Chapter 2: The Rat (More commonly known as Tai-Fu)
I prayed to the Great Spirits, hoping they would be merciful. I obsessed over a tingle in my nose that wouldn't go away. Meanwhile, the man with the knife crept into the closet, surveying it with a malignant eye. Curse it! I thought, annoyed by the constant itch that wouldn't go away. Why, of all times, were my dust allergies acting up now?
"Master Fu, I don't think the wench is-
The voice was interrupted by a sudden sneeze that came from right in front of me. Wait, was that me?
"Scratch that, I found where the wretch is!" a harsh voice exclaimed, and soon the squeak of hinges signified the opening of the door that veiled me from sight. Great, my own body has turned against me. I thought, wishing with all my might I hadn't sneezed.
Two glaring eyes peeped through the empty space in front of me, and before I knew it, the menacing knife was pressed to my neck, drawing a fine line of blood. The guard roughly tugged me out of my shelter, shoving me through the closet door into a circle of men. Man, if only I knew how to burn down each one to a crisp! I turned around and saw the vicious guard close the closet behind him, leaving Neta safely hidden in it.
"So, it is you again, wreaking havoc on my plantation. Do you have anything to say for yourself?" a cold voice sneered. The guards immediately parted and in stepped Tai-Fu, adorned in his usual grandeur. He cut his black hair at his shoulders and had a small mustache, with an impressive beard that ended in a point at the end of his chin. Thick eyebrows arched over his enraged yellow eyes, which he used to gaze into the depth of my soul, giving me the chills. He wore a flowing red robe and had gaudy onyx rings on each finger, which clanked when he moved his hand. Overall he looked like an overly-groomed rat, with a gaunt face and pointed chin, a thin frame and long fingers.
"I see you have stepped so far over the line this time that you upset my angelic daughter, Mei. I give you clothes, feed you, give you a shelter, and all that I ask in return is that you obey my orders. Even filth like you should be able to grasp the concept, but unfortunately there are some slaves that are to dimwitted to pay attention to this order," he ranted, his squeaky voice filled with anger. You'd think that someone with such power and wealth would have a voice that didn't sound like a five year old boy's.
Seeing as I was already in hot water, boiling, actually, I decided to play it cool. "I am deeply sorry I offended the mistress, your grand sir. If there is any way I can repay you, know that I am open to cleaning chamber pots, scrubbing gunk out of the floorboards, fanning you with the most exotic leaves"-
"STOP! I've seen enough of your bluffing, you incompetent filth!" Tai-Fu raged, his temple throbbing with anger as he clenched his fist in fury. I saw the guards tighten their lines as the Rat grew more and more furious. "This is it! I've had it with all your sass! In fact, I've had it with all of the slave's disrespect! They can now thank you for cut rations and five floggings for everyone!"
My brain thought at a rapid pace. If he really meant everyone, then even the babies and elderly would be beaten! And it was all my fault…
"As for you, little miss, I have something very special for you in mind!" he whispered malignantly, storming toward me in a swish of red silk.
Oh man, am I in for it now! I thought frantically, cowering as the devil stomped toward me. Stop it, show some backbone, girl! Another voice commanded from my brain. But he could demolish me! The first one whined. Stand up for yourself! Don't let him trample over you like a freshly picked cabbage. The second one said. What do cabbages have to do with anything? The meek voice questioned. I don't know, "freshly picked cabbage" just seemed like a good metaphor. The second voice replied, confused. Wait, wouldn't it be a simile, not a metaphor? You're using like to compare something, which makes it a simile, not a metaphor. The first voice said in a superior tone. Stop, this is making my brain hurt. Said the second voice. You are the brain. The first voice said exasperatedly. Oh, yeah…
"Kneel to your master!" a guard's rough voice commanded. Startled out of my thoughts, I looked up to see Tai-Fu towering above me, his face red as a watermelon.
"KNEEL!" he screeched, his rings grinding together as he clenched his fists. Before I could move, a large mass pounded down on my back like a hammer striking a nail, forcing my knees to buckle. As I fell face-first into the ground, I realized the object had to be the blunt side of an axe.
A fate worse than cleaning chamber pots was surely mine.
"There, now we can begin with the disciplinary actions." Tai-Fu's voice taunted me, it was the last sound I heard before something hard crashed down onto my skull and sent me hurdling into total blackness.