Runaway (choose your own adventure

Chapter one - Escape

  A slave was known as property and not as a person, often times they would be sold which could result in them being separated from their families and friends, often to never see them again. The Underground Railroad was not actually a secret train track but a passage taking you through homes that would hide runaway slaves and led them to the north. An estimation of around  10,000 slaves escaped using the railroad by 1850.

I was working in the field as I usually did. The work was always grueling but unlike most slaves, I was able to stay with my family my entire life and was able to meet many friends, which is a privilege that most African Americans weren't able to have.

 Though on this day, all of that changed.

 I saw my owner, who was required to be called "Master", walking over to where I was, with a deputy who had a whip. 

That's when it hit me. This was it, I had been sold. 

My perfect life was no longer. I was never going to see my family or friends ever again, in my life. So, I turned and ran. My legs flew under me, my hat flew off and felt the sun heat my hair, I took off my jacket, my shirt flew open catching the wind, so I threw it off and felt lighter and faster. Master and the deputy started chasing after me, spewing curses. I had listened to the songs about how to follow the railroad, but I never had the heart to leave my family to do it, but now, either way, I would never see them again.  

By the time night fell, the two men had probably given up the chase, but I knew for a fact that I would be hunted down by slave catchers. When the blanket of night fell over the sky I searched for the ladles that dipped in the broth of darkness, the guides pointing to the North Star, that would lead me to freedom. Just as the chants instructed, I followed it North until I could no more. My feet were bleeding with blisters, my legs burned with the fire of exhaustion.  My breath felt like it was burning in my throat. I could barely feel anything and I laid down to rest until the sun reached the sky.

I woke as just as the night sky began to fade purple. The sun sneaking a look at the world. I continued on in my journey, silently vowing to myself that I would never give up until my burden of skin was stripped from my bones, and my breath is taken from my lungs. So I ran.