Make Haste

Chang was not mistaken, the growling loud sounds were the men, having returned from wherever they went. The growling of the engine cut off and she heard the sound of the metal doors slamming shut.

They dropped down off the ladder, and opened the door to the side room that she was in.

Chang drew herself up to her knees to face them, seeing spots as she pulled herself up.

The leader looked at Chang who was kneeling. "Give her some water and untie her for a bit."

One of the men cut her bonds, once freed she rubbed the dead limbs on her legs. Feeling started to come back to them in a painful tingling bits as she tried to get the blood flowing in them again.

Her blindfold, that had already been partially moved when she rubbed her face on the ground, was completely removed, showing the tiny dimly lit room she was in. A small grimy, yellowed bulb swung overhead in the adjoining room, throwing shadows over the men's faces as they stood over her. Even though it was only a bit of light, it was blinding to her after so long in the dark.

"Well Miss Dumont, it looks like our time together has unfortunately come to an end. We have made contact with someone interested in purchasing you, and we will be bringing you to them tomorrow. So please rest and enjoy your last evening with us." After his last pleasant sounding words he closed the door. The light from the doorway went with him, further plunging her into darkness.

The sound of men laughing raucously was transmitted, muffled through the door. The sound of their enjoyment felt like it deepened her despair.

'Jian..' Chang closed her eyes, wishing she could see him again. Just one last time.

Through the muffled door she could hear snippets of their conversations, but didn't think much of it. At least until she heard the topic come to her. She pricked her ears up and scooched closer so that she could hear them more clearly.

.. "All I'm saying is that we should get a chance to enjoy her too... It's not as if she's a virgin.. We won't leave marks on her that the client would see.. Who says we should only have a monetary reward.."

Chang backed away from the door hands over her mouth. She couldn't bear to hear another word of what those vile men were saying.

Chang looked around for an escape, or even a weapon to save herself with.

There was only a bit of light in the room she was in, coming from the light under the door. Shadowy large boxes and bags surrounded her, cluttering the ground.

'There!'

In the back of the room, she saw a small glass pane almost to the ceiling, long and narrow. She couldn't see through it, so she couldn't be sure that it was an escape route, but it was better than anything else she saw.

Chang pulled her long tunic off herself, wrapping it around her fist and arm. She was only wearing that now, as with her hands tied she had been unable to pull on her pants after relieving herself.

She shivered at the cold dank air and the thought of what those men wanted to do to her.

'Not without a fight!' Chang pushed one of the larger boxes to under where the pane was. Standing on it, she took a deep breath and punched through the glass. The cloth and the men's laughter covered up the small sound that it made. Fresh air instantly came through the little hole that she had made.

Chang's lips lifted in triumph at the smell of freedom.

She used her covered hand to quietly push the glass out so that it wouldn't fall in and shatter. Once the majority of it was out of the way, she laid her tunic on the edge a pushed herself through on her belly.

'Where there's a will there's a way, and I'll make my way.'