Forced Handfasting (2 page)

              One such rain storm ninety years ago had caused his great grandfather to rebuild his fortress on the side of a high cliff that way the water drained naturally off into the ocean. Most homes were built well off the ground while the ground beneath the home had adequate drainage.

              Their food grew on steeps developed long ago, and the farm animals were raised, and cared for on well-elevated areas of land. Several areas along the cliffs where his home sat, had been dug out by hand to house the animals. Barns were often cut into the side of the cliff, making a natural habitat. It had taken a long time for his people to get used to, and learn how Iatune functioned but in the end they benefitted greatly.

              His great grandfather had relocated his people to Iatune after a famine had ravaged his kingdom on Huruss. By the time his great grandfather had made the decision to relocate, more than half of the population had perished. He had been waiting for his scouts to return with news of a new planet they could inhabit, and make a new home. It had been almost too late by the time the ships were loaded with the remaining people, and supplies. The trek to Iatune had taken over a week, and along the way they had lost many more people, and had prayed feverishly to the gods to help them reach their destination. On the tenth day of the journey, Iatune came into view.

              Now, here he sat on a planet that was slowly dying the same as Huruss had. The people didn’t take care of the natural resources, and just trashed the planet. Sitting in the market area, he could see trash piled up against the buildings, and the smell of urine and feces permeated the air. It disgusted him to sit there, and see the condition of the planet, but there was nothing he could do about it.

              “May I have your attention please,” a loud voice came over the speakers that placed throughout the auction area. “We will be bringing our first item up for sale in just a moment. At this time, I wish to inform everyone of the rules of the auction, and how things work.” The crowd quieted down until only the birds chirping in the trees could be heard. “I will start off with a bid for the item. Then I will open the bidding to the floor. We will continue bidding until there is only one winner. But..,” the announcer paused, and looked over the crowd. “Let me warn you. If you are not serious about your bid then do not place it. Actions will be taken against those who do not pay for the item that was won.” The announcer paused again then let a smile spread across his scarred face. “Let the auction begin! First up is a male Flox…”

              The sound of the announcer’s voice dimmed as Jahan watched the crowd. Hands and shouts went up all over the place as the bidding went higher, and higher. The male Flox standing on the auctioning block appeared to have been well taken care of, muscles bulged from his thick arms even though he was short. All too soon the bidding on the Flox stopped, and the winner was announced. A tall Kraet walked to the man taking the money from the winners. The man bent down to sign something then motioned for the Flox to follow him.

              The slave sale continued in much of the same way for the next hour. He was becoming bored with the whole thing until an unusual hush drifted over the crowd. When he heard Niko hiss, “What the fuck,” he had to find out what had everyone in such a state.

              A figure was standing on the block but was covered completely up with a sack. No one could tell if it was a male or a female until the sack was whisked off. Even he drew in a sharp breath when he saw what was beneath the dirty, grimy sack.

              A human female with golden hair that hung limply in a tangled mess down her back. Even from where he stood he could tell she was a small thing, and would probably only come up to the middle of his chest. Her hands were tied together in the front, and she used them to rub her eyes, and push her hair out of her face. The sack she wore was torn in so many places he was surprised it covered her at all. He watched her as she took in the crowd gawking at her from below, and stiffened when her eyes landed on him for a moment then moved on. He knew the exact moment when fear overcame her, and she stiffened her back. She twisted her head anxiously trying to find a way off the block she. The crowd hooted, and cheered when she jumped off the block, and made a mad dash for the stairs, but she was caught, and hauled back to her position.

              He cringed when the overgrown oaf who had caught her, grabbed her by the hair, and jerked her head back until she stilled. Anger immediately coursed through him causing him to shout out a bid that stunned the crowd.

Chapter 2

              Samantha Gradin dropped her head onto her folded arms. She breathed a sigh of relief then looked up again at the empty classroom. Her students had been especially rowdy today since it was the last day of school before summer break. Even she had to admit she was ready for a much-needed break from the strain of kids, homework, and lesson planning.

              The door to her classroom swung open, and a head popped inside. “Hey! Are you coming to the luncheon?”

              Her partner teacher, Tracy, had been a lifesaver during her first year of teaching. Having a roomful of hyper ten-year-olds was trying at times but well worth the feeling she got at the end of each day.

              “I’ll be there is a moment. I am enjoying the peace, and quiet,” she said with a smile.

              “Don’t blame you there, honey! See you in a bit,” Tracy said then closed the door.

              Samantha, or Sam to those who knew her, laughed out loud as she thought about the kids as they each filed out of the room when the final bell of the school year rang. Little Ronnie was the last one out of the room and had hung back some until all the other kids left. He held a special place in her heart because he had come to her in the middle of the school year, and was from an abusive home. The state’s foster care system had taken Ronnie away from his drug addict father, and placed him with a family who adored him. He was little for his age but had made friends quickly, and was even voted most popular in the school.

