished she could break free of his hold, but he was too powerful to fight. He owned the house her family lived in as well as the company her mother worked at.

She had begged her mom to let her go live with her father some time ago but not long after her mother granted her request, he was killed in a freak accident. Becka knew in her heart it was no accident, but she would never be able to prove it. She was stuck. Forced to please whomever 'Daddy' had put in front of her, regardless of age or gender.

Her body shivered involuntarily as she neared the demon's mansion. She desperately longed to run away, but her feet obediently trudged up the drive to the wrap around porch to meet tonight's fate. Though it was long after the New Year, the house was still decorated as if it were the holidays. Bright lights and evergreen garlands wrapped around the pillars of the porch. Soft electric candelabra's graced the windows giving off a peace filled, homey feeling to passerbys. Becka knew it was all just for show. She had been here many times before and what awaited her behind these welcoming doors was anything but peaceful.

The door was opened before she could ring the bell. The butler, an older, dignified looking male, welcome her into the foyer. Closing the door behind them he led her to east wing where she was to meet with her benefactor before continuing with her work. He guided her to the study where his master was waiting and left her inside without saying a word.

The man stood leaning against his full-length window. He turned his face towards as she was ushered in. "Your late." His chilly voice set her nerves a blaze. His blue eyes pierced her soul with fear.

"I-I..." She swallowed. "Forgive me... D-Daddy."

"You know what happens when you keep me waiting?"

She nodded with her eyes cast down to the floor. Of course, she knew what he wanted. She would have to serve him first before meeting whomever he had scheduled for her tonight. Without being told she walked near the sofa in the study and kneeled down in front of it.

"Good girl." He smiled as he walked to the sofa. Seating himself in front of her he continued, "Then get busy, little girl. You have a busy night tonight." He leaned back against the sofa as she reached for his belt to proceed with what was expected.

*

Early the next morning, Becka stood in her shower trying to scrub the previous night's events off her body. She had already brushed her teeth four times but still unable to get that taste out of her mouth. She would complain to her mother if she thought it would do any good, but she was in the same boat. Mother and daughter forced to serve a cruel master with no hope of freedom. Sighing in resignation she turned off the water. There's no point in scrubbing anymore as there is no amount of soap and water that would be able to clean the filth she was living in.

Scrubbed and dressed for school, she quickly took out her little notebook she kept hidden in the linen closet and jotted down the names of everyone she was forced to serve last night. She was about to put it back in its hiding spot but felt an odd shiver go through her spine. Opening the notebook one more time she used her phone to snap photos of every page and sent them to an encrypted drive online. She then tore a clean of paper from the notebook and wrote down the information on how to access the drive an its contents in Mandarin, the one language her deviant master didn't know. She would give it the exchange student in hope that the girl would give it to the right people.

Something in her gut told her she wouldn't live much longer. The way 'Daddy' looked at her when she left his mansion this morning told her that something worse than working for him was coming soon.

The morning warning bell rang just as she entered the school. 'Five minutes to class starting,' she reasoned to herself. Her eyes caught a glimpse of the exchange student near her locker and quickly made her way towards her. She hadn't spoken to the girl before as she was always with her archenemy, Amy. Amy was the one that had initially introduced her to the man she is now enslaved to. Sold her, would be a more appropriate term as Amy had traded Becka to him for her own freedom. That same offer was made to Becka by that man, but she had refused over and over again. She could never sell out another human being like that.

Closing in the Asian girl, Becka begged God silently, 'Please make this work. Please, oh, please.' She bumped into the girl with enough force to knock her down, dropping her books in the process. "Oh! My gosh, I am so sorry!" she gushed out as she helped her gather her books up, stuffing the instructions she had written into her science book in the process. "I tripped. Please, forgive me."

The exchange student blinked at her in disbelief at first and then smiled reassuringly. "It's okay. No problem. I'm not hurt. Are you okay?" she asked as she stood.

"Oh, don't bother with the klutz, Yuyan. She's always a disaster." Amy interrupted. She just arrived on scene. "Aren't ya? Dumbass Bi..."

