FOR THE NEXT COUPLE of days Psyche was held prisoner in that room.

She was given meals and a portable toilet, but was never allowed to leave the room. The only people she saw after the redheaded woman left were the two big men. She considered fighting against them, but they were so much bigger and stronger than her that she figured out she’d probably need to use her mind rather than her body to escape the prison her mother-in-law had tricked her into.

On the third day of her captivity, the redheaded woman came back and threw a slinky gold dress on the floor next to the bed.

“Put this on,” she said. “Your first customer will be here to pick you up this evening.”

Psyche’s bottom lip trembled. “What do you mean? I’m leaving here?”

“Just for the night. It will have you back by tomorrow. And you’ll probably still be in one piece.”

“But, but surely I’m valuable to you. You can’t just let me leave with some strange . . .”

“Beast?” the woman finished her sentence for her.

Psyche’s skin pricked with goose pimples. “He’s not human?”

“You’ll learn not to ask. Not to care. Your job is to please whatever he, she, or it that comes for you. The best thing you can do is cooperate. Make them happy and things will go better for you. This is your life now. The sooner you accept it, the better.”

Rage rose up inside Psyche’s chest. “How can you do this to people? This is slavery.”

The redheaded woman nodded. “And it’s been around as long as humans have been in existence. And it will be around longer than you and me. It is what it is, girlie. You’d best start wising up. Now put that dress on and be ready when it comes to get you.”

When Psyche didn’t respond the woman said sharply, “I don’t want any trouble with you. If I do, I’ll be forced to turn you over to that big bald fella, and then you’re going to be sorry.”

The woman left, and when Psyche was alone in the room again, she considered her options. Living here, under these conditions seemed hopeless. Could she really bear such an existence?

She had to keep the faith that somehow she could convince someone to set her free.

Not long after there was a knock at the door. The red-haired woman returned, this time she had a truly frightening creature with her.

Its face resembled that of a turtle, and it had tiny teeth that looked as sharp as knives. Lizard-like scales covered its body which was the size of three men, and it had a thick slithering tail that whipped out from behind it at random intervals.

“Hello,” Psyche managed as she wondered if it was possible to die of fright. Psyche had heard about the monsters of the underworld, but nothing could have prepared her for this.

“Greetings,” The creature responded in a gruff voice that had a distinctly human quality to it.

“Now, Psyche, you will go with Mr. Cubane and do as he asks. Be a good girl for him and things will go fine for you.” The woman then turned to the creature. “She’s a new girl. We’re just breaking her in.”

“Ah, delicious!” Its eyes lit up, and to Psyche’s horror, it licked its lips.

A cold shot of fear froze her on the spot, and when she did not immediately come into the hallway with him, the redheaded woman slapped her hard across the face.

Psyche’s hand went immediately to her stinging cheek, but she took a step forward.

“Move, girl,” Red barked.

Just then Mr. Cubane took her by the arm with a firm but slimy grip and pulled her alongside him.

All she could do was focus on breathing and staying upright. She was afraid if she fell down, that would be the end of her right there.

When they got outside it was night. Everything seemed to be night here. Did daylight even exist in the underworld? Ever since she’d been here everything had been a black haze, and she’d lost the concept of time.

Once they were out of earshot of the woman and her henchmen, Psyche said, “I don’t know how to tell you this, Mr. Cubane. I realize that you’ve probably paid for my companionship, but I don’t think you know who I am. This is all a big misunderstanding, a huge mistake. I’m sure if you sent word to my husband he would pay to have me back.”

She was not at all sure this was the case, but she prayed it was. She hoped with all her might that if she got word to Cupid, he would pay for her release, if only for her safety. Their marriage might be over. She may have lost his trust, but perhaps he would help her get out of this hellhole she found herself in.

Gruffly, he picked her up and set her in the passenger section of a space pod. Again, this was a different type of transportation that was only used in the underworld. He skulked around to the other side and got in, closing the glass around them.

Psyche placed the palms of her hand against the glass. What she wouldn’t give to be free again. To be back with her horses and her sketch books. More importantly, with her husband.

She wished so hard that she could go back in time and stop herself from looking at him, betraying his trust, and ruining everything.

She stopped herself. It wasn’t the time to feel sorry for herself. She had to try to escape from this creature before he did unspeakable things to her. She didn’t even want to imagine what he had in store for her. Buying a human for the night—that couldn’t lead to anything good.

The pod rose into the air. As it lurched forward, she tried again. “Please, if only you knew who I was you’d understand. You’d let me go.”

This time the massive creature turned its head towards her, its glassy black eyes piercing hers. “Oh, don’t worry, my dear. I know exactly who you are.”