48

Chapter 2

Previously in Chapter 1: 

 I looked around again and tried to find something to use as a weapon. As I looked, I noticed a pointed rock sticking out of the ground.

I moved towards it and leaned down looking around it to try and find a way to pull it out. Finding no immediate way, I started digging around it. Then I heard a gunshot. I knew I wasn't close to the Plantation so I had no idea who had the gun, I just knew I didn't want to find out. I stood up quickly and started running for the 3rd time in the 6 hours. While running, I ran across a clearing. On the other side of the clearing I could see a cave. I quickly surveyed the open area, then I ran as quickly as I could to the hole in the wall of the mountain. Once entering, I saw blood and started to panic, worried that someone else was in the cave. With a quick glance around, I realized I was alone.

Now in Chapter 2: 

I sighed happily and looked around the cave again. It looked like whoever had been here, hadn't left too long ago. "This couldn't be any of those white peoples. They got too much pride to stay in a cave. 'Nd they always stay on that road of theirs." I said resting against the side of the cave. My stomach growled again, once more reminding me of my hunger. 'I will rest here den go 'nd find some food.' I thought before succumbing to the darkness that had plagued my mind for over an hour. 

When I woke it was dark. When I went to stand, I felt many of my bones crack from falling asleep in a sitting position. I walked outside, trying not to make a lot of noise but failing due to lack of practice. I looked around, once again, looking for something to use as a weapon. I spotted nothing in the immediate area but I didn't want to move out of the area during the night time. I might get lost again, although I didn't know the wood either way. I turned and went back to the cave. I was bored. I, slave 48, was bored. That didn't happen. A slave never got bored. I looked at the sky and saw weird lights in them. But what caught my eye was the big round shape in the sky. It glowed brighter than the other lights and was larger than them too. It stood out so much and cast so much light over the ground. 

I continued to stare at it and before I realized it, I had fallen asleep. And for the first time in my life, it seemed I had found peace by starting at that large object that seemed to float in the sky. The next morning I awoke because light was shining in my eyes. I blinked several times to get the light out of them, only to realize it was from the sun. I groaned and stood, moving out of the cave again. I looked around, this time able to use the sun's light to see. All I saw was a regular clearing. Tress, grass, rocks...nothing special about it. Unless you count the bandages that were hanging off of a tree's branch.

I moved toward the tree which the bandage was in and paled considerably when I saw the blood on one side. The blood had dried already, most likely because of how far in the air it was. It was a good 2 feet above my head. I backed away from the tree and bumped into something, or rather someone. I screamed and tried to run, but whoever it was grabbed my arms and held me still. "Calm down 48." I recognized the voice of Champ Noland. I slowly calmed down and when I was finally still, Champ put me on my feet. I turned to look at him, "How-" I attempted to start a sentence but my throat was so dry from lack of water for two days that I couldn't say much.

"Here." He said pulling a water bottle out and holding it towards me. I grabbed it and nodded my thanks before throwing my head back and chugging a good portion of the water bottle. I pulled the bottle away from my face and looked at Champ again. "How did you get here?" I asked him. "47." He said simply "He helped me nd Nola nd Mama Flore. He says we are gonna go to Canada. A place where colored people and white people are all free." Champ said looking at my face closely. "A place to be free?" I said in a disbelieving voice. "Naw. No place like that can exist. We Niggas. We need a mastuh. A mastuh to feed us nd care for us." Out of the corner of my eye I saw 47 and 84 walk into the clearing. "What you still doing here Champ? Forget something?" 47 asked

"No I forgot nothin'. I heard a noise and saw it was 'nother slave from the Corinthian Plantation." Champ said looking back at 47. "It's 48." Champ looked back at me. 47 walked up beside Champ, "Neither Master nor Nigger, Champ." 47 said calmly while looking at me. I was confused by his words, not knowing what he meant by them. As I stood in front of 47 and Champ, I realized that 47 was in fact bigger than he was when I saw him on the Plantation. He was at least 5'11" to my small body frame of 5'9". Even though I have been around for at least a year longer than 47, he looked to be older than me and a lot stronger than me too. 

"48, we are going to Canada. Do you wish to join us?" 47 asked me, sounding a lot like a white person and someone who was smart compared to the nigga I seen on the Plantation. I shook my head, "I am a nigga. Jus' like you 'nd Champ. We belong back at the Plantation with mastuh." I said looking at him then at Champ. "Ah...No 48. We should not have masters. Colored people and white people are all equals. No one person is more important than another because of the darkness of their skin." Was 47's answer and in that moment he sounded like a free slave. 

I looked at 47 in shock. "Where you hear dat 47?" I asked. "I didn't hear it. I know it because I am free and I am equal to those white people." 47 responded. I shook my head in disbelief. I looked at Champ. "Are you goin' to this Can-na-da?" I asked, trying the word out on my tongue "You gonna follow 'dis nigga, who ain't neva been off the plantation his whole life?" Champ nodded, "I promised to look after 47. Promised Med Albert 'fore he died." Champ said shrugging. I looked at Champ surprised "..." I shook my head no, "I ain't goin' with y'all. But I ain't goin' back to 'dat Plantation." I said, still looking at 47. 47 looked amused, "Oh? You wish to run for your entire life?" He asked with a curious tone. I was thoughtful for a moment, 'Did I? Did I really want to run for my entire life?' I shook my head again for the third time that morning. 

"It's gettin' late 47, you should get goin'. Y'all gonna wan' to get past as much land as possible." I said, looking at them expectantly. Champ looked toward 47 and nodded, putting his hand on 47's shoulder. "The boy is right 47. The sun won't wait for us."  He said looking at me sadly then turning away before walking toward the trees at the other side of the clearing, only glancing back once before he disappeared past the tree line. I looked back at 47 and our eyes connected. "Just remember 48, neither master nor nigger be. You don't have to have a master and remember that even if you forget everything else." He said before turning away and walking in the direction Champ did. 84 glanced at me once, like Champ, before following the other two from the clearing.

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I forgot to mention this in the previous chapter, so I'll do it now. Even though I have the full story written out, it's all on a hard copy of paper. So, I have to type it up again which is why I'm not just uploading all of it at once.

Thanks for reading!