NINE YEARS AGO.........
Run!! They will catch us if we slow down, we are close to the wall!
Thirteen-year-old belle tried to keep up with the boy and girl in front of her. If she fell behind, belle knew that she will get caught, one mistake would have them all captured.
She could hear Rubin's dogs giving away their positions not to far behind her. The dog's ruthless barks added to her adrenaline. A huge wave of fear pushed her to run as fast as she could, not stopping even when her worn out shoes opened up, causing the bottom of her feet to be torn by the rocky path.
"I do not want to want to be sold a slave," said Maya, belles half sister. She had being reluctant to join them in their escape, but once Belle and her friend Alex started to run, she immediately joined them and could not stop until they had made it over the wall.
Belle did not want to be turned into a slave either, to be branded and sold no different than an animal. The older women who were placed in the same room as her ,had warned belle of where a pretty girl like her self would end up if she were to be sold.
Belle dislike the disgusting jokes they told of needing to get used to serving men, she had been abandoned once before by her father, and she didn't want to be sold .
Belle felt a little relief as they neared the wall they were told about, a stone wall with a little opening just enough for the small bodies to go through, they were smaller than the other children belle had seen, as those to be sold, were not fed well.
Once they made it out through the hole on the wall, they were to make their way to a sanctuary owned buy the kingdom , they could finally leave this dreaded place for good.
Alex was the first to make his way through the wall, squeezing his way through to the other side while the others waited for him to move so they can have space to go through. Once he had gone to the other side he offered his hand to belle for her to go through next.
While he and Maya shared the same fate of being sold as slaves , he had overhead Rubin, the brothel owner's son talk of how special and unique belle was.
Alex knew that belle had to get as far away as possible from the clutches of Rubin who had already set his eyes and full attention on her.
Alex was offering his hands to belle, when Maya pushed her out of the way and to the side, She had no patience to wait for her to go through. The dog's barks were getting louder and louder , they seemed so close and she could hear the curses from the men who worked for Rubin's father.
Maya wasn't loved by Rubin like belle was. Should they be caught, Maya knew the only one to go unharmed was going to be belle as she was already being favored by Rubin, she had seen and noticed how the men working for Rubin treat belle not as harsh as they did the other children.
"Maya !! Alex screamed, angered that Maya pushed belle out of the way, Maya didn't think this plan would work so how dare her push to cross over before belle?
Despite how angry he was, Alex had to pull Maya's arm to get her out faster so belle could come through.
Belle watched anxiously as Alex struggled to get Maya pulled to the other side of the wall. Maya was a little big making it hard to squeeze throug the hole.
"Get them!! Rubin ordered.
Belle turned to glance behind her, terrified once more by how close the men were getting, she placed her hands on Maya's buttocks and pushed with all her strength to get her out and over to the other side.
Tears trickled down her face as belle thought they might be caught and taken back to be sold as a slave.
"Please go through, Belle said , giving it her all as she pushed Maya while Alex pulled from the other side.
"I'm trying to get through, please do not leave me ," Maya pleaded to Alex, she wanted to be free as well.
Belle soon gave up hope that she would join in making it to the other side of the wall. Though Maya was slipping through, but Rubin and the other men were already very close to them.
Belle looked to Alex who shook his head as tears trickled down his eyes almost like he knew what she was thinking, she would be satisfied knowing her sister and best friend made it out and didn't have to suffer such a cruel life. Please come back for me one day, I will be waiting , promise me that you will.
Belle said to her self that she will wait for their return, they might return to steal her from this place or buy her freedom and she was willing to wait on them.
Alex shook his head as tears streamed down his cheeks," keep pushing .You must make more effort so you can also slide yourself through." Maya! Belle won't make it if you don't, so try to push yourself too.
Belle let go of Maya," this isn't going to work." The voices of the men felt like they were right behind her .Please promise me you will come back.
Alex couldn't bear the thought of letting her go, but seeing how close they were to having both Maya and Belle captured, he nodded his head." I promise."
"We will come back," Maya said. desperate to have her run to send the men elsewhere. They mostly wanted her after all, so she should be the one giving her self up, Maya thought, but she did not dare to say it out loud.
Belle ran to the other side of the wall to lead the men away , Rubin would not want to let go of his merchandise, but he would care more about loosing belle, Rubin never missed a chance to tell her how precious and special she was .
Rubin lost interest in the other two and followed belle, there was no way for her to escape now. "someone get those two bastards ",bring them to me and the rest of you, bring my sweet belle to me, A reward to whoever brings her forth.
Belle ran as fast as she could ,but couldn't outrun the men chasing her." Gotcha ,said the rough voice of the man who forcefully grabbed her.
Belle squirmed ,trying her best to fight her way out of his arms." Nooooo , belle cried as she bit the man's hand. The man handed her to Rubin, he picked her up and lifted her over his shoulders.
"Nice work, Now for your reward" ,Rubin said as he pulled out a gun and shot the man that brought belle to him.
Belle trembled ,her body engrossed by fear. she didn't witness the killing but she heard it, and that was enough to stop her attempt and thought of escaping. should she upset Rubin more than she already did, she could end up like that man.
Rubin couldn't let a man that had laid his hands on belle live ," feed his body to the wild dogs and put a bounty on the other two that got away", with his influence Rubin thought he would get the two back whether dead or alive. Who in their right mind would care for two orphans and take the risk of getting on his bad side?
"Time to go home my darling, Rubin said as he referred to belle, You have a lot of apologizing to do, It's a cruel world out there, no one would care for you like I do, where did you think you would go, no one would want to take an orphan in," Rubin said to belle as he turned to leave.
Belle stayed silent as she gazed into the part were Maya and Alex figure's had disappeared into.
They had managed to get away, all she had to do was wait for their return and for them to keep their promise of saving her from this dreadful place.