A Slave's Journey by Lucas

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 Aggressively, we were shoved onto the massive vessel that loomed massively above the harbour. The calm sea flowed around us unlike my heart, which was giving me a sense it could burst at any moment. Freedom was denied by the heavy, iron chains which rubbed and tore at my flesh. Intimidatingly, the crew scoured at us with a look of disgust as they held their weapons of agony. Tragically, the other petrified children wept quietly as they had been separated from their parents. Without warning, we were kicked down the stairs which led below deck.

As we made our way below deck, the overpowering reek of human waste replaced the scent of the salty sea air. My stomach cramped and a feeling of nausea hit me. I vomited on the floor. Fortunately, none of the crew members noticed and we kept on moving. We moved further and further, the odour grew worse with every step I took. Once we were shoved into place, the crew chained me and my fellow prisoners to a post one by one. As time passed, the crew came down extinguishing light after light, my eyes wearily closed until all the brightness was gone.

The desperate need for sleep evaded me as it was an impossibility. The sound of cries and moans sadly chipped away at my heart. Furthermore, blisters had formed all over my hands and the horrific aroma was making me gag. I am not ashamed to admit that I sobbed that night because of the cruelty I had witnessed. Slowly, the powerful ship started moving away from my only home getting closer and closer to an unknown land and a life of suffering.

Comments

  1. Mr BainbridgeOctober 23, 2020 at 12:26 PM

    A great piece of writing Lucas. You were able to bring the experience of being on a slave ship alive through your detailed description of the sights, sounds and smells on board.

    ReplyDelete

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