So I had a sudden burst of inspiration. I wrote this in about an hour. Any tips to improve it are welcome. Please enjoy.
It was strange.
One minute I was going to sleep, wishing to wake up anywhere but there. The next I'm staring at a clear sky.
It was beautiful.
Then I was swarmed by men and taken inside a large yellow, metal contraption. Is this a submarine? I wonder, remembering a brief description.
I spent my day in a cell.
It was hours later when a man stopped by. He was wearing a fluffy hat with spots and his hands had tattoos. It was all I could discern under the poor lighting before my concentration was stolen by a plate of toast and apple slices.
I devoured what I could before abandoning it half full. To stuffed to eat more.
"What's your name?" He asked. I couldn't answer. I tried to get that across. I gestured to my throat and made vague no gestures.
"You want something to drink?" Apparently he'd never come across a mute before.
I shook my head and repeated the process, this time trying to speak which lead to me making the pitiful breathy sighs that I hated.
"You can't speak?" He asked, sounding surprised.
I nodded furiously.
He hummed lightly before nodding and walking away.
It was another day before he came back with another plate. Switching it out with the one I had emptied after hours of nibbling away.
When I had once again stuffed myself, happy to see I had finished a few more slices of apple, I turned to him.
"Here." He offered, holding out a pad of paper and a marker. "What's your name?" He repeated the first question from yesterday.
"Abigail." I wrote messily. I had only been taught to write so that I could reply to the notes my superiors left me.
"How old are you?"
This one was harder. I never celebrated birthdays, but if I counted the number of birthdays the master had since I was born that meant I was. "18." The numbers turned out sloppier then letters.
"Where are you from?"
Luckily I knew this one, I had heard it many times from the master.
"Japan." Came the messy scrawl.
He hummed again and left.
For two weeks after that I got food from someone else. A bear if what I remember is correct. I didn't know they could walk like that.
He never spoke though. He simply replaced the plates. After a few days I started getting two. A week after that I got three.
At the end of that time I was visited by the man again, only this time he didn't talk.
He unlocked the door and picked me up. Guiding me over to the door.
We walked through the halls in quiet, not coming across anyone and eventually came to a stop.
When I saw it was a bedroom I became worried. I had heard about master bringing girls to his bed, and they didn't a come back the same. Some weren't effected, some became religious in their care for the man and others suddenly couldn't operate. Those ones were forced from the house. I didn't want to change.
He didn't do anything strange though. Simply handed me a towel, folded up clothes, and pointed me towards the bathroom.
I didn't dawdle, the master had hated us using time on ourselves, so I rushed. I cleaned my hair and gave a quick scrub to my skin before wiping myself down with the towel and stepping into the clothes.
They were a little baggy, a loose black shirt and shorts of some sort.
When I came out he wasn't there, so I stood by the bed to wait. After a while I became tired so I sat on the bed.
When I opened my eyes it was to a muscular chest.
I lifted my head to see the man asleep.
I nimbly released myself from the arms and stood next to the bed.
I felt embarrassed.
Not only had I fallen asleep instead of waiting for him, I had fallen asleep on his bed and forced him to sleep with me there.
"Abigail?" I look down to see him waking up. "What are you doing?"
When I couldn't find a reason for the question I leaned my head to the side to show confusion.
"I mean, why are you standing there and not lying down here. That was the most relaxing sleeps I've ever had."
Now that I understood what he was getting at I stepped back to reach for my pad and scribbled on it. "It's wrong to sleep on the job, or sleep next to the boss."
He looked confused at that.
"Abigail, who are you?"
It took me a minute to work out what he was asking.
"Abigail, scullery maid." I admitted, I was ashamed of being the lowest class.
"How long have you been a scullery maid."
I thought it over, if I was was eighteen, take off the years I was a kid, and not a real employee. "14 years."
"And what was your homeland called again?"
"Japan." Was the simple answer, I didn't have any other details then that.
Then I became curious. I flipped back to where my name was written and pointed at it then pointed him.
"I'm Trafalgar D. Law." Was his response. I smiled happily.
When I saw her smile I wanted to smile with her.
At first she had been a threat.
Now she seemed more a small confused girl who didn't know anything but serving.
I had asked around but I couldn't find anywhere called Japan. Then again there's a good chance she doesn't know any better.
