The next two days went by pretty uneventfully. With the usual bump ins with Harry. It was starting to become almost a habit of tiny meetings consisting of exchanging insults. The nights weren’t too bad, Liam wasn’t as bad as Harry, and Zayn was as bad as the girls said he was. Apparently he was into bondage.

Today was the day the boys chose. I would say I wasn’t scared just for the sake of not making Amelia feel worse. But honestly I was so scared I was visibly shaking.

Paula had arrived at our suites earlier telling us to put on something comfortable. I changed into a grey sweater, a little pair of jean shorts, and knee socks. The other girls wore similar lounging clothing. After we finished, she led us to a room similar to the room we were first inspected in. Cold, stark, and all white. Paula took her place next to the glass door while we sat on stiff metal chairs. The chairs are at least 2 feet apart from each other.

I glance down the row of my friends just as I hear the door swing open.

In walk the monsters.

Paula clears her throat and begins.

“All of you are gather-“

“We know why we’re here,” April interrupts with a snarl. “Can we just get it over with.”

Paula’s painted mouth stretches into something that you could call a smile.

“The boys will now state whom they have chosen. Once you have been chosen, you will be escorted into the next room to be marked,” she finishes crisply.

“Marked?” Sara turns to me wide-eyed.

Before I can speak, Niall steps forward.

“Amelia.”

Thank God.

Zayn steps up.

“April.”

A snort is heard from the far end of the row.

Liam advances.
“Eliza.”

With only me and Sara left, I start slightly panicking.

Harry steps forward.

“Robin.”

Everything stops. I can’t hear, I can’t breathe for a split second.

The first person I look to is Louis. His mouth is open and a look of horror crosses his face. He swallows after a few seconds of silence.

“Sara,” his voice is barely audible.

I look to Harry. He is staring back with that fucking smirk.

“Now girls please follow your masters to receive your marking,” Paula clicks her heels and walks out the door to leave us in the hands of our masters.

My stomach turns as Harry advances and holds out his hand in front of me.

I stand up without looking at him and ignore his outstretched hand. He roughly grabs my elbow and we walk to a metal door.

What lied behind this metal door I was not prepared for.

The room is similar to the one we just exited but there was only a plastic white table accompanied with a matching chair which I was forcefully escorted to. A man with an iron brand sits opposite me. To be marked.

The man dips the brand into a small flame on a burner. The sign of the Aquarius burns brightly at the end of the brand as he lifts it out of the flame.

“Wait-“ I start, but the man grasps my right arm and lays it flat on the table so that my palm is facing up. The sleeve of my sweater is shoved up my arm.

“No no,” I start screaming, but a towel is roughly forced into my open mouth.

“It’ll only hurt for a little while, honey,” the man’s voice drips with the sickening sweetness of cough syrup.

The white hot iron is placed against the skin of the inside of my forearm. I squeeze my eyes shut and I can only see and feel the heat exploding within my brain and through my skin.

When I finally open my eyes and come to my senses, I am still screaming. My arm is now submerged in a small tub of cold water. I try to regain my breath, but the pain is so terrible I can only take in short gulps of oxygen.

Tears and bright overhead lights sting my eyes as I look up to search for Harry.

He isn’t here. The coward. Can’t even watch his own slave be tortured.

A soft but brisk hand takes my arm to help me stand up. It is Paula.

“We’re going to go to your room now,” she says softly. “Just rest and I’ll come back for all of the girls when all of you feel better.”

The walk back to the room is all a blur. The only thing I can focus on is the pain searing up and down my forearm. Three parallel wavy lines form the star sign of the Aquarius. I conclude it must be Harry’s star sign.

Paula’s voice echoes through my head. I find myself on the soft bed sheets of my bedroom. I can barely make out the shape of Sara lying in the other room.

How does a burn even make you this disoriented?

And then it hits me.

I can barely move my eyes to look at my arm. There is a tiny square of skin that is bright red. Feeling the area, there is a slight bump.

I know what it is, but I can’t think clearly. My head is so heavy…

Notes

Oh gosh you guys I can't even express how sorry I am. This update took way longer than expected. I made up for it with character profiles though, so I hope you enjoy those! Thank you so much for waiting and reading. Let me know what you think! Stay bright and beautiful, gems.
~christi ellie