Violence takes it by force.

“Nothing can withstand the power of the human will if it is willing to stake its very existence to the extent of its purpose.”

– Benjamin Disraeli

Leticia.

The conversation between herself and Hannah went on and on, their predicament had been long forgotten. Her cheeks already hurt from laughing so much because of Hannah's dramatic explanation.

Hannah stopped speaking all of a sudden and whispered for her to be quiet. She stopped laughing abruptly.

A moment of silence had passed, and Hannah sat still, not saying anything.

"What is it?" Leticia whispered as a gut-twisting feeling was taking over as if something bad was going to happen.

"It-"

A loud sound interrupted her answer. She crawled closer to Hannah with wide eyes.

Before she could say anything, the room shook as though an earthquake was taking place.

This time, a cold sweat broke out on her forehead and she was clinging to Hannah like her life depended on her.

"W-what's happening, Hannah? Why-why is this place s-shaking?"

"I don't know, release me first let me go closer to the door so that I can listen." Hannah pulled her hand out of Leticia's to moves towards the door when Leticia grabbed her again.

"Don't go, it might be dangerous. Just stay, don't take any risk please," she begged Hannah with a quivering voice.

Hannah sighed. "Chill, I'll be fine. I'm not going out, I just want to put my ear on the door."

She pulled her arm and the same action was repeated.

"Leticia!" She groaned. "It's just here, I'm not leaving."

Her action was successful this time around. Leticia felt the hair on her skin stand as she heard Hannah's slow-paced footsteps.

The sound of Hannah's movement had stopped, leaving another eerie silence hanging in the air like a thick fog.

She could feel her heart beating rapidly.

"I think we're on a ship," Hannah whispered.

"What?! How? Why?"

Hannah scrambled back to where Leticia sat. "They've sold us," she said.

"Oh my God," Leticia gasped. "How did we enter the ship? When?"

"The sound we heard, and the way this room was trembling, that's how. They were moving us into the ship, that's why the place was shaking. Ah! We're in trouble."

Leticia ran her fingers through her cornrows and buried her head in her hands, willing herself not to cry.

Her worst fears were gradually manifesting. This was no different from a death sentence as they would either be taken for prostitution or killed for their organs.

"Hannah, is-is this how we're going to d-die?"

"Maybe." She started to laugh hard, slowly slowly her laughter was getting shaky until she broke into full sobs.

Leticia could only sit, trembling in her boots and staring into space. If Hannah who had been giving her hope since she found herself here; Hannah who had never shed a tear ever since she knew her could break down in tears, it was enough for her to know that her life was turning around -for the worst.

*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*

"Ahhhhhh!"

"Somebody help me! Help, please. Ahhhhh!"

Every day, they heard the horrifying screams coming from God knows where.

Leticia hugged her knees to herself with her head between them and blocked her ears. It had been days since they arrived there.

Neither she nor Hannah knew where they were, however, it was obvious that the place was a country far different from Nigeria because of the white-skinned people entering and leaving their room every day.

She and Hannah were never allowed to leave the room. So far, she had not spotted any camera but she knew that they were being monitored.

The room in question was well furnished; Queen sized beds at each corner dressed with pink bedspread and blankets. There was also an adjoining bathroom and walk-in closets that were filled with clothes.

The walls were covered with Paisley-printed white wallpapers that looked very expensive.

It was meticulously cleaned up every eight hours. They would serve them sumptuous meals, prepare baths for them in the bathroom that had a golden colored bath tub and washbasins then do their laundry.

It looked like a five-star hotel room and it was baffling to Leticia.

They were taken away from Nigeria, just to be given a life of luxury? Her questions, however, were answered whenever she heard those core-shaking screams daily.

She knew very much that very soon, her screams would be heard by others. The room was probably a distraction from their new found reality.

Her gaze darted across the room and fell on Hannah who was staring blankly into space. She looked frozen, as though she had been dropped in a freezer.

Hannah had been like that since they arrived. Her talkative self was replaced with one who acted like uttering as much as two words would result in the cutting off of her tongue.

