Treasure

The Chase

         The crisp night air brings a chill through her bones as she darts through the quiet streets of a quaint little village. Her small form is hidden in the alleyway between the smith's shop and the bakery. The thundering of boots ring in her ears as a group of men drunkenly move past her hiding spot. The girl sinks to the dusty floor covered in flour and an assortment of what she presumes is scraps from the bakery. A sigh leaving her bloodied lips, the realization of her injuries becoming apparent to her from the pounding in her head to the numbed pain in her ankle. She does a sweep over her body and decides that since none of her injuries are life threatening, she'll take a rest here for a minute. Before she knows it the soft lull of sleep crashes over her like a tsunami, all events from the previous three days are the least of her worries as she drifts off into dreamland.

              Though her dreams do not consist of puppies and rainbows, instead she's forced to watch a mysterious man in all black plunge a hidden dagger into her father's chest, as her mother holds her and her sister protectively to her body. The man instructed two of the other men in a hushed voice so quiet she could barely hear what they were saying, but she knew whatever he did say, it was with an attempt to harm. The nasty smirk plastered across the man's face grew into a devilish grin as the other two men pulled her out of her mother's grasp. He held her up to his face, an ironclad grip on her forearm, and studied her. Disgust written on her face as the man spun her around as if showing off a prize.

           "How much do you think this one will sell for?" He throws her to the ground instructing one of his men to restrain her. Of course, she fought, but with exhaustion and hysteria fighting her it was easy for the other man to tie her hands behind her back.

             "That one sure as hell will give you a pretty penny, have you ever seen a broad with hair like that?" The man who restrained her fisted a handful of her bright scarlet locks and pulled.

               "I ain't seen anyone around these parts look like her. They'll snatch her up quickly. Not to mention her legs look pretty muscular. If someone doesn't want to keep her as a pet she sure as hell could do some hard labor." The girl stiffened in his grasp, lashing wildly with her legs.

                'they're gonna sell me to the stocks, no one comes back from the stocks in one piece' she continued to fight with the last bit of will she had in her. The man that had a hold on her hair roughly pushed her face into the ground and put his knee on the middle of her back and pushed down. Hard.

              "Well ain't she feisty." Another man walked in through the broken wooden door. he was tall but slim. She could see his muscles ripple through the thin fabric of his dirtied blouse. He walked over to her and inspected her for any defects. A small glint in his eyes when he found none.

           "She's perfect, we'll definitely bring her along with us, looks like we'll be eating good tonight boys." The other men look around excitement evident on their features.

           "Sit'er up, she needs to watch this, make sure she knows we ain't messin' around." The man who was on top of her roughly dragged her up into a sitting position, his calloused hands lingering on her throat for a moment.

        "Try anything and I'll cut your pretty little fingers off, understand?" He pulls her head back, squeezing her throat lightly. A silent threat. She nodded her head vigorously, an indication that she understood completely.

          Her eyes stretched open as the man who seemed to be the group's leader walked up to her mother and sister, who were still cowering in the corner of the room. Her mother pulls her sister protectively behind her.