              Ronnie wanted to make sure all the kids were out of earshot before he wiggled his index finger at her to bend over. He took her by complete surprise when he threw his arms around her neck, and gave her a tight hug. She did what was only natural to her, and hugged him back. She would miss him next year as he went into the fifth grade.

              “Thank you for being my friend, Miss Gradin,” he whispered in her ear.

              She pulled back to look at the boy, and saw he had tears shimmering in his blue eyes. “Oh honey, I will always be your friend. I’m going to miss you next year, but I will see you around school.”

              “I know. You will still be my favorite teacher ever!” His smile brightened her heart tenfold.

              “You had better get moving before you miss your bus!”

              Obviously he had forgotten all about his bus. He let her go, and took off running down the hallway. Right before he reached the end he turned around and gave her one last wave goodbye. She waved back, and had to swallow down the lump that was trying to block her air passage. 

              She looked around the now empty classroom and smiled. Her first year of teaching had been a success! At times, she didn’t think she was going to make it but she pulled through with flying colors. The kids had taken to her instantly, though they were a bit of a handful at times. Almost every school day she had a little present on her desk from a student, whether it was a note, a candy or, sometimes, a flower, she treasured them all.

              Sam left the classroom and headed to the teacher’s lounge for the luncheon. She couldn’t not show up since everyone at the school had been so nice to her since her first day. Inside the lounge teachers, and staff formed a line to get to the array of food spread out on the tables. Everything smelled wonderful and made her stomach growl.

              Everyone waited patiently as the line moved slowly. After filling her plate, she went to sit next to Tracy, who was sitting at the table with the principal, Mr. Moore.

              “Miss Gradin, how did you like your first-year teaching?” Mr. Moore asked her as she sat down.

              “It was wonderful. I loved every minute of it,” she said smiling.

              “I am happy to hear it. Do you have plans for the summer?”

              “Yes, I am heading out to Puerto Rico Saturday for a two-week stay.” She took a bite of a fresh strawberry.

              Tracy choked for a moment then looked up at her. “Puerto Rico? When were you going to tell me about this?” The entire table laughed at Tracy’s shocked face.

              “I just confirmed my plans last night. It’s an early Christmas present from my parents,” she said.

              “I thought your parents were out of the picture?” Tracy replied.

              “Let’s just say they are trying to win me back!” she laughed.

              Her parents
were
the story of her
life
and she didn’t feel like going into it while a roomful of co-workers listened. She managed to divert the conversation to her upcoming vacation, and what everyone else was doing for the summer. Before she knew it was three o’clock, time to begin her summer.

              “Well, call me when you get back from Puerto Rico. You can tell me about all the hot guys you see.” Tracy joked then hugged her goodbye.

              “You should come with me,” she said.

              “Can’t. I am going to spend some time up in the mountains with my sister. Her baby is due any day now, and I told her I would come, and help her out for a few weeks. Just be careful.” Tracy kissed her cheek quickly then ducked into her car and drove away.

              She watched as her friend drove away, feeling a bit sad knowing she wouldn’t see her for a couple of months. Once she got in her car all thoughts of her friend fled her mind. She was so excited about going on her trip that she could barely stand the wait. At least her plane was leaving early Saturday, so that meant she only had a day, and a half to wait. She just needed to go home a pack.

              The flight to Puerto Rico was uneventful and arrived as scheduled. Her hotel which was located in Old San Juan, and had a perfect view of the Atlantic Ocean. She stood on the balcony of her room, and took in the scenery that was stretched out before her. The blue water of the ocean glistened as the waves crashed against the shore. An old fort, Fort San Cristóbal, stretched along the coast and had at one time protected Old San Juan. It was one of her first stops on her self-guided tour she was set to begin tomorrow.

              The sights and sounds filtering through the door of the balcony enticed her to go for a short walk. The air was still warm and humid as the sun slowly sank below the horizon. A trickle of sweat ran between her breasts, but she ignored it. Everything around her fascinated her enough to not let herself be concerned with her sweat.

              After a short walk, and bite to eat she retreated to her room. She wanted to get a good night’s sleep in preparation for her first real look at the island. She showered quickly then slipped between the cool sheets of her double bed. Switching the television on, she flipped through the channels until she found a movie to watch. It wasn’t long after that she felt her eyes grow heavy with sleep.

              The sunlight streamed through the window of her hotel room the next morning. She felt its warmth on her cheek as she slowly came out of her dream. It took a moment for her to remember where she was, and when she did she bolted upright in the bed. She dressed quickly in a pair of jean shorts, and a t-shirt that said, “I love teaching” on the front of it then slipped on her tennis shoes.

              She stepped out of the hotel and inhaled deeply. The smell of salt water reached her nose making her smile. She took a right on the street that would lead her up to the fort she wanted to explore. What she didn’t notice was the steep climb of the street in order to reach the fort. By the time, she reached the top she was pouring sweat, and dying for a bottle of water. A few other tourists were just arriving as she stood catching her breath. A steep, stone walkway led up to the entrance of the fort where a line was already starting to form. She quickly followed behind the other tourists and waited her turn to pay the five dollars to enter.

