"Otis? Otis, you in there?" Katie waved her hand in front of his face. He flinched, but came back to the present, finding his way out of his thoughts.

"Sorry..."

"It's okay sweetheart. How are you feeling?"

He shrugged. "Been worse."

"Well, yes..."

"I'm alright. Don't worry about me."

The words he spoke were a direct contradiction to how he felt. He wanted to cry, wanted to sob and scream and hit something- someone- anything. Break something. He didn't understand why he always had to be the one. Always the broken one. The one being abused. The one who had everything taken from him.

"I know you're not, Otis. It's okay to feel..."

"Oh, believe me, I'm feelin' somethin'..." He cringed as he tried to adjust himself.

"Otis...Why don't you come to dinner tonight again?"

"I have to work..."

"No. You are not going back there."

"If I don't. It makes what I went through pointless. And I am not prepared to deal with that."

"Alright, honey...I understand."

As Otis limped through the door that night, he kept his head down, simply going back to his designated room.

"Otis-" One of the girls called after him. He stopped, not lifting his gaze. "Otis...I'm sorry..."

He slammed the door to the room, waiting for his customers.

This bitch was particularly rough. And as much as Otis usually enjoyed sex, he hated this round.

She wrenched his hair at the roots, making him cry out in pain in a long howl. She seemed to like this reaction, and tugged harder. He swore she was going to rip out a chunk from his head, until she relinquished her grip, only to move it to a different spot.

Tears spilled from the corners of his eyes. She slapped him, then, laughing cruelly as she rode him until he was satisfied.

That night, he dreamed of the future he would never have. Of running after a pale little boy with snow white hair, just like his. Of a loving wife that he would hold while she was pregnant and would treat like a queen.

He awoke with tears still streaming down his cheeks, and Katie stroking his shoulder. "Honey...It's okay."

Wiping his eyes, he sat up. "Katie...Can I have a pair of clippers?"

"Oh, Otis no...Don't cut your hair. You want it long...That's how you want to look...Don't let what someone told you or did change that for you. Unless you changed your mind?"

"No..."

"Well then I'm not getting them for you..." She stroked his hair, expertly moving with him as he flinched. "Ohh...Honey, are you sore?"

He nodded. "Got...Got yanked on..."

"Sweetheart..."

"I do still want to get a shower..."

"Okay..." She followed him, waiting outside until he bathed.

Once in the safe confines of the steam and water, he sobbed hysterically.

This hellish existence wasn't anything what he had imagined his life would be like. And he didn't know how much longer he could take it. He wanted so desperately to end his life. To just end this suffering, the pain that he felt in his heart. This unbearable pain that he felt every waking moment of his existence. He just wanted it to end. He had never thought he could sink this low. He thought it would only get better once he left his parents and their abuse. How naive and stupid he had been.

"Stupid...idiot...stupid!" He beat his thighs until large purple welts rose. The physical pain almost felt good- distracting him from the emotional pain he felt and punishing himself for being as foolish as he had been.

He dug his nails into his thighs as deeply as he could, leaving shallow gauges along the length of his leg. Then, he scarred his shoulders and stomach, small trickles of blood circling the drain. He knew he had to hide the wounds from Katie. They weren't severe enough to need attention, but she would notice them if they were in her view and she would question it.

He almost felt relieved as he dried off and dressed. At least this pain he knew how to deal with.

"Oh, sweetheart. Your eyes are all bloodshot..."

"Yeah..."

"I heard you crying...It's okay, Otis. It's going to be okay. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But it will be. I promise."

"Wasn't cryin'..."

"Okay, sweetie. D...Do you uh...work...Tonight?"

He nodded.

"When do you uh...have a night off?"

"Tomorrow. And the next night."

"Oh. Well, then how about you stay over night at my house then? Wouldn't that be fun?"

"W...why?"

"To get you out of here a little while. Don't you want to?"

"I-I...You trust me...You trust me enough?"

"I'm not stupid, Otis. I know you're homeless. I know that it's likely you would steal. But I also know you. You're too loyal for that. You would never screw over a person that's helped you."

He looked down and away, knowing she was right.

"We have a spare bedroom. It would be no trouble at all. I think it would be fun."

"A-Alright. Alright. Yeah...It would be."

"Sounds perfect then." She smiled, stroking his face.

As he walked into the brothel, he tried to keep his head down, as usual, but was stopped by a blonde woman. One of the other workers.

"Otis. I...I'm so sorry for what happened to you..."

"What're you talking about." He asked coldly.

"Th...They...They did...They sterilized you...I...We all saw it."

"What?"

"You...You didn't see us. You were too scared. But they made us all watch. They made an example out of you."

Closing his eyes and sighing, Otis tried to push past her.

"Otis, wait!"

"What."

"We...We know you're hurting. You have to be sore. So...Uhm..." She handed him a dingy envelope, his name scrawled across the back of it. "It's not much...But...We..."

He carefully opened it, revealing a 'get well soon' card, signed by all of his 'coworkers'. Inside was a coupon to a restaurant, cut from the paper.

Before he could stop himself, he had his arms wrapped around the blonde. "Thank you..." He retreated back to his room, marveling over the card after each client.

As the night wound down, he found himself sprawled across his designated bed. It wasn't quite closing time, but it was unlikely anymore customers would wander in.

"Hey, Otis?" The blonde slowly opened the door.

"Hm?" He asked, not tearing his gaze from the ceiling.

"How about...if I show you what it feels like to have good sex?"

"What?"

"Y'know. To be really loved on..."

"Why would you do that for me?"

"Because. You're too young to have all this hurt on you and no happiness."

"I'm happy."

"Bullshit, Otis. I may be a whore but I'm not a dumb one. I'm trying to pay my way through school. I'm not just in this for fun. I can see the pain in your eyes. You're absolutely miserable, and every day is hell for you. So why don't you let me show you what it feels like?"

"I know what it feels like. I've had it before from someone who really hurt me."

"Is that a no?" She bit her lip, trying to hide a smile. "What if I thought you were hot regardless and just wanted to fuck you?"

Now that logic, he couldn't argue with.