Freedom Time
A young shoyru washed his hands in a servant's sink and dried them quickly but as he caught a glimpse of himself in the broken mirror, his eyes became affixed. He could see the scars of time, and of life that had been bestowed upon him. He could see the memories of what he used to know before he was enslaved.
"Leon! Where are you - you dumb shoyru!!", a voice yelled from the corridor of which he came. He broke his ominous stare into the mirror with a jerk and immediately stepped out into the long servant hallway.
"LEON! You are wasting time! Guests are waiting!" The shoyru quickly shuffled down the hallway, looking at the brick floor in silence.
"Leon - Get the food and get in here NOW!" the servant master yelled impatiently as grabbed the neopets by the arm.
"Yes, master" he replied, still in his submissive servant pose - not letting his master see his eyes. Before the man could speak another word, the shoyru was off to the kitchen, which was further down the servant corridor.
Everyday his hope of leaving this forsaken place grew less and less. He wanted out, just like the two brave neopets who escaped only months before. Now things were different. Security was tighter, rules stricter, and punishments more severe for neopets that dared to try to escape this plantation. He had been fortunate though. The scars on his heart were greater than the thrashes on his back and the calluses on his paws. Some neopets had died working in the fields to the relentless overseers. They would be whipped until they could work no more, for simple infractions as stumbling on the ground. Leon tried to suppress all of these thoughts so that he could keep track of his task on hand. Letting his mind wonder could get him beaten, or even killed in this place.
"Leon, food is up....Leon is something wrong?" A young lupe saw the look on his bewildered friend's face, and tried to comfort him.
"No...nothing..." he replied shallowly. He sighed, lifted his tray, and continued off to the dinner room where his master's guests were waiting. He resumed his 'servant's pose' as it had been named and walked into the large room. It was filled with laughter of the humans.
"Its about time Leon! Now set your tray down and go away! I swear...." the angry master's voice trailed off into laughter with his company. Leon quietly set down his tray and left the room. Once again the thoughts of escaping, and the stories of the heroic ones came to his mind as he returned to his servant quarters.
Everyone had heard the rumors and stories of how some neopets had been saved through the underground railroad. He had even heard of locations where one could go for protection. All he longed for in his soul was freedom but everyday the chance seemed farther and farther away. Leon continued into his small room and shut the door quietly. The cold wind swept under the door as he stood motionless still staring at the ground. He lifted his eyes and looked out his small window - in which he could see lights. Curiously he shuffled to the window as more and more lights began to arise in the woods. They were small, and barely visible, but they were there. He opened his window and smelled the sulfur tinted air as the wind rustled his face. Thoughts raced through his mind of what this could be. Could they be getting liberated!?
Quickly but quietly, the shoyru dashed out of his small room, only grabbing a small nap sack. He went door to door, whispering "freedom time". Everyone knew that code word meant that liberation was near. After alerting his corridor of slaves he crept to the edge of the main house and looked out over the now racing wind. His heart was pounding as he now saw lights becoming closer and closer. Could this be freedom time?
A young shoyru washed his hands in a servant's sink and dried them quickly but as he caught a glimpse of himself in the broken mirror, his eyes became affixed. He could see the scars of time, and of life that had been bestowed upon him. He could see the memories of what he used to know before he was enslaved.
"Leon! Where are you - you dumb shoyru!!", a voice yelled from the corridor of which he came. He broke his ominous stare into the mirror with a jerk and immediately stepped out into the long servant hallway.
"LEON! You are wasting time! Guests are waiting!" The shoyru quickly shuffled down the hallway, looking at the brick floor in silence.
"Leon - Get the food and get in here NOW!" the servant master yelled impatiently as grabbed the neopets by the arm.
"Yes, master" he replied, still in his submissive servant pose - not letting his master see his eyes. Before the man could speak another word, the shoyru was off to the kitchen, which was further down the servant corridor.
Everyday his hope of leaving this forsaken place grew less and less. He wanted out, just like the two brave neopets who escaped only months before. Now things were different. Security was tighter, rules stricter, and punishments more severe for neopets that dared to try to escape this plantation. He had been fortunate though. The scars on his heart were greater than the thrashes on his back and the calluses on his paws. Some neopets had died working in the fields to the relentless overseers. They would be whipped until they could work no more, for simple infractions as stumbling on the ground. Leon tried to suppress all of these thoughts so that he could keep track of his task on hand. Letting his mind wonder could get him beaten, or even killed in this place.
"Leon, food is up....Leon is something wrong?" A young lupe saw the look on his bewildered friend's face, and tried to comfort him.
"No...nothing..." he replied shallowly. He sighed, lifted his tray, and continued off to the dinner room where his master's guests were waiting. He resumed his 'servant's pose' as it had been named and walked into the large room. It was filled with laughter of the humans.
"Its about time Leon! Now set your tray down and go away! I swear...." the angry master's voice trailed off into laughter with his company. Leon quietly set down his tray and left the room. Once again the thoughts of escaping, and the stories of the heroic ones came to his mind as he returned to his servant quarters.
Everyone had heard the rumors and stories of how some neopets had been saved through the underground railroad. He had even heard of locations where one could go for protection. All he longed for in his soul was freedom but everyday the chance seemed farther and farther away. Leon continued into his small room and shut the door quietly. The cold wind swept under the door as he stood motionless still staring at the ground. He lifted his eyes and looked out his small window - in which he could see lights. Curiously he shuffled to the window as more and more lights began to arise in the woods. They were small, and barely visible, but they were there. He opened his window and smelled the sulfur tinted air as the wind rustled his face. Thoughts raced through his mind of what this could be. Could they be getting liberated!?
Quickly but quietly, the shoyru dashed out of his small room, only grabbing a small nap sack. He went door to door, whispering "freedom time". Everyone knew that code word meant that liberation was near. After alerting his corridor of slaves he crept to the edge of the main house and looked out over the now racing wind. His heart was pounding as he now saw lights becoming closer and closer. Could this be freedom time?