"You know Mrs Bendito, You owe my boss a lot of money."

"Please, tell Mr. Alucard, that I need more time."

"He's given you plenty of time to repay him. There will be no extension this time and to ensure that you don't try and wiggle your way out of paying your debt again, I shall be taking some very important collateral. Collateral which will not be returned to you, until your debt has been paid in full."

"What could I possibly give you as collateral
that would even cover a fraction of what I owe your boss?"

"Your daughter."

"That's out of the question."

"You signed a contract Mrs. Bendito. You really should have read the fine print. It states that if you did not pay your debt on time, then we were entitled to take whatever we deemed to be of equal value to what you owe. I am sure that you will agree, nothing is more value then one's child."

"Please don't do this, I'm begging you, take anything, take everything, but please, don't take her...."

The man frowned he noticed that she hadn't called the girl her daughter. "Why not?"

"Because, when my husband finds out about this, he is going to kill me. She's his pride and joy."

"You should have thought about that before signing the contract. Until your debt has been paid, your daughter belongs to Mr. Alucard and his sons."
———————————————————————-
Meanwhile, at the local elementary school Mr. Bendio's daughter crawls into the car and lets out a big yawn and is soon fast asleep.

Tony Bendito POV

I can't help but smile, as I see the peaceful look on my niece Catrina's face as she sucks her thumb and hugs her wind up teddy bear. I know what you're thinking, why is a seventeen yr old sucking her thumb and carrying around a stuffed animal?

It's simple, Catrina suffers from regression issues. Basically, she displays behaviors that she should have outgrown a long time ago, like thumb sucking and wanting a bottle. I frown as my phone rings and Catrina stirs in her sleep. "What?" I whisper irritatedly.

"Sir, I am afraid I have some rather disturbing new to report."

"I am already aware of my  sister-in-law's debt, and like my brother, I refuses to bail her out this time."

"Sir, the enforcers who have been sent to collect the debt have demanded that Catrina be given to them as collateral until the entire debt is paid in full. They'll be arriving at the house within the hour to take her to the airport."

"You can't be serious."

"Evidently, the boss's wife didn't read the fine print of the contract she signed, so as of this afternoon, Catrina belongs to the Alucard family."

"Like Hell she does!"

"Sir, we have no say in the matter. You know the boss's policy, a deal is a deal. The deal she made said they could chose their collateral should she not pay her debt. The collateral they chose is your neice."

"If we don't want a full scale war with the Alucard family then we must not interfere with the exchange. They will be arriving any minute to take her with them. You might want to try and explain what's going on so she doesn't freak out."

I swore under my breath. How was I going to explain this to my niece? More importantly, how would I explain her absence to my brother?

————————————————————————
Catrina POV

"Catrina, sweetheart, we need to talk."

"Yes Uncle?" I reply which comes out muffled as I have my thumb in my mouth.

My Uncle looks at me sadly and I can see the pain in his eyes but he quickly masks it with a look of irritation. "Get that thumb out of your mouth! It's time it's time you grew up and stopped acting like a baby!" My Uncle says coldly.

I look at him wide eyed as my eyes begin to fill with tears and I can't help but whimper. My Uncle has never spoken to me in that tone of voice before and he has never chastised me for being myself. "Me sowwy." I whisper as tears begin streaming down my face.

My Uncle's features soften and he looks at me sadly. "I'm sorry sweetheart, I shouldn't have spoken so harshly. I'm not angry with you, I am however, very angry with your step mother."

"What did she do?"

"She has become indebted to the wrong people and they are demanding their rights to take collateral until she's able to pay her debt."

"Me don't undastand..." I reply in confusion.

"A debt is when someone owes someone a lot of money. Collateral is something that is taken and kept by those whom the debt is owed until the person pays back the debt. If the debt is not paid within the desired amount of time the collateral is becomes forfeited."

"This means that whatever the collateral is it now permanently belongs to the person whom the original debt was owed. It is never given back. Sweetheart, the collateral chosen to be kept until your step mother is able to repay her debt is You."

