The Slave and Her Apprentice

Waking Up to Darkness

I woke up to darkness, the kind that makes you wonder whether or not your eyes are really open or if you’re still looking at the back of your eyelids. I sat up slowly, waiting for my eyes to adjust. I moved my hand, trying to stand up when it hit another hand. I jumped and turned. My eyes adjusted enough to make out a human figure lying next to me. I began to frantically look around and I saw more and more people. I looked up and saw the faint outline of bars above me and the same thing on either side. I curled my legs into a fetal position and stayed that way until the first lights of dawn cracked through the impenetrable darkness.

I was in a cage.

We were chained and herded out of the cage. We were marched to what looked like a town square. The walk both intrigued and scared me. Not once did I see or hear a car and the people dressed as if they walked out of a history book. In the middle of the square there was a stage of sorts and people were filing around it. I strained my neck to get a better view of my surroundings.  Everything was surreal. There were horse drawn carriages all over the place, the streets were cobblestone and there were flyers posted everywhere. Everything finally clicked when I saw a flyer saying:

NEGROS for Sale!

Auction Held at Town Square

September 8th in the Year of Our Lord, 1808

Oh freaking crap. I was in 1808 about to get sold in a slave auction. I began to struggle against my chains until one of the men marching us to our dooms threatened to hit me with a club. We were lined up beside the stage and the person in front of me was unchained and led up the stairs. The announcer began the bidding process and soon after the poor soul was sold for $200. They did the same to me. I felt like nothing more than prized meat in the eyes of spectators hungry for flesh. Prices were flying everywhere, $150, $200, $250. I began to feel sick to my stomach. Right when I thought I was going to faint a young voice cried out,

“$750!”

I looked up and saw a young man sitting in a carriage with his hand raised and a smug look on his face. The crowd went silent. After a while the announcer said,

“750 goin’ once, 750 goin’ twice, sold to the gentleman in the back!”

I was shoved off the stage and roughly lead to the man’s carriage. Upon closer look, I saw that he couldn’t be older than 18, probably younger.

“What’s your name, girl?”

His voice was thick with an accent I couldn’t place. It took me a minute to answer. I didn’t want to give him my actual name, but I couldn’t think of any other. I desperately looked around for inspiration when I saw a willow tree off in the distance.

“Willow, my name is Willow.”

“Well, Willow, I need you to get in, it’s a long ride.”