The Diary of a Slave

“Hurry up, lazy layabouts!” The Desert Mining Camp owner sternly said, cracking his whip onto me, my friend and someone new. “Remember – its 100 stone of coal by noon or you know what happens.” Our new person struggled, prospecting the rock, curious on how he was going to do it. We might have enough experience to tackle coal, but he had neither enough experience nor strong enough tool – A wooden pickaxe is unlikely to be able to crack into a coal rock. But he didn’t complain; he too knew what would happen, even though it was only his second day of slavery. Throughout two years of slavery, I and my friends had been together attempted to escape countless times, yet still we haven’t given up.
“Wish I was dead…” I heard the new guy mutter underneath the sound of the whip on my sore, red, bleeding back. I stood up, and stopped mining. If the mining camp boss was deaf, I would have jumped for joy and blurted out my idea. He may not be deaf – But if my idea worked, not only would I escape, but I would make him deaf – Can’t hear when your dead, can you?
“What’s wrong, chicken head? Decided you can’t do it?” He mockingly said, naturally whipping my weak back. I dramatically fell to the ground, playing dead. He rolled his eyes. “Chuck the girl into the desert, a dead body isn’t any use here!” He summoned two men with a stretcher – My plan had worked! I panicked as they carried me away, worrying whether they would realise I was alive. Or maybe my friend didn’t understand, and I would be out in the desert alone. Or whether she didn’t tell the new guy, and he would be punished severely because he couldn’t mine mithril! But I came to my senses, knowing it would be OK.
Soon, my friend came running out with a whip and a pack full of several days’ supplies. The new guy came, holding several assortments of weaponry, armour and about a day’s supplies.
“What happened?” I asked, concerned.
“Hammers have their uses.” The new guy smiled.
“Dead or unconscious?” I asked.
“It depends how strong they are.” My friend spoke. “It should be safe for you to quickly go in and grab something, before they awake.”
“OK, I’ll grab arrows, maybe a staff, whatever I find I suppose!” And I ran off.
“Go for it!” They both called after me. I ran into the place I’ve been two years of my life and searched. I ran into something. Actually, I ran into someone.
“Hello, Rallaci. It’s nice to have you back.” The guard smiled proudly as he spoke. “Sweet dreams.” He continued, as another guard’s blackjack met my head.