Ariana stood there, soaked and trembling, clutching the little bag with all she had. The street was quiet. The neighbors are still sleeping. Nobody saw. Nobody knew.
For the first time, she was truly alone.
Ariana walked aimlessly along the street. The bag in her hand was almost empty, just two dresses and an old notebook. Rainwater splashed on her legs as she dragged her feet.
By evening, her stomach was aching. She had not eaten since yesterday. She tried to sit under a small shield by the roadside, hugging her bag tightly. People passed by, but nobody paid attention. To them, she was just another child in the city.
When night came, fear gripped her. She found a corner near an abandoned shopping mall and curled herself on the floor. Mosquitoes buzzed around. Her clothes were wet. She closed her eyes and whispered, "God, please don't let me die like this."
Two days passed like that. Hunger became her only friend. Sometimes she picked leftover bread from dustbins, sometimes she drank sachet water someone dropped. Her eyes lost their brightness.
On the third day, a car stopped close to her. A woman in her late thirties stepped out. She wore a fine black dress, her hair neatly packed. Her smile was soft, almost motherly.
"Hello dear," the woman said gently. "What are you doing here all alone?"
Ariana froze, unsure if she should answer.
The woman bent down. "Don't be afraid. My name is Selene. I can help you."
Tears rolled down Ariana's cheeks. "I… I don't have anywhere to go."
Selene touched her shoulder kindly. "Oh, my poor child. Don't worry. Come with me. I will take care of you. You will eat, you will sleep in a real bed. Everything will be fine."
Ariana looked into her eyes. For the first time in days, she felt a little hope.
She nodded slowly.
Selene's smile widened. "Good girl. Come."
She opened the car door and guided Ariana inside. The seat was warm, the smell of leather filling the girl's nose. Ariana hugged her bag tight, her heart racing. She felt like she had finally found a savior.
The car ride felt like a dream to Ariana. Her eyes kept moving from the shining dashboard to the glowing city lights outside. For the first time in many days, she wasn't walking in the rain or sleeping on the ground.
Selene glanced at her with a gentle smile. "Are you hungry?"
Ariana nodded shyly.
"Don't worry," Selene said. "I'll make sure you eat well."
True to her word, when they reached Selene's house, a warm plate of rice and chicken was waiting on the table. The smell filled Ariana's nose, and before she could think twice, she ate hungrily. Tears almost fell from her eyes as the food went down her throat.
After the meal, Selene gave her new clothes, soft pajamas that smelled of soap. She showed Ariana to a clean room with a small bed and white bedsheet.
"Rest, my dear," Selene said softly. "You are safe now."
Ariana laid down, the mattress embracing her body. It felt like heaven after nights on the cold ground. She whispered, "Thank you, God," before sleep carried her away.
Days passed, and Ariana began to get used to Selene's house. She ate well, she slept well, and sometimes Selene even gave her toys and books.
But slowly, small things began to trouble Ariana.
Sometimes she heard Selene speaking on the phone in a low voice, saying words she didn't understand. "New girl… fresh face… she'll fetch good money."
Other times, strangers visited the house at night, whispering with Selene in the living room. Whenever Ariana asked who they were, Selene only smiled and said, "Just friends, dear. Don't worry yourself."
Still, Ariana tried to hold on to the comfort she had found. She told herself, Maybe I'm just thinking too much. Maybe she really cares for me. But deep inside, a small fear was growing.
One night, Ariana woke up thirsty. The house was quiet, only the ticking clock on the wall made a sound. She tiptoed out of her room and walked towards the kitchen.
Halfway through the hallway, she heard Selene's voice. It was coming from the living room. Ariana paused.
"…yes, she's still here," Selene was saying on the phone, her voice sharp now, different from the soft one she used with Ariana. "Young… clean… obedient. You'll like her. Price? We'll discuss it when you see her."
Ariana froze. Her heart began to beat fast. She pressed herself against the wall, listening hard.
"She trusts me already," Selene continued. "It won't take long. Just be ready."
Ariana covered her mouth with her hand, her body shaking. She wanted to run back to her room, but her legs felt heavy like stone. What did Selene mean? Price? Trust? Obedient?
Her throat was dry, and suddenly, the rice and chicken she had eaten earlier turned bitter in her stomach.
Selene laughed lightly on the call. "Relax, I know how to handle her. She has nowhere else to go. By next week, she'll be ready."
Ariana ran back to her room as fast as she could, closed the door gently, and jumped on her bed. Tears filled her eyes. The comfort she thought she had found was breaking apart, piece by piece.
She curled up under the blanket, whispering, "Oh God, please… not again."
That night, Ariana didn't sleep.
The next morning, Selene greeted Ariana with her usual soft smile. "Did you sleep well, my dear?"
Ariana forced a nod. "Yes… thank you."
But inside, her chest was heavy. She could still hear Selene's words from the night before, ringing in her ears like a curse.
Selene served her breakfast, hot tea and bread with butter. Normally, Ariana would eat quickly, but today she only picked at the bread, her eyes watching Selene closely.
Selene noticed. "Why are you not eating?" she asked gently.
Ariana looked down. "I'm… not so hungry."
