Friends, Slaves, and Nightmares

8: Slavery

David gently helps Mina get out of the bed. It had been a few good hours of sleep for Mina and she was feeling better now. "Thanks David.." Mina said and stood by David.

"No problem." He answered quickly and smiled, looking towards Mina blindly. She took his arm and began to lead him downstairs.

Kevin was still pale and limp as he slept, but the room was not quiet. Katey was talking to two small kids. The oldest a girl around thirteen years old and a younger boy of about ten years. The boy leaned into the girl, hugging onto her and looking around shyly. The girl on the other hand beamed and smiled.

Mina moved David towards the boy, girl, and Katey, glancing around a bit.

Katey looked between the two kids. "So you came to visit?"

"Mhm!" The girl replied.

Mina watched the children a moment. Something white caught her eyes as she looked down lower. A large, purely white wolf was sitting down near the boy, its head nuzzled under the hand of the boy. The boy looked down at the wolf, smiling a bit shyly, then went to look up at Katey, seeing David the boy's eyes widened. "D-David?.." The boy stmmered.

David's eyes widened as he recognized the voice. "Axel?.." He looked towards the boy, Axel. "How did you get out?"

Axe ran over quickly to David and hugged onto him, the wolf staying near him. "M-My sissy got me out.. Kara.."

The girl, Kara, hurried over and stood next to her little brother. "Who's this Axel?.."

David gently hugged Axel back, looking at Kara. "I'm David.. A friend of Axel's.."

Axel watched David a few moments, his hand moving slowly to his own lowrr back. "D-Does it still hurt David?.."

David looked down at Axel and shook his head, his hand moving to his own lower back. "No, it doesn't..."

Mina looked between David and Axel confusedly. "What?.. Are you hurt David?" She tried to look at his back now.

Kara moved and gently hugged onto her younger brother, rubbing his head a bit. She looked from David and Axel as if she knew something. Her eyes a bit sad.

David shook his head and looked towards Mina. "I'm fine.."

"What's wrong then?.." Mina asked worriedly and watched him.

David went silent, slowly turning so his bsck faces to Mina. He moved the back of his shirt up to show his lower back. What Mina saw caused her eyes to widen. His whole back was covered in scars, but the worst one was the word SLAVE in knarled, angry red scars. It looked as if someone had repeatedly carved into his back with a knife as deep as they could. The rest of the scars were thin. Some were deeper or older the heh an others. A few wounds looked scabbed over still. He slowly began to talk, "I was a slave.. Like Axel... We worked at a castle for a long time. A vampire castle.. I-.. They let me go recently because they saw me unfit to work and wanted to watch me stumble through life blind... They blinded me after Axel left. They had asked me where he was and I answered honestly say I didn't know.. They didn't believe me.. So now I'm blind.." He lowered the back of his shirt.

Mina's eyes were wide. "I'm so sorry.."

Axel watched David now, looking at his clouded eyes. "Th-they made y-you blind because o-of me.." Kara gently hugged onto Axel, staying quiet.

Katey went over to all of them, glancing between them all. "But hey, he's out now right Axel?.."

David turned towards Axel. "That's true.. You also helped set me free.. Thank you Axel.."

The small boy nodded and replied shakily, "B-but they made y-you b-blind.."

"It's better than being back there as a slave Axel." David said quietly. "Are you alright now Mina?.. You're being quiet.."

Mina nods. "Yeah.. I just-.. I don't know how to react.."

David sighed a bit and nodded. "Alright.. It's a lot to take in I guess.." He looked towards Axel and hugged him comfortingly as the small boy shook in fear.

Mina slowly walked out of the room and outside, leaning into the wall of the house and making sure her dragon arm is well hidden. Slavery is wrong. She decided to herself. The scars and fear on David and Axel was enough to convince her of that. How could someone for such a thing? Axel couldn't have been older than ten! He was just a child and the fear on his face was enough to break her heart. The poor boy looked broken, along with David. Slavery is wrong.