The course of true love never did run Smooth-William Shakespeare

Chapter 1

My legs burned as I picked up speed hearing the baying of the dogs behind me and the yells of white slave masters. I can't go back, not back to the hell that I was subjected to. My back ached dully from the lashes I had received the previous night. I looked back and I saw they were gaining on me. I wasn't paying attention to what was in front of me and I tripped over a long and I crashed down on the floor and I attempted to get up but I was to late by the time I looked up I came faced to face with the barrel of his shot gun. I was caught...again. His blue eyes blazed I know that look. I'm in a lot of trouble. I locked eyes with him my resolve like steel. I couldn't let him know I was scared, no, I wouldn't give him that power. He grabbed my face in his hand and squeeze my face and whispered

"You really thought I'd let you go nigger girl." He sneered. "Get up."

I stood up with my head held high showing him no fear although inside I was trembling.

"Give me your hands." He pulled out a rope grabbing my hands and bowline knotted them. And we began to make the journey back to the plantation. I couldn't make it. I wasn't fast enough. Stupid, stupid girl. You should've waited. My mind the whole trip back kept chastising me. I was so busy arguing internally I didn't realize that we were back at the plantation. I soon recognized that we weren't going to the nigger cabins, no, we were going somewhere much worst. I pulled and dug my feet in the dirt.

"NO!!!" I screamed and cried. I struggled as he tied my wrist around the whipping pole, and he grabbed the bullwhip. Tear fell down my cheeks as he ripped open the back of my dress, he lifted his arm, and I closed my eyes and turned away from his face. He whips me hard drawing, blood cutting open my skin, my blood curdling scream echoed all through the plantation as he continued, he was laughing. He relished in my pain. He enjoyed every second of my screams and sobs. Finally, he gets behind me and whispered

"Beg."

What?

"I want you to beg."

"Never." I spat

He backs up and his face turns beat red his blue eyes stormed.

"When I say beg, YOU. BEG." His assault continued a few more licks before he stopped.

Finally, I can breathe.

"That'll teach you nigger."

Rani- my name is Rani I wanted to shout, but I was exhausted and bleeding bad and my throat was hoarse from screaming.

"Oh Rani what did you do to make him so angry." I heard a familiar voice say a painful smile etched my face.

"I...ran... Varya." She gets in my face and while untying my wrist.

"Without me." She huffed angrily. I chuckled softly wincing because of my injuries. "Alright Rani lets get you in the house and clean up them wounds." I nodded and she half carries me to the cabin and lays me on my stomach and uses water to clean my wounds.

"Some of them are deep Rani I have to stitch them." I nod. She gets a needle and thread and begins to sew as I scream into my blanket.

Up North in Pennsylvania

"Thomas where are you off to in such a hurry." I said chuckling as the 8-year-old attempted to squirm out of my grasp. He laughs

"Uncle Danny put me down." He chortles. "I'm going to play with Ella, Henry, and Charlotte."

"Okay be back before sunset." I hear my sister Clara say as I put him on the ground.

"Alright bye mom bye uncle Danny." And he rushes out the door.

"He's just like his father." She sighs sadly. Thomas' father Joseph died of Typhoid Fever when he was 4, they soon came to live with me.

"I know Clara I know."

"I have to get to work." I walk out the door. The blaring summer heat beating on my neck as I squinted and went on my way to the factory. Walking down to the road my hair was starting to stick on my face I had to push my blond hair out of my way so I can see only to be smacked in a face with a pamphlet Anti-slavery meeting it had in bold black letters. Slavery...a hot topic nowadays. Frankly it was disgusting how they treated the negro population. But I haven't really heard to much about how bad they were treated maybe I should go. Hmm. I put the pamphlet in my breast pocket and walked into the doors of the factory.

"Ahh finally you're here Danny Boy." James came from around the corner put me in a head lock and ruffled my hair.

"Yeah so it seems James though I won't be able to get any work done without my head so if you could let me go it'll be much appreciated." He laughed and released me.

"Aww come on Danny. You know its all-out brotherly love." Now hearing it from was ironic. See James was a free slave one of the few that made it up here and he and I became friends when I asked him about the scar on his face. He told me all about his ordeal. I was one of the only people that approached him. He came here about 8 years ago. My thoughts float back to that pamphlet in my pocket. Maybe I should talk to him about it-the whistle blew annoyingly signal the workday has started, I roll my eyes and sigh it'll have to wait until our lunch break.

END OF CHAPTER