Selene tilted her head and studied her for a moment, then smiled again. "That's okay. Rest, maybe later you'll eat."
The sweetness in Selene's voice now felt like poison to Ariana. Every word carried double meaning.
Later in the day, while cleaning her small room, Ariana tried to think. Where could she run to? She had no family. No friends. No money. Even if she escaped, the streets were full of dangers she already knew too well.
Still, staying here felt worse.
She decided to be careful, to watch and wait. She would smile when Selene smiled, eat when Selene served her food, and pretend everything was fine. But inside, she would stay alert.
That evening, another stranger came to the house. Ariana hid behind the curtain in her room and listened.
"Is this the girl?" the man's voice asked.
"Not yet," Selene replied. "Give me time. She's still too nervous. I want her to be completely dependent before I move her."
Ariana's hands shook as she gripped the curtain. Dependent. Move her. The words burned in her mind.
She lay on her bed that night with eyes wide open, whispering again and again, "God, help me. Show me what to do."
Two nights later, the rain poured hard against the windows. The sound filled the house, but it couldn't cover Selene's voice. Ariana sat up in bed, her heart already racing. She had learned to wake up whenever Selene talked on the phone.
This time, the voice was sharper, impatient.
"I told you to be patient," Selene hissed. "Yes, she's ready. She trusts me. By Friday, you'll have her. Just bring the car and the money."
Ariana's blood ran cold. Friday. Just two days away.
She pressed her ear against the door, afraid to breathe too loud.
"Yes," Selene continued, her tone almost mocking. "She thinks I'm her savior. Poor girl. It's almost too easy."
Ariana's hand covered her mouth as tears fell. The little hope she had built in this house crumbled completely.
She fell back onto her bed, shaking. Her mind was screaming, She's going to sell me.
All night she couldn't close her eyes. Her heart beat fast, like it wanted to jump out of her chest. She thought of the nights on the street, of hunger, of the pain she ran away from… and she realized this place was worse.
By morning, her decision was made. She had to run. Even if it meant facing the cold ground and the dangers outside, she would rather take her chance than wait for Friday.
For the first time in many weeks, she prayed with fire in her heart. "God, I don't know where I will go… but please, don't let them take me."
The next two days felt like a nightmare Ariana could not wake up from.
Selene moved about the house with her usual gentle smile, cooking meals, checking on Ariana, even buying her a new dress. But now, every kindness looked like a trap.
"Do you like it?" Selene asked when she handed Ariana the dress, a soft blue gown with little flowers on it.
Ariana forced a smile. "Yes… it's pretty."
"Good girl," Selene said, patting her head like she was a pet.
Inside, Ariana's stomach turned. Each "good girl" sounded less like love and more like chains.
At night, Ariana couldn't sleep. She sat by the window, staring at the rain-slick streets outside. Sometimes she thought she saw shadows moving in the dark, men smoking by the corner, cars with tinted glass driving slow. She wondered if one of them was waiting for her.
During the day, she pretended. She laughed when Selene joked. She ate slowly at the table even though her throat was tight. She read the children's books Selene gave her, though her eyes never stayed on the words.
But whenever Selene wasn't looking, Ariana's eyes darted to the door. The lock. The windows. She began to study the house the way a trapped bird studies a cage.
On Thursday morning, Selene looked extra happy. She wore a red dress and sprayed strong perfume.
"Tomorrow will be a special day," she told Ariana with a wide smile.
Ariana's hands trembled as she held her cup. She quickly placed it on the table before Selene noticed.
"What kind of day?" she asked softly, her voice shaking despite her effort.
Selene leaned close, her eyes shining in a way Ariana had never seen before. "Don't worry, you'll find out soon."
Then she kissed Ariana's forehead and walked away.
The kiss felt like fire burning into Ariana's skin. She wiped it off the moment Selene turned her back.
That night, Ariana knew there would be no more waiting.
The night was heavy with silence. Even the rain had stopped, leaving the air thick and still. Ariana sat on her bed, hugging her knees to her chest. Every sound in the house made her heart jump.
She waited. She listened. Selene's footsteps had stopped hours ago. The house was quiet now, only the faint hum of the refrigerator filling the silence.
Her eyes moved to the door. Then the window. She had studied them for days. Tonight, it was time to try.
Slowly, she slipped off the bed and picked up her small bag. She had nothing inside except a bottle of water and the old clothes Selene had first given her. But to Ariana, it was enough. It was freedom.
Her hands shook as she turned the knob of her door. It creaked slightly, and she froze. She held her breath, waiting to see if Selene would wake up. Nothing. The house stayed quiet.
Step by step, she crept into the hallway. The tiles felt cold under her bare feet. Her heart was beating so loud she was sure it could wake the dead.
At the end of the hall, the front door stood like a giant. Ariana reached for the lock with trembling fingers. She turned it slowly, praying it wouldn't make a sound. 'Click'.
The sound was low, but to Ariana it was thunder. She glanced back at Selene's door. No movement.
She pulled the door open just enough to slip through. The night air hit her face, cool and fresh. For the first time in weeks, she smelled freedom.
But just as she stepped outside, a voice cut through the silence.