The woman stood by the counter, talking to the older lady at the cash register while her children ran around the store, curiously peering into glass tanks or sticking their fingers through bars, by the looks of it this was a repeating occurance, as most of the captives in their cell like cages didn't even flinch as they were stared at like animals in a zoo, they all seemed calm if not quite stressed or irritated. However, those in the same tank as me felt the same way I did. We were terrified, trembling, if someone were to kick off with me now there'd be little I could do but sit and pray that this was all some messed up nightmare.

To my horror, the old woman gestured over to us as she spoke to her customer, who looked toward our enclosure and approached, her children close behind. I, and a couple of others were quick to retreat to the far corner and watch the glass as the three, giant faces filled our window to the open world, staring at us, I for one felt intimidated, frightened, something I haven't felt for a long time, if ever.

She was talking to her children who were pointing and tapping the glass, the man from earlier soon joined them and reached into the tank, we dispersed as fast as we could, I practically dove out of the corner and shot to the other side, the massive hand followed for a moment before snatching up a young man who kicked and screamed as he was lifted out of the box and presented to the family, he tried to run up the shop attendant's arm, but when he was caught and dumped back into the massive palm he could only cower, staring fearfully at the towering people around him, the man stroked his back idily with his thumb while talking to the woman as the two children prodded and stroked their victim, it looked like they were trying to be gentle, but by the young mans reaction they weren't doing it very well.

I barely looked away for a second, almost embarassed for the young man who trembled weakly in the hand's of these giants, but my attention was quickly snapped back to the scene before us as I heared his cries. My eyes widened, one of the children had hold of him, the daughter who looked like the younger of the two, he was trying not to scream through grit teeth as she squeezed his body, "H-help me..." he groaned, struggling vainly. "Please, God help me"

"It's alright" the shop attendant informed the girl, oblivious to the young man's pleading. He couldn't understand us after all. I don't know why, or how. We could understand eachother, and we could understand them but these giants didn't have a clue what we were saying. He was holding his hand underneath the girls and crouching down infront of her, "Just loosen your hand a little..." he said, cupping her hand's for her, the young man, who also happened to be a one hit murderer, fell pitifully back into the girl's palm, panting painfully as air rushed back into his lungs, the girl was thrilled, rubbing her fingertip up and down his back, by the looks of it almost breaking him in the process.

The others had retreated from the glass, no longer able to whitness the young man's tourment. I, however remained where I was. Watching. Altough I was horrified, I couldn't step away, I couldn't avert my eyes. I'm an assassin, a cold blooded killer, and right now all I want to do is run out there and save the pitiful young man from the girl's hands. I felt bad for him, and at the same time, angry, and shocked that anyone could put us through such torture, selling us as pets. At this rate, I'd rather be on death row. I don't know how long I'd been watching, a few minutes perhaps. Finally, the girl handed him back over to the man who carried the tired, frightened murderer away. He wasn't put back in the cage with the rest of us, he was dropped uncerimoniously into a cardboard box with tiny holes cut in it, and handed to the woman. I can't believe what I'm seeing. Before I could come to terms with the fact that that'd soon be us, I felt my fingertips touch my forehead and each shoulder. God bless to that young man, I wondered how long he'd last.

Time dragged on. Some of us sat in our prison, others paced the walls, a couple were still trying to plan an escape. I sat in the corner with my hood up and my eyes closed, trying to erase the image of that poor young man's torture. I couldn't get his screaming out of my head, I don't know how I can sympathise for him yet easily end a man who pleads for mercy. Minutes, hours, how long have we been sat here? I don't know, but in the neverending time no one's said a word. We've flinched and shifted as people peered in through the glass, but as of yet no one else has been taken away.

My eyes snapped open and I looked to the glass, only to cringe as a fierce light shone into my pale blue eyes, only to be blocked by a massive shadow. My vision sharpened again, and my eyes widened at the sight I beheld. Another woman and her daughter staring at me, giving the glass a gentle tap, I looked around, everyone else had long since moved to the back of the cage, none of them had bothered to wake me, to take me with them as they cowered away, leaving me sat in the middle of the cage on my own, staring at the giant faces. I didn't even see the hand descending from above me until it was too late, the massive fingers curled underneath me and scooped me out of the tank, only to put another hand on top of me, surrounding me in darkness. By the time I was exposed to the light again I was crouched on something plastic, I looked around, the three giants were stood around me, and I was stood on...

a wheel?

"No way" I muttered, spotting the cage I'd been taken out of on the other side of the shop, I quickly tried to scramble off the apparatus and tried to make a break for the edge of the table, only to be snatched up again and pushed back onto it, the massive hand gave my stomach a prod, almost knocking the air right out of me, I stumbled back a little, causing the wheel to rock, and me to fall back with a grunt, by the time I got to my feet again the older shop attending woman gently started to manipulate the wheel, spinning it forward so the ground beneath me moved back, I was forced to take one step, then another before she started to spin the wheel completely, I had no choice but to run, it was either that or fall and get spun around with it. Both the woman and daughter seemed thrilled, the opposite of how I felt as I ran for all I could. With a sudden jolt the wheel was stopped and I was thrown back again before being scooped off it by a warm hand, I looked up to see the mother's face, she ran her finger gently down my back as she presented me to her daughter, who reached out to touch me too. My eyes narrowed, if they're going to treat me like an animal

I'm going to act like one.

I drew back a little before lunging forward's and biting the girl's finger, altough it was little more than a nip to someone of their size it still made her squeak and jump back, and then she laughed. Not the reaction I was hoping for. Eyes widened as she extended her hand again, and I was dumped into it, altough I was still blatantly terrified, I must admit I did feel a little safer in adult hands, but I felt far less than secure with this child, especially as she manipilated me, pushing me back into her palm as I tried to scramble away, hooking her finger under my arms and forcing me to stand up atough I felt much steadier crouching, my legs shook as I stood on the unsteady surface before she moved her finger and I dropped to my hands and knees again. After being handled, stroked and admired to exhaustion I was dropped back into the cage with the others, only to collapse onto the floor, still trembling weakly. Most of the others stayed away, but two helped me to my feet, or - hauled me to my feet, "Are you Ok?" one asked,
"Yeah..." I breathed, "I'm fine..." a little shaken, but I'll keep that to myself, not that they hadn't figured it out already.

I watched the woman and her daughter leave the shop, the young girl waved before heading out with her mother. Suddenly my vision was filled with the younger woman, the blonde shop attendant who smiled at me, the two supporting me ran to the far corner, almost knocking me over again, I stared at the girl.

"I told you, didn't I?" she giggled. Told me? What does she mean? I asked myself, not expecting the answer I recieved. "That you'd find a home pretty quickly" she smiled, "I didn't think it'd be that quickly, tho. Especially after how you acted" she added, she reached into the cage and gently ran her finger down my back, I was too afraid to move for a moment but as she went to do it again I shot off to the others. The woman laughed, put the lid back on the tank and walked off, the others stared at me, awaiting my reaction.

I didn't have one. All I could do was slide down the wall and sit there, staring at nothing.

"I have a really bad feeling about this..."