"Ladies..." Miss Everglass, the homeroom teacher sternly interrupted. "Is there a problem here?" She pushed her black-framed glasses up her pudgy nose as she looked at the three girls expectantly.

"I tripped and..." Becka began.

"Ah! No problem, Miss. No problem." Yuyan waved her free hand to dismiss the tension.

"No, Ma'am." Amy replied cooly.

Miss Everglass narrowed her eyes at Becka. "Then get to class, girls." Just then the final bell rang. "You're late."

"Yes, Miss Everglass." Becka quickly dashed to her classroom at the same time Amy and Yuyan ran to their's.

*

Science was the last class of the day for the exchange student Yuyan, her real being Ming. She had found the note Becka had put in her book when the teacher asked them to turn to chapter 12. She glanced over the note written in Mandarin and quickly stuffed back in her book. After class ended she hurried to the parking lot to meet her 'host-mom' only to be stopped by Amy along the way.

"Hey!" Amy called out. "Hold up, Yuyan."

Ming wanted to roll her eyes but maintained composure for the sake of her mission. After a few months in this school, she had learned what roll was played by whom in the disappearance of Jessica Kinsford. Amy being the most devious of them as she was the one who set Jessica up. Truth be told, she wanted to exact vengeance for every victim of Amy's but had lacked the evidence she needed to proceed with her plans. She was hoping the information Becka was leading her to was what she needed. The last thing she wanted to deal with right now was this spoiled, evil teen. Steeling her emotions she plastered an innocent smile on her face as she turned to face her classmate. "Oh! Amy. Hello. I am just leaving, now."

She hooked her arm around Ming's elbow. "I know, but I wanted to remind you of the end of the schoolyear party at my house next weekend. You are coming, right? I want to introduce to some of my college friends." She batted her eyes playfully at Ming.

"Oh, yes. I forget to ask my host mom. I will ask her tonight. Okay? Okay. Bye bye." She pulled away from Amy's hold and ran to her 'host-mom's' car. She turned and waved to Amy with a big smile on her face before entering the car and locking the doors. "Get me outta here, quick." She demanded.

Brenda didn't say anything as she drove out of the school parking lot. "Home?" she asked when she cleared the school zone.

"Are we being followed?" Ming asked while glancing in the side mirror seeing the same blue SUV they saw follow them every day. Ming knew Amy had put a tail on her to make sure she did what she said she was doing.

"McDonald's it is, then."

"No. We need to go through the Game Stop. I need your phone to call my dad." Brenda gave her phone over without hesitation and continued to the destination.

The man answered on the first ring. In Mandarin "Ming! Are you in trouble?"

"Baa? I need your help. I'm texting you a picture. Look into for me?"

"Of course, I will."

"Also, next Friday is the day. I'll trust with the details."

"Okay, baby girl. Be safe."

"I will, Baa. Thank you." She disconnected the call and sent a snap of the note Becka had put in her book. "You ready for the show, my love?" She asked Brenda as they pulled into the parking lot.

"It's about time." Brenda sighed. "This mother-daughter thing we've had going on is a bit..."

"I know. I know. It'll be over soon. Evidence or no evidence, this ends Friday. Be ready."

"What did you send your dad?"

"If it's what I think it is, Becka will dead before next weekend's party."

"Oh! That poor girl. Can't we do something."

"In her case, death will be a welcomed release from Hell she is in."

"That's a terrible thing to say, Ming! Lots of women get out this kind of thing and go on to thrive."

"I know. But you didn't see the look in her eyes today. She's already given up on life." A lone tear trailed down her cheek as she thought of the girl who bumped into this morning. Throughout the school year she seen cold emotions and blazing anger dance within Becka's eyes, but this morning she saw lifeless surrender. Just like the look in her sister's eyes before she took her own life.

"That's sad." Brenda admitted. "I'm sorry." She added when Ming wiped the tear from her face.

"Yeah, me too." She whispered. "Let's go. We don't have much time left." They entered the store as they watched the blue SUV drive slowly by in their peripheral vision. "There's a new game out I would like to buy." She said loud enough for the SUV's driver to hear as it went by.