Steadfast Legacy: A Tale of the American Civil War

Chapter 3: The Woods

"Stand up, girl," said the trader, grabbing Rebecca by the arm and hoisting her to her feet. "I want you at your best when they see you!"

Rebecca stood next to her brother in silence, their mother standing behind them, her hands on their shoulders. They were in some kind of barn or warehouse, standing on one of two platforms along the walls while the sun shone faintly through the spaces between the planks of which the walls were built, but mostly the large structure was dark and dusty inside. She wasn't certain how long it had been since Master Goodman had sold her to this man along with her mother and brother, but she knew that they were about to be sold again, and she was nervous about who their new master would be. All around them, several other men, women, and children also stood, waiting apprehensively as the man walked up and down inspecting them. Every now and again he would tell one of the slaves to stand up straighter or to raise their head or give some other command for improving their posture. If anyone dared to speak a word, he would strike them and tell them to be quiet.

Before long, the double doors of the warehouse opened, causing a flood of light to pour down the middle isle between the two platforms and more brilliantly illuminate the specks of dust floating in the air. Rebecca bit her lip and tried not to react as she felt her mother grip her shoulders tightly when several more men strode in while the trader bid them welcome and invited them to inspect the slaves at their leisure. The men walked casually up and down the aisle, acting like this was the most normal thing imaginable; two of them were discussing a recent card game they had witnessed. They seemed to be in awe over some trick one of the players had pulled involving two aces. There was no emotion, no sympathy, not a hint of remorse as the buyers looked the men, women, and children up and down, nor as they spoke, commanding slaves to show their teeth, demanding that the women unclothe to determine their suitability as breeders, and asking for the prices of young boys and girls in flat, monotone voices after ascertaining their health. Their tones and behavior gave the impression that they were conducting the most mundane exercise fathomable; it was as though they were buying sugar at the general store or cattle at the sale barn. Adult slaves cried and shouted in protest at being separated from their children before being silenced by the trader, but for the men doing the purchasing it was simply a normal day.

Rebecca had to struggle not to look away and close her eyes. Then she heard a man approaching them and looked up to see him.

"Rebecca!"

She was snapped out of her memory and back to the present when Tim called her name.

"I'm sorry," she said as the warehouse disappeared to be replaced by tall trees, the wooden platform became earth, and the buyers' voices transformed into leaves rustling in the air and birds chirping. "What were you saying again?"

"I was saying I think we've lost our direction," he replied. "We'll have to wait until sun down and use the stars to find north."

"North is that direction," said Mary, pointing. "You can tell 'cause of where the sun is at."

"I think Tim's right," said Rebecca. "We should stop and continue at night. Dark'll make it harder to see us." She sat down on a nearby log and pulled out one of her apples. "Been a week," she said. "You think Master Johnson know we left by now?" She took a bite and looked up at the other two.

"I think he knew the morning after we were gone," said Tim. "And by now he probably know we ain't planning to come back."

Still stuck on the memory of the day she and George were sold to Master Johnson, Rebecca tried not to think about the suffering George was probably facing at Master Johnson's hands for failing to stop them. He'd never had a slave escape before, at least not in the years she'd been with him, and she wasn't so sure his self-described "kindness" would remain now that that record was broken - she'd be surprised, in fact, if he wasn't taking it out on the entire plantation's work force.