Voices of Humanity

Chapter Seventeen

    *Alice's (and Mary's)  place is established. Things are going well (relative to this world at least😅). Now a new element comes along to shake things up a bit...

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It was a rare occurrence to see a trailer arrive on the Dulane estate that brought humans to us rather than carting them away, but that was exactly what happened the day the wild one came.

        By now all had heard of her and speculation on the new woman were rampant. Would she somehow appear more wild? Would she be vicious? Look down on us for being born into slavery? Though I kept quiet on the matter, not encouraging the gossip and trying to dissuade my own daughter's enthusiasm for the subject, internally I knew that I too wished to learn about the newest member to our flock.
       
It had been long since I'd had access to the books Lexia once to permit me to read but I could not help but remember the glimpses of freedom I'd viewed in their pages, far more tangible than the stories I told Mary at night. Words actually penned by human hands, written about our kind when we still held power. I wondered if the new woman would have lived any of the adventures I'd dreamed of. I imagined she must be able to read and write if born free. Perhaps she knew of other stories I'd never heard before. Perhaps she could open my world just a bit beyond the confines of the estate.
       
We'd been told she was of breeding age and would be assigned to the kitchens. I hoped she would bring new recipes with her. New insight into the remedies I still maintained notes on, trying to help others when I could do so without angering Madam. While I feared the potential threat she might bring as well, I couldn't help but harbor some of the childlike curiosity and excitement I saw in my daughter when the subject was raised.

        We'd nearly reached the kitchen the morning the trailer appeared at the gates to the estate and Mary spotted it instantly.

        "It's the wild woman!" she squealed, pulling me towards the vehicle. "Can we please wait and see her, Mama? Please!"

        I hesitated, not wishing to be late for our shift but also sharing my daughter's desire to catch a quick glimpse of the newest resident of the Dulane estate.

        "Only for a minute, Mary," I acquiesced. "Then straight to work."

        My daughter nodded, her eyes focusing intently on the vehicle in hopes the woman would appear before I dragged her to the kitchen.
       
The human that stepped out of the trailer was young, I could tell that even from a distance. Perhaps twenty years old or less. Her hair was red, a rarity among Dulane's flock. Most of the humans born on our estate had chestnut or black locks. Her skin, however, was a similar tanned brown that most of the members of our flock sported. It was said that very dark and very fair skin had been bred from humans long ago and apparently that was true of the wild variety as well.

        "Why is she in so many chains, Mama?" Mary asked me, tugging at the sleeve of my dress. "Is it because she might hurt us?" I gave my child a sad smile in response and shook my head. Though the shackles she wore were extensive, I knew the restraints were there as a message, not for necessity. To impress this poor women's new role upon her clearly.

        "I'm certain they will remove them soon," I said, with more optimism than I felt. I could not help but remember my mother's similar bonds when she was lead away to slaughter. She would have gone willingly to avoid shame and yet Dulane and Everett had insisted on bringing her as low as possible. I felt my heart suddenly aching for this poor young woman who had likely been forced to endure the same suffering in sale. But still, if she could learn to behave, her life would not be so horrific. There was hope in that much at least. I was suddenly glad she had been assigned to my preview and vowed silently that I would help her as much as I could.