IF TIME COULD STAND STILL

4

Frona

When I woke up again, I was in a moving carriage, at the back of the carriage was a cage and in the cage was me and the other slaves, we were congested, packed together extremely closely.

I rubbed my head because it still hurt, I noticed I was covered in dirt and my body ached a lot, I must have been dragged on the floor because my trousers had holes on my knee cap area and I had bruises there too, for the first time in my life I have been hurt.

I ignored the bodily pains I was feeling and tried to focus my attention on my surrounding, I needed to know if there was a possibility of escape but even if there was was a way I wouldn't be able to escape because we had all been chained together.

As I looked at the other slaves I noticed Lias was there with me, she was dressed in her female maids cloth and was curled up and trembling, I could hear her sniffles from my end, I quickly looked around for Dias but she wasn't there, she never left Lias side so not seeing her made me feel uneasy but I didn't want to think of the worst so I shut all negative thoughts out of my head

I wanted to go over to her but I couldn't, I wanted to call out her name but for some reason I knew that wasn't a good idea , for some reason I felt we were only going to stay alive as long as our identities were not discovered.

I thought of different ways to get her attention without giving away our identities, I thought of our childhood, of the things we did together but only one thing felt right at this moment.

I remember when Aoede's only family her father died and how she sang this song, I remember how I couldn't understand why everyone cried when they listened to her sing, but now I understood clearly.

They were probably remembering the love ones they had lost.

(Author's note: I am not good with forming lyrics so deal with this short bad lyrics, i am sure you will get the message I am trying to pass)

Oh time, oh oh time... If only you'll stand still

Oh time, oh oh time... If only you'll stand still

I did pray, I did pray

You did freeze, you did freeze

At the moment we were the happiest

I did pray, I did pray

You did freeze, you did freeze

At the moment we were cheeriest oh if only you'll stand

still, oh if only you'll stand still..

I didn't notice that my voice had become so loud that even the soldiers outside could here because when I started singing ,my voice came out as more of a whisper, it was my first time to attempt singing but after watching Aoede sing so much I guess I learnt how to sing but never tried to.

As I sang I thought of her, I was surprised to discover my cheeks were wet so I wipe it off with my hands, I cried because I remember Aoede and her cruel fate, I wondered why she had to die, she was not just a slave, she was my sister, my friend, I remember how we did everything together, how she always covered for me with my parents when I did something mischievous, we were a team.

I looked towards Lias direction and I noticed she had finally seen me and was about to call out my name.

"Fron-'" she said before I cut her off by vehemently shaking my head, no one head her since the song from earlier had gotten into them and most were weeping, either they were missing their love ones already dead or the ones they left behind.