It felt like we had been in this cell for days even though it had been only a few hours. We were all stressed and angry and tearful at times. We kept trying to reassure each other that our loved ones and friends weren’t dead. My head was full of possible scenarios of why we were captured. I kept trying to think positive thoughts but my mind kept wondering back to the awful possibility that our friends weren’t as lucky as we were. That they were dead back at the campsite. Then, suddenly I pictured Aleece in that cabin all alone. No one there to help her. I sat down and cried.
He wasn’t at all what I thought our captor would look like. I was expecting someone, big and ugly, with a nasty black smile. He wasn’t like that at all. He walked into the room nicely dressed, confident and handsome. He was holding a tray of food. The first thing he said was “Good morning ladies. My name is Mathias. Welcome to Alexandria City. Sorry about the accommodations.”
We started yelling at him all at once. Why are we here? Where are our friends? He told us to relax he could only answer us one at a time. He pointed to me so I asked my question. Where is Aleece? He looked a little confused. She’s a baby-Blond hair, wearing a pink dress.
Mathias looked at me with those big brown eyes and that shiny white smile. “Oh right, …I’m selling her to the Shakers. Don’t worry she is going to a wonderful tribe. They don’t believe in sex. Can’t have children of their own. So, they buy orphans.”
I tried to reach thru the bars to ring his neck but my arms were too short. “She is not an orphan. She belongs to me.”
“Not any more. I’m getting a good price for her.” He assured me that Aleece would lead a wonderful life, have plenty of food, schooling and an excellent religious upbringing.
And then………and he said this with a smile, that we were being sold to a tribe that needed women. He said I would have plenty of opportunity to have more children.
Hemy went ballistic then. She said it was illegal to buy and sell people and she said she already had a husband. Mathias played dumb. He said he didn’t know anything about Matt, Jonas, Tony, Pete, Joshua or Scat. He said he had advertised for women. Little Aleece was a bonus. Oh and he said that it wasn’t illegal to buy and sell people in Alexandria City. Apparently, the slave trade is alive and well is this part of the country.
I begged to see Aleece. I promised Mathias that I would do anything he asked. If I could just see her for a moment. He smiled that smile and said “NO” but he did say that if I could get my buyer to pay for Aleece I could have her back.