Zhalia

"Let me go!" I screamed, tugging against the iron chains that were wrapped around my wrists, not giving up, but instead, struggling to stand by my family, "What are you doing?" It's not fair! The Slave Trade wasn't fair! It split families and tore people apart. My master was trying to reason with the person that had bought me. Why did it have to be me? Why did my family have to be slaves? Couldn't we just be normal people for once?

"Help me!" I screeched at my parents, not wanting to be taken by some stranger. My mom held me tight, not wanting to let me go. She made a promise to us kids last night and she wasn't going to break it. I hoped that, no matter how much pulling and jerking that the man did, it wouldn't take me from my family's grasp.

"Stop." My dad demanded, for the billionth time wishing he was free. "She is only six." My master was still trying to reason with the other man. I was only six. I couldn't do anything. I've never done much work before. What was I supposed to do anyway?

"Please," my master reasoned, "Zhalia is only six and has not been worked before. She has no idea how to do any labor. Nor have I ever hurt her in any way. Might I suggest to you another slave instead?" The chains on my wrists were tugged. It pulled me forward, but my mom held me fast. The man shot a reply back but my mom covered my ears, not letting me hear it.

"Please," my sister, Kylee, pleaded, stepping forward, placing her eight year old self infront of me. "Do not take Zhalia. Take me instead." The chains were tugged again and it pulled me out of my mother's arms. This was it, I guess. The Slave Trade always won. I knew it. My parents knew it. My siblings knew it. But this time, I wasn't going to let them win. I was my own person and I should be able to make my own choices.

"No!" I cried, yanking my arms back away from the man. I was only six, however. He kept pulling me forward. I continued to fight against the man. My dad held my mom, who was now crying into his shoulders, knowing that the Slave Trade would win and she would loose her daughter. Kylee, my brothers Luke and Zane, and my older sister Skia were begging the man not to take me. Making such a fuss over me. The one time I alowed it, however.

"Please," Skia said, putting her arm in front of me, making the man stop for a minute. "My sister is only six. I am twelve. Take me instead. I have been worked before and I can do more than her. Just, please, do not take Zhalia." The man looked over at the person who bought me, his eyes pleading him not to take me. The other man shouted something over to me and my family, but this time, Skia covered my ears.

"Now," The other man said threw gritted teeth, "I want the little girl and that's final." I felt something I never felt before, fear. Fear that I was going to be taken. Fear that I won't ever see my family again. And that gave me more strength. I wasn't going to let my fears become reality. Never in a million years would I.

Those million years passed rather quickly. The man pulled me up to him using the chain. My master had left his conversation and put a comforting hand on my mother's shoulder. The man held me tightly in his arms. Though, he seemed like he didn't want to do this, but he had too.

"Now, now, dear." He whispered in my ear, sounding soft and soothing, "Be a good girl and come with me." That was the last thing I wanted to do. I wasn't a good girl. That was something everyone knew about me and I tended to keep it that way.

"I am not a good girl." I said threw gritted teeth. I crashed my elbow into his chest. He stumbled back, surprised, but he didn't drop the chain like I had hoped. He pulled me back to the cart and picked me up carefully around the waist. I struggled to break free, but he had a strong grip around me. As he put me in the back of the cart, I saw my dad holding my mom in his arms. Kylee, Zane, Skia, and Luke were screaming at the man. I nearly cried. This couldn't be happening! Not to me! Not to my family!

The man climbed in the back himself as the other man got in the front. My hands were still chained together, but I sat up to try to see them again. Daddy still had Mommy in his arms. She looked like she was ready to collapse to the ground. Master had Skia in his arms and was stroking her hair as my sister cried. Kylee, Zane, and Luke had knelt on the ground in defeat, Zane hugging Kylee while the two of them cried.

The cart started to move and only then did I realize that my necklace, my pretty necklace with the midnight blue gem, had disappeared. I had only gotten it that day! This wasn't fair.

I layed down on the floor of the cart, silently crying. The man who had put me in the car in the first place gave me a small, sad smile and softly rubbed my back. This was the worst day ever.

3rd Person View

During all of this, no one saw a tiny figure clocked in black.

It watched the slave trade up on a hill. It watched the midnight blue haired slave girl struggle against the man. It bit it's bottom lip as It watched the little slave girl be loaded in the cart, struggling to break free. Then, as if all of that didn't matter, she laid down in the cart.

"I promise, Little Girl," the figure said, sadly watching as the two men got in. "I will stop the Slave trade. No matter how long it will take. Just wait. You will be free." The cart left, as did a little of the figure's heart. As it did everytime It watched this happen. He felt it, a small connection to her, a small Slave Girl he had never met before. But why?

The figure turned to run home. It's cloke flew off as it ran. It was a boy, no older than eight. And that boy promise to the Little Girl that he would do everything in his power to stop the Slave trade. But, before he gotten more than twenty feet, he stopped and turned back around, running down to the Slave Trade. Everyone had cleared out, but he was looking around.

There on the ground, was a necklace. He picked it up and slid it in his pocket, feeling closer to the girl. This time, he ran home. But not before looking back.

Hey! This is the edited version for it! I hope you enjoy!

-C.C.