Two Loves of a Gypsy

10. Gypsy-napped

The smell gave me headaches which knocked me out again. When I stirred for the second time I resisted the urge to fall back to sleep where the smell of urine did not permeate. It wasn't just the smell of urine, it smelled of urine, sweat, and unwashed bodies. The smell made me gag in my mouth.

I took in my surrounds with one hand over my nose. There were four walls, a floor, a roof and a door at the other end of the room. The walls curved into the roof which reminded me of our caravans. Light tickled through the edges of the door. I moved to get closer to it when I heard a rattle.

Dread filled me. I let my eyes slip down to my feet. There was a shackle on each ankle connected by a simple chain. There was a bad taste in my mouth and it wasn't just the vomit. My eyes flickered up to the rest of the room.

Six forms lay between me and the door. They all had their backs against a wall. Furthest away there was a woman I assumed with her head in her knees. A bit closer there was a man who hung his head low with shame or guilt or sleep. Opposite them there was a woman sitting awkwardly cross legged. In her arms she rocked a whimpering baby. Finally in the closest group there were three. There was a man who half dozed then a woman next to him who stoked the blonde hair of a young boy. The boy looked around eight or nine.

The boy's head raised and he rubbed his eyes. He looked at the woman who smiled at him.

"Go back to sleep Chase, nothing is happing now" the woman told the boy. He nodded and began to lay his head back down when he spotted me. His eyes lit up.

"Hello?" he asked cautiously.

"Hello" I replied. His eyes lit up more; he quickly looked at his mother who was still kindly looking at him. His gaze returned to me.

"My name is Chase. What is yours?" he asked rather excitedly. The man's, next to the woman and Chase, eyes flashed open as he was rudely awoken by Chase's loud voice. I watched as everyone else in the carriage turned their heads to hear my name.

"Valerie" I said with a smile. All the other individuals returned to their sulking positions while Chase became more animated.

"You're the first person who has talked to me so far! Most people just sleep or cry. This is my mother," he said pointed at the woman who looked at me with curiosity, and I did back. She had brown hair while the boy had brilliant light blonde hair. His face was shaped differently but then again they had the same warm brown eyes.

"And that's my uncle." The uncle was wiping his eyes and yawning. His hair was black but looked similar to his sister.

"I know you're going to think this is silly but why are we in chains," I asked, I thought I knew the answer I wanted to make sure I was right. The boy looked at his mother with a tilted head.

"These are the chains of slaves" The mother said, "These chains will haunt you to the ends of the Earth." I was right and I was displeased but that idea. A slave, it was not the situation I ever expected to find myself in.

"What are you saying, surely we can run away" I said after a while. The woman's eyes narrowed.

"Are you saying you haven't been a slave before?" she said.

I was surprised by her guess and stammered back, "N-no, Yes?"

"Well which it is?"

"No, I haven't been a slave before"

"Odd" was the woman's reply.

"Pardon?"

"It's odd, everyone else here is a slave who has tried to escape."