Cilla’s POV
By the time I finished hand washing and hanging all the uniforms, I was exhausted. It was like I had walked thousands of miles. My hands had developed small sores and my back was in great pain. I found a mat in the common room and lay it under a tree then I lay on it facing upwards. Immediately, I felt some relief on my back and closed my eyes.
I hated that I was back to slaving all day. Why did Ridian have to do that to me? The moon goddess was the one who had started this all. Why did she match people who had nothing in common together? People who couldn’t possibly get along.
Eventually, I fell asleep under the shady tree but was rudely awoken by grace at lunch time. Sitting up, I rubbed my eyes before getting up. I went to the tap, ran some water and washed my face. The hardness of the skin was a sure sign that I was severely stressed. Making my way to the kitchen, I joined a new slave and we took the food to the dining hall.
Her name was Mila Jenkins. She had dark skin and was taller than me. Mila was very beautiful, and she was so traumatized. Even though she tried to smile and be lively, I could tell that she had recently gone through something traumatic. We were not yet close enough for me to ask about her life so I had no idea what had happened to her before she came to Blackmoon.
Mila and I set the tables and made sure everything was in order before the orders came in. A few minutes later, they started to trickle into the room. The men came first. Some of their overalls looked dirty and the smell in the room was not every great, considering the hard work they had been doing in the mines. I didn’t understand why they had to have lunch meals inside. It would have been better if they ate from outside.
We had already finished serving the men when the women came in. the room began to smell better with their arrival. I didn’t know how they were able to get perfumes but it was a good thing.
We served everyone before serving ourselves. I endured a lot during that time. Nearly all the women had something to say about me being chased back to the slave quarters. I was made fun of but I didn’t budge. I maintained my composure and did what I was supposed to. I was tired and not in the mood to exchange words with anyone, or blows for that matter. Some of them deserved that.
“No, no. not here, madam.”
I placed my food on the table and stared at the young woman who had spoken. She was seated at that very table with a friend of hers who looked more like a twin than anything. They both had long blonde hair tried into tight ponytails. Arianna Grande style. They were both quite skinny and had nose piercings on the same spots. Their makeup was applied uniformly and their dresses had the same number of buttons undone. Their underwear was probably similar too, I thought.
If I had a better choice, I would not sit with them but almost all other seats were taken. However, there were three empty tables on the men’s side. It was just that I did not think I would enjoy my meal near a lot of sweaty and loud men. I wanted to insist since I had a right to sit anywhere but I swallowed my pride and headed to the men’s section.
“That’s right, you coward. Run.”
I could tell they were baiting me so I decided to ignore them. I did not need any drama in my life.
“Come sit with me.”
A young man who was alone on his table told me. I went and placed my plate on the table. “Thank you so much,” I told him while sitting.
“Welcome back,” he said. “It’s good to see you again.”
“I hate this place,” I said.
“Here, or the whole pack.”
“Whole pack. I’m fed up with being bounced around so much. I want a stable position. Is that too much to ask?”
He shook his head. “I get you.”
The young man was handsome. He had a rectangular face, a straight nose and sharp brown eyes. He had thin but healthy lips. His good looks matched his obviously good heart.
“I don’t understand why they keep disturbing you,” he said. “You’re a really nice person, and you always do your work excellently. I’ve never heard you complaining or making a mess. It seems as though there is something behind this all.”
“Is that what most people think?” I asked, looking around the hall. Many of the men had finished and left. Only a few were still eating. When I looked over to the women, most of them were still there. Those who had finished eating were either conversing or retouching their makeup.
“Yeah, there are a lot of rumors floating around,” the man said. “Some sound reasonable but others sound crazy.”
“Wow, I’m not surprised. I guess I’ve made a lot of headlines around here.”
The young man nodded as he finished his food and pushed his plate to the side of the table. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief which he used to wipe his mouth although it was spotless. “I don’t believe most of the rumors but it doesn’t stop me from being curious.”
“Okay. Just know that I do not intend to talk about that. It won’t be in my best interests.
“I understand you perfectly.”
“Thank you. By the way, my name is Cilla but I assume you already know that. I didn’t get yours.”
“I’m James Clark.”
“So James Clark, how long have you been here?”
“Three years,” he said. “This is my last year here. Next year I’ll be free to go wherever I want. I can’t wait for that day to come.”
“Wow, that’s so good for you. You’re just counting days while the rest of us have just started, I don’t even know how long I’ll be here. Haven’t got the details of the new agreement since I was re-bought recently.”
“Sorry for you. It has not been so bad for me. The first few months were tough but once I accepted my fate and got the hang of it, things got easier. This life has become normal for me. I’m actually worried about adjusting in the human world, especially the cities.”
“The rogues who sold me went to the city. They seemed very excited about it. It seems living in a city is not so bad.”
“It’s definitely better than being trapped here,” James added.
I nodded. As I ate, we continued to chat about several things. Eventually he had to leave before me because he did not want to be late. When everyone was gone, Mila and I returned the dishes to the kitchen. I returned to clean the dining room while Mila washed the dishes.
When I was serving James during suppertime, he invited me to eat with him again. This time the men had showered so there were not sitting on their own section. The room was all mixed up and everyone was free to sit wherever they wanted.
James and I really enjoyed talking to each other. I had thought I’d be lonely but with him, I didn’t even miss life at the big house.
It was not until Marlon stepped in
That was when everything came back to me. He reminded me of Dave, the overseer before him. Thinking of Dave reminded me of Kyle, the first person who had died because of me.
Both those men seemed to have lost their lives because of wanting to get close to me.
I looked at James, the young man who was so eager to become free again, whose freedom was so close.
No, I couldn’t let it happen to him. He did not deserve to die because of me just when his freedom was knocking.
Standing up, I started walking away from the table with my food. I knew James was probably surprised and confused, but everything I was doing was for his own good.
I felt torn, conflicted and bitter, but I did not turn back. Placing my plate on the main table, I found a chair and sat near it, waiting for the others to finish so that Mila and I could return the dishes to the kitchen.
As I was sitting there, I caught a glimpse of James who was eating his food quickly. He looked up and our eyes met. I turned away.