I want to experience the emotion that Odette and her friend seem to. There was complete sorrow, when Odette was thrown carelessly in, which is the one emotion I've seemed to be stuck in for the past two years of my life.

There's been laughter, there's been anger... And some sort of tender emotion that's different from anything I've ever seen before.

I want all of those emotions. Even anger. You can argue about whether that's a good or bad thing- wanting to be angry- but mostly I'm just curious about how it feels.

You'd think I have had plenty of experience being more than angry at my uncle but oddly, now that I honk about it, I never have.

I guess the constant fear, heartache, and confusion was so strong that there was never any room for anger.

Watching Odette and her friend is an experience like no other, as odd as that may sound. To my surprise, I've been smiling more in this prison with the two of them than I have in... Forever. I don't remember the last time I smiled.

We had all gotten a little bit of sleep but, well, we're awake again.

School was my way of keeping up with the passage of time. Now that that's gone, I'm so thrown off, I don't even try to figure what time of day-or night- it might be.

Odette is marching around her friend and they appear to be sternly talking to each other again. It's not really anger this time... Something else I can't put my finger on.

I don't think the realize I'm awake. I'm watching them, still lying in the ground, wishing with all my heart that I could hear what they're saying. That I could respond. That I could be some sort of help in finding Mommy and getting her home again.

Forbidden tears poke their way over my eyelids at the thought of Mom. All this time... She's been here? While my uncle claimed she had walked out on me like I was an old empty food tray?

I don't remember Mom ever leaving the house, nor do I remember slave traders ever coming to our village so how-?

Unless...

Oh, no.

I sit up suddenly and feel air slip up my throat. Some audible sound must've escaped me because the two others turn the heads the moment I'm sitting up. Sobs immediately begin shaking me and I shake my head repeatedly.

Odette immediately rushes over to me the way Mother would whenever I fell down and scraped my knee.

She must not have the signs to ask me the dreaded question, "What's wrong?"

So instead, she sets me in her lap and holds me close. Stroking my head. She says something to Chris and out of the corner of my eye, I see him shrug.

I try not to think but the more I try to stop the thoughts the more they storm my brain. Squeezing my eyes tight, I try to deny what my head is screaming must be true.

My uncle sold my mother- his own sister- off to be a slave.

There's nothing that points to that being true... Is there?

Then the last night mother and I were home together comes back.

My uncle and mother were heading out the hut. Half asleep, I had wearily asked where they were going. My uncle replied... That they simple had some business to take care of.

I bury myself further into Odette's chest, trying to imagine that she is Mom.

Taking in a deep breath, I try to calm myself.

Although it might not seem hard to believe that my uncle could be the reason Mother ever went missing in the first place, I refuse to accuse him of such a thing just because I thought it possible...

But if I don't accuse him...

Just as I'm calming down, the tears flow again...

Either my uncle did sell my mother to these slave owners or she did walk out on me. Then found herself here later.

I reposition my head so that my face is no longer buried in Odette's chest and I can see her friend.

I've soaked her shirt to the bone and I feel really bad. She's probably already note uncomfortable then I've really ever been, since she's used to nice clean shirts and all.

I suddenly feel Odete stiffen and slowly unwrap her arms from around me. I crawl out of her lap while turning around slowly to see one of the men standing there. As a I glance at the boy, I swear a little bead of sweat rolls down his cheek.

What's to become of us?

Or maybe the real question, I think as I look back at the man, is what's to become of Odette?

The man is studying her with a hard gaze. She swallows hard and I watch the lump travel down her throat.

He stalks over to the three of us. Jerking suddenly, he grabs the boy by one of his arms and looks him up and down. Harshly, he throws his arm down and moves onto Odette. She sets her face in stone as the man examines her. The man smirks and out of nowhere, slaps her face with the back of his hand. She catches herself before her head makes contact with the ground.

Finally, he makes his way over to me. I feel exposed as he looks me up and down like I'm a chicken in the marketplace. Suddenly, he grabs the neck of my dress and pulls me off the ground. I feel a gasp escape my throat and beg myself not to cry.

The man smirks again and continues to hold me like that, my legs dangling above the ground. Then turns to look over his shoulder and throws me back into the ground.

I didn't realize how weak I'm getting until the impact from his throw almost manages to pull me from consciousness.

When my vision clears, there's another man standing next to the first. They're just talking and pointing at all three of us.

It seems an eternity until one the men finally start tying us up. One of them takes Odette and I, each in one hand. The other takes Chris.

We're taken our separate ways.

My life hasn't been the best up until this point. I never imagined it click get worse.

How little I knew of what horrors the world still had in store.

Little did I know Odette and I are headed to a living nightmare.