Free to Feel [Temporarily (??) Discontinued]

Chapter 10.

"So what's the plan?"

Cat intertwined her fingers, gazing at them while her thoughts were rushing around like the wind outside. Coming to terms with the reality of slavery was difficult. Coming back home to face her family and their love was next to impossible. But whilst those wrecked her emotions more than her head, now she was facing a task that made her brains boil.

How to make people see that slavery was wrong? They wouldn't listen. They were too satisfied with the way they were living now, since, frankly speaking, having slaves was convenient. It meant that even the worst of people could always find physical love if they bought a Sex Slave. Even the messiest person could always live in a nice and clean flat if they had a Servant or a Maid. Even the loneliest person could come home and know they wouldn't have to fall asleep all alone on the empty bed, in the empty house. All it took was some money - and a slave was there, ready to be used as a prostitute, a personal janitor or a companion.

"We've been trying to print out some social ads to show how much slavery hurts our society, but..." Dad sighed and shrugged, rubbing his head. Catherine looked at him for a little longer, wondering when he had grown so old that his hair turned as gray as ashes. Pity stung her from the area around her heart once she thought about how much time with her family she'd missed on. These Christmases, Thanksgivings, birthdays, all the days she would never be able to get back.

Just to think about it. She left them saying that she needed a break from humans, and then she bought a slave because she was lonely. Huh. No wonder John was so mad at her, family issues always made him extremely emotional.

"They won't work." Mom shook her head, and the young journalist suddenly spotted some grey hairs on that head. The time wasn't sparing anyone. Once again, her heart clenched as those lonely days without family flew by, all those times she hung up on the people who loved her... Loved her when she didn't deserve it.

"Every child is told that slaves are stupid." Mom winced and continued working on cutting that pie into ideal squares to eat later. "Most people these days don't think that a slave can survive a single day without an... An owner. Making them suffer is perceived as an act of mercy!"

Cat scoffed and looked away, but she knew her parents were correct. That was also the issue, the society almost believing that all slaves share one brain cell and so they must always be controlled, ordered around, owned.

"I don't get it." Dad muttered, beads of sweat forming on his wrinkled forehead. Catherine froze and narrowed her eyes for a moment, struggling to remember if he had those wrinkles when she left home. She couldn't say... So they appeared while she was away. Maybe even because she was away. "No, I see the logic when it comes to slaves that are turned slaves. It's ridiculous, but it's still rather logical."

"Just because they can't pay for a roof above their house does not immediately make them stupid!" Mom clicked her tongue, her eyes trained on the pie and the knife slicing it in slow, carefully measures movements. "And it's even more ridiculous when they speak about slaves that are born this way! Just because their parents or grandparents failed to lead wealthy lives does not mean that the children are not able to!"

"It's eugenics, mom." Cat sighed and rested her head on her hands, her mood darkening with every passing minute. "There is proof that mental abilities might be inherited, so there's a chance that a stupid person can have stupid children."

Heather wasn't stupid, though. And neither was Raven. So that eugenics seemed to be wrong after all. Not that surprising, considering the fact that just a few years ago it was believed to be a false science.

"But still." Mom sighed and leaned against the wall, her eyes on her daughter. And even though her mind was clouded with thoughts and worries and everything like that, Catherine still flinched when she felt the warm emotion in the gaze her mother was sending her. Love. "I understand that before slavery was merely a means of solving the problem of homeless people, but now it's long since crossed the line! Millions of people are sold every year, and hundreds thousands of them die because of mistreatment, and the rest of the world thinks it's okay?! How can it be?!"