4 Chapter 4

Foggy light seeped into wet eyes as the wolf-eared girl slowly opened them. She was in a cage, dressed in a beautiful green dress. Her hair was done up and in a bun, and her ears were combed up. She had bright red lipstick on her little lips, but she could not move. Chains were attached to her neck and feet, the cage she was in slowly moved to the middle of a stage.

Hundreds of masked people sat in a dim hall, and a beautiful woman stood in the middle of the stage. "Next up on our list is a very exotic, one-of-a-lifetime item." She announced as her hand stretched out and pointed towards the little wolf-eared girl. The cage stopped rolling, and the door opened. The chains fell off as the guards took them off and slowly picked up the little girl placing her in the center of the stage.

"She is a little girl. We estimate around 7 years old with real animal ears. Yes, you heard me right. This little lady right here has ears of an animal." She paused as silence reigned over the hall. "Bids start at 100,000." She finally said, and the hall erupted in yelling.

"110,000!"

"200,000!"

"250,000!"

The bids went higher and higher as both men and women bid for the little girl. Bright lights blinded the wolf-eared girl as she stood on stage frozen in place. She had nowhere to go and was standing on a stage as people yelled numbers at her. She didn't know what to do. She was already confused at why these people looked different from her, but now they behaved differently, too.

She tried to cry, but tears didn't fall from her face. Numbers kept on being yelled out as more masked people attempted to buy the little girl.

Eventually, the noise calmed down, and fewer people were yelling. Few people talked, and sighs could be heard from the audience as two people fought for the little girl.

"890,000!" said a man with a plain white mask. He sounded irritated as another man with a black and golden mask overbid him again.

"900,000!" Was the bid, the white-masked man sighed as he gave up and the woman on stage announced the black and golden masked man as the winner. A round of dejected clapping resounded in the hall as everyone looked towards the masked man. He nodded his head and looked back at the stage where the little girl was.

A smile appeared underneath his mask as he saw the little girl.

After she was taken off the stage, she was relocated to a new brightly lit area. The same man was seen waiting for the little girl. He reached out his hand and grabbed the little girl's hand, pulling her along towards a back exit where a black car was parked, its windows were tainted, and the license plates were blacked out.

"Get in!" he said as he opened the door and threw the little girl into the car. The door loudly shut after the man slammed the door and walked towards the passenger seat. Another man could be seen in the driver's seat, waiting for the man from earlier's directions.

"Take us home." said the black and golden masked man as he opened the front door and sat inside, closing the door and taking off his mask. A pale, skinny-looking man looked back at the little girl and smiled to himself.

Late at night, a black car sped down the congested roads of New York. Car horns blared in the night, and bright lights shone everywhere. Groups of people walked along the sidewalk, looking at their phones or talking with their friends.

The black car kept driving forward unhindered until a bright flash swept across the area. Cars crashed and ran over groups of people. Immediately hundreds of casualties and tens of cars flew everywhere. At the bright light center, a large orange-skinned humanoid creature stared in a daze all around it. It looked lost almost, scared that it was here.

Gunshots resounded in the area, and the little girl was swept up in the tide of people running for their lives. Her car was flipped on its side, she got out of the sunroof unhindered and safe. The driver and passenger were not as lucky. They died after the crash.

The little girl was pushed and pulled, shoved everywhere. She couldn't understand what was going on and why these people were hurting her. She fell on the floor and curled up in a ball.

More gunshots resounded, and a strange roar echoed across the buildings. The glass windows shattered after the cry, and the orange giant launched himself at the nearest attacker.

"Boom!" Both its hands slammed down on the ground, and a muscular man holding a pistol was shredded into a pulp. More gunshots resounded as the giant continued to pursue its attackers and try to protect its self in this foreign land.

Sirens wailed as the giant continued to punch at the shooters. Police cars surrounded the area. Helicopters flew over the building, and rain made from bullets fell from the sky onto the orange giant as the cars kept it in the center of their formation.

"Boom!" The giant fell lifelessly on the ground. Bloody holes filled its body. Shouts and scream resounded in the area.

Meanwhile, the wolf-eared girl slowly stood up from the ground. Her knees were bleeding, and so were her elbows. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she knew that nothing good would happen if she cried.

She looked up at the nearby scene. Fire and loud sounds resounded everywhere. She was scared. She didn't know what to do. So she ran.

The wolf-eared girl ran from the scene, running on the sidewalks and between different blocks. Cars were flipped or stopped in the street, and the occasional scream could be heard from the road. She continued to run, away from the noise, the lights, and the blood. She wanted warmth, but she got coldness instead.

After running for what seemed to be forever, she stopped in an empty alleyway. A black cat could be seen on a nearby scaffolding. Trash and water were spread across it, but it was at least better than what she previously had gone through.

"I want Mommy!" she cried as she sat on the ground and placed her back on the wall.

That night she cried again, just like all the previous times during her journey that seemed to be a path to hell. She was so confused. She used to live in a small village, boats and horses were used for traveling. But these people were different. They had black carriages and shiny sails. They had small cannons and ruthless personalities. She didn't understand what was happening.

She cried until the following day. People passed by the alley, scoffing and scowling at the little girl that was hugging her legs, sniffling to herself. She wanted to go home. The sun eventually rose in the sky, more and more people passed by the alleyway, and in return, more people scoffed at her. She didn't know why. She just wanted warmth.

Then she heard a voice. It was soft and feminine and somewhat high. "Are you okay, sweetie?" A young lady, she seemed to be in her 20s, asked. The little wolf-eared girl scowled at that question. The last time someone asked her that she got sold.

The little girl looked up and frowned, slowly scooting away from the young lady. "I don't... want you..." said the wolf-eared girl. She didn't want anyone but her Mom and Dad.

The young girl sighed at that. She could see that this little girl had been through a lot. She wanted to help, but trust was hard to come by nowadays, and she knew that.

"My name is Anna." The young girl said. "What's yours?"

The wolf-eared girl perked up at that question. Ever since this journey has started, nobody has asked what her name is. Nobody seemed to care. She slowly looked towards Anna and thoughtfully analyzed her. She felt like she looked serious, but she looked pretty goofy instead.

She didn't know whether or not to trust this lady. She didn't want to feel sad again, but she was lost. A 6-year-old girl shouldn't need to go through this type of torture. The wolf-eared girl sniffled and gave a weak but bright smile.

"My name is... Rura..." Said the wolf-eared girl. Anna smiled as she examined Rura.

"How about this Rura, I'm going to get us some food, and if you stay here, I promise ill bring some back for you!" Anna said with a bright smile as she stood up and took off her bright red coat. It was a button-up coat with a large hood on the back, but it was clean and warm.

Rura nodded as she put the coat on. "Thanks miss." she shyly said. "Can I go with you? I don't want to be alone anymore..."

Anna held out her hand and smiled, "Of course!" she softly said.

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