Mysteries Revealed [EDITING]

Chapter 3

Mia

Mia picked up stones, walked the eight-meter distance to the pile of rocks and dumped hers on it . She stood for a while then wiped the sweat on her forehead with her finger.

"Hey you there! Mia!" the thick tall bald-headed man with mustache that covered his upper lip called out to her. "You are supposed to place the rocks on the pile gently. You don't want to receive any punishments, now do you?" he paused as if waiting for Mia's answer. "Now get back to work. Hurry!" he yelled.

Mia flinched at the sound of the word 'punishment' but kept quiet. At first she would frown and talk back at the men. But now she knew better than to argue with them. She didn't want to end up being assaulted by the boss. That's what the man meant by 'punishment'.

The boss happened to be the so-called 'founder' of the Island. He was the devil himself in flesh. The kind of things he did and the work he gave to the women were so harsh and inhuman.

All but one woman didn't work on the Island. That was the boss' lover. She was once a slave girl but was given the opportunity to become his lover. She only accepted it due to certain situations and conditions she was living in. She was the one who helped the women to deliver successfully.

Mia turned slowly and walked back to the pile of rocks awaiting her and resumed working which was from six in the morning to six in the evening, daily for five solid years.

When the bell rang, all women rushed to form a queue behind the table at which the food was being served. It was always the same food for each night: some beans stew which Mia had never seen or heard off until she came to this Island. Sometimes the boss would have a change of 'heart'-if he had one at all, because of Rose. Then they'd serve something else which was just as disgusting but felt good to try something new.

A tap on Mia's shoulder, startled her. She turned to find her friend, Kayla behind her.

"Have you spoken to Conrad?" she whispered.Conrad was Mia's...Well, not husband, not fiancé. But that seemed more appropriate. Conrad was the father of her children. He was the supervisor who took Mia on a 'tour' when she arrived. He was the one in charge of her until it was evident that he was being too lenient on her. So he was changed. Now that huge thing of a man was in charge

"No. Kay I'm so scared. I don't know if he's alright. I don't know if my babies are okay. I'm so afraid right now. What if something has happened to them? What if my children are sick?" Kayla sighed.

"Have you asked Rose about it?" she asked.

"No I haven't. But what would she know. She's also here with us. "Mia replied.

Kayla placed a hand on Mia's shoulder and gave it a little squeeze. "I'm sure they're alright. They're probably having a hard time dealing with their surroundings. Nothing more. But they'll be fine." she said, rubbing her shoulder's to soothe her. Mia only nodded.

Conrad had grown fond of Mia and gradually the feeling became mutual. In a few months, the two were already in love.

It just so happened sometime ago that the boss had to leave the Island to find more slave girls so he put Rose in charge. Though work was still on going, she provided a lot more freedom than the boss. It was then that Conrad and Mia had the time to get to know each other better.

In a few months time after that, Mia's stomach was protruded. The boss seeing this, demanded to know the father of her baby but Mia never answered him. It didn't matter to her the kind of treatment she was given. She just wouldn't answer him and put Conrad's life on the line.

With Rose's help, Mia delivered her babies successfully and managed to make up a story about still birth. The boss believed her story because a good friend of Conrad and a supposedly loyal person to the boss, testified in favor of his friend.

Mia and Conrad did everything and anything just to ensure the safety of their children. A woman in her fifties, whom Conrad found out was his mother some years ago took the children and went away deep into the forest. She was confirmed dead to the boss who didn't press the matter further. He really didn't care who died or who lived.

Occasionally, Conrad would visit the children and stay for some time before returning to the work site. Mia used to escape to see and feed her children when they were little. She couldn't spend more than a day though. On days when she had to escape, Rose would tell the boss that she was sick and was under her care. But she stopped when they grew up a little and left them in their grandmother's care.

Mia was snapped back to reality when someone shouted her name in her ear. It was Kayla.

"It's your turn." she spoke softly. Mia hadn't realized that she was now at the front of the queue until she looked straight at those who served the food. Their angry faces sent chills down her spine as they shoved her plate of food in her hands. She gripped it tight and left the long line to find a spot.

When she sat on a boulder somewhere around, Kayla joined her. They had talked at length about random things and waited for the bell to ring for them to have their bath. Mia was laughing at something Kayla said when she noticed two women beating the hell out of each other. A crowd was slowly forming to witness what was going on.

"You dare call me a slut after you slept with my husband??" One woman Mia knew as Leslie, shouted at the other woman. But husband? She never knew that she had a husband.

"Yes I did sleep with him but that gave you no right to go snitch my ass to the boss." the other woman responded angrily. She looked stronger than Leslie. "And now I'm going to make sure you wish you were never born." With that, she charged at Leslie and slapped her real hard across the face. Leslie stumbled but before she could make a move, her opponent pushed her to the ground making her graze her elbow.

"Mia!" her supervisor called through all the noise from the crowd. "The boss wants to see you!"

Her breathe hitched in her throat. The boss? She questioned in her mind and swallowed the lump in her throat.