"Me?"

"I'm afraid so. They will be here very shortly to pick you up. So I need you to hide ok.."

"Too late." A man wearing a black tuxedo said with a chuckle. "Hello. I am here to take you to your new home."

"What if I don't want to go with you?"

"Unfortunately, that's not an option."

"Who are you? What do you want?"'

"Who I am is of little importance. Just know that my associates and I represent a very powerful man... Your mother."

"Step mother."

"Huh?"

"She's my Step mother."

"Your Step Mother owes our boss a lot of money. Money that she has refused to pay. We are here to collect some insurance that will ensure that we receive our money. Now be a good little girl and come with us willingly. I would prefer not to have to hurt anyone."

"Wait. There has to be something else we can offer you? Anything else. Please, she's my niece."

"I'm sorry. Your sister in law brought this upon herself. There is nothing that we can do..."

"How much does she owe you?"

The men chuckle "more then you could ever pay. We really must be going now."

"If I do as you ask, do you promise not to hurt my family?"

"Of course. The last thing my boss wants is more bloodshed."

"No!" Uncle Daniel tried to stop them but one of the men hit him over the head and he blacked out. Before we left the man turned and shot Uncle Daniel in the leg.

"Just so he doesn't get any funny ideas about following us."

I turned to the man and glared at him. "You i not to hurt anyone." I replied with a frown.

The man chuckled "I lied. So sue me."

"Was shooting him really necessary? The other man asked but he shut up when the mean man glared at him.

"Let's get one thing straight right now rookie, when the boss isn't around I'm in charge got it?"

"Ok. Ok Geez. It was a just a question. No need to bite my head off."

The man ignored him and turns to me I glare angrily at him. "When we reach the airport, I expect you to behave. You are to hold my hand at all times and don't even think about attempting to run away. It will only result in your being punished. I'd prefer to avoid having to do so. Do you understand?"

I stuck my tongue out at him in response.

As we drove off, I couldn't hold back the tears any longer. The man sitting next to me sighed and looked at me apologetically. It didn't take us long to arrive at the airport and to my surprise, we went through security extremely fast. "Give me your hand." The man didn't wait for me to respond instead he grabbed my hand roughy pulling me to his side.

"Ow. You huwting me. Let go." I demanded trying to pull my hand from his grasp.

"Not going to happen. I can't have you running off to try and find someone to help you escape now can I?" I pouted in response and the man chuckled.

Our flight was delayed and I could feel myself getting both board, hungry and I really needed to go pee. So I tugged on the mean man's sleeve. He looked down at me in annoyance. "What?!" I shrunk back and whimpered. The other man walked over to us and smiled at me.

"What's the matter little one?" Too afraid to reply, I glance down at the ground sniffling as I shifted in place. "Ahhh. I see..." The man nodded in understanding. "Let's get you to the bathroom and then we will get you something to eat ok?"

"No."

"Look, if she doesn't get to a bathroom she's going to pee her pants."

"Don't even think about doing that little girl. Because if you do, you won't like the consequences." The man replies with a frown.

"Look, what do you think the boss or his sons would do if they were here? Do you really think they will be happy to learn that you are treating her like a prisoner?"

"Fine. But if she escapes it's your head."

"You won't try and run away will you little one?" The man asked nicely and I shook my head no. After using the bathroom and getting some food, we stoped by one of the stores and my eyes lit up at the sight of the stuffed animals.

The man chuckled in amusement as he knelt down beside me. "Would you like one?" I hesitantly nodded and the man smiled. I clutched my new stuffed Lotso bear as we returned to the gate.

The other man frowned. "What took so long? "You bought her a toy?" To which I responded by sticking out my tongue again. "Better put that back in your mouth before I cut it off."

The man warned and I immediately shut my mouth and whimpered hiding behind the nice man, who shot his partner an irritated glare.

"Don't worry, my partner was only kidding. Besides, I won't let anyone hurt you, not even him."

"Pwomise?"

"I pinky promise."

