My Way to Freedom

Chapter 2: The First of Many Plans

"Well..." her small voice trailed off as she thought about it. Then gave a firm nod. "Yes I have. My first week here I thought about it; I was hungry, tired and fed up with Onica and I got whippings on several occasions; also the day after Onica's 18th birthday party. There were cloths everywhere. From the farthest corner of that room to the other they were everywhere.” She laughed a bit at the memory and I laughed with her, “On the bed, on the floor, on the desk, any were you can imagine she had cloths there.” 

    "I have too, many times mostly when I was working in the house of the devil, but also almost every time I've gotten lashings. Today I thought about it again. Do you realize, Ashley, that out of all of Andy's slaves I am the one who has the highest chance of escaping and not being found?", I was focusing on this and I was bound and determined to escape with Ashley. "Think about it Ash. I ride the fastest and most loyal horse in the stable every day off of the property and yet every time I come back without a second thought.”

    "Why didn't you?" Ashley asked me.

    "Why didn't I what?"

    "Why didn't you run away this time? I mean, you already knew that you were going to get beaten… why didn't you run this time?"

    "Well I couldn't just leave you here to your own devices” I said, fairly matter of factly, but my voice softened as I went on. “And then the fact that most found runaways are beaten to death kind of scared me, but I thought about it, mostly while I was getting my back torn to shreds, that they can only beat you if they find you.”

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"But, if you do that then you'll get caught by the gate keeper."

    "Yes, but if the grooms help us....."

    "There are only two grooms you and Henry and Henry got transferred to a position on the other side of the estate."

    "Oh, yeah forgot about that.” We had been at this for hours and it was just about time for us to leave, “Okay, whatever we'll get back to this after today's work shift.”

“I don't want to go.”

“Yes, but we have to, because if we don't then we'll get 25 lashings for not showing up to work and we'll get 7 if we're late so let's hurry!” While I had restated everything she already knew she kicked up into motion whizzing this way and that trying to get everything together that she would need for the day. Meanwhile, I just sat on the chair glad that I was just a stable girl and that I didn't have to care about appearance or what to bring, because if I had I'd have a hard time doing so. My Greek-olive skin is what some would call “beautiful” and my piercing blue eyes “sharp”, but here it made me look like an outcast against the death white folk I lived with. My tumble of dark brown hair was at least brushed everyday (which is more than I can same for some other slaves) though, it always is put in a massive braid that goes to the bottom of my back. And as for clothes I only have a linen shirt, some jodhpurs, and a cape to wear, whereas Ashley has a shift, stockings, stays, multiple petticoats, a gown and sometimes a pin ball and scissor clip to wear at her mistress's request.

We are finally on our way to the manor when I asked Ashley for the first time since I met her “Ash, is your job hard?”

 She stopped and looked at me for a moment then resumed walking as she answered “Well, yes. When I sew I sometimes prick my fingers with the needle, and Onica sometimes wants my opinion on something and whacks me if she doesn't like it, and I'm not very much good at cooking or laundry so I'm usually at Onica's side ready to take any order she may throw at me. Why do you ask?”

“Well I know I always talk about my job but I had never heard you talk about yours. Oh! Before I forget,” I handed her the goatskin pouch “Happy Birthday”. I watched as she opened the pouch and then explodes into tears of pure joy and happiness.

“Thank you so much!” she exclaimed literally jumping up and down.

“You’re welcome and I hope you enjoy your lunch and dinner.” I couldn't help but spread a smile across my face. I knew that a meal that big and of that great quality meant a lot to her since she ate even less then I did, because of the way her job was she didn't get any scraps during the day. So 2 meals that day meant the world to her.

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By the time I got home that evening I was dead tired. My braid had come loose, leaving a mass of hair clung to my head, back, and shoulders with sweat. Ashley greeted me with a gay smile and led me inside where she already had a warm fire going. She then proceeded to tell me about the plan she had come up with. “So if we go in here and then come out here we'll never be seen.”

“Smart, by going in the light house and dowsing out the light and getting out quickly we'll create a distraction for the gate keeper and the slave drivers, because they'll have to get more wood and oil for the fire. So then we can sneak around the lighthouse and open the gate so that we can ride the swiftest of horses out of here.” I said, giving the idea great thought.

“Right, so when do you want to try this crazy plan,” she said, looking at me cautiously.

“Friday afternoon we'll go for it.” It was Wednesday morning so we had exactly two days to review and stage our escape.

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“Are you ready Ash?” It was already Friday and Ash and I were just about ready to go.

“As I'll ever be,” she said, sounding very nervous. To be honest, I was just as scared as her and I wanted to just give up and shut the plan down, but I had to convince Ashley that I wasn't scared.     I wanted a new life where I didn't live under a master and get whipped every time I was late for something. I wanted a life where I could be free from bondage and free from the shame of being a slave. I wanted to run away with Ashley back to Greece where I could finally settle down and be content. I wanted to learn like other people and just shut out the rest of the world. 

“Let's go.”

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Okay! Me again! Did you like the chapter? I know its short. Many of the chapters are, but you have the whole story, so I hope this isn't to much of an inconvinience. Ash is on the side!