The only freedom from the chains of slavery
Is death
She wasn't sure how long she had been running, all she know was that her feet ached, her back felt sore and her lungs felt heavy and tight, begging and rasping for air. She could feel herself slowly beginning to slow down, her feet slowing down, feeling like jelly as they ached painfully.
She wheezed for air and fell down onto her knees, her hands digging down into the…sand?
She raised her head weakly, her tight curly reddish-brown hair starting to stick to her sweat-covered and grime face. She observed her surroundings in heavy breaths, noticing that she was at a beach. She slowly looked behind her, then around her, hearing no sounds of the bloodhounds, the sounds of excited shouts of the white men or the heavy pounding of the horses hooves.
She outran them.
She didn't think she could run that fast, even outrun a bloodhound. But she did it.
Relief washed over her, her body trembling all over in sheer happiness, though weak, she felt elated. But no sooner had the relief came, it was pushed aside as the feeling of nausea overcame her, and she was soon throwing up the slop her Master had given her and the rest of the slaves the night before; all of tht running created an imbalance within her, and made her throw everything back up.
She groaned, feeling her throat burn as the acidic slop came from her lips. After throwing up, she dry-heaved before coughing violently.
Despite the emptiness now in her belly and the burn in her throat, she caught herself smiling. She was free now. But all she had to do before running for the North was rest her body a bit, hide low in the tall grass so the bloodhounds or the white men won't catch her.
For if she was caught, the consequences would be dire. She had ran before when she was about the age of fifteen…she believed, she never was really sure of her age, because her Master never told her of it. But at that age, she had made a run for it, but she never made it too far, maybe about 5 miles away from the plantation before she was caught and brought back before Master Didier.
Master Didier never did like to hit her, rare occasions he would. He would beat her till she was black and blue till she was pleading for him to stop. But this time, he didn't beat her, like she had thought she did. But he had did something worse to her, he raped her, took her both ways without care and then he left her there in her bedroom; bloodied and beaten.
But the worse thing about being raped, was being raped by your own father.
Yes, her Master was her daddy. But many other slave girls and boys fathers were sometimes their fathers. Despite having a supposed disgust and violent reaction to their dark skin, white men sometimes seemed to fancy Negro flesh.
How could you hate and disrespect something you enjoyed having sex with?
The whole thing confused her, being a slave confused her, and knowing that her father was her Master and at one point in time had raped her mother, causing in the conception of her confused and sickened her even more.
She could feel another bile rise in her throat but she swallowed, pushing the horrible memories to the side. It was all over now, she would never be seeing that monster or that damn plantation again. And with that enlightening thought, she stood up slowly, wiping the slight vomit at the corners of her mouth before looking out at the ocean, closing her bright blue eyes surveyed the ocean with slight envy.
The ocean, was unbound and wild, not condemned by the shackles of the white men. And yet, it evokes a feeling of calmness aside from her envy. She could smell the ocean air, she could hear the white birds flying above the water, as if they were a silent guardian over the majestic water.
A soft sigh soon escaped her lips when she felt the sea foam of the ocean tickle and play at the dirty toes, washing away the filth.
A rush of euphoria went through her.
Oh how cold the water felt, and yet it filled her belly up with something akin to happiness, it made her more full than the slop Master Didier fed them.
"Is this what freedom feels like…?" she asked out loud to no one in particular. No one didn't answer but the ocean did, the water pushed forward more and soon covered up more of her feet, causing them to sink a bit into the sand.
She wanted more of that sweet freedom. So she began to strip herself of the tight uncomfortable clothing, and for the first time, she stood naked out in the cool air. She wasn't naked underneath Master Didier, or naked bathing in front of him where he could do things to her with his eyes. She was at the mercy of the sun, and the warm Southern breeze.
The waves crashed at her ankles now, beckoning her and calling out to her.
A smile broke out onto her face. How strange! How odd! Here she stood underneath the Southern sun, the heat beating down onto her back, onto the fresh whippings on her back and yet she didn't mind it at all. She felt like a newborn babe, opening its eyes to an unfamiliar and innocent world.
The foamy wavelets curled around her brown toes, and then curled like serpents at her ankles.
Come to me my child of Earth….the Ocean called out to her. And she did just that.
She walked out into the water, it was cold, but she continued to walk on and on until her neck down was engulfed in the water. It was deep, but she lifted up her brown-sun kissed skin, ignoring the stinging sensation of the salt water in her wounds. She reached out, in long and swift strokes. She kept her eyes open, wanting to see everything.
The ocean water was surprisingly blue and clear. She could see all of the little fish at the bottom, and she could have sworn they waved their little fins at her.
She went on and on, and turned around once she heard the sounds of barking and screaming. There up on the beach shore was Master Didier, her rapist, her master and her father. She couldn't make out his facial expression but she could hear the anger in his words that her practically bellowed out in French.
"Vous la non bonne chienne nègre! Rentrer ici avant que je sors là et vous tue!" he shouted, stamping his feet. (Translation: You no good negro bitch! Get back here before I come out there and kill ya!
