Untitled..yet

The war came and with it came deaths.

I have seen people die, even my loved ones but I have never felt this lost or angry. So depressed and overwhelmed.

Because the deaths have never been on me unlike this time.

This time the people were dying because I made a decision, decision that proved my selfishness.

They said this would happen, they said it will be painful but I never believed until I saw the war happen.

But then if we come to think of it, I still couldn’t point my finger on the factor behind this destruction, was it really my choice or they needed a reason to vent their anger.

Whatever the reason might be, I now know I have to set it right. No I will not change my decision, it’s not that I can’t but I won’t because as much as this choice was fatal , it’s the first and best one I made for myself.

Because almost all my life I have been a slave, lived and survived on orders of others.

 

Ch-1

There are two kinds of people in this world: Good and Bad. This is completely wrong. There are two kinds of people in this world but the categories are completely different: First kind is the normal people with a mixture of good and bad, some with more good and some with more bad. And then there is the kind of pure evil, one that goes far beyond what the word bad could describe.

So my world is divided into these two categories.

The pattern is clichéd one- Evil rule on normal people and have excruciatingly painful rules.

Rule 1: All the important and nice jobs went to the Evils while all the difficult and laid back work was given to Normals.

Rule 2: So obviously Normals were poor and Evils were rich beyond imagination.

Then there are multiple rules about how much tax they had to pay, how much we get to eat and how much we could live. There are even executions in name of punishments. Entertainment is limited and we are not allowed to dress pretty and frankly we couldn’t afford it.

And then there is this cruel rule, the one I am a victim to. The popular and absolutely terrifying slavery rule.

Whenever a family couldn’t afford to pay monthly taxes and have taken the food without payment for more than two times the family is required to send in a slave who is healthy and more than age of twelve. Obviously so that they could work.

I can’t blame my family for what is happening. How could I? How could I blame my partially tired and partially ill mother, Emilia, who tried to work more than she could manage at the construction sites?

Or my little brother , Aiden, who is just eight and yet never whines about food or anything a child his age should get, who tries saving every single penny and gives it to me. Or my sister, Ester, who is two, no one could blame her with her adorable brown eyes and carefree smile.

Sometimes I envy her. But yes I could blame my father who died leaving us behind in this hell. He was a patrolmen and closest one could get to the locality of Evils. He guarded the gates of the locality and came home early morning. The area was dangerous since lot of people hate Evils and someone try to blow them once in six month. One morning he didn’t returned and we knew he might have been victim of these rebel attacks. That was the first time I had seen my mother cry and she didn’t even cried when Aiden went without food for a whole day and he was just a year old then. I cried then and now. But I never cry in front of anyone, I sob alone because I hate being weak in front of my already depressed family.

“This is for you.” My mother came into my room with a box.

“What is it?” I asked gently even though I had an idea.

She averted her gaze and after a second of silence she said, “Come downstairs, you will be late.”

I opened the box and in there was a beautiful piece of clothing and I felt the terror and disgust rising inside me.

Evils sent it for their new victim: Me.

Since dad’s death our family couldn’t afford even a proper one time meal and we were going deep in debts. Taxes remained unpaid and so the notice came. I was the only capable member of family to be sold. I was sixteen and as healthy as a Normal could be.

Evils wanted their slaves to enter in best possible attire like a rite of passage from the society of lower class to upper class. I don’t want to share this with my mother but I have heard many times what they did to girls my age. We were usually sold to rich men or even royalties among Evils so that they could have some ‘fun’.

There was a vacuum in my gut and my heart was burning, a single comment from someone and I could scream or cry hysterically.

I took a quick bath and put on the blue colored knee length loose knitted sweater made by my mother and caramel colored tights. I looked into the mirror and I was more terrified. People around me said I was beautiful and I had to look my worst now.

But the blue looked good on me. I had to take something made from my mother. So I tied my waist length messy black hair in a pony since my face looked bad with my hair tied. We couldn’t afford any make-up or anything so that was good with me now.

  I was not that sentimental so I packed nothing except a few good books since going empty handed seemed weird.

As I came downstairs it was hauntingly silent. Aiden and Ester sat terrified near the fire place and looked at me with pleading eyes. I tried to give them a smile but it might not have come out right since they looked even sadder.

“What are you wearing Miss Genevieve? We were instructed to bring you in with the allotted clothes.” Two royal guards sent to collect the slave said.

My mother looked at me with disbelief and then after a moment she smiled a little. That smile was close to her approval and I felt defiant now.

“It is enough as it is that I am leaving my family and going in as slave. I am not dressing up in something that stupid.” My retort surprised them.

Maybe no slave has done that before. They kept their mouth shut and took back the box with not stupid but a gorgeous dress.

“Where is Evi going Mom?” Aiden asked suddenly his voice filled with pain and fear.

He knew, maybe.

“She is just going for a party dear.” Replied one of the guards instead.

“A party, like rich people?” Aiden said smiling a bit.

I could not let that smile vanish right before I leave so I nodded a yes, since I had no strength to speak. I looked away to blink my tears away.

“You look pretty!” He said in an encouraging tone to me.

“Thank You Aiden” I replied with chirpiness and went forward to hug him.

I had no idea when I will see my family again.

I didn’t shed a tear and remained as passive as possible till I was far away from my mother who had started to cry, my siblings who looked at me confused as to why mother would cry when the daughter was going for a party.

I looked away from them before they could see the pain and fear on my face.

I climbed in the carriage waiting for me.

As the carriage started to move forward, I realised, I was no longer free now. I will probably never see my family.

I was sold to Evils as their slave. I know my mother felt the guilt, I know we had no other choice and I know I was doing this for my family.

But thinking all this didn’t make it any easier. I could feel the depression and slight anger building in me. I wanted to cry but I couldn’t do that, I wouldn’t do that in front of royal guards.

“Not from the front gates, Philip. We are taking a slave.” One of the guards said to the carriage driver.

“I know, Sir.” He answered too humbly.

“Where are we going?” I asked out of curiosity and most importantly to keep my mind busy so that I might not end up crying.

“To the palace. Slaves are first presented to Prince.” Guard replied stiffly.

The terrified gulp came automatically. My father told me some things about Prince of Evils or as he was called ruthless among our people.

He killed if he didn’t approve of someone and he cleared the dirt before taking them to his father, the King-The Tyrant to our people.

As if I was not terrified enough, a guard added, “Prince is running out of his play things. This might please him.”

This time I had to bite my lip too hard to stop myself from letting out a frustrated and terrified scream.