Personal Narrative on a Slave's Perspective

I have never been so terrified in my whole life. Strange foreigners invaded our village during the night and captured our family, all except for my mother who is pregnant. I do not know what happened to her, but I fear greatly for her safety. My father, brother, sister and I were led out roughly to a long plank that stretched from the shore to a massive wooden structure I had never seen the likes of before. People were screaming all around me and many tried to rustle free from the pale men and jump off the plank into the ocean. I craned my head around to catch one last glimpse of my home before my head was slammed by one of the men and I was forced down into the miserable dark.

We were led down to the bottom of the ‘boat’ as they called it; it felt like a prison down there. Many rows of bunks stretched out before me with barely enough room for one person to lie flat without hitting their head. We were forced into the bunks and in all of the throngs of people and commotion I lost sight of my father and brothers. I quickly grabbed on to my sister’s hand so we would not be separated. They then chained us to the wooden boards with iron chains that cut and chaffed us terribly. It was black as night down there, but I could barely make out that there was a girl about my age in the bunk right next to my sister and me. She was crying awfully loud, but when I tried to comfort her she spoke words I could not understand. That night, no one slept. The crying and moans of pain kept me up as well as the questions of, who are these men? Where are they taking us? Why do they hate us?

I had finally fallen into a troubled sleep when the men were back. It must be morning even though it is always the same impenetrable darkness here. They brought with them plates with some lumpy mush on them, but we were so starving we ate it all. They unchained us and we were herded up to the top of the boat. There was ocean for miles and miles and miles. No sign of home. Nothing but water everywhere. Tears filled my eyes as I realized I may never see my home or loved ones again. What had happened to my father and brothers? I looked around and saw a group of men on the other side of the boat. The pale men were whipping them and beating them, trying to get them to work harder. Us woman and girls were allowed to walk around and stretch our legs for a time, but many of the pale-faced men were cruel to us girls and we soon came to dread our time spent on deck, even compared to the suffocating blackness.

The bunks have quickly gotten dirty. Every time we come down from the deck we must plug our noses at first because the air is so putrid and stale. There is grime and dirt covering the bunks as well as us. Disease is also spreading. Red sores are starting to appear on some people, and I can hear the sick retching and moaning at night. I fear that my sister and I may get sick soon, there is no way to prevent it in these horrific conditions we are living in.
I hear whispers among some of the men and women that a rebellion is being planned. I don’t know what to think about it. Every day our situation grows worse, but a failed rebellion would cause the pale men to hate us even more. However, I fear for our future. What will happen when we reach land? Maybe to try to escape here and fail would be a better alternative to whatever awaits us.