Sold?

•Arius [ 9 years old]

I always thought I was an ordinary boy, like any other. I thought I had a normal family, with me, my mother who stayed at home, my father who worked in another city and came home on his vacation and my soon to be born little sister.

My mom wanted to name her Canaria, derived from canary. She wanted Canaria to be free spirited and fly high in her life.

There was just one thing I found odd in our lives. I often spotted two men in black around the apartment. They felt so suspicious but they never did anything bad, they just stood there like guards.

I never really got why. When I told my mom about it she just brushed it off and said that if they weren't doing anything bad it shouldn't bother me.

It never crossed my mind that she might have known who they were all along.

After all, what could a child have known?

I was very happy with my life. It felt like nothing was missing in it.

We lived in a four story apartment with our place on the top yet we had many luxuries. It did cross my mind that if we can afford all those luxuries, why didn't we have a house of our own.

But I didn't pay it much heed.

My first ever crisis was when Canaria was born.

Mom fell down the stairs during the eighth month of her pregnancy.

That was the first time I was scared beyond belief. I had no idea what to do or who to call.

I knew nothing.

It was also the first time I realized I didn't have my dad's number.

Mom started groaning in pain and I saw a pool of water form around her. With no other option, I ran to the men in black who I occasionally saw around the place.

Usually they would stay away from me but when they saw the tears flooding down my eyes they got concerned as well.

I told them what happened and they helped get mom to the hospital.

Canaria had a premature birth due to the incident.

It was quite fascinating seeing someone so small. I couldn't take my eyes off her while she slept in the incubator.

She was so so tiny I was scared of touching her and I wondered how I would ever do that even when she's out of the incubator.

She was kept in a special room with another baby girl who had a premature birth.

Dad came rushing over when he heard about what had happened. His complexion was a bit pale and he seemed very disturbed. He asked me about the details and I told him about the incident and how mom's feet slipped on the stairs.

After listening to my explanation he calmed down. It was as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

It seemed like he was worried about something else too. Something I had no idea about.

Dad had a serious conversation with mom and later came to me for something.

He crouched down and held me shoulders, "Arius. You're old enough now." His expression was grim, "I need to tell you something. I'll come home after a few days. We have to have this conversation."

"Dad?" A question suddenly arose in my mind, "Weren't you out of city? How did you get to the hospital so fast."

He sighed, "That's exactly what we need to talk about." He gave my shoulder a squeeze and then stood up, "I'll be home soon. I just need to take care of something."

After three days of rest in the hospital mom came back home with me.

The men who always wore black started wearing casual clothing.

I noticed more of them but I couldn't tell for sure because they all were in casual attire. Maybe the rest were just friends or acquaintances.

The fifth day after the incident dad was supposed to come home. I was really happy not just because dad was coming back but I was allowed to skip school as well.

Mom made some of his favorite dishes for dinner and I set up the table.

We waited for him.

We waited for the doorbell to ring.

We waited for his call.

But it never came.

Normally mom would get mad at him for being late and call him but this time was different. She seemed worried and more than that, she looked- scared?

"Mom? Is some-" I couldn't even ask my question properly because it was disturped by some commotion from outside.

Mom immediately stood up and looked out of the window through the blinds. I followed her and peered out to see what it was.

Some people were fighting.

I couldn't exactly tell since the street was dark but it looked like it was our guards fighting with someone.

It didn't seem much till the time more people came and started beating up the two we knew. It got even worse when the other side pulled out a gun.

One of our guys took out his too and shot a person dead.

That one moment and the next few, they were filled with blood splattering everywhere.

The outcome was very obvious. Even a kid like me could understand that two guards were not going to win against many others.

All of the sudden mom grabbed my wrist and pulled me along with her.

She took me to her bedroom and stood in front of the wall.

"Mom?" She was silent for a few seconds and stood there shaking, "What's wrong?" She turned around and embraced me as she half sat on her knees.

"I love you Arius!! Me and your father! We both love you very much!!" Her embrace got tighter.

This was getting weird, "What are yo-?!" She pushed me apart from her with some force before I could finish my sentence, stood up and pressed her hand against the wall.

I saw the wall set back.

It took me a moment to realize, it wasn't the wall, it was a small door within the wall, designed to blend in perfectly.

I was dumbfounded. Nine years in this place and I never found out there was a door like this.

We heard some more commotion outside the apartment and mom immediately pushed me in and closed the door.

The place was cramped and dark. I could barely move in there.

"Mom!!"

"Arius!!" She yelled my name and I quieted down. She had never yelled at me..

I could still see the outside view from the compact space pretty nicely.

I saw mom slide down next to the wall in distress.

She placed her hand where the door was and spoke, "Listen to me very carefully Arius." I didn't say anything, "We are not a normal family like you always thought." Her hand now clenched into a fist, "I wish we were." She looked at me with tears in her eyes, "But I fell in love with a dangerous man."

"Dad?"

She nodded as tears started flowing down her cheeks, "He did warn me but I was young and foolish. The only thing on my mind was love." I was still confused as to why I was listening to this conversation in a weird place but I let her continue, "It was a mutual decision of ours for you and me to stay here." She gulped, "Arius, you're father is a mafian boss. He lives here, right in this city."

"What!?!?!"

"I know, I know dear!!" Loud banging on the door startled both of us even though it wasn't on our door. Mom stood up and locked the bedroom door, she then came and sat in the same position again, "You don't know what mafia is or how ugly the underworld can be and I had really hoped you'd never find out." She pursed her lips, "It's a dangerous place. Very dangerous. It's a place where you can die easily and you can be killed easily if you don't have the power."

The horrendous banging on our apartment door made me jerk once again but mom remained calm. She was thinking about something.

"Mom, if it's something dangerous. Shouldn't we be running?" My heart began pounding as a sense of terror began looming over me.

"We won't make it. Not at this point." She answered sadly. I knew she still wasn't as healthy as before, "Arius. Even when something is happening to me you have to stay extremely quiet."

"But-" I heard the main door break and people come in.

"HUSH!!" She placed a finger on her lips, "Not a single sound."

I pressed my lips together as if I was sealing them. She smiled at me proudly, as if she could see that I had followed her direction.

The bedroom door was banged on and yet again it scared me but mom? She stood up and got a gun out of her closet.

The sound and force was so loud it felt like the door would just blow up..

Mom gave me one final glance and whispered, "Survive."

She smiled her last smile and turned her face to the door as some men broke in.

My eyes went wide as she fired the gun immediately, killing one as the bullet went through his head. She fired another but it only tore the man's ear off. There were three of them now who came rushing towards her and grabbed her hands.

My eyes went even wider than before when I saw her struggling. The gun was still in her hands and she pulled the trigger aimlessly as she struggled to escape.

It ended up hitting one of them. The bullet went straight to his eye, blinding him. As he groaned in pain mom managed to escape and shoot him in the head.

But that was it. That was all the luck she had.

The other man slapped the gun out of her grasp.

I saw those moments of panic and fear on my mom's face that soon turned to distress.

The men pushed her to the ground, punched her already recovering body and began to rip her clothes.

I couldn't take it anymore.

I had to come out.

I had to do something!

Just as I was about to proceed, I saw her move.

She turned her face towards me as she placed a finger on her lips.

My body automatically froze in place but my eyes were glued to the scene happening in front of me.

I was seeing something no person ever should.

I saw my mother get beaten up and raped as she cried and struggled against it but there was no one to help her.

There was just me and I was helpless.