Fifty years

in an era of time where slavery was an approved trade, Naomi and her family were constrained to the Stanley's family, noble, respected. That is, until the fiftieth year. The fiftieth year was symbolic for freedom and every slave was free to leave if they wanted. 

But can Naomi and her family last till that year without things changing drastically.

She tells her story, from some time where things took a different turn from the normalcy of her life. 22years into the fifty years, 8 years to the fiftieth year.

I was running, hard. My feet crunched heavily into the snow as I maneuvered my way around the trees, clothed now in snow. I made a pause to catch my breath, Abigail had gotten it into her fair head to chase me around the forest and had instigated the snow ball fight. I let out a breathy laugh, puff of vapour billowing around my face, I couldn't say I didn't enjoy the freedom, I just needed to catch my breath.

I stood up straight from my bended position and looked around me, my lips tugging into a smile once I realized what part of the forest my feet had subconsciously brought me to. It was my favourite place in the forest and it was no wonder my feet remembered the very pattern of the forest that led here.

I remember the first time I came here, I had stumbled upon it on one of my breaks, what a place it had been and still is, it was as if the place was frozen In time and it gave one a surreal and kind of detached feeling. Even the deer were ever present, I smiled at them now and they were not scared of me, they watched me with deep brown eyes as they moved majestically across the frozen Land. That day, when I first saw this place, I received a whipping once I got back for spending some extra 45 minutes outside my break but it was worth the flogging to have spent some extra stolen 45 minutes in a place like this. 

I heard a noise behind me and I smiled, thinking Abigail had finally caught up with me. I bent down slowly and scooped a handfull of snow into my woolen palm. Molding it, I straightened up, spun around and threw the ball at her, laughing all the while. But when no returning giggle was echoed, I paused, my laughter caught in my throat. The tears that had sprung from my eyes from glee had already dried from Winter's cold fingers and i could see the person clearly.

Fear gripped me and I could not speak nor utter a sound, I moved an involuntary step back. It was no Abigail I had hit but a stranger. Much worse, I had hit a man.