A soft smile came upon her lips. She heard what he had said to her, living with her Master since birth, she knew exactly how to speak fluent French. As a wave crashed down on her, she closed her eyes and let it sweep her under before she swam back up and shouted back to him, "Au revoir engendrer! Je suis libre!" (Translation: Goodbye father! I am free!)
She saw him falter a bit, confusion coming onto her face. She let out a ripe laugh before she was swept under the ways again. She swam back up, and then turned around, going back to her swimming.
She swam farther and farther out until Master Didier's shouts were nothing but white noise to her ears. Her arms and legs were soon growing tired.
She thought of her mother, she faintly remembered her. But she remembered her mother's dark brown eyes that reminded her of rich mud and her honey dripping voice. She remembered a song her mother song to her.
Beautiful is your name
Wonderful is what you are to me
It's you I see in my dreams
Everyday and I pray for you
Queen of my life
You're so beautiful mama.
You're beautiful
Exhaustion was starting to overpower her. Her eyes began to burn from the salt water. But she kept pressing on.
Emi n wa mama kan
Ta lori yeye yen
Mama mi o roju ri
And that's why I'm lovng you
Nitori omo o jiya
Ni le oko
Mama mi ko roju ri
And that's why am loving you
Her mother was a strong part of her life. Her mother taught her about her rich heritage, of the Igbo people, before they came to this new land filled with chains, pain and sweaty white men who liked to lay between a slave girl's legs. Her mother was her life and soul.
La la la la
la la la o o
You are beautiful
You are beautiful
Ebami kira fun mama mi
Orisha bi iya o
Ko si laiye
Woman there is
No one like you
Nitori omo o jiya
Ni le oko
Mama mi ko ro oju ri
And that is why am loving you
La la la la
la la la o o
You are beautiful
You are beautiful
When her mother passed away, from sickness, she was overcome with a deep sadness and a deep hatred for the white man, for the people with white skins. She hated that she couldn't do anything to save her mother, angry that Master Didier did nothing to save the mother of his child.
Ebami kira fun mama mi
Orisha bi iya o
Ko si laiye….
But she was going to meet her mother soon. For soon she could feel her body give out in exhaustion. And she was sinking, down, down into the clear abyss of the ocean. Her body felt numb, her lungs filled with water, her chest hurt badly, and yet…she felt so good.
She could hear her mother's voice, the slave songs of the fields, the sounds of whips cracking and sound of her own fading heartbeat.
She was free….
But as she died, she could hear a loud shout and loud banging. She tried to ignore, tried to focus on her death. But the sounds got louder and louder until she could hear it in her ears.
"NNEKA WAKE UP, WHAT ARE YOU DOING CHILE!"
She let out a loud gasp and soon felt her body being lifted up from the ocean, and the oxygen filling back into her lungs. She snapped open her eyes as she gasped and wheezed for air, before noticing right beside her was Ms. Annette, another slave who was a heavy set woman who looked to be around her early fifties with black unruly hair that was in a tight bun, skin as dark as night and warm brown eyes that looked to be the colors of rich dirt.
The girl noticed more and more of her surroundings, she noticed that she was not in the ocean but instead in a large pearly white tub, and she was not outside but inside a bathroom.
"Nneka what were ya' doin' chile?!" Annette asked more firmly this time, causing the girl by the name of Nneka to look at her with distaste.
"Why did you have to bring me back up…why?" she asked, her voice dry and cracked, tears collecting at the corners of her eyes. "Why couldn't you just let me die?"
Annette tsked and sucked her teeth. "'Cause Master Didier would be awfully displeased to hear of your departure," she said simply, picking up a towel that was beside her and began to dab it at her reddened eyes. "Besides…it would be a shame for you to leave this world this way."
Nneka couldn't stop the tears that soon flowed from her eyes or the sobs that came from her throat. She threw her hands around Annette's neck and sobbed into her, her body trembling as she brought Annette close to the tub.
Annette's eyes widened but then they softened and she held Nneka close, letting her cry upon her breast as she pleased.
It was an awful truth that Nneka had long ago come to a conclusion to.
They…she would never be able to become free, even in the clutches of death himself.
Song by Asa (pronounced Asha) - So Beautiful
STP: Sooo what do you guise think? A good prologue eh? I really like how it was written and I really like Nneka :D She may seem all damaged now, but wait till next chapter; you'll see how she acts in front of white men. And Calvin will be in the next chapter
Slenderman: -.-
STP: What?
Slenderman: Aren't you going to finish my story? D:
STP: *rolls eyes* I will, but I've been horribly lazy, and I've been wanting to write a Django fanfiction ever since I saw Django Unchained
Slenderman: Yeah you saw it three times!
STP: So?! Its an amazing movie. And also guise, I might, might write a King story because I hated the fact he died, he was absolutely hilarious and charming T^T
Slenderman: -.- She's into older men instead of me now *pouts and sulks*
STP: *kisses your cheek* I still love you :P And I'll make you a new chapter
Slenderman: *blushes and raises tentacles* When?
STP: When I feel like it now bye! *runs away*
Slenderman: SHAY! Goddammit!
