Escaping Them

As my mom is tucking me in, I cannot help but wonder what is wrong. All day mom has been acting weird, and I can see the bruises forming on her arm showing that she got in trouble at some point. She has always told me it is very important to always obey and do what I am told. As mom settles down next to me, I start to ask her what is wrong, but she speaks before I can even open my mouth.

"Bast, do you know why I named you that?" mom asks out of nowhere.

"You named me after the Egyptian goddess of protection and good health," I answer, turning so I can look at her only to see her staring at the hole in the rock ceiling above us that lets in a nice cool breeze.

"Yes, that is who I named you after, but do you know why?" she asks, turning her head to look at me before turning completely to face me. I shake my head no and start to worry as I see the fear in her eyes. "I named you that because I wanted her to look out for you and protect you."

"I do not see how naming me that would protect me," I say, ready to be done with the conversation that was not making much sense.

“I know you do not, dear. I just want you to be safe,” mom says, reaching out and brushing some of my long hair off my face.

“We are safe, mom. We have a place to sleep and food and water every day. You heard what the men say the outside is like,” I say, feeling extremely confused with the direction this conversation is going.

“We are not safe,” my mom says, making my eyes widen. “I should have told you about all of this a long time ago.”

“Mom?” I ask, sitting up as she sits up. “What are you talking about?”

“Come with me,” my mom says, moving further away from all the other women who are sleeping. I hesitate before moving after her. She always told me that we are not allowed to be up and moving around after bedtime is called. I follow her to a small alcove that the women tend to use for talking to each other without anyone overhearing as it is somewhat hidden. When I get there, I see her digging at a spot of loose rock and cannot help but look around in worry.

“Mom, we need to return to our cots,” I say, starting to back away, but my mom suddenly turns and grabs a hold of me.

“Sit down,” mom says, pulling me fully into the alcove. I hesitate again before sitting down as far from the opening as I can to be hidden from view. Mom turns back to what she was doing and pulls out a small leather pouch before turning to where I am sitting. “I want you to look closely at the item inside this pouch.”

I slowly take the pouch from mom and look around me again. After I am sure no one else is around and awake, I slowly and carefully open the pouch before tipping it over my hand. I frown when something small, hard, cold falls onto my hand. I set the pouch to the side before looking down at the item in my hand and am surprised to see a golden heart-shaped locket. I hold it up close to my face to see the details that are carved into it and notice a very intricate carving of roses. I glance over at mom after lowering it back down. I open it to see a picture of my mom with a man I have never seen before.

“Who is this?” I ask, running my finger over the image carefully.

“That is your dad,” mom says, which makes me quickly look up at her and almost drop the locket. After getting a better hold on the locket, I look down at the picture again. “I made sure to hide this when they brought us here, because they would have taken it.”

“Why would they take it? It is yours, not theirs.” I glance up at mom but cannot help but continue looking at the picture as if looking at it would make him suddenly appear in front of me.

“These people and the people we were with before them are not as nice as you think. They keep women as slaves and sell them off when they no longer want them.”

“What are you walking about mom?”

“Do you remember when Emma was suddenly gone last week?”

“Yeah, everyone said she got sick and could not recover.”

“They sold her off because she could no longer have children.”

“What are you walking about, mom? Emma only just lost her baby after she had that accident on the stairs.”

“When she fell, she injured herself internally. She can no longer have babies, so she is no longer needed. The chief sold her to someone who could use her for cooking and cleaning.”

“Why are you telling me all of this now? You said it yourself that I should have known sooner.”

“I am telling you this right now because your birthday is coming up way too fast.”

“What does that have to do with all of this?”

“Once you are sixteen, they will take you to a new place and keep you locked up there. We may never see each other again.”

“Why would they take me somewhere else?”

“They will make you a breeder?”

“A what?”

“They will use you to have children, and when you can no longer have children, they will move you back here.”

“That means we will see each other again.”

“Dear, the only reason they have not sold me off yet is that they wanted me to raise you.”

