Hopeless reality

"Help, help, help!" I'm running, I'm screaming, I'm dying. "Don't whip me, please don't..." As I fall, I know it's over.

"Why did I run? How foolish am I?" Before I can finish thinking, I hear a familiar but painful cracking sound.

I have an idea! I see a long shiny pipe, the kind that they use underground for storm drains. In the moment, I jump in and roll feverishly. The road is a slope, so I roll and roll and roll. I fall out and I collapse into a heap, like a pile of wet laundry. I hear the crackling sound again: now I'm in for it. As the thick rope grazes my skin... I faint.

Next thing I know, I wake up three days later, in a shed that reeks of a foul odor full of blood and death. As I examine it more carefully I realise that I'm in what I think is a bike shed. Then I see a familiar gold sparkle coming from the side. As much as my brain says 'no', my feet still pull me towards it.

There in front of me is Molly Zelectra, my old Kenyan friend. What is she doing here as dead as a rat in a trap? With further examination the truth dawns on me, as I see a big slit on her neck. The slit oozes with blood and her eyes are white and lifeless, her ribs sticking out more than ever and her fingers are cut and bruised. There is only one thing that could have caused that slit... The thick grimey whip has injured and killed many a disobedient slave.

After this, there was only one word that flashed in my mind: RUN, RUN, RUN! I run to the slave quarters and get my few belongings and I run. I do not know where I am running, all that matters is that I run. I sprint. Then, I stop. I am lost. I am scared. But now that I have started, I am unstoppable

After major self-talk I decide to camp the night out here in the thick trees. The trees are thick like a blanket over the night. Overnight, I toss and turn in this thick shrub. The thorn bush feels like heaven compared to my brick bed at the slave house.

As I dream, my body pulls me towards the dock and a familiar smell of fish and moss fills my nose. I wake up with a startle. Where am I? I am in a metal box. Is this a horrible dream or is this a real, thick, metal wall? I blank out... all I remember is a haunting bang, bang, bang sound.

When I wake up in a another time, and place, I find myself in the back of large, imposing truck and all I hear is yiber yaber, but I quickly realise that it is Meloa, my slave manager. As I stumble to the door, I look out of the window and I scream. As I desperately try to stay up, my leg pulls me down. Before I fall, I see a sign that says 'Horard Crescent'. Where am I? I rise again and a see another sign, 'Welcome to London "I'm in the UK," I say to myself in surprise.

Then I hear a clanking jingle. The next thing I know, it's FREEDOM! I'm pulled out of the truck. I can hear sirens, "Am I arrested?" the voice in my head screams. No?... Just safe.

That night I wake up in a thick bed. I feel the pain spiral through me, but I'm ok because as I search my mind and all I see is happiness.

------

Two years later as I cycle towards the bank, I feel like the luckiest person ever. When I get to work, I lock my bike up and skip into the bank. A beautiful sight faces me. My lovely half-sister is sitting there, her long brown hair and pale complexion staring into my eyes. Her happy smile fades into an angry scowl however. "You idiot!" she says. I am confused. All I could say is, "why?"

Mildred pauses, waiting for my crime to dawn on me. Eventually she continues, "you forgot cousin Dorothy's birthday!" I gasp, smile and let out a chuckle. This is my new reality. If my forgetful memory is my only crime and nasty words from a relative my only punishment, I think that I am in heaven. It is only when you have seen the dark that one can truly see the light.