Looking up at the woman in front of me, I grimace and fake my pleasure, biting my lip to seduce her further.
Feeling another crack upon my body I feign pleausure at her actions.
"Lying to me only makes me want to bring more hate upon your flesh" she cries.
A fanatic, a regular customer of mine that believes in an idol of flesh and mature ideals.
I bite down harder on the gag in my mouth, squinting as to not let my true reaction come out.
I despised this woman, I hate my situation, I loathe myself for what I have to do to survive.
I loathe this perversion of a work place.
Feeling her barrage end, I open my eyes scanning for her.
An older woman, Chel, a woman in her mid thirties. Dark complexion with darker eyebags and a receding hairline. She disgusted me, her cakey makeup and thickly pored skin makes her appearance that of a clown.
She inches closer and raises my face to point her own, pushing her mouth near my ear.
"I'm so jealous of those eyelashes of yours, and hair and skin. I wish I could just take it all." She whispered into my ear. "But our times coming to an end Tua, I'll see you next week baby." She says as she releases the cloth and shackles that half me to the wall.
I fall to my knees, panting and sweating as the shock finally sets into my body. For five hours I had been subjected to depraved rituals.
"No tip?" I say weakly and sarcastically as I see her form leaving the room.
Turning her head back, she pulls a card and taps it against her cheek. "I'm wondering if you deserve."
I grit my teeth and try my hardest to put a smile on. "Please, pretty. I need you to help me." I feel the limit building and loathing wash over as I say those words.
She laughs and swipes the card across the reader on the side of the door, she types in some things and turns back around.
"Ten percent for you baby." She says as she blows me a kiss. The door opens and she leaves. "And some cash as well, don't worry, just didn't want to overdraft my card."
She throws a wad of cash on the bed next to the door and leaves, letting the door close behind her.
Seeing the door close behind her, I crawl toward the bed, my hands and wrists aching as I crawl on them, feeling the blood finally flow through my hands I let my fingers stretch across the floor.
Struggling atop the bed, I let the fabric of silk blankets take in my weight. The bed had an automated heating system set as a default of seventy degrees Fahrenheit, I let my body roll atop the bed grabbing the money.
Pulling the wad of cash close to my chest, I cry silently, huddled into myself, my knees pressed against my chest. I let the hot tears fall steadily down the side of my face into the sheets.
"One hundred twenty extra isn't so bad." I sniffle out, hiccuping. "That'll pay for groceries for the next week. If I stretch it." I clutch the cash back to my chest. Feeling the paper against my skin put me at ease.
Letting my tears fall for a little longer I let my eyes close, not noticing the time pass. Letting sleep envelop my body.
Feeling a familiar little warmth upon my back and little sniffles that sound like my own, I regret falling asleep without locking the door instantly.
Turning back I see my little girl, my world, my only family. My niece. My magical little world.
Barely six years old, my ward of sorts at the moment.
"Elise, I told you never to come in here." I say not daring to let her see my face. Shame, I felt shame and regret, helpless and weak.
How could her uncle be so weak and helpless. I felt the tears coming back, frustration building up inside.
"I-" I heard her speak as the warmth on my back felt stronger. "I'm using magic so-" She hiccuped out, cutting herself off.
Feeling the burning sensation of my flesh stitching itself back up, I stay still, not letting my body react at all to the pain. Not letting her see my weakness.
The gold light from her magic illuminating the ceiling and walls, slowly I see that calming white gold flicker and distort, the stinging across my back begins to become unbearable. It dilutes with a dark red aura as the room is dyed with crimson.
"You're hurting." She whimpers out, choking even further. "Why!" Her sadness turning to anger and frustration.
Turning around quickly I wrap my arms around her, pulling her into my chest.
"Your uncles fine, see?" I say putting my chin on her head. "Strong and everything." I say as I use my bicep to push her forehead back. "Bam" I say laughing.
"You." She doesn't continue as she takes my appearance. "Lie?"
I shake my head side to side, "I wouldn't lie to you dork. No reason." I say as I get up and stretch, faking my nonchalant attitude, the whip marks at the heels of my feet nearly making my legs give out.
"It was just a fall, nothing more." I say as I rub her head, shuffling her curly light brown locks.
Not letting her see my hurt, my uselessness, my pain, my frustration. I have to stay strong, just… just stay strong.
"No" she says letting out that faint crimson glow out once again, this time not as dark or menacing as before. "You lie."
Putting my hand down, I cock my finger back and flick her forehead. "I just told you, your uncle never lies. Also I told you to formulate your words before you speak, it's hard to understand you little girl." I state as I pick her up and let her head lie on my chest.
Seeing the red aura die down I feel her relax into my embrace. Her breathing becoming rhythmic as I leave the room.
She must've worn herself out helping her useless uncle.
The hallway was a brown and neon, a western themed homage, old wooden furniture and lamps lain across it. None of it authentic, plastic and rubber, but to the untrained eye seemed authentic. Even the fur rugs were nothing but polyester copies of the real animals.
The one displayed before me was a mystical tiger from the eastern provences, Baihu.
Our entertainment bureau and association has different themes depending on the month, this month is a clash of current era and old western customs.
The neon lights and old west architecture is quite… unpleasant to see if I'm being honest, my limited knowledge on decor can see that. It's tacky.
Heading down the hall, I head toward the stairs, heading up to the fourth floor. Being on the working floors flooded my nose with the mixture of blood from the sports entertainment area and other bodily fluids. With hints of some type of dope.
Making it past everything, I finally make it to my quarters, swiping my card I let myself in.
Before I took a step inside I feel hand on my shoulder, turning me around forcefully.
"Heard you got a tip," he said pulling his hand back. "Cash."
That bitch, she can't even let me have this?
This guy was the red light handler, the district I work for sadly.
His bald head glared as he stared down at me, he was an intimidating presence, though I was considered somewhat tall he still had a clear couple inches over me.
Pulling out sixty from the wad of cash with one hand I give it to him without saying a word. My annoyance untraceable in my actions and face.
"She has another appointment tomorrow, make sure you're up early." He says as he walks away, counting the cash. "And make sure the girl doesn't go near the red light again, it throws off our patrons."
I was already through the door, closed and all, but the walls are so thin that I could still hear him.
Sighing, I put her down on the bed, covering her with a quilt. The heat had arrived, so at the moment without any automated systems or AC, the room was around eighty degrees at twenty two hundred at night.
Sitting at the couch, I look around. At seventeen years old with a ward, I don't think I've done to bad. No magic ability and around thirty two hundred monthly income? I'm pretty lucky I think.
I head to the fridge for a zero calorie beverage, fizzy zero, cherry flavored.
Cracking it open, I sip from it, as I look around a little longer I feel my heels and wrists ache again.
Setting my drink to the side, kick my feet up and close my eyes.
I'm tired, I'm tired and frustrated, but that's alright. I'm alive, my niece is healthy and alive. She even shows promising talent in magic. I can send her off to a magus school with some investment and she'll have a bright future. One away from her useless uncle.
I'm alive, I'm just glad we're alive. Letting my consciousness fade, I let my tiredness numb everything as I drift asleep.