You are on your knees in the sand. It burns through your skin.
You are on your knees in the sand. It burns through your skin. Your legs ache, locked in place, trembling from strain and heat. An iron collar clamps around your neck, cinched so tightly that every swallow feels like choking. A chain runs from it, linking you to 11 other women. Close enough that you can feel their movements. Close enough to hear them breathe. One is crying quietly now. Another whispers a prayer. Syllables unfamiliar. A language you don't understand but somehow recognizes desperation. A shadow cuts across your face. For half a second, the sun disappears. Relief washes over you. Brief, cruel. Then hands seize your jaw. Your mouth is forced open. Fingers push inside, pressing against your teeth, your gums, the back of your throat. You gag. Your body tries to recoil, but the chain jerks tight. He doesn't stop. He inspects your tongue for sickness. pulls your eyelids wide, checks the whites of your eyes, hooks a finger inside your li...