Hey guys! I've finally updated the story, HURRAY!!! lol. Anyway, I want to give special thanks to Sarah Griffin for giving me the motivation to go on!

Enjoy….

Chapter 2

"I hate you Mama! I hate you!" cursed Evvy as a tear ran down her red cheeks. "I'd always thought that I had the best mother of the whole world although you led me to a life of begging. But… but…" The girl's lips trembled as she went on. "Mama, how dare you leave me to the cruel world! Don't you remember your promise? When I was about five or six, Thunderbone, our "next-door" beggar's girl got sold as a slave. I cried day and night, cleansing my face with tears whenever I thought of the great time Thunderbone and I had together. Then, you patted me on my back and vowed to me that I will never end up in one of those situations, not when you're still breathing I won't!" The girl took a deep breath and kept going, "I'm only eight years old mother, and now I've lost my only kin. I have not a slightest idea why you've done this Mama. But no, I will never forgive you!" Or will I? A voice inside her asked.

Evumeimei woke up with a start. She instantly felt the pain around her ankles and wrists. And realized that they were all tied up with a yellow ragged rope. She was located in a green tiled room with pots, raiment, and bowl scattered all over. Evvy made an attempt to get up, but failed due to the tightness of the rope. She wiggled her nose in the depth of odor, and abstained herself from going against the flinty ropes for the second time. Her throat complained for complained for water as she looked around.  It didn't take her long to realize that she was on a ship because everything was swaying swiftly. Beside her, were other girls either about her age or older, with crestfallen expressions.

The abandoned girl was in no mood for calmness, "Where am I?" Evvy inquired without directing the question to anyone.

By now, all the girls had their attention on her. One of them glared at her and scoffed while rolling her eyes, "You got sold, and yet you don't even know that?"

The quarrelsome girl searched for words but failed. I got sold… she thought without any clue as to what the girl was talking about. Suddenly, a bell rung in her head as she gained her tragic memory back. That's right, I did get sold. But that was back home, wasn't it? Where am I now? Questions were swimming in her head, each waiting for the right answer.

A clear friendlier voice greeted her, interrupting Evvy's thoughts. "This is the ship to the Auction Center located at Chammur. You must have gotten sold like the rest of us." The blond girl said as she scooted toward Evvy with effort. "Who did you come from young one, or were you ever sold?" the newcomer asked.

Evumeimei at the new girl with her observing skills. The girl had blond hair almost white, her slender body in an old, ragged dress. "I have never been sold, and I ain't goin' anywhere but home either!"

Sarcastic laughs came from the others. "Well young one! I think you ain't got no choice now!" informed one of them.

The blond girl ignored the others and turned toward Evvy. "Don't mind them," she suggested pointing at the others. "None of us are in happy mood." Anyway, I'm Scarlet, and I think I'm thirteen, but not sure since I've been sold so many times. What's your name?"

Evumeimei gasped at the phrase 'so many times' but answered the question anyway, "I'm Evvy," she said in a more civilized tone, "and I'm nine."

"I got sold by my brainless Mama when I was five!" a raucous voice sighed. "Now got kicked out of my master's place because of my manners that they categorize as 'insolent'."

"Why are we all tied up?" asked Evvy in a pure tone.

"Simple, they want to keep us from escaping," Scarlet answered patiently.

"Who's 'they"?"

"The people who bought us, Auction Sluts, that's what we slave girls call them."

The door squeaked as the girls went on talking. A man in green tunic appeared. "Chit chatting eh slits?" asked the man as he hoisted one of the girls by the collar.

"Put her down Dumbhead!" Evvy ordered impulsively. The pugnacious girl tried to sit up and reason with the stocky man as Scarlet nudged her down.

"Don't Evvy, he'll hurt you!" whispered Scarlet. But she was too late, Evvy struggled to sit up and leaned on a pole as she impudently said, "Oh, so you're one of the Auction Sluts aren't you!" the fearless girl demanded.

The rude intruder dropped the other girl and turned his attention to the new rebel. "What did you call me little slave slit?" He yelled as he made a step toward Evvy. Before the girl could make another sarcastic remark, the stocky man gave her a loud slap on her face followed by a painful kick. "Just wait till you find your master slit! You'll get lambasted with harder kicks if you treat them like that!"

When he finally let go of Evvy, Scarlet crawled toward her. "Are you okay Evvy? Told you not to go against him!"

"All of you, listen!" the raucous voice continued directing the injunction to everyone that's tied up in the room. "Learn to gratify people who have greater power than you, and you'll save yourselves lots of trouble! Mark my words!"

The man turned and was ready to leave when Evvy started on her perfect scheme.

What is Evvy's "perfect scheme"? Find out in the next chapter!

Please R&R! I will only go on with encouragement!