The grass blades sharply cut through her bare feet, slicing thinly into her flesh but at this point she was numb to such trivial pain. Struggling to breathe, her body, too heavy for her alone to carry, the yells of her pursuers were loud and clear, fueling the flames of fear yet she didn't waiver her desire to escape was as deep within her veins, running with the night breeze that brushed across her skin that was once akin to dark marble and as smooth as pearls now covered in wounds, bruises, scars and burns. She had a number of broken bones, and internal injuries that threatened to open up and erupt in more pain.

Her pursuers were relentless, but so was she, as she ran through the grassy planes of� Morgan's Hill. Running through the woods would have been a safer bet, she would have arrived at a nearby village or hid amongst the trees, but whether she would truly be free was an uncertainty she wouldn't take, but yet she chose an even greater uncertainty " once you get to the top of Morgan's hill you would truly be free" that was a saying that was common amongst the slaves in the slave house that owned her. No one knew why it was said, but the mere mention of these words had the power to ignite Hope into every slave, enduring hell for a chance to taste eternal freedom that waits at the top of Morgan's hill, these words gave her hope from her first day in the slave house.

A young beautiful lady, abducted on her way to the stream in a distant village. Dark skin, brown eyes and hair as lush as wool, a common feature for female slaves, as they were most converted for the position of mistresses and sex slaves. She had lost track of how long she had been taken, and could hardly remember what life before was like. All she knew was pain and the Hope of freedom, soon the longer she stayed there, the longer the hope on Morgan's hill possessed her. It wasn't uncommon for slaves to try to escape; some died, some were captured and the rest, no one knows.... but the possibility of finding hope on Morgan's hill was the most likely conclusion. " Once you get to the top of Morgan's hill you would truly be free" was a phrase that made even slaves that were brought from the other slave house shed tears, they couldn't explain their tears as their tongues were cut before they came, but one could only guess that hope could move to tears. Hymns were sung and hands were held as there was a sheared communism of hope on Morgan's hill. In a place where neither rain nor sunlight could get in, hope gleamed so beautifully in every heart. And tonight when a glimmer of hope could be held, a young woman grasped it and took flight.

A few more and she'd be at the top, a foreign wave of inexplicable emotions exploded within her, giving her wings to her flight, together with the breaking of dawn for hope never felt as tangible as it did now. When she got to the top, she saw a building as large as the slave house, with men standing guard. Walking slowly towards it, there was a signboard beside it that had the drawing of a rising sun "hope" exhausted from the adrenaline that had exploded within her, she limped towards it, ignorant of the strange atmosphere for all she could do was walk to her hope. Before she realized the smell of fish that knocked at the door of her brain, it was too late. A man raised her right arm up, revealing the slave imprint at the side of her breast. Upon seeing the mark, they held unto her vigorously, dragging her to the side of the building where one of the men brought out a carving knife, while the men held onto her, one man held her jaws apart, while the armed man dragged out her tongue with one hand and with other hand, he began to cut through her tongue, her screams were piercing, raging on with the rising sun as all her hope got sucked away by this cruel plot twist, while she cried a voice cried out from the building, in an effort to comfort her "don't worry, for there is hope down Morgan's Hill" she froze in place as time stood still, as she asked herself a burning question she was too blinded by hope to ask 'how do we know that there is hope upon Morgan's hill?'�

the end?

#RutiX

Recommendations

More from Ekebuisi Ruth Chinenye