Chained Liberty Ch. 01

Libertaria city was bleak and decadent, its black skyscrapers towering above miserable millions and covered in permanent a light rain, not enough to stop people’s activities but enough to be annoying, born from the desire of freedom, or the absolute greed of the powerful as some would say.

Noah was sitting on the bus next to a window after an unsuccessful job interview, he had just turned eighteen and should be looking for a university, but this was Libertaria, nothing was free here and the boy had barely managed to finish high school with his father’s problems. The slim boy had a delicate cute appearance, an inheritance from his mother, he was 1.70 meters in height, his skin was pale as porcelain, his face looked like a doll with his big brown eyes, thin eyebrows and small nose, his oval face and pronounced cheekbones, his lips were pale and plump, his short hair was dark brown. He was trying to find a job as no other way existed for him, on Libertaria city money controlled everything and his father was throwing the little money they had on his gambling addiction.

Noah heard a metallic sound and turned from the window, a man had boarded the bus and a small boy of Noah’s age was with him. Noah soon realized the source of the sound, the boy had a silver collar on his neck connected to a chain held by the man’s hand, a slave. The man moved to sit just in front of Noah while the boy meekly followed him, keeping his eyes to the ground at every moment, for a slave looking at someone in the eyes was disrespectful, he stood by his master’s side without sitting, again doing so was inappropriate for him. Noah took the chance to study him, he was dressed in only grey clothing, he looked so weak, frail and sad Noah pitied him, he knew in the outside world this would be considered disgraceful, but in Libertaria even human life was a commodity, Noah shuddered wishing to never meet such a fate and remembering his mother was technically a slave. Finally, he reached his destination. He walked to his house, at least his father hadn’t lost that yet… of course that could still happen. Noah sighed, realizing just how bad were his father’s problems, and they had no one else to rely upon for help. He entered his house, it was dark and quiet, Noah found it empty his father nowhere to be seen.

“Dad I’m home.” No response, a sickening feeling started on Noah’s stomach he searched through the rooms in his house “Dad? Dad! Where are you?” He knew the answer, Noah groaned angrily and ran outside in the middle of the ever present rain of the city, knowing exactly where his father was.

The shining building of the Rosethorn Casino appeared on the horizon, Noah’s father would seek any opportunity to spend time there losing himself amidst alcohol and gambling, the casino was on the ground floor of a tall black skyscraper with many colorful lights constantly shifting. Noah approached the entrance and after a quick security check was allowed in, in this city everyone was allowed to gamble. Once inside, he started searching for his father, trying to prevent him from further destroying any future they could have. He traversed the labyrinthine corridors and halls desperate until he reached the deepest one. There he was in the bottom of the room, sitting at one of the tables, but something was off, it wasn’t a table meant for playing, on the other side of it an elegant woman was sitting, four security guards were present, two at the woman’s side and two at his father’s. Noah’s alarms ringed, he knew his father had debts with not-so-nice people, he ran trying to reach them.

“So Jeremy.” Said the woman coldly “Should I remind you how much you already owe me and my associates, you think I can let you keep gambling at my place hoping you can recover?”

“Please miss Rosethorn! I promise I can recover, and pay everything, please just let me play!” Begged the overweight man. Miss Rosethorn laughed as if it was a joke.

“Oh I love it! Guys like you are always the same, they always think they can get out of this, never realizing how low they have fallen, how ruined they really are. No, a pathetic excuse of a man like you will never get out of this, you will pay, I don’t care how.” Suddenly they heard a cry.

“Dad!”

Both turned to see a young man running towards them, the security guards reacted and tackled him, pinning him to the ground, the boy groaned in pain.

“Noah? My god why are you here?!” Exclaimed Jeremy.

“Who’s this boy?” Asked miss Rosethorn amused.

“Forgive him miss Rosethorn he’s my son, he must have come looking for me.” Said the man fearfully. A devious smile appeared on the woman’s lips. Noah could now properly see her, she was a slim woman around her thirties dressed with an elegant red coat and matching pants and boots, her hair was black and straight making her look more severe, her face was oval shaped with elegant features accentuating her smug smile and pose, her attitude showed the world was like an amusing joke for her.

“Well, this is interesting, how old is he?” A silent terror invaded both men as they realized what she was thinking.

“Oh no miss Rosethorn I’m afraid I’m not selling him.” Said Jeremy fearful.