After she says that, I can feel the reality of the situation sinking in, and I cannot stop the tears from coming to my eyes. I glance at the locket one more time before shutting it and holding it back out to mom. She gives me a small smile before pushing my hand against my chest.

“I want you to take it with you.” I cannot help but give her a confused look before I look back down at the heart-shaped locket in my hand.

“You just said they will take it from me. It will be safer here with you.”

“They will not have a chance to take it from you because you will not be going to that room.” I quickly glance around the room again before locking eyes with mom, and I can see the seriousness in her eyes that just confuses me more. “I talked to someone who is going to help you get out of here.”

“What? When are we leaving?”

“Not us. You.” I go to answer her but the look she gives me makes me stop. “He can only take one of us with him, and I am not leaving you here to go to that room.”

“Who is this person you are talking about? Why can he not take both of us?”

“He is going to be escaping himself, so it is not safe for there to be three of us.”

“How do you know we can trust him? Why can we not just try and escape ourselves?”

“He is a drifter that has done this many times before.”

“Then he can take the both of us.”

“Bast, listen to me. I am not going with you. You are getting out of here without me.”

“I cannot leave you, mom.”

“Yes you can, and you are. Now, come on. I need to get you ready.”

“What are you talking about?”

Instead of answering me, mom leaves the alcove and walks back over to where our cots are located. I quickly follow her and cannot help but glance at where all the other girls are still fast asleep.

“They will not be waking up anytime soon.” I look at mom in disbelief after she says this and cannot help but step back from her. “Do not worry. I did not hurt them. I just made sure they will not wake up while you are escaping.”

“How am I getting out of here? You know men are sitting outside the door.”

“You will soon find out. I need you to change out of those clothes and put these on.”

I frown when mom hands me a pair of pants and a button-up shirt. I have seen one of the men that frequently visit the kitchen wear these, but we were never allowed to wear anything other than a dress. I hope she does not get in trouble for taking these. I cannot help but gasp when the next thing mom holds out a backpack that is stuffed full of things.

“Mom, how did you get all of this?”

“I have been slowly gathering items for a week now. This bag is yours, and this one you need to give to the guy helping you escape.”

“Is this why you have been getting into so much trouble lately? There is no way they have not noticed all of this going missing.”

“I did what I had to do. Now, get yourself ready.”

I get ready to say something to her when there is suddenly a sound coming from above us. I look up towards the hole in the ceiling in time to see some small rocks rain down. The next thing I know, a dark shadow falls over part of the hole and a rope drops down.

“Grab the rope quickly,” a male voice says from above as mom pushes me towards the rope.

“Mom, I do not want to leave you,” I say as mom pulls me into a tight hug. After she pulls back, she grabs the locket from where I had laid it down and fastens it around my neck.

“I will always be with you no matter what, in your heart. He has promised to take you to a hidden village where our kind can live as equals with men. Now, go and be free.”.

“Mom, I cannot leave you. I will not leave you.” I try to step forward and grab her, but she is suddenly tying the rope around me once I am close enough.

“Pull her up and go.” I frown and try to untie the rope but cannot get to where she tied it and am suddenly pulled up into the air.

“Mom.” I cry out, reaching out towards her, but I am being pulled up way too quickly and have to change how I am hanging to keep from hitting my head on the edge of the opening. I look around and gasp as I take in how it looks outside. I am so sidetracked that I do not notice the man untying me.

“Come on,” I barely catch the man saying as I am suddenly pulled up to stand.

“I never knew it was so big out here,” I say as I turn towards the man and start to follow him. I flinch when he suddenly turns and clamps his hand over my mouth.

“I need you to stay quiet until I say so, or we will never make it out of here. Now, stick close to me and do what I do,” the man says before letting me go and walking away. I take one last glance back towards the hole where I left mom and wipe a tear off my cheek before following the man. After we have made it a safe distance away and out into the barren landscape, the man stops.

“We will rest here,” the man says. I quickly sit down and clutch the last thing mom ever gave me tightly.

“Will I ever see her again?”

“Most likely not."