A bruised and battered piece of meat, I struggle to regain consciousness after my beating. A warm, sticky wetness makes mud under my cheek. My ears ring. Through eyes swollen nearly shut, I make out rifle barrels prodding lifeless Slave Patrol bodies near me.
Blurry feet move closer. I groan and tense for the gunshot. The coup de grâce never comes. Instead, I stifle a whimper as a knife grazes my hand. It cuts through my bonds. Strong hands help me to sit up.
A Black woman leans close, “Harriet Tubman sends her regards. You free ta come wid us.”
Free.
Historic fiction in 101 words, well done!
So pleased this resonated with you, Sally. Thanks for reading.
Superb; distills history down to a bite-sized chunk in an emotionally engaging way. Well done!
Thanks for reading and for sharing your impressions, Alastair. I appreciate you!
Excellent read with vivid emotions that captured a terrible moment in history… that thankfully ended in freedom… well done…
Thanks for reading and for sharing your thoughts, Valli. I appreciate you!
Dear friend, powerfully and painfully written. The shame and KARMA are staggering. Yes, we can’t change what happened, but it is high time that these truths finally show up in our education system.
Keep sharing your powerful messages!??
Oct 17, 2021 Annie
Thanks for reading and for sharing your thoughts, Anne. I appreciate you, my friend!
Powerful write. DeRicki!
Thanks so much for giving this a read, Eileen. Pleased it resonated with you!
Thanks for reading, Eileen. I appreciate you!
Superb. Such a powerful piece of writing.
So pleased it resonated with you, Jean. Thanks for reading!
Unexpected ending. Very much liked it.
So pleased you enjoyed the read, Michael. I appreciate you!
Finally!!! The human side of history. Though the phrase, “coup de grâce,” was jarring for my expectation of the educational level of a slave.
Maybe he/she wasn’t a slave…
Excellent.