"Ow!" A stone hit my foot.
"Psst." An eerie sound broke in the silence throughout the stable area.
I shrieked by the sound. I stood immediately. My whole body tensed up and became stiff, I couldn't even move. But then the bushes rustled.
"Who's that?" I said with a little force, and then resolved to make a step back.
"Psst." I almost jumped out of my skin, frightened by the sound.
"Who...who's that?" my voice cracked, a little afraid now. My hands tremble as one hand searches for the rake that is supposed to be leaning on the woody fence just behind me. When I finally felt it, I immediately pulled it out hoping it could protect me and abruptly took another step with my back hunched waiting to either guard or attack.
"Hey Em," a husky voice spoke from the bushes.
But then I realized who that voice was. I threw the rake to the hay-filled stony floor and continued to groom my master's horse. "For the twentieth time Max, go away. Get lost." I was too annoyed to even give him a look.
I then heard him come out of the bush and jump over the fence at my back. "Hey, I know you need help-" He said
"No. I don't need any help," I cut him off as fast as I could. I already heard those same lines and I am definitely sick of it.
"C'mon you know you need help, or at least someone who you can talk with."
My ears perked up. I dropped the brush on the floor and put my hands on my hips," I don't need your help Max. I don't need someone to talk to. I don't need anybody's company and most especially. I Don't Need You Here."
"Ouch, that's harsh," he smirked and gestured sarcastically, putting his hand on his chest pretending that it hit him. I rolled my eyes, I hate him.
"Eeeemmillyyy!" A voice from the house shouted, screeching more to the point.
"Oh," my shoulders slouched abruptly. I then closed my eyes close and took a deep breath as I know who that dreadful voice belongs to. "I'm coming, master!" I shouted back as I turned to leave the stables.
"Huuurrry up girl!" Her voice sounded loud and mad, as usual.
"Okay okay," I had to acknowledge her so she knew I was coming or there would be consequences. I had to hurry to clean up the mess before leaving the stables. Max tried to help but I jerked a gestured for him not to. I saw his mouth about to form words when I pulled out a finger near his mouth, stopping him from speaking. "No. Not another word. I'm going to leave now, and you," I poked his chest. "You ought to leave now and never come back. You are going to get me into trouble."
Without another word and with his head down, he stepped back. He put a hand on the fence to lift his whole weight over, jumped over and left. I too then started to walk away contentedly.
As I walk to attend to my master, each step I take brings back long forgotten memories. Well memories I had tried to forget.
There are large soaring marks around my wrist which came from a large rope tightly tied around them for different lengthy times. My body Aches in places I am not sure it should and many bruises cover my body. Dirt and grease smeared all over my face. My lips are swollen and dripping streaks of blood. This is what usually happens whenever I arrive to a new slave master's household.
It seems that every one and half year I've always been sold to another master. Each time this happens, more and more, my heart becomes a stone. I was eight years old when all of these horrendous things happened in my life. Our family experienced a critical breakdown to the point that nothing was left. We became terribly poor to the point that we were all starving. And so my parents finally decided to finish the dilemma by getting rid of me for good and harvest something from it. They sold me.
