| Mystery and Crime Fiction posted October 11, 2020 | Chapters: |
...4 5 -6- 7... 
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Anna continues her escape to freedom.
A chapter in the book Where Are All The Children
Almost Home
by Mistydawn
Maybe my friends are right about me not being strong enough to go through this. Wiping a tear from her cheek, Anna gazes towards her audience. She quickly discovers all eyes are on her. The looks they're giving her tells her that her message is hitting home. Anna then pictures all the innocent children whose lives were taken the day she escaped. I have to do this for them. Sniffling, her mind drifts back to that horrid time.
January 1992
The sun shines brightly from the cloudless sky. Birds chirp all around, encouraging me to continue. A heavy stream of afternoon traffic zooms down the road beside me while pedestrians dodge to and fro trying to get out of my way. My heart is pounding in my chest. My mouth and throat are painfully dry. I glance up and see the towering hospital, my ticket to freedom is less than a block away. I then picture myself being home again back to the land I love. I feel Mommy and Pappy's loving arms wrap around me. They tell me how sorry they are for what they did, and how happy they are to have me home. Please let it be, oh, please let it be, I beg, sprinting the last little bit.
I'm running so fast that my feet get tangled, sending me face-first to the ground. I start to get up when I notice two shadows on the sidewalk, his and mine. My dream of freedom shatters. Tears fill my hazel eyes as I stare at the darkened image. I almost made it this time. Gulping back the tears, I turn over to find an officer standing over me. Relieved it wasn't my pimp, I quickly blurt out my story. "Please help us, officer, please, before it's too late," I finish.
He looks over at his partner and chuckles. The older of the two steps up beside me. "We know all about you, and the trouble you've caused." They each grab an arm and carry me to their car.
"Help me, please someone help me," I beg, flailing around. The pedestrians turn the other way.
"Your antics aren't going to work this time, little girl." The older cop laughs.
The men toss me in the car. My hopes and dreams disintegrate into mere ash when the door slams too. Scooting to the window, I look around. I figure I'll never see this side of the world again so I try to take in everything I can. Tanto tiempo hermoso mundo, "So long beautiful world." I cry as my hope for freedom fades out of sight.
My pimp is waiting for me at the service door. His arms are crossed his foot impatiently taps on the concrete. A terrifying scowl is pasted on his evil face. The car door opens, I jump. "P... Please don't do this to me." I slide to the far side of the seat. An officer grabs my arm and pulls me towards him. I jerk away. "Please stop and listen to me."
A stern look crosses his face. He huffs and says, "What is it now?"
I glance at my pimp and shiver. Taking a deep breath of courage. I look up at the officer and quickly blurt out, He'll... He'll kill me when you leave."
The older cop rolls his eyes. "Stop being so dramatic."
"I'm telling you the truth, honest." Turning my head sideways, I point to the dollar sign on the side of my neck. "Look." I was told by several of the girls it's a branding mark a lot of pimps use.
The officer rubs my tattoo, chuckles, and says, "It's fake."
My handler drags me inside and beats me. He then cuffs me to a bed where dozens of vile men have their way with me. This continues for the better part of a month.
A few weeks in, a client tells me the man in the fancy suit is a preacher who claims that he and his wife run a home for wayward children. With a lot of higher-ups in his back pocket, using extortion and other means to keep them there no one dares cross him.
Hearing this, I start praying to be rescued day and night. When that didn't work, I turn to alcohol and drugs.
Present-day January 2020
The picture changes to a young girl strung out on heroin. Her ash-brown hair is a tangled mess. Her face is ghost-white, her cheeks are sunken in. There are dark, red circles under her dull, hazel eyes.
"Substance abuse dulled the emotional pain, the emptiness plaguing my soul. My johns were more than happy to supply me with what I needed for a few extras. I drank so much took so many pills that it's a miracle I didn't OD. This continued for the better part of a year.
"At the ripe old age of fourteen, my handler decided he needed some fresh meat. I, along with several others were traded for prepubescent kids. I got to see a different side of human trafficking, modern-day slavery."
She presses the remote. An image of a crowded compound comes up on the screen. "Some were homeless, while the majority were trying to escape deportation."
The picture changes to migrant workers in the tobacco field. "The ones who weren't harvesting the crops were either sent to brothels, massage parlors, serviced clients in varying hotels across the city or work in some type of sweatshop. Once they were established, he'd offer to bring their families over if they agreed to pay their transportation cost and if their family member was willing to work for him when they arrived."
A snapshot of a young Guatemalan boy follows. Anna tearfully glances at the handsome lad and says, Descansa en paz, mi amor. "Rest in peace, my love." Wiping a tear from her cheek, she turns towards the audience. "I first met Alejandro and his family in the tobacco fields. Seeing we were from neighboring villages, having empathy for all the hell I'd been through they took me under their wing, treated me like I was their own. It was through them that I found my inner strength, my voice again. Their ultimate sacrifice afforded me the opportunity to speak to you today." She turns towards the picture and says, Por favor envualveme con tus amorosos brazos y dame la fuerza, el coraje que necesito para continuar. "Please wrap your loving arms around me and give me the strength, the courage I need to continue." Closing her eyes she pictures Alejandro smiling at her. She then feels a calming warmth surge through every fiber of her being. His sweet voice whispers Siempre estoy a tu lado, mi amor. "I'm always by your side my love."
