VERSATILE
Able to adapt or be adapted to many different functions or activities.
"Eighteen, just pretend like you know what I look like! I told you that you don't need to really see me," a young girl with black hair said as she sat in a large, stone, room. There was one light between the rooms. It was dim but it was the only source of light that the girls had. The dark-haired girl was talking to another girl who was behind the wall.
"O-Okay, Seventeen," the young girl on the other side of the wall said, her voice frail and weak.
"Great! Let's start!" the raven-haired girl said with a smile towards the wall. She stood up, wearing nothing but a ragged, dirtied, and a pale colored shirt, brown pants, and a tag with a number on it.
"Oh, Seventeen, how I really wish we could get out of here," the girl on the other side of the wall said.
"Don't worry, Eighteen! I'll break us out!" the girl, known as Seventeen, said as she grinned. She put her hands on the bars in front of her, trying to shake them. Her tiny body couldn't.
"Hey! Stop that," a man yelled, hitting Seventeen's fingers with a stick. The small girl fell back, holding her hands close to her chest. She saw the man turn to a few others who had walked out.
"Which one?" one of the men asked.
"Number Eighteen," the one who had hit Seventeen said.
"Come on, Eighteen. You're being sold," one of them said, grabbing the girl who was in the cell. Seventeen watched her pass, studying her as best as she could before she was dragged away. She had blonde hair and green eyes.
"Eighteen!" Seventeen called, once again trying to push herself out of the cell. She held her hand out as far as she could. Eighteen grabbed it for a second before she was pulled away and the two slipped out of reach.
"Shut it, brat! Go to sleep," a man said as he threw Seventeen further back into the cell.
"Eighteen, wait for me! I'll be out of here soon!" the girl yelled, tears flowing from her eyes. One of the men walked in with their stick.
"Do you need to be taught another lesson, Seventeen?" he asked. Seventeen screamed as he was
Eight Years Later...
"Which one?" a male voice rang through the silent halls. Seventeen opened her dark, dull eyes gradually.
"Seventeen," a female voice said. Seventeen slowly sat up, rubbing the crust out of her eyes. She yawned before being pulled to her feet.
"Come on, Seventeen. You're being sold," the man said as he pulled her into a bigger room. She stood next to the door, eyes on the cold floor the whole time. There were two racks on each side of the room along with one mirror, bench, and a hairbrush.
"You'll change into proper attire, brush your hair, then I'll take you to see your parents," the female said.
"Got it?" the man asked. Seventeen said nothing, keeping her hazy eyes trained on the ground. When he got no answer, the man scoffed before closing the door and walking out. The female sat on the bench, leaving Seventeen to her business.
"Get going," the lady said as Seventeen walked over to the clothes rack. She didn't understand what would be considered 'proper' attire, thus she just stared at the rack. The lady on the bench sighed.
"Here," she scanned the rack before picking out a simple brown dress. She got up and grabbed the brush. She began to brush out Seventeen's hair for the next five minutes, leading the young girl out once finished.
"Where to?" the lady asked.
"The Akuna Estate," the man said. The lady hesitated for a moment before nodding and walking down another long hallway.
"I hear it's Edgar Akuna's daughter's birthday," the lady said once she came to a door. The man tied ropes tightly around Seventeen's ankles and wrists.
"Yup. Seventeen's her present from what I've gathered," he said as he opened the door, revealing three flights of stairs leading up. The three walked up the stairs.
"Good for you, I guess. You've been here the longest," the woman said as they reached to another door.
"She's been marked up because of that. We're getting a large amount of money because the girl's basically broken," the man said. Seventeen closed her eyes as the door was opened. The could feel a slight warmth radiating on her skin as she walked onto what felt like a dirt road. Her eyes adjusted quickly to the light. She hadn't seen it in years...
"Take it in, kid," the man said as he shoved Seventeen into a carriage. She sat down on the hard, wooden seat, not paying attention once the vehicle started moving.
"Say, would you ever want kids?" the man asked the woman. She nodded.
"Yeah, definitely!" she said. The man chuckled.
"Going to adopt from the bunker?" he asked. The lady laughed, her snort filling Seventeen's ears. For years that's all she ever heard...The chit-chat of the guards outside her cell. The pale girl looked at her feet.
"Adopting a child from the Trade is only for the rich. Plus, most of these kids don't even have much will left in them. Even the new set we just got has just about reached their limit," the woman said. The carriage rolled over a rock, throwing everyone inside into the air for a split second.
"Damn, you'd think they could at least make transport easier..." the man grumbled. After a few moments of silence, Seventeen felt the cart come to a stop. She watched as the man and woman walked out of the carriage. The man tugged on her ropes, signaling that she needed to move. She stepped out of the carriage, feeling well-kept grass beneath her feet. She followed the man who walked toward a large house. Standing outside the house was a tall man and a shorter girl, about Seventeen's age.
"Hello, Mister Akuna," the lady said as she shook the man's hand. He had a thick beard, green eyes, and brown hair. The girl had sandy brown hair and the same emerald eyes.
"Oh my gosh! Is this her?!" the girl's eyes sparkled as they met Seventeen's figure.
"Yes. This is number Seventeen," Edgar Akuna said. Seventeen kept her eyes on the ground as the ropes around her were loosened and taken off.
"Oh, happy birthday, miss Akuna," the lady said before both guards bowed then walked back to the carriage.
"Oh, daddy, she's perfect!" the daughter inspected Seventeen.
"It is your birthday, Sweetheart. I got the best one for you," Edgar said.
"Come! Let's go inside," the girl said. Seventeen followed her and her father into the large house behind them.
"Now, Honey, she's not just for fun. She'll have to clean up too. Remember to give her time to herself," Edgar said.
"I will!" the girl smiled before turning back to Seventeen. She held out her hand. Seventeen just stared at her with a blank expression.
"I'm Venice, by the way! Venice Akuna!" the girl said with a wide grin. Seventeen blinked as the two sat in silence for a bit.
"Um, this is where you introduce yourself," Venice said sheepishly.
"She doesn't have a name, dear," Edgar said as he put a hand on his daughter's shoulder.
"Why don't you name her?" he insisted. Venice paused, thinking for a while before her face lit up.
"Nadia! Her name should be Nadia!" Venice said, eyes beaming. Seventeen stared at her with her dark eyes.
"Now you can introduce yourself," Venice smiled to her, holding out her hand once again. Seventeen slowly reached for it.
"I...am...N-Nadia..." she said hoarsely. Her voice cracked heavily as she struggled to speak. It had been so long since she had actually talked to anyone. Venice laughed nervously.
"We'll work on it," she smiled.