Eight years ago.
"Run! They'll catch us if we slow down. We're almost to the wall!"
Thirteen-year-old Rose tried to keep up with the two boys before her. If she fell behind, Rose knew that they could not wait for her. One mistake would have them captured.
She could hear Graham's dogs giving away their position not far behind her. The dog's ruthless calls added to her adrenaline. A mixture of fear and excitement pushed her to run as fast as she could, not stopping when her worn-out shoes opened causing the bottom of her feet to be pained by the rocky path.
"I do not want to be made a slave," said Mathias, one of the young boys she had befriended. He had been reluctant to join them in the escape, but once Rose and his friend Alexander started to run, he followed and could not stop.
Rose did not want to be turned into a slave either. To have the painful branded mark and be sold no different than an animal. The older women who were placed in the same room as her had warned Rose of where a pretty flower like herself would end up if sold.
Rose didn't like the crude jokes they told of needing to get used to serving men. Rose had been sold once before by her father. She did not want to be sold again.
Rose had a second of feeling relief as they neared the wall they were told about. A stone wall with an opening just enough for their small frames to fit through. They were smaller than other children Rose had a glimpse of as those to be sold were not fed well.
Once they made it out through the hole, they were to make their way to the port to sneak onto a boat and leave the dreaded life they had left behind.
Alexander was the first to make it to the wall, squeezing his way through to the other side while the others waited for there to be space for another to join. Once on the other side, Alexander offered his hand to Rose for her to go through next.
While he and Mathias shared the same fate as being sold as slaves, he had overheard Graham, the brothel owner,'s son speak of how special Rose was.
Rose had to get far away from this town. Away from the grimy hands of the man with his eyes set on her.
Mathias pushed Rose to the side. He had no time to wait for her to go. The dog's barks were getting louder and he could hear the curses from the men employed by Graham's father.
Mathias wasn't loved by Graham like Rose was. Should they be caught, Mathias knew the only one to go unharmed by Rose as the new girls were not to have any marks. He had watched how the men working for Graham would be careful with Rose but threw around the boys and men.
"Mathias!" Alexander called, angered that Mathias pushed Rose out of the way. Mathias didn't think this plan would work so how dare he push to get before Rose now?
Despite being angry, Alexander pulled on Mathias's arms to get him out faster.
Rose watched as Alexander struggled to get Mathias pulled to the other end. Mathias was a little too big to easily slip through the small hole.
"Get them!"
Rose turned out, terrified once more by how close the men were getting. She placed her hands on Mathias's buttocks and pushed to get him to go out.
Tears trickled down her face as Rose thought they might be caught and taken back.
"Go through," Rose said, giving it her all to push Mathias while Alexander pulled.
"I'm trying. Do not leave me," Mathias pleaded with Alexander. He wanted to be free as well.
Rose soon gave up hope that she would join in making it to the other side of the wall. Though Mathia was slipping through, Graham and the others were now quite close to them.
Rose looked to Alexander who shook his head almost like he could read her thoughts. She would be satisfied in knowing that the two got away and didn't have to suffer this cruel life. "Please come back for me one day. Promise that you will."
Rose could wait for their return. For the day they might be able to either free her by stealing her away or buying her freedom.
Alexander shook his head. "Keep pushing. You must make more effort to slide yourself through, Mathias! Rose won't make it if you don't."
Rose let go of Mathias. This wasn't going to work. The calls of Graham felt like they were right on her back. "Please promise me."
Alexander didn't want to let her go but seeing how close they were to having both Mathias and Rose captured, he nodded his head. "I promise."
"We'll come back," Mathias promised, desperate to have her run to send the men elsewhere. They mostly wanted her after all.
Rose ran to the right of the hole to lead the men away. Graham would not want to let one of the people he intended to sell get away, but he would care more about losing her. Since she arrived, Graham had not missed a moment to tell her of her worth.
Graham lost interest in the boys and followed Rose. There was no way for her to run now. "Someone get those two bastards and the rest of you, bring Rose to me. A reward will go to whoever gets her."
When he caught her and he knew he would, Graham intended to tie a rope on Rose's hands and pull her around wherever he went. He could not afford to lose her. Not only would she fetch a high price, but he wanted her.
Rose would serve as a good treat for future use.
Rose ran as fast as she could, but couldn't outrun the men chasing her this time. The distance she once had between them was long gone.
"Gotcha," came the rough voice of the man who grabbed her.
Rose squirmed, trying to fight her way out of his arms.
"Give her to me," Graham said when he caught up.
"No," Rose cried, biting her captor's hand to try one last attempt to get away. Her skin felt like it was burning when Graham held her, lifting her over his shoulders.
"Nice work," Graham applauded the man who caught her. "Now, your reward," he said, pulling a gun from his pants to shoot Rose's capturer.
Rose trembled, her body engrossed by fear. She didn't witness the kill but hearing it was enough to stop her attempts to escape. She could end up like that man should she upset Graham more than she already did.
Graham couldn't let someone who touched her live. "Throw his body for the wild animals to feast on and put out a bounty on those two," he said, watching as money slipped from his hands with the two boys running from the wall.
They were too far to make a good shot and with Rose in his hands, Graham would leave the men around him to hunt the two boys down. With his influence in the town, Graham knew he would get the two back whether dead or alive. Who was going to care for two orphans and have the risk of getting on his bad side?
"Time to go home, Rose. You have a lot of apologising to do to get back on my good side. It's a cruel world out there with people who wouldn't care for you like I do. Where did you think you would go?" Graham asked as he turned around to take her back.
Rose stayed silent. She didn't think there could be someone worse than Graham out there. From his shoulder, Rose watched as Alexander and Mathias's figures became smaller.
They had managed to get away and with them went the promise that they would return for her. Rather than be sad that she was not there with them, Rose held onto the idea that they would keep their promise and come back for her.
'Be safe,' Rose thought.