Murderville Page 0,15
what was happening to him. The sounds of the others’ cries and sniffles overwhelmed the room. Ms. Beth and her traffickers preyed on the weak and homeless in third world countries, assuming no one would look for them, which worked in her favor. A’shai would soon be trafficked through Mexico and that’s where his fate would be decided. He called for Liberty as blood continued to drip from his face. Rather than feeling sorry for himself, he worried about her.
“Liberty!!!” he yelled at the top of his lungs as he dropped to his knees.
A’shai’s stomach rumbled as he clenched it tightly. He sat balled in the corner as he sniffled, wiping his runny nose with his hand. It had been three days and he had yet to receive any food. The damp, dark deck was full of feces and vomit from the severe conditions. The first couple of days A’shai heard children crying and begging for mercy but the cries eventually turned into moans and grumbles. The swaying of the ship only added to the torture as they waited to reach their destination. A’shai regretted betraying his father and replayed the scenario in his head a thousand times, wishing he would have thought of a better way to save Liberty than the one he opted for. A’shai wondered what Liberty was going through just a deck above him. For some reason, he felt like Liberty’s protector. Their souls connected and it was something that his young mind couldn’t fully understand. He just knew for sure that he was supposed to keep her safe. It killed him inside that he was no longer able to. Although A’shai rarely thought about his deceased mother, his mind began to think about her. He saw an image of her when he closed his eyes and her beautiful face was smiling, which gave A’shai a brief moment of happiness. A’shai felt that he would die soon, so his short life was flashing before him. Liberty and his mother had the same skin tone, same smile, and the same piercing eyes. A’shai’s mother died five years earlier of malaria and ever since then it was only A’shai and his disciplinarian father.
Weak and parched from extreme thirst, A’shai mustered what strength he had left and got on his knees. He put both hands together. “Please God, help us. Help us get out of this bad place. Please watch over Liberty and keep her safe. Amen,” A’shai whispered as he looked up at the white light. Is this what heaven looks like? A’shai asked himself as the light shined down on him. It was too bright to see anything but white, and he knew that he was approaching death.
“Everybody out!” a guard yelled as he stood in the door, blocking the light. That’s when A’shai realized that he wasn’t dying, but the soldier had opened the door letting in sunlight. The soldier had a gun in hand as he barked orders telling everyone to hurry up. It was as if he was a sheepherder and the children were his cattle. Everybody scrambled to get to the door as the soldier stood by handing out bread as each person exited. A’shai was the last one in line to exit, and the soldier focused on him. It was the same soldier that slashed his face. The soldier smiled as he saw A’shai walk slowly while gripping his stomach in agony. A’shai’s face had bloodstains on it, and the wound had slightly scabbed over.
“Your big mouth isn’t so big now, huh?” the soldier said as he dropped the last piece of bread on the floor. He wanted to humiliate A’shai and let him know who was boss. A’shai looked at the soldier and then at the piece of bread on the floor. He wanted to step over the bread and keep walking to hold onto his dignity, but the hunger pains wouldn’t allow him to. A’shai slowly bent down and began to gobble up the bread, stuffing the whole slice into his mouth. The soldier put his hand on his slight gut and began to laugh at A’shai’s animalistic actions. Although A’shai was not in a position to say anything, he vowed that he would get revenge if the opportunity ever presented itself.
“That’s right! Eat off the floor, you filth, and come to the deck when you’re finished. We are almost to our destination,” the guard said as he left A’shai there kneeling on the floor.
The bright lights nearly blinded Liberty