Slave Life

Leaving the Cave

     Today was the day we were setting out to find a home, a home with a human mom and maybe even a dad. I packed all of Bobby's and my things in a small, and ripped up backpack. I gathered alot of berries for the road and some water in a big canteen. I took Bobby's hand and helped him climb onto Rose. I tied a rope around her neck so we wouldn't get lost and I started walking.

     I didn't know where I was going, there was no path, and no trail, I guess I had to make one. We walked and walked for what seemed like 5 hours. Momma bear and I were exhausted , but Bobby and little bear had caught a ride on Rose's back. I climbed up a very tall tree, to look at my surroundings and saw a breathtaking sight. There was a town , a beautiful town , only about 2 miles away. It had the most amazing lit up streets, big houses, and no slave plantation around. That looked like a new home, where we could possibly live.

   I got down from the tree with the biggest smile on my face. I practically ran the whole way to the town. But what was I thinking, what if there where some slave owners here, what if they caught us. Again I had to take a risk. We were about less than a mile away from the town when I was shot in the arm. I fell to the ground and Bobby jumped on top of me.

    The bullet came from nowhere,  there were no hunters, no people in sight. I saw my life flash before my eyes. All the torture, the pain, the heartbreak. I saw my momma's face and her hand trying to pull me close to her.

     I reached my hand out but then stopped. No momma, I'm staying here with Bobby, freedom is about half a mile away. I put my hand down and was brought back into reality. I was laying in a pool of blood, my blood. I looked at my hand, I was growing pale, and I knew I didn't have long to get Bobby to freedom. Apparently there was a hunter near by, because Rose was looking at me with a gun in her mouth. She was my savior. I sat up and told Bobby not to worry, that I was okay.

   I grabbed a shirt from my backpack, not caring that it was dirty and wrapped it around my wounded arm. There was not that much blood in my body anymore. I felt dizzy but continued making my way to the town. I put my arm around Rose's neck whenever I got to dizzy. I felt no pain, the pain of this gunshot was nothing compared to the pain of losing loved ones, being whipped, and practically left to die.

   Finally there it was, in front of us. We had reached the town. I was starting to worry about how I wasn't going to find a momma in time, but then I looked over to my right. There she was, probably the most angelic women in the world. She was wearing a red dress and had golden hair. My grasp around Rose's neck had loosened and I fell to the ground. Bobby was scared and didn't want to leave my side.

    Rose licked the shirt covering my wound and then licked my face. She returned to the woods with her cub, Tyler, probably knowing that we had a better chance of finding help without her there. I couldn't do anything but whisper, "I love you , momma bear." Bobby was frozen with his head between his knees, next to me. The lady was getting up to go , when she turned and looked me in the eye. I finally saw her beautiful face and noticed that she worked at the slave plantation, my horrible old home. She was my owner's niece, but worked as a maid. Back at the plantation , she would sneak Bobby and I extra food and water, and look after us.

    She was the nicest woman other than my momma, but I never knew her name and she never knew mine, she called me her muffin. She ran over to me and Bobby and said, " Muffin I haven't seen you in months, where are your parents?!" "They died", I whispered. A tear fell from her eye and I managed to wipe it away with my good arm. She picked me up and kissed my cheek. "I'm going to take care of you boys now, my angels", she said. When I heard those words I knew Bobby was safe , I had found him a home. I let go and closed my eyes.