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Authors: Cordelia Sands
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the hard bench, the clatter of iron fetters following her. Her hands, trembling wildly, found a secure home tightly clasped in her lap. The venom that dripped from her words terrified her; never had she been so cutting, so vicious. What was this place doing to her? Oh, God, was she becoming so base, so animalistic in such a short time that she would completely forget what is was like to be that carefree girl from New Orleans who dreamed? That girl who lost herself in books and fantasized about heroes and romance?
Sabine watched for several moments as Arianna stormed off and planted herself in front of the door, and a lump of regret lodged firmly in her throat. Certainly she was no better than a guttersnipe; one of those filthy street urchins she saw darting about the marketplace streets picking pockets and taunting the merchants. She was no longer the proper young lady Mama had raised…and it frightened her.
“I’m sorry, Arianna,” Sabine spoke up quietly in an effort to make amends, ignoring Patsy’s sharp warning look. “I’m sorry if I said anything to hurt your feelings.”
“But I don’t belong here,” Arianna attempted to plead her case once again. “I’m a respectable girl from a respectable family.”
“Then what were you doin’ in the waterfront district,” the older woman grunted from her shadowed corner.
“I – I wasn’t there,” she cried out in denial. “I wasn’t!”
“She was probably – “
“Stop it,” Sabine cut Patsy off sharply. Her voice was shrill with exasperation. “It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter who she is or who we are or where we come from. I don’t know where I am or even where I’m headed. I’m scared,” she admitted, her voice breaking as she desperately fought back the despised tears that built up behind her eyes. “And I want to go home.”
“I know where we’re headin’,” Patsy said, more subdued, her voice softening. She slowly counted the destinations off on each finger. “Cuba, Mexico, South America.”
Sabine gasped incredulously, her hand flying to her breast. Surely what she was hearing was only her imagination!
But it was true – horribly and terribly true. The pitiful wails of the cell’s two silent women only confirmed the reality that Sabine desperately wanted to deny.
“Liar,” Arianna shot out . “You’re saying those things just to frighten us.”
“Believe what you want,” Patsy said airily as she twirled a finger through her hair. But her voice lowered conspiratorially when she continued. “White slavery. Illegal slavery. That’s what all this is. I ain’t no fool. I hear word on the streets, especially livin’ on the docks and all. And I intend to use this opportunity. Sellin’ us off for cash. Some’ll work on the plantations. Some of us’ll be going to those fancy whorehouses in Brazil. I’m hopin’ some rich young planter will scoop me up. Make a real lady out of me, you know?”
Arianna jerked her head around furiously, her mouth slack with disbelief. Leaping to her feet, she threw herself against the barred door.
“I want out of here now,” she shouted loudly into the darkness. “I demand to see the gentleman who heads this ship.”
Sabine watched the young woman who furiously shook at the bars, and she felt nothing except the beating of her heart and the fierce wave that crashed over her soul, destroying every fiber of emotion she clung to. Fortune had spun her wheel, and they were all losers – all the women in this cell, on this ship. Their lots had been cast.
“What’s yer problem?” the same hulking giant demanded as he appeared before them.
“I demand to see your captain,” Arianna stated firmly with a toss of her head.
“Changed yer mind, eh,” he questioned with interest and dug out his ring of keys. “Thought you’d be wantin’ to scratch that itch of yers after a while.”
“I wish to speak with
Sabine watched for several moments as Arianna stormed off and planted herself in front of the door, and a lump of regret lodged firmly in her throat. Certainly she was no better than a guttersnipe; one of those filthy street urchins she saw darting about the marketplace streets picking pockets and taunting the merchants. She was no longer the proper young lady Mama had raised…and it frightened her.
“I’m sorry, Arianna,” Sabine spoke up quietly in an effort to make amends, ignoring Patsy’s sharp warning look. “I’m sorry if I said anything to hurt your feelings.”
“But I don’t belong here,” Arianna attempted to plead her case once again. “I’m a respectable girl from a respectable family.”
“Then what were you doin’ in the waterfront district,” the older woman grunted from her shadowed corner.
“I – I wasn’t there,” she cried out in denial. “I wasn’t!”
“She was probably – “
“Stop it,” Sabine cut Patsy off sharply. Her voice was shrill with exasperation. “It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter who she is or who we are or where we come from. I don’t know where I am or even where I’m headed. I’m scared,” she admitted, her voice breaking as she desperately fought back the despised tears that built up behind her eyes. “And I want to go home.”
“I know where we’re headin’,” Patsy said, more subdued, her voice softening. She slowly counted the destinations off on each finger. “Cuba, Mexico, South America.”
Sabine gasped incredulously, her hand flying to her breast. Surely what she was hearing was only her imagination!
But it was true – horribly and terribly true. The pitiful wails of the cell’s two silent women only confirmed the reality that Sabine desperately wanted to deny.
“Liar,” Arianna shot out . “You’re saying those things just to frighten us.”
“Believe what you want,” Patsy said airily as she twirled a finger through her hair. But her voice lowered conspiratorially when she continued. “White slavery. Illegal slavery. That’s what all this is. I ain’t no fool. I hear word on the streets, especially livin’ on the docks and all. And I intend to use this opportunity. Sellin’ us off for cash. Some’ll work on the plantations. Some of us’ll be going to those fancy whorehouses in Brazil. I’m hopin’ some rich young planter will scoop me up. Make a real lady out of me, you know?”
Arianna jerked her head around furiously, her mouth slack with disbelief. Leaping to her feet, she threw herself against the barred door.
“I want out of here now,” she shouted loudly into the darkness. “I demand to see the gentleman who heads this ship.”
Sabine watched the young woman who furiously shook at the bars, and she felt nothing except the beating of her heart and the fierce wave that crashed over her soul, destroying every fiber of emotion she clung to. Fortune had spun her wheel, and they were all losers – all the women in this cell, on this ship. Their lots had been cast.
“What’s yer problem?” the same hulking giant demanded as he appeared before them.
“I demand to see your captain,” Arianna stated firmly with a toss of her head.
“Changed yer mind, eh,” he questioned with interest and dug out his ring of keys. “Thought you’d be wantin’ to scratch that itch of yers after a while.”
“I wish to speak with
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