Maybe my friends are right about me not being strong enough to go through this. Wiping a tear from her cheek, Anna gazes towards her audience. She quickly discovers all eyes are on her. The looks they're giving her tells her that her message is hitting home. Anna then pictures all the innocent children whose lives were taken the day she escaped. I have to do this for them. Sniffling, her mind drifts back to that horrid time.
January 1992
The sun shines brightly from the cloudless sky. Birds chirp all around, encouraging me to continue. A heavy stream of afternoon traffic zooms down the road beside me while pedestrians dodge to and fro trying to get out of my way. My heart is pounding in my chest. My mouth and throat are painfully dry. I glance up and see the towering hospital, my ticket to freedom is less than a block away. I then picture myself being home again back to the land I love. I feel Mommy and Pappy's loving arms wrap around me. They tell me how sorry they are for what they did, and how happy they are to have me home. Please let it be, oh, please let it be, I beg, sprinting the last little bit.
I'm running so fast that my feet get tangled, sending me face-first to the ground. I start to get up when I notice two shadows on the sidewalk, his and mine. My dream of freedom shatters. Tears fill my hazel eyes as I stare at the darkened image. I almost made it this time. Gulping back the tears, I turn over to find an officer standing over me. Relieved it wasn't my pimp, I quickly blurt out my story. "Please help us, officer, please, before it's too late," I finish.
He looks over at his partner and chuckles. The older of the two steps up beside me. "We know all about you, and the trouble you've caused." They each grab an arm and carry me to their car.
"Help me, please someone help me," I beg, flailing around. The pedestrians turn the other way.
"Your antics aren't going to work this time, little girl." The older cop laughs.
The men toss me in the car. My hopes and dreams disintegrate into mere ash when the door slams too. Scooting to the window, I look around. I figure I'll never see this side of the world again so I try to take in everything I can. Tanto tiempo hermoso mundo, "So long beautiful world." I cry as my hope for freedom fades out of sight.
My pimp is waiting for me at the service door. His arms are crossed his foot impatiently taps on the concrete. A terrifying scowl is pasted on his evil face. The car door opens, I jump. "P... Please don't do this to me." I slide to the far side of the seat. An officer grabs my arm and pulls me towards him. I jerk away. "Please stop and listen to me."
A stern look crosses his face. He huffs and says, "What is it now?"
I glance at my pimp and shiver. Taking a deep breath of courage. I look up at the officer and quickly blurt out, He'll... He'll kill me when you leave."
The older cop rolls his eyes. "Stop being so dramatic."
"I'm telling you the truth, honest." Turning my head sideways, I point to the dollar sign on the side of my neck. "Look." I was told by several of the girls it's a branding mark a lot of pimps use.
The officer rubs my tattoo, chuckles, and says, "It's fake."
My handler drags me inside and beats me. He then cuffs me to a bed where dozens of vile men have their way with me. This continues for the better part of a month.
A few weeks in, a client tells me the man in the fancy suit is a preacher who claims that he and his wife run a home for wayward children. With a lot of higher-ups in his back pocket, using extortion and other means to keep them there no one dares cross him.
Hearing this, I start praying to be rescued day and night. When that didn't work, I turn to alcohol and drugs.
Present-day January 2020
The picture changes to a young girl strung out on heroin. Her ash-brown hair is a tangled mess. Her face is ghost-white, her cheeks are sunken in. There are dark, red circles under her dull, hazel eyes.
"Substance abuse dulled the emotional pain, the emptiness plaguing my soul. My johns were more than happy to supply me with what I needed for a few extras. I drank so much took so many pills that it's a miracle I didn't OD. This continued for the better part of a year.
"At the ripe old age of fourteen, my handler decided he needed some fresh meat. I, along with several others were traded for prepubescent kids. I got to see a different side of human trafficking, modern-day slavery."
She presses the remote. An image of a crowded compound comes up on the screen. "Some were homeless, while the majority were trying to escape deportation."
The picture changes to migrant workers in the tobacco field. "The ones who weren't harvesting the crops were either sent to brothels, massage parlors, serviced clients in varying hotels across the city or work in some type of sweatshop. Once they were established, he'd offer to bring their families over if they agreed to pay their transportation cost and if their family member was willing to work for him when they arrived."
A snapshot of a young Guatemalan boy follows. Anna tearfully glances at the handsome lad and says, Descansa en paz, mi amor. "Rest in peace, my love." Wiping a tear from her cheek, she turns towards the audience. "I first met Alejandro and his family in the tobacco fields. Seeing we were from neighboring villages, having empathy for all the hell I'd been through they took me under their wing, treated me like I was their own. It was through them that I found my inner strength, my voice again. Their ultimate sacrifice afforded me the opportunity to speak to you today." She turns towards the picture and says, Por favor envualveme con tus amorosos brazos y dame la fuerza, el coraje que necesito para continuar. "Please wrap your loving arms around me and give me the strength, the courage I need to continue." Closing her eyes she pictures Alejandro smiling at her. She then feels a calming warmth surge through every fiber of her being. His sweet voice whispers Siempre estoy a tu lado, mi amor. "I'm always by your side my love."
