The air stank of dust and Hopper fuel, great clouds of it rolling over the city for weeks at a time. Pestas may have had a liquid inner core, but looking out at the bone dry ground of the moon, I didn't think it was much usefulness at all.

Overhead, hoppers scuttled over the tops of buildings, and above them, the rattle of clankers and sky-busters. They had been trying to seed the sky here with rain for weeks, with sky-busters zipping through the atmosphere all hours of the day, but without success, just like every other time they tried. This rock remained as dry and rain-less as thr day humanity first discovered it.

Wiping at the sweat forming on my forehead, I bent down and grabbed the crate of SC-IT rations for the month. There wasn't enough. We had gained six new girls in the past month, the rooms the fullest I had ever known them, but it had been over a month since we had an Investor stop by. The box that held all of the house's coins grew lighter and lighter each time I saw it, and each day somone opened it only to find it a little more empty.

The wind kicked up again, and little Jordyn, one of the new girls, clung tighter to the fabric of my pants, big blue eyes staring out at the bustle of the footpaths. She was young, maybe six or so, and the skinniest child I had ever seen, with short brown hair that whipped around in the wind. She had been left by her father, a man even thinner than her, all bones and hunger, who made Mam Dorce promise the girl would be fed every day, that she wouldn't go hungy. This wasn't an uncommon situation. He—like so many others on this moon—had run out of money and had to choose between fuel and food. But to have no fuel in your ship meant that you would be trapped, stuck in whatever dump you finally drifted into. I would rather choose no food than to watch all the systems in your ship go down, one by one, power and fuel evaporating into thin air as you sat there, holding the knowledge that this entrapment of metal and glass would be your grave.

Besides, food could be begged for, bartered for, stolen. Fuel couldn't be. If you had fuel, you could pick up jobs, get payed then. People could take pity on the starving. I had done it plenty of times.

It was no wonder he had left Jordyn here, in the Hents house where food could always be promised, even if it was a growing concern. Mam Dorce would never let the little ones go hungry, and us older girls would be expected to help somehow, to work.

And we would have to change our situation somehow soon if we were going to support our growing family at the Hents House.

A loud clanging filled the air, and Jordyn screamed, wrapping herself around my legs. "Oh, baby it's ok," I murmured, bending a little to stroke at her hair, the crate wobbling in my other arm. "Ain't nothin but a hopper dropping down now. C'mon now, let's get the two of us back to the house, it'll be quieter back home."

It was no surprise she would have been distressed by the loud sounds of the hoppers, but this was a fact of life in North Port. This was the busiest port city on the moon colony, and even though the Hents house was on the edges of the city, there was enough noise from the various machines and ships that silence and calmness were never found, especially not this close to the market.

Jordyn didn't let go of me once on the walk back home, her little hand gripping at my pants, and I had to remind myself to keep my strides shorter to accommodate the child. Once we got back home I would be able to fully breathe again, knowing that we were safe and everything was well. Perhaps I could even find Reah and enlist her into brushing ouy my hair tonight, the thought of the soothing sensation making my steps slow a little in their pace.

I turned the last corner before reaching the Hents House and stopped dead in my tracks. Jordyn let out a small squeak as she collided with my legs.

There was a clanker parked on the street outside the house, blocking the door as it sat, heat-marred glass and the patchwork job of a ship that should have been turned to scrap years ago. It was bigger than the typical clanker, with a boxy rear for cargo storage. It was most likely that this ship was some sort of supply runner, and the owner was looking for some company regarding the long flight times.

"Oh, not now," I moaned, my hands starting to shake. "Not yet." I should have known this was going to happen soon, but now that I faced it it filled me with dread. Mam Dorce called them "Investors", but in reality they were just men who came in to buy us Hents house girls, variety of men  that ranged from washed up Astros to credit-heavy freight owners. But they all had one thing in common: they were looking for wives.

And I was finally of age to be chosen.

After years of watching girls I knew and idolized leave the home in the hold of these men, after years of looking at my eighteenth birthday with a sinking sort of dread, it had finally happened. This was our first Investor since that day, and now, after seven years of watching silently from the hidden alcoves of the house, I would finally be on display myself.

