Voices.

I could hear voices. Not one voice, but many. Feminine. The voices were from females. Not younger or older, but around my age group. I wonder why I could hear these voices. I wonder what they were saying. My brain couldn't correspond. My ears picked up the bantering between the girls, but the words were not sinking in.

It's funny. Staring into nothing but the abyss. It was pitch black. I couldn't see anything. Well, I guess that does kind of happen when your eyes are closed. Everything is dark. You don't know what you're doing. You just stand there all stiff and still. Waiting for something, when you know it will never come.

The voices grew louder. They were surrounding me. I couldn't see anything in the dark. But the voices were moving closer and closer and closer. All directions, I could hear nothing but chatter. Yet, I still wasn't able to figure out what they were saying. My brain didn't want to think and translate. So I just stood there and listened. But it wasn't before long until I saw it.

Light. Shining right above me. Glistering over the dark. The warmth it gave and the peace it brought. I lost focus on the voices and took the time to admire the light. How it sparkled. How it made me feel like I was looking at the sun. So bright and fiery. Such joy and happiness. The white light spread across the darkness. Devouring. Consuming. Until every cent of shadows had disappeared. Now, everything was white. My mind felt calm and relaxed. As though this place was soothing me. The voices were no longer there. They were gone. The light shimmered so gracefully that I couldn't help but smile at such beauty. This was my safe zone. My bubble. Inside my head, this is where I come to rest.

Everything was peaceful. Everything was serene. Everything was placid.

Until the voices broke through. They were back. The light began to crack. The darkness swept in through the creases. It wanted me. All the light that worked hard to banish the darkness was beginning to fade. Like someone just blew out a candle. Snap of a finger, it's gone. The light barrier that was supposed to protect me was destroyed. It shattered like a mirror. Allowing the wave of darkness to rush straight in and attach itself onto me. I was being swallowed. It was reminding me that my life was in danger. That when I awake, I wouldn't be back lying in my bed. That I was hanging by the thread. Inches away from falling into the hands of death. I didn't want to open my eyes. I was remembering what happened.

My eyes shot open and I gasped. My heart was racing. My body was shaking non-stop. I found myself looking up at the ceiling. But it wasn't my bedroom ceiling. It was a leaky roof. Dripping with water drops. I could hear rainfall outside. Colliding with wherever I was.

I slowly sat up. Rubbing the back of my head. My vision was a bit blurred but I could still make out a few silhouettes in the distance. I looked around. I appeared to be in some sort of cellar. The place was empty and filthy. It hadn't been cleaned for years. The stench given made my nose wrinkle. The walls were cracked and covered in cobwebs. The room was infested with large human-like rats.

Wait a minute…large human-like rats?

I rubbed my eyes and stared at the other side of the room. Those weren't rats I was seeing.

Those were women. Bloodied and dirtied. They had scars and bruises all over their bodies. Their clothes were ripped and thorn. They had the look of fear and anger in their eyes. They all huddled together. Oberseving me. I felt a little creeped out. None of them mumbled a word. None of them moved a muscle. All they did was sit there and stare. I didn't know what to say or do.

"So…sleeping beauty finally woke up from her nap." One of the girls said, breaking the silence. "She doesn't look like a total wacko. Even though she kept twisting and turning. Murmuring a bunch of random shit that nobody really cares about."

"Don't be so mean to her." Another girl said. "She's also been dragged into the same situation as us."

"I don't care if she's been dragged into it or not. This place is getting crowded and I'm becoming sick of having new roommates to share my space with. I say we strangle her and dump her body by the door. Then those bastards upstairs will get the bigger picture." The girl hissed, wiggling her fingers in the air and looking directly at my neck.

"Come on, Nicole. Cut her some slack. She just got here and doesn't have the slightest clue to what's going on. Besides, you always do this to every newcomer who gets tossed down here."

"So what? This girl's probably going to die quick. She doesn't seem fit to endure labor. I guarantee she'll get shot on the first day of the job." Nicole snickered.

"What do you mean first day on the job?" I asked softly.

"Oh, so she can talk. Didn't they explain you the rules on your drive over here?"

"No…I was still unconscious at the time."

"You see? I told you she was weak! This girl isn't going to last even a second! A shriveled prune!" Nicole and a few of the other girls laughed.

"That coming from a prostitute?"

"What the fuck did you just call me?" Nicole hissed.

"Should I spell it out for you? Prostitutes are usually dumbasses."

"Shut up! I'm nothing like those trashy sluts you see getting paid to become someone's sex toy! I don't allow men to shove their dicks into my ass and submit myself to pleasure their piggish fantasies!"

"So if you're not a slut, then what are you exactly?"

"Honestly, I don't think it matters anymore."

"Why not?"

"Because my son is in a better place. Living with my sister, he has a better chance of survival in this world. I couldn't afford to support us both. Trying to take care of a mere baby, that's a lot of effort put into a single mother. Thankfully, with me missing…it's for the best."

"Wait…you're a mother?"

"Young mother." Nicole said.

"How did that happen?"

"I'm not going to get into details, but to keep it short. I got drunk at a high school party, had some intense sex and after realized I was pregnant. But shit happens. You?"

"College student."

"Hah, I would have gone to college, but I couldn't. When you got a baby cradled up in your arms, you got to make a choice. I went with looking after my son."

"What's his name?"

"Seth."

"That's a nice name." I said.

"You know. Even though you have some sass. You don't seem too bad. So let's call it a truce and try not to get on each other's nerves. Okay?" Nicole said as she got up and walked over to where I was sitting. She stood before me and extended her hand. "Let's shake."

I looked at her for a minute. Just now she wanted to strangle me and now she wants to shake my hand. Well, at least she wants to let bygones be bygones. So I guess if she's doesn't want to kill me, we'll be able to live under the same roof. I reached out to shake her hand, but Nicole suddenly grabbed my wrist and flipped me over. I landed flat on my back. Nicole sat on top of me and smiled.

"You gullible bitch. Did you really think we could be friends? You called me a fucking slut! A slut! How foolish are you, anyways? Believing that right after I threatened to kill you, we'd make up by having a fancy chat about me having a son? Because I don't have one! I can't stand being in the same room with one of those snotty brats! I'm not soft like you!"

Nicole dug her hand into her pants pocket and pulled out a kitchen knife. She traced the tip of the blade down my cheek. Purring like a kitten about to stab its prey. I tried to push her off, but she had my arms pinned down. I watched as the other girls formed a circle around us. None of them tried to help me. Not even the girl who was defending me earlier. I was the outsider. Nicole was going to get the satisfaction of cutting me up into tiny pieces. I clenched my teeth to embrace whatever there was to come. The edge of the knife trailed around my mouth before she placed the point right in the middle of my nose.

"I'm going to put on a real show." She giggled. "Now where to start?"