"Such a lovely lady you are," Her mother whispered in her ear adding an old necklace to her neck.
"So grown up," Her father added.
She looked in the partially shattered mirror. Her chest was hanging out, her hair pulled up and she had on thin clothing that left her shivering.
"Let's go my darling," her father said as she took the crook of his arm.
A girl of only fourteen years old was being rented out to men in the middle of the night. That first year was the worst of her life.
That little girl, scared girl was me. My name is Challis. Trust me this isn't a sad story. Although it has sad parts, don't let that discourage you because it is a rather amazing story and what better place to start than from the beginning.
"Challis, my love!" I heard a voice from behind me call. "Take me away for the night and love me forever."
I giggled as his shipmates came running up behind him. This was life here at the dock, as we liked to call it. A place for ladies of the night to meet gentlemen. It was a rather quaint place. It wasn't far from the mayor's old factory, which shut down soon after his departure.
"No Challis. Take me! For I am an old man," Mr. James said taking my hand. He was an older man but still knew what he was doing. He insisted that I would be there for him in his old age to take care of him like the young, sexy daughter he had never been granted.
"I beat you here James! I get her tonight. After all, I shall marry this girl and we only have only one night in port," Explained Harrison. He was a man of twenty who had grown up on ships. His father was a sailor and his mother had died in child-birth. He had proposed five times since I was fifteen.
"What about you, Bray?" I asked with a smile. He was different from the others that came to me. His intent wasn't to satisfy himself but to make total love. He loved me with all his heart but I could never be with Bray. My family would never approve of him.
He didn't have a response he just smiled. Because I could see my answer in his smile.
"Come, Come boys what is going on?" mother asked after sending off one of her girls with a captain.
"They all want me for the night mother," I replied looking at all the men.
She looked at all of them for a minute giving hums here and there. "Well, how good are you boys at sharing?" She questioned.
The men looked between themselves. "Pretty good I suppose," Harrison stated after the glances had been exchanged.
"It's settled then. You all shall go up with my dear, Challis," she smiled at me. "The captain's suite, my love. One boy at a time, Understand?"
"Yes mother." I gave a signal to the men to follow me. Not like they needed prompting they were half way to the room.