"You can't bweak a pinky pwomise. It's binding. They said so in the Twolls mobie."

"I know and I give you my word as a gentleman, that no one will hurt you while I'm around."

"Now boarding flight 672 to Orlando Florida. Now boarding first class passengers, and passengers with young children."

As we sat in our seats I began to tremble not in fear of the flight, but in fear of what lay
ahead. The reality of my situation finally hitting me. My step mother had sold me to pay her debt. What was going to happen to me? The more I thought about it the more I relied on my age regression techniques to help me de stress.

"You seem board. Would you like to watch a movie?" I nod and the man selects Ferdinand.

I stare at the selection and frown. Not because I don't approve of it, but because I wondered why he chose it when there were movies like Birds of Prey or The Joker as options.

Upon seeing the look of confusion on and slight pout on my face he chuckled. "Little girls shouldn't watch movies like those. They are far too violent."

When it got to the part in the movie where the bull was being sent to the slaughter house I began crying. "Now what?" The other man who was with us growled in irritation. And I shrunk back and let out a whimper as I began to tremble.

"Me sowwy."

"Shhh. It's alright little one. He's just cranky and dont worry this is a Disney movie it will have a happy ending I promise."

He was right, the movie did have a happy ending. I stared out the window of the plane as tears slipped down my cheeks. It's too bad life couldn't be like a Disney movie.

I felt as if I was in some terrible nightmare that I couldn't wake up from. I didn't want to live with the Alucard family. They have a reputation for being the cruelest crime family in the world.

"Please don't cry little one. The stories you've heard about the Alucard family are far from the truth."

"So they don't sell people as slaves?" I ask sticking my thumb in my mouth for comfort.

The man chuckles "no little one, they don't. The Alucard family despises human trafficking."

"If that's true, then why did you take me in payment of Geraldine's debt?"

Upon hearing my question the man seems to pale a little and he gives me an apologetic smile. "It's complicated little one. believe me the boss won't be happy about this. But don't you worry about a thing, all of your questions will be answered in time. Try and get some rest, it going to be a long flight."'

What was going to happen to me? I wasn't sure I wanted to know the answers. The only thing that I knew for certain, was that once I stepped off this plane, my life would never be the same again.

Antonio POV

When I arrived home something was wrong.  My princess didn't rush to great me like she normally did. I immediately rushed to my daughter's room. Nothing was out of place, nothing was a miss but I knew without a doubt that she was gone.

"Geraldine!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as I stormed into the living room. "Where is she?!"

"Who? Oh, you mean Catrina... She umm, she ran away."

"Don't lie to me Geraldine. Nothing in her room was out of place or amiss. If she had truly run away, things would be gone."

"She was kidnapped."

"If that were true then there would have been some signs of a struggle. There were none. I want the truth."

"The truth is that she is gone and she is never coming back." Geraldine replies coldly.

I needed to think. I walked upstairs and headed to my bedroom but paused at my little girl's room. I walked in and slumped down onto the bed. I ran my hands over the covers.

It was then that I noticed a small envelope by her pillow. "Dear Mr. Bendito, if you are reading this, then it means that your wife did not heed our warnings to pay her debt. She left us with no choice but to collect collateral. It gave us no joy in having to take your daughter from the only home that she's ever known, but what's more valuable then ones own child? Your wife seemed all to eager to have us take her away.

Which begs the question why? Please know that we mean you no disrespect. Your wife alone has chosen your daughter's fate. We have given her ample opportunities to repay this debt and she has continuously failed to do so time and time again. One might think that she actually wanted this to happen. If you wish to discuss a deal for the return of your daughter, please feel free to contact our boss. Again please remember that We take no pride or joy in having to do this.

Our greatest respects, the Renfeild boys. We eagerly await your response.

I crumpled the letter in my hands my eyes flashing in anger and I punched the nearby wall. Geraldine had done this on purpose. She wanted my precious Catrina out of the way and so she sold her to my biggest enemy. "I swear to you, Catrina, I won't rest until your home safe and sound."

The end... Or is it?