January 1992
The sun shines brightly from the cloudless sky. Birds chirp all around, encouraging me to continue. A heavy stream of afternoon traffic zooms down the road beside me while pedestrians dodge to and fro trying to get out of my way. My heart is pounding in my chest. My mouth and throat are painfully dry. I glance up and see the towering hospital, my ticket to freedom is less than a block away. I then picture myself being home again back to the land I love. I feel Mommy and Pappy's loving arms wrap around me. They tell me how sorry they are for what they did, and how happy they are to have me home. Please let it be, oh, please let it be, I beg, sprinting the last little bit.
I'm running so fast that my feet get tangled, sending me face-first to the ground. I start to get up when I notice two shadows on the sidewalk, his and mine. My dream of freedom shatters. Tears fill my hazel eyes as I stare at the darkened image. I almost made it this time. Gulping back the tears, I turn over to find an officer standing over me. Relieved it wasn't my pimp, I quickly blurt out my story. "Please help us, officer, please, before it's too late," I finish.
He looks over at his partner and chuckles. The older of the two steps up beside me. "We know all about you, and the trouble you've caused." They each grab an arm and carry me to their car.
"Help me, please someone help me," I beg, flailing around. The pedestrians turn the other way.
"Your antics aren't going to work this time, little girl." The older cop laughs.
The men toss me in the car. My hopes and dreams disintegrate into mere ash when the door slams too. Scooting to the window, I look around. I figure I'll never see this side of the world again so I try to take in everything I can. Tanto tiempo hermoso mundo, "So long beautiful world." I cry as my hope for freedom fades out of sight.
My pimp is waiting for me at the service door. His arms are crossed his foot impatiently taps on the concrete. A terrifying scowl is pasted on his evil face. The car door opens, I jump. "P... Please don't do this to me." I slide to the far side of the seat. An officer grabs my arm and pulls me towards him. I jerk away. "Please stop and listen to me."
A stern look crosses his face. He huffs and says, "What is it now?"
I glance at my pimp and shiver. Taking a deep breath of courage. I look up at the officer and quickly blurt out, He'll... He'll kill me when you leave."
The older cop rolls his eyes. "Stop being so dramatic."
"I'm telling you the truth, honest." Turning my head sideways, I point to the dollar sign on the side of my neck. "Look." I was told by several of the girls it's a branding mark a lot of pimps use.
The officer rubs my tattoo, chuckles, and says, "It's fake."
My handler drags me inside and beats me. He then cuffs me to a bed where dozens of vile men have their way with me. This continues for the better part of a month.
A few weeks in, a client tells me the man in the fancy suit is a preacher who claims that he and his wife run a home for wayward children. With a lot of higher-ups in his back pocket, using extortion and other means to keep them there no one dares cross him.
Hearing this, I start praying to be rescued day and night. When that didn't work, I turn to alcohol and drugs.
Present-day January 2020
The picture changes to a young girl strung out on heroin. Her ash-brown hair is a tangled mess. Her face is ghost-white, her cheeks are sunken in. There are dark, red circles under her dull, hazel eyes.
"Substance abuse dulled the emotional pain, the emptiness plaguing my soul. My johns were more than happy to supply me with what I needed for a few extras. I drank so much took so many pills that it's a miracle I didn't OD. This continued for the better part of a year.
"At the ripe old age of fourteen, my handler decided he needed some fresh meat. I, along with several others were traded for prepubescent kids. I got to see a different side of human trafficking, modern-day slavery."
She presses the remote. An image of a crowded compound comes up on the screen. "Some were homeless, while the majority were trying to escape deportation."
The picture changes to migrant workers in the tobacco field. "The ones who weren't harvesting the crops were either sent to brothels, massage parlors, serviced clients in varying hotels across the city or work in some type of sweatshop. Once they were established, he'd offer to bring their families over if they agreed to pay their transportation cost and if their family member was willing to work for him when they arrived."
A snapshot of a young Guatemalan boy follows. Anna tearfully glances at the handsome lad and says, Descansa en paz, mi amor. "Rest in peace, my love." Wiping a tear from her cheek, she turns towards the audience. "I first met Alejandro and his family in the tobacco fields. Seeing we were from neighboring villages, having empathy for all the hell I'd been through they took me under their wing, treated me like I was their own. It was through them that I found my inner strength, my voice again. Their ultimate sacrifice afforded me the opportunity to speak to you today." She turns towards the picture and says, Por favor envualveme con tus amorosos brazos y dame la fuerza, el coraje que necesito para continuar. "Please wrap your loving arms around me and give me the strength, the courage I need to continue." Closing her eyes she pictures Alejandro smiling at her. She then feels a calming warmth surge through every fiber of her being. His sweet voice whispers Siempre estoy a tu lado, mi amor. "I'm always by your side my love."
 Recognized |
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