She felt a pang in her heart for the girl. Hannah was younger than her but had to go through all these because she had a greedy father.

The thought provoked the memories of her Dad and what he was like. Her father loved her so much. He was the ambassador for Nigeria to Serbia.

She could recall her primary school graduation. He had travelled that period for business purposes but he came from wherever he went just to attend it.

He always told her that she was worth more than gold and that she would forever be his lovely little Letty. Yes, that was her nickname which became a taboo when her father passed on.

Anslem Oche Adama passed away at age fifty-two after a long battle with cancer which she knew nothing about until his death. That day was still very fresh in her memory. He died three days after she got admission into the university. A university that he placed her in because of her academic prowess.

She nearly ran mad when she was told, and her mother being her mother, slapped the news in her face without mincing words. "Your father is dead, come home."

On getting home, she discovered that her father had been travelling for medical purposes, contrary to what he always told her. He didn't want her to worry about him so he hid the truth from her.

For months she was distabilized and she was so angry at him for not telling her. Later she had to come to terms with the fact that he had left her forever.

Right from time, her mother favoured Noah but never her. She saw it as a normal thing;  mother to son and father to daughter until her father died. That was when she started to realize that her mother had no feeling of affection for her-at all, especially -

"Leticia."

Her reverie was cut short and she turned to the sound of the voice. Hannah was sitting on the edge of her bed with frown lines on her forehead.

She shifted closer to hear what the girl had to say.

"I want to escape. I'm leaving this place," she whispered.

Leticia stared at her as though she had lost her mind, checking to see if her statement was a joke. But when she saw the hardness of her jaw and the eyes looking straight at hers, she knew that the girl was not joking.

"Hannah," she started, "I get that you're not comfortable with this place - I mean who would be? But that doesn't mean you should take drastic actions. Even I too am scared, however, I'm trying to be patient and see what's going to happen-"

"So we should stay here until something bad happens? We should wait until they start selling us out? Let me tell you something, Leticia..." She snapped her two fingers before continuing her speech.

"I'm very familiar with this life because my father is in it, and these princess treatments they are giving us? It's an undercover warning, done by the ones up and deep into the game, as in the heads. After all these, they'll deal with us and trust me when I say you'd beg for death-"

"That doesn't mean that we should take actions that would get us into more trouble," Leticia interrupted Hannah this time, shaking her head vigorously.

"It does. The action is worth it in the end. I don't know about you, but I must survive. I have to survive and survival doesn't come by waiting for it, you take action to make it happen."

Leticia did not know what to tell the girl again that would change her mind.

"So, are you in or out?"

"I'm out, we can't risk it Hannah. This is you sentencing yourself to death, have you thought about what would happen next if we're caught?"

"That's if we're caught. And if we're smart enough, we can't be."

"Still. Hannah, I've found a sister in you ever since we met ourselves in this issue and I do not want anything bad to happen to you. I want us to make it out of here alive so please, let's not risk it," she pleaded, clasping her two hands together.

"The risk is in staying here. Right now, I'm trying to see if we're in the custody of Angel. If we are, then I'm escaping, no chance taken because I know what that demon is capable of doing," Hannah said in a resolute tone.

"It's still the same thing whether it's him or not. They are all the same, and since you know what Angel is capable of, why provoke him further? Please Hannah, let's tread carefully." She knew that escaping was a good option, however, it would be worse if they were caught.

Moreover, if they wanted to escape there has to be a plan.

"Violence takes it by force, Leticia. I'll plan how to get out of here, you can as well stay back if you're not interested," she retorted and picked herself up from the bed, giving Leticia one last glance before walking away.

Oh Lala😂 Hannah is determined, what do you think will happen 🤔 cause me I don't know 🤭 so we'll find out together in the next chapter.

Forgive me for the late updates, I'm preparing for resumption at school so... I hope you understand 😪

By the way, guess what guys?

Guess naw...

Okay, since you can't guess I'll tell you.

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