Meet Your Master Ch. 01

She shivered, staring out at the crowd before her. They were mostly rough looking men, and the thought of going home with any of them nearly frightened her to death. She had heard the stories for years, and now she was about to experience it. "Oh Lord," she asked in her mind, "Why? Why?"

Her life had been different only a week before. She had lived in New England as a free black woman. It wasn't a perfect life, and she certainly wasn't equal to the whites, but it was a life that a slave would dream of. She had learned to read and write and had gotten an education. She taught at an all black school and went to church every Sunday.

That evening she had been walking home later than usual from a meeting with a woman's group at the church. They had spent the night drinking tea and putting together quilts, laughing and telling stories from earlier that day. By the time she left, it had become dark outside. She had been nervous walking alone in the dark but was getting closer to her house and began to relax. No sooner had she began to feel calmer, when an arm wrapped around her waist and a hand covered her mouth before she could scream. She struggled against the stranger, trying her best to get away, but it was useless. The person behind her was a man who weighed twice as much as she. She tried biting his hand, but was shocked to receive a hard slap across her face. He continued to drag her towards a wagon that seemed to be waiting for them. Many days later, several other blacks from her town, as well as others picked up along the way and were brought somewhere in the Deep South. She didn't even know what state she was in. But did it really matter now? Here she was, on a stage, no, make that an auction block, soon to become a slave.

Jacob stood silently among the group of hollering men. He felt uncomfortable and very out of place. He had always tried to avoid this scene and had been sickened by the institution of slavery but now here he was, ready to buy a human being. He was no better than the rowdy, sick men around him. He was working very long hours as he had been assigned the sheriff's deputy. At the end of a long day, he just wanted to go home and fall asleep. But his horses, pigs and chickens needed tending to, his house was a mess, and he was barely able to put together meals to feed himself. He decided to get a young man, about his age to help out with the chores. He figured it could be good company as well. There would be someone to smoke with out on the porch and play a game of cards every once in a while.

Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted from catcalls and whistles throughout the crowd. That was when he saw her. The sight of her took his breath away; she was absolutely beautiful. She was a young black woman, probably in her early twenties. She had golden brown skin and dark curly hair. It was much straighter than most black peoples'. He guessed she might be the product of a slave and her master. Unfortunately, it was a common occurrence here in the South. He looked at her closer, observing her petite body with perfect curves. Her dress hugged her small waist and fell down to her ankles. However, on top, it was not so modest. A large rip ran from the neck to her chest, exposing the curve of her heaving breasts. She seemed frightened and that she had been roughed up quite a bit before hand. Poor girl.

The bidding had begun. Men around Jacob began hollering out prices. He could only imagine what this woman would have to endure from them. Because she was light skinned for her race, she was sure to work in the house, but he knew that this only brought her closer to the filthy men's bedrooms. She would be raped and beaten. He didn't want to imagine that happening to her. She was just looked so sweet and beautiful, and soon he realized he wanted her under his own roof. So much for his original plan.

He began to hear himself blurt out numbers along side the others. Though the temptation was strong, the price began to rise too high for most of the men. Before Jacob knew it, the slave auctioneer had pointed to him and yelled, "Sold!"

Jacob swallowed and looked up at her. Their eyes met briefly and he felt an odd feeling run though out his entire body. "Remember," he told himself, "she's just to help you around the house." He walked towards the stage to retrieve her and bring her home.

***

Nervously Raven looked down at the man walking in front of her. She sat upon his horse as he walked in front, leading them down the dusty road. He hadn't said a single word to her yet. She observed him from the back as they continued their path. He was tall, with short dark hair and quite muscular. She guessed him to be in his mid twenties. When she had looked out at the crowd while on the stage, every man's face had seemed so frightening, but this man's was different. He had dark eyes that were mysterious, but at the same time, comforting. When he had retrieved her from the stage he didn't say a word, but looked at her in an odd way as if to stay he wasn't going to harm her. Though he was a complete stranger, she believed him. She couldn't help but blush, and feel quite uncomfortable as she found the man to be very attractive.

"Well, we're finally here" were his first words to her. Raven focused back on the present and looked in front of her to see a small white house, a barn, several animals out front and many acres of land. Jacob led her and the horse to the barn into one of the stalls. He came around to help her off the horse, but immediately regretted it when he found his hands around her small waist. Her back was to him as she slowly slid down the side of the animal. Standing merely an inch away from each other, he didn't immediately release his hands. "Aw, hell," he thought to himself. He was tempted slide his hands upwards and explore beneath the large rip in her dress and bodice and touch her dark skin. Surely he was entitled after saving her from the other men. He wondered what color her nipples would be and what they would taste like. He thought to himself she was his property now, and rationalized to himself that he had the right to take her right there.

Raven shivered as she felt the man's strong hands around her waist, feeling his warm breath on her neck. No man had stood this close to her with his hands on her before. Nervously, she closed her eyes in anticipation as to what was going to happen next. His hands began moving inches upwards towards her rib cage, and then suddenly he let go.

"Come on," he said in a raspy voice. She turned to see him walking away from her. "I'll show you the house. I'm sure you're hungry and would like to get some sleep."

"My name is Raven, sir. What is yours?" she called after him, standing still.

He paused without turning around. "Jacob. I'm Jacob. Come on, it's starting to get dark outside."

Silently Raven followed him, scared and uncertain of what her new life would have in store for her.