I frown, then.
“When is the lottery due to be drawn?”
I was pretty sure I’d only been unconscious for one night; therefore, the lottery would be drawn tomorrow.
“Tonight,” Jasmin says, and my stomach instantly sours. I had been unconscious for almost 36 hours. Jasmin smiles sadly, rising from her seat as the stupid bell rings again. Lunch is over. “The Hotel will be full in 48 hours from now.”
Chapter Three
I watch from my window as bus after bus stops in front of the Hotel. I know others will do the same at the 4 other buildings, though none of those are in my line of sight. I don’t see the women dragged from the vehicles, but I hear the screaming and hysterics of the ones who arrive on my floor. At one point, there is a struggle at my door. It rattles and bangs as someone kicks at it in their attempt to flee. Before I know it, I’m banging at it from my side, screaming, “let her go!” at the top of my furious lungs. It’s futile, and I cry for hours with my back up against the now-still door, listening as others struggle and plead and cry.
We have been confined to our rooms for the two days they spend imprisoning the rest of the women. There’s a thin slot at the bottom of the door, which I had missed on my many inspections of the room until my breakfast had come pushed through it the morning after the lottery.
The robot lady happily announced that to discourage violence and encourage acceptance amongst the sudden high influx of Chosen, we were to relax in our rooms until every guest had arrived and had the opportunity to settle in for themselves.
“How do they divide us amongst floors and buildings?” I had asked the others the night before our sudden lockdown over a dinner of hot roast pork, crispy potatoes, and deliciously thick gravy.
“I don’t think there is a system,” Akari had shrugged.
Jabira, who had been here the longest, a full week before my arrival, adds, “I have been trying to track a pattern amongst every new arrival, the days they arrive, where they come from, their attractiveness, or lack thereof if you include Georgia over there,” she’d nodded towards the boisterous, large and tattooed woman who had called out to me at lunch earlier. I couldn’t help but snort. Jabira did not seem the sort of woman to judge another by her looks. I had to wonder whatGeorgiahad done to instill this venom in her. “I have found no such pattern.”
During my 2 days in solitary confinement, I tried to come up with an answer myself, but came up blank. It didn’t help that I had only seen the other woman those 2 times.
The in-room meals had been very basic. Sandwiches, cereals, soups, and fruits. My stomach gurgled for something more substantial.
It was also extremely boring not being able to leave my room. It was getting claustrophobic, and I’d never had any issues with small spaces before. I had read through every stupid pamphlet they had placed in my room multiple times over. ‘How to Distinguish Fae from Human’, ‘A Guide to Mythological Creatures’,and ‘What to Expect When Stepping into the Unknown’.The last was by far the stupidest. There is literally no information about what’s on the other side of the portal. The entire pamphlet was speculation, not a drop of useful information.
I didn’t mind the mythological creature guide so much. It was interesting, though terrifying, to wonder if more than just fae stood beyond the shimmering purple pool. The guide had mentioned every being you could imagine, from dragons and unicorns to mermaids andvampires. It was even more terrifying knowing that in just 5 days, I would potentially know exactly what other creatures are out there.
I also spend a lot of time working out: running in place, star jumps, sit-ups, and push-ups. I force myself to move until my legs want to give out and the very air in my lungs burns. But it keeps me sane.
I spend more time than I care to admit pacing from door to wall. I stare out the window. I watch as bus after inconspicuous bus comes and goes. I watch the soldiers’ running drills. I squint into the distant skies as I try to spot a single form of life besides the humans below, but not even a bird will fly this close to the portal.
I watch the shimmering purple field for signs of bubbling and steaming. Not enough days have passed for it to open, but I watch it nonetheless. Sometimes I panicked, thinking that perhaps I had slept through another 36 hours at some point and that the day we were due to leave was closer than I thought. It wasn’t. Logically, I knew that. I had 5 days left. Escape didn’t seem possible, but I prayed the government would change its mind and fight the fae instead of handing us over. Maybe my father would return the money he had sold me for, and I could go home. Not likely. But I still hoped. For a damn fucking miracle.
The sounds from the hallways turn to silence as every single woman here accepts their fate. Day bleeds into night with an array of beautiful colors: pinks, oranges, purples, and a deep, deep blue, before retiring to the moon and stars.
Dinner arrives through the flap at my door. My mouth waters as the aroma of something more than soup fills the air. I investigate the trayeagerly, spying a bowl of vanilla ice cream with rainbow sprinkles before I lift the lid covering dinner.
“Gods, yes!” I moan.
It is chicken schnitzel smothered in gravy with a side of cauliflower & broccoli cheese, peas, beans, and… is that? I pop a piece into my mouth andfuck yes, it’s honey-roasted carrots.
I take the plate to my tiny desk and debate for a millisecond whether I should eat the ice cream before it melts, but I quickly decide I need the substantial meal first. Melted ice cream was still ice cream.
I practically inhale my dinner. It’s too delicious. Even as my belly feels ready to burst, I scrape at the plate to ensure I have eaten every morsel. Then I sit back in my chair and groan, patting my bloated belly happily. Bubbles rise up my throat, and I don’t bother to suppress the burp as it leaves my satisfied body. The time for being ladylike was over. Perhaps, if the fae didn’t like their women belching like beer-addled old men, they’d let me go home.
Or maybe they’d just murder me.
Who knew when it came to the fae?
I sigh and reach for the melted ice cream. My stomach was going to hate me, but fuck it. I tip the bowl into my mouth and drink. Totally worth it.
The next morning, good old happy Karen cheerfully announces that community dining would recommence in half an hour.
“Yes!” I jump to my feet and head straight for the shower before she has even finished her speech.
I pause outside the bathroom as she continues to talk after I had expected her to stop.
