Free Little Doll by Melissa Jane

grown up together as young boys, always scrapping in the house, and grew used to the constant bickering that preceded the violence. Juan rarely dominated those fights and, as we developed into men and our bodies changed, he became less inclined to engage in that sort of behavior. Now there was more than reason enough to pummel the prick.
    I knew I wouldn’t have to wait long for the chance. Something within me warned perhaps a battle worse than those in the past was looming ahead.

 
    Chapter Ten
    Laila
     
    The next day I woke with a throbbing headache. Thanks to a restless and teary night, I had slept through most of the day and now the outside light shone dimly through the gaps in the curtains. The Latina was in the room again, moving about with grace, her long dark hair flowing behind her while laying clothes out on the antique chair.
    With much disappointment , I noticed they weren’t my clothes which I longed for so much. In fact, they were not even clothes as I first thought, but pieces of lingerie. Tiny little scraps of expensive material.
    “You have to get up and get dressed,” the woman said, startling me out of my nightmare. She pulled the comforter off, exposing me to her critical eye. “Move,” she instructed gruffly.
    “I heard you.”
    She stood with her arms folded at the end of the bed as if waiting for me to make my move.
    Aiden’s words of warning rang clearly in my head from the night before. I had to give him the benefit of the doubt and trust he had my best interests at heart. A foolish thought? Absolutely. But I had no other hope.
    R eluctantly, I slid off the bed and walked toward the chair displaying the lack of garments. The woman stood motionless, only her eyes following me across the room.
    “Shower first ,” she demanded.
    “What is your name?” I asked her casually, but she looked as though I had slapped her.
    “Sophia,” she managed after a pause.
    “Sophia , how can I get out of here?”
    I tried to keep the desperation from my voice , but I knew I had failed.
    Sophia went from being stoic and demanding to a bundle of nerves all in a microsecond. “You need to hurry, we don’t have time.” she said, turning her back on me and the conversation.
    ***
    Turning off the shower, I stood zombie-like, lost deep in thought, thinking of nothing in particular. Droplets of water fell from my body and into the puddles already on the tiled floor. A chill passed through me, sending shivers up my spine. Sophia stood in the doorway, arms crossed tightly over her chest, a frown knitting her brow.
    “Stupid girl, what are you doing? Dry yourself.”
    I did as she said, still lost in my trance. Once dry, Sophia grabbed the towel from my hand and threw it on the floor before ushering me to the edge of the bed.
    “Sit down, chica.”
    Once again, I did as I was told.
    Kneeling in front of me, Sophia opened a beauty box full of various makeup items.
    “What i s happening?” I asked as she rummaged through the contents.
    She paused to look at me square in the eye , careful to not reveal any emotion. “Hector expects his girls to look a certain way. You are no exception.”
    “ No, that’s not what I meant. I mean, whyam I –”
    “Keep still !” Sophia instructed gruffly. Grabbing my chin and holding me in place, she performed almost robotically as she applied a thin layer of foundation, mascara and color to my cheeks, and finally some gloss to my lips. Normally when I made the effort to apply make-up, I felt my confidence grow, ready for a night of laughs and dancing with friends. Tonight, however, all I felt was an overwhelming sense of dread. A sense of dread that took hold of my stomach and tied it in undoable knots.
    After a few minutes of heavy sighing and impatient grappling, Sophia had me dressed in the scraps of expensive lingerie that barely covered my private areas. I felt as if all pride and self-respect had been sucked from my very being as she walked to the door, knocked