“You know with the amount of debt you owe me I could take your very soul if I wanted right?” Threatened the woman annoyed “Bring him here.” The guards lifted Noah and brought him to the table, he moaned in pain “You are a pretty one, such a shame you are bound to a failure of a father. Now answer! Is he less than 20?”

“W-Well he just turned 18 miss Rosethorn, p-please I’m sure there are better ways of payment!”

“I seriously doubt it.” The woman grinned “You know what Jeremy, seeing your son try to save you from your stupidity really touched my heart, so I’m giving you a chance.”

“Really miss, oh thank you!” Said Jeremy with his face lighting up.

“Don’t thank me yet, as I said it’s dependent on chance alone, I’m willing to give you three options to pay: one you become my slave, if you choose this, I will let your son go free, two, you give me your son as a slave and you walk free, or three, the funniest one, you try to gamble, if you win your debt is forgiven, if you lose, you give me your son and you still have to pay your debt.”

The woman knew what would happen, Jeremy was an addict, he wasn’t really free to choose and she knew it. She saw the man shuddering and sweaty, but his eyes had that light she saw in so many addicts before.

Noah was surprised by the proposition, surely his father wasn’t as stupid as to accept that? His answer, however came upon looking at his father, his eyes shined with excitement a wide smile crossing his face.

“No! Don’t do it! It’s a trap!” Cried Noah at the obvious deceit but the weak will of his father failed again.

“I-I…I…I will do it…” Said Jeremy with a weak voice avoiding his son’s enraged eyes. The woman laughed.

“Oh I knew it, men like you always fall for it!”

“Can you stop being a useless idiot for once in your fucking life?!” Yelled Noah “You always find a way of fucking ruining everything! I hate you!” The woman laughed again, Jeremy shuddered hurt by Noah’s words but knowing they were true.

“Now don’t be like that my pretty boy, what you said is true but a pretty boy like you shouldn’t use those words, I doubt your mother would like that.” Noah stood silent, yes, his mother wanted him to respect his father despite all his flaws, his memories of her made him even more depressed.

Noah watched in terror as his dad gambled for their future, he knew they had no options, as the woman said, in the private courts of the city defeating a corporate was impossible, she was toying with them since she could take whatever she wanted from them. He tried to bargain with her.

“Please! We can pay the debt, just gives us some time.”

The woman looked at Noah with something that resembled sweetness, as if he was just a naive child.

“My dear boy, you can’t be that innocent on Libertaria, even if you paid your father will get into this problem again and again, don’t you see, he has no self-control, he never had, that’s how he got here in the first place. If I forgave you we would be at this exact spot in mere months.”

Jeremy lowered his eyes, perfectly conscious she was right. A blaze of anger emerged on Noah’s stomach, he was angry at everything, at this abusive woman, at the cruelty of this city, but especially at his father for dragging him to this, for causing his mother’s death, for being a terrible father.

“See Jeremy you’re the cause of all of this, I feel pity for your son, don’t worry, Noah isn’t it? I’m a very responsible master. You could have at least saved Noah and sacrificed yourself, but no you wanted to gamble.” Said the woman smiling “Anyway, choose your preferred game Jeremy, you are losing anyway.” The man gulped nervously and then said.

“Blackjack, I choose blackjack.”

The woman gave an order, and soon a pretty brunette girl with tanned skin arrived with a deck of cards. Noah noticed she had a golden collar, a slave. The girl looked at Noah with a sad face fully understanding his situation. The girl shuffled and proceeded to deal the cards.

After the girl shuffled the game started, first Jeremy got a 7 and the woman got an ace, a sickening feeling tormented Noah. The next cards were dealt Jeremy got a 9 and to the men’s horror the woman got a queen. Both men paled as the realization sunk in.

“Well look at that, seems I win. Security you know what to do.”

One of the security guards walked to a wall containing all manner of collars of different materials, as enslavement was common in the casinos of Libertaria, the guard picked a gold one with a chain, then approached Noah.

“No! Please no!” Cried the boy fearful. A guard covered his mouth to muffle his cries then the guard with the collar opened it and put it on Noah’s neck closing it tightly.

Tears started to fall from the boy’s eyes. Jeremy who finally realized his mistake, tried to plead.

“Please miss Rosethorn, there must be another way, I can play again if needed.” Miss Rosethorn looked at him with contempt and responded.