              “Wow, what a sight,” she muttered under her breath. After exiting the room where she paid to get in, she walked out into a large courtyard. She would have never expected the area to be so big just by looking at the outside. Across the courtyard, she saw a statue that appeared to be very old behind a roped off area. Across from the statue there was a tunnel that led up to another level while another tunnel led straight forward into the semidarkness. She decided she would first explore the top half of the fort then venture down to the dungeon.

              A nice breeze was blowing across the fort off the Atlantic. It wasn’t much of a help with the heat, but at least the air was moving. She walked to the turret that overlooked the ocean, touched the stack of old cannon balls sitting in the middle of the open area then made her way back down. The Dungeon area was down the semi-dark tunnel that twisted and turned. It was hard for her to believe that the same walls she was passing through once protected the city. How many people lived, and died within the confines of the fort? The structure had a long and fascinating history that she was curious to know all about.

              Sam slowly made her way through the empty tunnel. A room here and there branched off on each side of her while there were several doors she passed that were bolted shut. The sound of wind whistling through a crack in the walls gave the tunnel an eerie feeling as she continued on her tour. She approached an open doorway that had a sign outside posted on the wall indicating it was a dungeon.

              “I got to see this,” she said then proceeded into the dim area. The area smelled damp and musky, and the walls were peeling. She walked closer to the wall and could see faint lines where someone had once been counting the days. “Incredible!” Her fingers lightly trailed over the marks as she tried to imagine being locked down here for God knew how long.

              A quick flash of light came from farther down the tunnel. Her curiosity peaked, so she moved to where she thought the light came from. She could hear voices as she approached the room, but the language they spoke she wasn’t familiar with. The voices stopped as she neared the room. As she turned the corner to go into the room another bright flash occurred, blinding her for a moment.

              “Damn! What the heck is that light?” she asked out loud. She rubbed her eyes to try, and clear away the spots that refused to go away. She rubbed her eyes again then looked up and froze. Standing before her was not what she expected to see.

              Four giant men with horns stood glaring at her as if she was something to eat. Her heart beat wildly in her chest, and the sweat running down her back instantly chilled her to the bone.

              She started to back out of the room. “Umm…Sorry. I…I…must be in the wrong place.” Samantha turned quickly to make a run for it but ran smack into what she thought was a wall. It took several seconds for her to realize it wasn’t a wall she had run into but rather another of the horned men. She opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out. Her eyes widen in shock, and she felt her knees buckle. The creature roughly grabbed her by the arm and jerked her to him. She could smell his disgusting breath as he spoke something unintelligible into her face right before she felt a sharp prick in the side of her neck.

              Immediately her vision began to waver, and the room began to spin. Darkness enveloped her at the same time she heard laughter filling the room. She struggled to remain awake but couldn’t. Her body felt weightless as the horned man swung her up into his massive arms. Her eyes closed, and her hearing faded away as whatever was injected into her neck took over completely.

              Samantha slowly came awake. Her head throbbed something fierce and she was cold. She could tell she was lying on something hard, and uncomfortable but didn’t have the energy to open her eyes, and find out what it was. The pull of sleep was too great to ignore, so she let herself fall back into its firm grip.

              The sound of a door opening jarred Samantha awake. She cringed when she opened her eyes only to have a bright light infiltrate them. She was still lying on the hard surface but now she could tell it was a metal bench welded onto the wall of the cell. She turned her head enough to see the backside of one of the horned creatures exiting the room. The door slammed shut with a loud bang, and small door within the door opened to let in a little bit of light.

              She struggled to sit up, and had to hold her head as it pounded incessantly.
Where the hell am I?
Nothing around her looked even vaguely familiar considering she had never been in a prison cell before.
But, why am I in prison?
She desperately searched through the pain in her head to remember what happened to her. The last thing she remembered was being in the Spanish fort and came across…
Oh shit!
The memories came flooding back in a tidal wave of emotion. The men she had come across in the dungeon must have kidnapped her! But why? She didn’t have anything worth ransoming her for.

              She rubbed her forehead as a sharp stab sliced through her brain. She clamped her teeth together as she waited for the pain to subside. Whatever they had stuck into her neck was worse than a migraine. She cracked one eye open, and noticed a cup sitting on the floor near her feet. Hesitant, she bent over slowly, and picked up a tin cup, and brought it to her nose.

              The liquid in the cup was clear and didn’t have any foul smell. She dipped her index finger into the cup and touched the liquid. It was cool to the touch, so she brought a drop up to her mouth, and touched her finger to her tongue.
Water!
Without further ado, she downed the water in three gulps. It felt wonderful going down her parched throat, and hitting her empty stomach. The water helped to clear her fuzzy head but left her exhausted. The small exertion of energy drained her. Maybe she should just lay back down, and rest for a bit, and then she might be able to figure where she was, and what to do about. All she knew at the moment was that she was in a world of trouble, and needed to find her way home.