I had been surprised when I had returned to find her asleep. It was getting late though and I didn't want to bother her, so I just crawled in on the other side.
I hadn't woken up once, which made it sad when I woke up to find her standing next to the bed.
Then I found out she thinks I'm her new master or what not and I'm partially mortified, because I don't like the idea of slaves, or anything of the sort. Then I'm partially relieved because this girl will follow any orders I give her without making it hard for me to keep her safe.
Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to keep her.
From then on I stayed in his room. I wasn't asked, but I made sure to clean it every time he left.
I curled up next to him at night, because it made him sleep better.
And I continued wearing his clothes until the day that Hancock came on board.
She was the kind of woman the master used to keep around. Only they had a compliant air around them. Lady Hancock seemed to stand up for herself.
It was the first time I had met someone since being moved to the bedroom and I was a little excited. I would serve master Laws friends as I would him.
It was confusing then when she handed me a bag full of clothes and other woman things.
"Poor girl. Must be suffering in this room all the time. The brute better not be making you do anything you don't want to." The visit gave me a headache from confusion.
She had treated me like an equal. Sometimes it seemed like Master Law was doing the same thing, but then it would seem he was lost in his thoughts, so I would brush it off.
It stayed that way for several months, only now I had female clothes to wear and products to use.
Half a year later Master Law came back to his room a little tipsy like Master had always been before he would start getting violent.
I was worried at first, but the only thing that happened was when he had touch his lips to mine. I was confused, but if master wanted then I would allow it.
It still meant a letter to Lady Hancock asking for her to clear the air.
This meant another visit.
After she had explained thoroughly about love I had understood.
He had done it because he loved me?
I let it settle at that and went back to my usual schedule.
A month later he kissed me again.
As time went on they became more frequent. Usually it was while we talked as we fall asleep.
I've never been in love before.
Is this what it feels like? It was definitely different from what I had felt about master.
Then, one day he came back covered in blood and exhausted.
So I helped him clean it off and change and sat with him as he dealt with whatever was going on.
Then I met the fourth person since coming here.
Law walked me through the hall to the infirmary.
His name is Luffy and I learned it was his blood I had helped Law clean off.
I listened to them talk for a bit before Law pulled me to the side.
"Do you think you can help him?" He asked me, and I don't have to stop and wonder, because I know exactly what he's asking.
I spent over a year reading and writing with law, he taught me of life outside, and I learned.
I nod sadly. This boy was in pain.
I sat in front of him on a stool, waiting for him to react.
"Who are you?" Was the obvious question. I flip to the first few pages of my pad, law had filled the common answers out on the first few so I wouldn't need to keep repeating them.
"Abigail."
I wait as he takes it in and turns away thinking.
"Do you know what it's like to suffer."
I flip easily to the yes answer.
"I'm suffering." I tells me.
I flip to the question mark.
"My brother died. I couldn't do anything but watch as he died to save me." He admitted, burying his head in his hands.
I write down a quick response.
"I don't know how to help, I've never lost anyone I've been particularly close to, but if there's anything I can do I want to do it."
I wait for him to read it before sitting next to him and carefully maneuvering him into my lap where I can comfort him at. He cries into my shoulder for hours. Eventually Law comes back and sits next to us in silent support.
Once he's dried of tears we coax him into food and spend our time with him, telling stories.
For a week we relocate into that room and treat Luffy like a distraught younger brother.
When Lady Hancock arrives to guide Luffy onwards it's a sad parting but he promises to visit me.
It's that night as we're going to sleep and I'm watching Law's face that I realize. Yes, this is love.
In answer to the guest review I'll explain why I ended it here. This story was about a girl who was raised all her life to be a servent/slave. She had never left the household, and was mute. Since she only ever communicated she for simple orders she wasn't very literate or well 'spoken'. I started it off with her making a wish, and having it granted. I tried to show how her treatment at the beginning wasn't strange for her, and him him not ordering her around a lot was. A tried to show his understanding that a normal life would never really work for her but that was okay since it would help him protect her if she wasn't trying to protect herself and going against his orders. I showed her easing into a normal life and learning to read and write. Showed her gaining friends and getting better then she had basically. I decided to end it where she realized she loved him for all she understood the word (which did have a pink tint to it thanks to Boa but oh well) because that was what made her truelly happy.