I shuffled the box in arms to free up one hand, which I wrapped around Jordyn's arm. "Hurry," I hissed, starting forward with her. "We have to get inside, before we're missed." We could take the back entrance, or slip in through a window. We had barely been gone for an hour, and it wasn't unusual for Investors to spend the better part of a day here at the House before making a decision. If I could just get into a bedroom and start changing before Mam Dorce went looking for me, everything might turn out ok.

But the back door was locked when I yanked on the handle. I should have known better, Mam Dorce always kept it locked during the day, and the only time it was unlocked was in the evening time, when the sun would crouch behind the horizon for a few brief hours of darkness before the cyclical pattern of days started over again. Groaning to myself, I abandoned the door. I knew how to shimmy open the kitchen window, though I rarely did so. I pulled out the small pocket knife I always carried, sliding it along the lower edge of the window, catching the lock.

The lock on that old window never did work properly, and when drilling for the liquid core sent tremors across the surface of the moon, this singular one would always pop loose and clatter about, scaring the youngest of the girls.

The window only slid up halfway before creaking in protest, and I lurched away, the noise setting my nerves on edge. A moment to settle my breathing before I turned to look at the girl at my side.

"C'mere." I traded the box of rations for Jordyn and stuffed her through the window. "Go tell the girls upstairs to prepare a dress for me. Now go!"

Her little face was startled, crumbling into tears as she stared back, and I knew my frantic energy was setting her off.

I snaked my arm through the window and caught her small, innocent hands in mine. "Jordyn, baby girl, don't cry. Just tell the other girlies I need a dress. Ok baby?"

She sniffed, swiping at her nose before running away from the cramped kitchen. A thought flitted through my mind that the little one might not even know where us older girls slept, or what to do when there was an Investor about. The youngest girls were never to be seen when Investors were at the homes, only those of eligible age. Anyone too young was kept tucked in the upstairs bedrooms, or hid in storage closets to peek through the slats of them, if you felt particularly daring.

But now was not the time for daring. I could hear Mam Dorce's laughter even from outside of the house, as I started scooping rations out by the armful to dump them inside. The box wouldn't fit through the window, so my only hope was that it wouldn't be stolen by the time I could finally make it outside again.

A man's voice now, carrying through the eerily empty halls of the home, and I froze. The presence of Investors always unsettled me, having heard stories since I had first arrived, of girls who had been married off only to be found dead months later, or others who were returned by their "husbands", battered and bruised and covered in tears. Mam Dorce did her best to judge the men who came in here, but she didn't see the way some men's eyes clung to the girls, or how they gripped them a little too tightly when they left with their prize.

Mam Dorce didn't see everything, but between the younger and older girls, we saw it all.

I had seen too much throughout the years to be so easily enamored as some of the other girls were. I had lain awake as a younger teen, listening as they whispered their dreams and wishes for adventure and love to be found in these Investors that drifted through this house.

Letting out a sharp exhale, I threaded my arms through the window space, my hands feeling about until they found the edge of the counter, gripping hard onto that place. I jumped a little, trying to get enough momentum to pull my head and shoulders in. My feet scrambled uselessly at the wall outside as I pulled myself across the counter, the rations I was sliding over crinkling under my weight, a few falling off onto the ground.

I dropped off the counter with a thud, and groaned, before slapping a hand over my mouth to stop the sound. My heart thudded like a drum as I listened. Mam Dorce and the man continued talking as if nothing had changed.

A sigh of relief.

Now if I could only sneak into the bedroom to change—

There was the hum of nerves, of words, and then there was Kidget, the oldest of the girls here at twenty-three, coming down the stairs. Her eyes flicked towards me, her lips pressing into a thin line. Kidget hadn't been the Eldest for long, but with it came a certain level of responsibility for everyone else. No doubt I was going to get a scolding from her when all of this was over.

The girls continued to come down the stairs, all gathering here in the small kitchen, a light slight murmur of voices and words as they waited for Mam Dorce to call them in.

Reah came along sixth in the line, brown hair cropped short and curling around her ears. She was the opposite of me in every way, but she was also my closest friend in the whole world. In her arms, she clutched a light grey dress. Jordyn must have made it then, must have been able to tell the girls. She hurried over to me, her steps lithe and quick as she passed off the dress.

