Chapter 2: Zia

The crowd poured into the stands as the eerie music played in the background. It always made my skin prickle when the music began.

As I peeked through the side of the curtain, I saw the pretty girls in short, black and red ruffled skirts circulating through the audience as older men flirted with them, touching whatever part of them that was exposed.

They didn't mind once they received their tips for tolerating the behavior.

In their trays they served wine and beer with meats, cheeses, fruits, popcorn, cigars and cigarettes. "The wealthy must have the best during the show." Damien always told us. That's how he made his money.

In the middle of nowhere, the wealthiest people came from every corner of the earth to see the strangest things they could only dream of. They ran away from their wealthy, boring lives and journeyed to where no one could know them.

They were given black masks to cover their eyes and cloaks to cover their bodies. It was part of their care package before they arrived. They needed to be discreet.

The wealthy wished to see the the thrill of the darkness of their nightmares as if they could make them come true for just a moment.

I, however, was the light in the dark.

They called me Zia. It was the only name I ever knew. I had no last name.

Damien told me I was left on his doorstep with a little note that said Please take care of Zia.

The note said nothing else about who I was or where I came from. No one wanted me. I was an abomination.

My hair was white as the clouds and my skin was tanned with a glow that only the Gods could have bestowed upon me.

At least that's what Ansel told me. She thought I was the most beautiful child in the world and that only the Gods could have given me my beauty.

My eyes nearly matched my hair. They were a very faint grey that changed with the seasons.

In the winter, they grew as white a could be. In the summer they had a hint of blue in them.

My eyelashes were mixed with black and white. They were long and thick. No one could ever look into my eyes long enough though. It made them uncomfortable. They would quickly look away.

I steadied myself on an old, wooden chair that had two wobbling legs. One of these days this chair will break, and I will fall flat on my ass. I laughed at the thought.

I pulled up my rhinestone encrusted leotard over my sheer stockings, slowly up my hips and stretched it over my head, carefully not to mess up my hair.

I wore a headpiece covered in jewels and stones. My hair was separated with the top part pulled up in a hair tie. The rest of my thick hair flowed down my back, underneath my bottom.

The halter top of the bodysuit showed off my toned arms that couldn't look anything but graceful for some reason. They flowed with the wind.

I quickly laced up my ballet shoes and pulled my white tutu up to my waist, tying it in the back. I sat down heavily to finish my make up, giggling to myself, thinking I was supposed to be graceful.

Plopping down like this, no one would believe me. Oh well, I will just show them my arms, I smiled.

Time was running out. The show would start soon. I had to look perfect or deal with him. I couldn't handle that today. My wounds had just finished healing from the last time.

I thought about so many ways to kill him, but he wasn't so easy to kill. Pulling myself out of my thoughts, I carefully patted makeup over the remains of my bruises. They didn't hurt anymore. They were fading and so was my patience.

I was simply tired of receiving them. It was getting old.

"Pretty as a princess". She teased.

Ansel was always checking on me every chance she could. She was his servant.

"Mr. Peter will be very pleased today." She smiled a weak smile as she gently moved a loc of hair from my shoulder to meet the rest of my long waves.

Ansel knew what Damien did to me. She knew it all and could do nothing about it. It broke her every time.

With her small fragile frame, all she could do was be my friend. I was grateful to her for simply that. I did not have many friends.

Let's go! I heard Barry shout.

I rolled my eyes. Time goes too fast. He was on first and we all had to be ready for our turn.

"I have to go Ansel. I need to check on Emre. He hasn't seen me today." "Oh dear Zia. You must go quickly! Don't miss your turn!" Ansel shouted as I sped off to find Emre.

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