A Slave's Journey by Keya

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Harshly, we were shoved on to the vessel of suffering. My heart was beating so fast I froze in fear and sweat was dripping down my forehead. The tight chain tore at my flesh as I nervously shuffled forward. Intimidatingly, the cruel crew looked at me with a dirty look and held a leather whip in my face. Many of the slaves were making a pool of tears for those who had been separated from them. The bright African sun shone on our raw skin. We were jostled and dragged to move below deck as it was nearly night-time.

As we entered below deck, the boiling hot sun vanished and was replaced by a cold chill. As the mighty galleon sailed over the forceful waves below deck shook and made my stomach ache with agony. We were manacled tightly to a post. I felt anguished. The gas lamps slowly faded, I closed my eyes hoping it would all be a terrible nightmare.

As much as I tried, it was impossible to sleep that evening my eyes were wide open and nothing at all could make me go to sleep. The noise of muffled cries and torture added to the cacophony. The horrific stench of excrement hit my nose. I felt anxious and petrified and I didn’t know what was going to happen next. It was so sad looking back at my homeland it made me cry. All I wanted was to be with my family not in a ship that treated me so horrifically.

Comments

  1. Mr BainbridgeOctober 23, 2020 at 12:20 PM

    Terrific writing Keya. You created a very vivid description of what life was like for a slave being transported across the Atlantic. I love the sentence 'The noise of muffled cries and torture added to the cacophany'.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Asha KarbhariOctober 26, 2020 at 10:39 AM

    This is fantastic writing and yes a vivid description of transportation of the slaves. Well done Keya & J9 on your Work!

    ReplyDelete

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