"Cutting it close, aren't you?" She whispered, keeping her voice low.

I gave her a weary smile in return and started dressing as quickly as I could, my fingers catching on the buttons of the dress. Her own, dainty ones cane over top of mine to unfasten them, the contrast of our light and dark skin against the fluttering fabric.

"You scared?"

I almost snorted, and choked down another breath to keep myself silent. "Of course I am," I whispered back, turning around for her to fasten the rows of buttons along my back.

"You shouldn't be. You'll be fine." Her breath brushed against my ear as she leaned close, fiddling with my hair. "The first one is always the scariest, but it'll all turn out fine." Reah turned me around, a slight smile on her lips. "Who knows, you might even get chosen today."

"I hope not."

There was no lightness or joviality in my voice, only resigned acceptance, a tinge of dread and fear.

Her lips pressed together into an unpleased line, and Reah stepped away, turning to join the now forming again line of girls.

I was the youngest, and that put me in the back of the line. The dress floated about me as I scurried over to join the others, the fabric cool on my skin. These dresses were the most expensive items any of us girls owned, but only because these were the dress we would wear if we did get chosen to marry. A keepsake of the home, or Maybe even something to give to future daughters down the line.

I picked at the corner of my thumb as I fell into step behind Leanor, who had been the Youngest before me. Fifteen of us in all, in matching grey dresses as we filed into the sitting room.

The man in there made my skin crawl.

I tried to keep any open mind. I was probably just nervous, of course any man would have made unsettled at my first viewing. He started to inspect us, and I analyzed him back.

It was an irrational reaction, truly. As far as men went, he was fairly put together as he sat there with Mam Dorce. He wore an Astro jacket as well, with a patch on it thst showed he had fought in the Quxtlue system wars. That explained the beat-up clunker outside. Many Astro vets signed on to keep their ships, a sentimental action, but especially those who had fought in older ships to begin with struggled to keep it running, and then we're forced to cobbling repairs out of scrap parts.

He had to be older, at least old enough to be my own father if he had been the battles that had occurred over twenty years ago. There an offsetting feeling that crawled up my skin when he looked at us. It was his smile, his eyes, those were what scared me.

He seemed to light up now in our presence, but they way his eyes paused to scraped over me made me want to scream from the nervousness of it all. Was this normal? Was this right? Had the others been this frightened when their first Investor had come?

"Ladies, this is Mr. Keats. He's come a long way to be here, so please be grateful for his presence."

His smile tugged into something delighted, his teeth yellowed at he grinned. And still he kept staring, weighing, judging, choosing. His Adam's apple bobbed and he stood, hand shaking as he pointed at me.

"She's a purty one." His voice sounded like kicked gravel, loose and rough on his lips.

Mam Dorce didn't respond right away, just looked at me with a calculating eye. "She's our youngest now. Her name is Enori." She fluttered one hand at him. "Perhaps you would like one of my older girls? They are very well taught and would be better suited for a man of your… many experiences."

He ignored her, stepping forward, swiping his hands along the sides of his jeans as walked up to the line. He walked almost unevenly, as if something was wrong with one of his legs, his left boot dragging a little with each step. His gaze flitted up and down each girl as he made his was down the line, a vague glance over each girl as if disinterested, before stopping right at me.

My heart slammed against my chest, and suddenly it seemed as if I had forgotten how to breathe, my lungs screaming for air.

His eyes stared too long at my face, studying me, gulping as he looked at me, before his gaze dropped lower, following the shape of my body. Heat burned across my cheeks, sweat gathering on my neck as he stepped forward, his hand reaching out to pick up the tail of my braid draped over my shoulder. "Sure is purty." He lifted the lock of hair to his face and inhaled, eyes shining at me. His breathing quickened, hot air on my skin as he stared at me, rubbing my air between his fingers. "Enori."

He said it slowly, and the sound of my name on his lips sounded so incredibly wrong, it made me want to gag. His smile stretched across his face, revealing uneven yellow teeth once more.

I couldn't help the shaking now, his dark eyes boring into me. A hand slipped into mine, Leanor to my left trying to give me silent support, her impish features now settled into subtle discomfort.

