A Slave's Journey by Ilyas

Eventually, we were forced onto the majestic galleon. Fear flooded my veins. I wanted to cry and felt sick. I was chained tightly in thick, iron fetters, with my fellow slaves we tried to escape, but could not. The crew stared at us with disgust, looking ready to whip us if we didn’t follow orders. I could see the younger slaves crying after being separated from their parents. We were ordered to stand in the midday heat for what seemed like a year. After what seemed like the worst day of my life, we were   ordered to go into the hull. 

As we opened the dirty, hatch and went down the rotten steps, it smelt revolting. The first thing to hit me was the smell of human skin. I was physically sick due to the unbearable heat and truly awful conditions. My heart sank. Once we were chained, the hard metal chains fetters rubbed my skin raw as younger slaves were crying because they have been separated from their parents. Tiredly, I closed my eyes slightly relived that it was the end of the day.

That night, I could barely sleep after the tragic day I had had. I found it hard to sleep because of the heat going through my veins like it was connected to me. I felt anxious of being a slave for a long time. Suddenly, the ship moved away from my homeland I knew there was no way back.