"People used to praise me for my beauty. People worshiped at my feet because of my angelic face. Every youth envied my finest skin; every youth wanted to be me. My hair was the most graceful and would love to possess it. I had the most elegant eyes that could enchant any man within a second. In short, I had the best features,”
I was reminded of the younger version of myself.
“I had the best family, and most of all, I loved who I used to be, pure and incapable of hurting someone else."
My body folded as I crouched and held my knees tighter. I leaned my back on the side of my bed. The rainfall, lightning, and thunder, everything reminded me of that night, that one horrible night.
I buried myself and my tears ran down automatically. I couldn't help it. I couldn't stop it from flowing. I was alone again.
It felt like I was about to throw up. The disgusting feeling circled me when I was reminded of that fucking night.
When the sun was covered by dark clouds, my body reacted to it. Uninvited thoughts uninvitedly rushed into me. Unwanted memories kept coming back.
"Do I need to suffer more?" I asked the Almighty every night. Then, another part of me will ask Him again, "Did I ever do something to upset you? I didn’t do any heresy! Why are You punishing me like crazy?"
It was the scenario each night. It was this scenario on a rainy day. Why? Rainy weather reminded me of that horrible night.
After a melancholic night of reminiscing, the alarm I set started going off, so I glanced at the shiny thing in my hand,
"Oh, great!" I blurted out after checking the time, "I'll be late!"
So I sobered up, composed myself, and did my things. Hell yeah, I'm a working girl, who works her ass up during a graveyard shift. That's the kind of job I’ve had ever since.
It was ten in the evening when I last checked the time. I closed my unit and headed downstairs. My unit is on the fifth floor, there is an elevator but since it's broken, I have no choice but to use the stairs. I went straight to the caretaker and returned my keys as a rule.
It's just the way it works, you know. Since our every move is being watched by our boss, our owner, Beast.
I walked outside, just like the same old time.
The street load is always alive and well even at this hour. Sparkling colorful decorations were hung in front of every brothel while girls wore dazzling shimmering clothes while waiting around the corner.
I hate to admit it but other people in this small town think of us as bad luck. "Fearless people, illegally employed, and criminals gathered here. So who can blame them if our place is known as the 'Dark Area'?"
I walked towards my favorite spot where I usually go and minded my business right before I went to work. Since I have no time to eat dinner, I always buy packs of cigars. I lit my first stick and began smoking.
"You're early tonight. Are you going to work now?" curiously asked the old vendor. So I nodded.
A stick is like my breath. It is very essential for my existence. Can I live without it? Maybe. Maybe not. It was my energy and a great appetizer. I am a chain smoker, and I love to be one.
I was about to finish my stick when someone called me in a very loud voice, "Audrey", then she came running and panting.
"What's the fuss?" Upset, I stepped on my cigarette.
"Beast needs you, right now. As in, right now!" catching her breath, Colleen delivered the news.
I clicked my tongue because Beast and Colleen interrupted my favorite activity.
I smirked, “I don’t understand why he is in a rush, he even sent one to pick me up,” then I asked Colleen earlier but she said she didn’t know the reason why. All she knew was I had to be there ASAP.
Our workplace was hard to find. You won't know it unless you're from our town. Well, it's for safety reasons, because our business is kind of an underground business–in fact, an open secret to everyone here in our town.
No one dared to rat us out to the outsiders since they knew how mad and crazy Beast was.
***
Here we are, in front of a simple, ordinary house.
Colleen knocked three times and went in as security opened the door.
Now it was my turn. As they heard me knocking, someone peeped from the inside, and his name was Joe. Joe opened the small window and did his job,
"What do you need?" with a whisper he asked for the magic code...
"Audrey needs bourbon", I responded like usual, then he opened the door, and I walked in. It's some kind of a code given to every employee and regular.
Joe and his partner Rod worked here as guards, better say goons. They checked every employee and their belongings, and that includes us. They checked every part of us, feeling our bodies with their filthy lustful hands.
Even though their hands traveled over my body, I didn’t give a damn. It was part of their job, and I wouldn’t make a fuss over that little thing, because my job here was far worse than that.
Once assured that you have no weapons or anything, they will give you a pass. What differentiates this place from a simple house is its basement.
There's a bedroom on the right side of this house, if you go inside, you'll find a big cabinet with two doors. Looks can be deceiving so you better watch out. It isn't an ordinary cabinet, but an entrance to hell.
"That's right. An entrance to hell, I say. Behind that Cabinet-looking entrance, is a place where people with no conscience, no soul, and no heart gather. So here I am."
I shouldn’t be wasting any time if we don’t want our boss to punish us all.
As I opened the entrance, bright lights filled my eyes. Loud music burst my ears. Lustful eyes tore my clothes to pieces. Sexual desires make your body sweat. In here, everyone’s a fucker.
Yes, this is where I work, this is where I belong.
"A bar? I can't say this is just a simple bar, we offer services a simple bar can't give. It's like a bar and a motel with human services. That's just the way it is."
And I'm the best asset of this business, the Beast’s pet, the crowd’s favorite. I flipped my hair and walked sexily in front of the crowd,
“I am the highest grosser of this fucking place - literally a fucking place.”