"Sir." Mam Dorce's voice was firm, sharp even. "I believe you will be better off choosing an older girl. Enori is awfully young and inexperienced. It would be better for you to wed a girl with a few more years to her name."

He turned, with all the grace if a broken hopper, that smile still stretched across his face. "Oh I found what I want, alright. And I can pay for 'er too."

A small whimper escaped me, and Leanor pulled me closer to her side. There were really only two rules that governed the colonies of Pestas, especially since true law enforcement was found few and far between. The first rule was that that which is paid in full becomes owned in full.

If he could afford me, he could have me.

Mam Dorce folded her arms. "Sir, I do not beleive you are aware of the cost of these girls. I raise them carefully and they do good work for me. I will not be easily parted."

Her eyes flicked to me, something almost like an apology in them. She was trying to get him to leave. Mam Dorce could see the discomfort that was written plainly across my face, and now she would protect me.

She could protect me, right?

"I have the money." His voice drifted into something close to a growl, low and almost threatening.

Mam Dorce tapped her fingers against her arm. "Well, of course you'll need to procure the proper paperwork, and provide both the money, and proof of provision for when you take her. I do not let my girls go into futures where they will not be cared for."

He stalked up close to her, his weight making the wooden floors tremble. I watched his left leg as he moved, stiff and dragging on the floor. "I want that girl," he said, voice low as he spoke, jutting a finger out at Mam Dorce. "I want that girl and I'll buy that girl and when I give you that money, you'll be obliged to let me take her."

"You'll not do anything without the proper papers," Mam Dorce replied. "Now, if we have nothing more to discuss, get out of my house." Her voice didn't waver, her gaze didn't falter. "Or I'll be obliged to send you to the authorities for trespassing."

It was a weak threat, the authorities here on Pestas barely did anything, but it was enough to make him back down. He looked at me once more, then back to Mam Dorce, and spat on the floor, his boot scuffing as he stormed out of the house.

The door had barely slammed shut before I felt mysekf drop, shaking legs unable to support me anymore. Leanor yelped, throwing her arms around me to keep me from hitting the ground. The other girls crowded around me, whispering between themselves in distressed tones.

Mam Dorce helped me back up to my feet. "I'm sorry child." She let me into a tight hug, a rare display of affection in this house. "I didn't expect him to distress you so."

I mumbled something into her chest, and she shifted her hold on me. "What was that, child?"

I squirmed a little in her arms. "I said you're squishing me."

But I soaked in this moment, this small gesture of motherly affection, something Mam Dorce gave out sparingly.

My eye caught the window, of the man standing there, staring us. That horrible, horrible man. A whimper curled out from deep inside me and this time I burrowed myself deeper into Mam Dorce's arms. One of the other girls, Presa, noticed the smiling man in the window and rushed to close the curtains. Then she locked the door, the sound of it cluncking into place easing some of tension winding up inside me.

Finally, Mam Dorce let me go, and I stepped back, trying to even out my breathing. My hands had stopped shaking, and the other girls had since started to drift away. I could hear the curious voices of the younger girls start to drift down the stairs, having began to venture from their hiding places and rooms.

I couldn't let the younger ones see me like this. I couldn't scare them like that. I saw a small face staring out, little Jordyn hovering behind the doorway from the kitchen. I opened my arms to her, and she ran into them. "Hi baby girl," I whispered, smoothing down her hair.

"You look sad," she said solemnly, reaching up to touch my face as I stood with her in my arms.

"Just dizzy," I replied, spinning slightly with her. "I'm all better now." She seemed to accept this answe and gestured to be let down, to which I obliged.

"Are you ok?" Reah's hand slipped into mine, her presence an anchor, and I forced myself to take a deep breath.

"I will be." I wrung my hands out, as if the action could cleanse me from the past few minutes.

I had to be. I could see the other teens now, younger girls who were looking at me, knowing they would be next. I wouldn't be the youngest in line for long, so I had to be the good example for them.

"I will be."

~
Word Count: 3781
Notes: this chapter has been edited, but not very well. Feel free to note any inconsistencies in terms of details or misspellings
Question: how would you describe Enori? What does she look like to you?