Chapter 1

Hi, my name is, Anais Brown and this is the story of how i survived my years of working as a slave. I was born,February,14,1818, i was raised in Utah,Salt Lake City. I had a small family it was just my little brother Anthony who was only 6, my mother Kaylee,and my father James. Man, were we a happy family.I was born in freedom,yes i know you're wondering how i became a slave if i was born in freedom? Let me explain, I remember the day my life became miserable it was, back when i was just a kid i remember when my mother took my brother, and i for a walk at the park while my father was at work.  

We went out to eat an ice cream cone, then we went to the playground, while my mother was watching us, from a bench, with a huge smile on her face, we played for a while until, i noticed some tall white men walk towards my mother. They spoke to her but i couldn’t really hear what they were saying. My mother looked at the ground,then lifted her face and looked at me in the eyes. Her face full of fear, While tears ran down her cheek. I turned to grab my brother by the hand as we rushed down the playground, but by the time we reached our mother she was pulled by the hair and dragged inside the a yellow van. I was scared i didn't know what to do with my little brother.

Our house was just a couple of blocks away from the park. So i turned and told my brother to run with me and to never stop running. We took a last glance at our mother.We didn't know why she was being taken away,but soon one of the white men saw us and he told his crew he had  spotted us. So i started to run, my brother, followed. As we were running three men followed us. I tried my best to not turn around, after running for blocks now i turned to see the men were still following us, my brother breathing heavily stopped running he turned to me and said “ I can't run anymore, I'm tired, What's going on?, Where’s mom?”. I stopped running, and grabbed a hold of his hand and said” I don’t know but we have to run!”. Then started to run again. Now the white men were closer. And in the distance i could see my house. I kept running but i guess my brother wasn't able to run as fast as me, I kept running not looking back.Until i didnt feel my brothers hand.

I stopped. Turned around and saw my brother had tripped and he was on the ground. The men were now up to my brother they made him get up. And i didn't know if i had to run or let myself get caught. I was more worried about my brother. After, i was unconscious i woke up in a cell. Everything was blurry it took me a minute to re focus. As i turn around i see my mother,my brother and my father. I tried to wake up my father as he was also unconscious, i shook my father but no response.I did it again but still no response. I wrapped my arms around my father and gave him  a hug .But Something Was off. I felt something wet run down his back, i looked at my hand and realized it was...blood. I stood up and went with my mother who was unconscious too but she woke up and then i woke up my brother. Once they were all awake. I told my mother my father was dead. We all broke into tears and cried for a while

Chapter 2

As time went by two men came, and opened the cell. My mother begged for freedom she,begged for them to let us go. But the guys laughed at her and spit on her face. One man, got closer to me and grabbed me by my shirt. He lifted me up in the air, my toes were not touching the ground. I tried resisting but as i did, the guy threw me to the ground. He gave me an ugly smile. He announced “ You will now be taken to a ship, you have ten minutes to get read, If You disobey, you will get the consequences,some of my colleagues will come and prepare you for an auction.You will become slaves. Say goodbye to your lovely life, Remember, if you resist beware of the consequences”. His words gave me goosebumps. My mother told us to do whatever they asked us to do. And even if she was taken away from us we would always be in her heart . She kissed our foreheads and soon came three women.

She kissed our foreheads and soon came three women. They had a bucket of what seemed cold water, and body oil. Then,they took my mother away. And then came back. My brother didn't speak after that. The women came and old us to get undressed. They brought a big pressure hose and splashed water at us. Then, they made us cover ourselves with body oil. And gave us the buckets of cold water they told us to drink it and so we did.

Then we got dressed with the clothes we were already wearing before.

Then we walked outside the cell. And they covered Anthony's face with a sack. Then they covered my head. And,we were forced to get inside a car. After hours of driving we got off. I remember when we got off they took our saks off and then i saw not one,or two kids but approximately two hundred kids and a few adults.

My brother took a hold of my hand. But the guards separated us. I screamed for them to let him go but the guards  care. A guard got close to me and put a cloth in my mouth so i wouldn't make noise. Then a guard told me i needed to start walking inside a ship. I had never seen a ship in person,but that was a big ship. This ship had a name printed on its front side it was called Mariana. This Mariana ship was,big and had a navy blue color with some white doors and little bridges to cross from. I continued to walk as i was being pushed to walk. Then i reached a big white door. They made each and every single slave to get inside the ship. After they got all of us in the ship they told us to not be loud and then shut the door closed.

Then after a long period of time the ship was started and we started to move. I then started to look for Anthony. I looked everywhere for him. Then i finally found him. He

was in a corner of the ship with two other kids. I picked up my brother then carried him in my arms to and empty corner. We soon fell asleep. Then i was woken up by guards. I quickly checked to see if my brother was with me, and thank god he was. After, some time my brother and i were put inside  truck. And then after that long ride we got off at a farm. There were alot of farm animals, like cows,pigs,chickens,and sheeps and many more which i had never seen in person.

 Chapter 3.

We were a bunch of African Americans just crowded in a farm. Some guys made us line up, behind a stage. My brother was the first kid in line. I was still confused ,i had no idea of what was going on. Then some guy in the stage started to speak. He sounded like he was welcoming people to the farm then,the words he said terrified me. He said “Thank you all again for coming, welcome to our first auction, here you get what you want,whoever you want , oh and they come with a lot of privileges” then he laughed. So i thought to myself, “ I'm gonna be Put up for sale?!” I started to panic. Then the guy in the stage signaled a guy to let my brother go up to the stage. And so he dragged my brother up the stage. He spoke to my brother “Well, well,well, look who we got us here,we got us a hand some black young man. Well hello sir what is your name”. I wanted to rescue my brother but i couldn't.

“My...my...name?” Answered my brother.”yes, sir what is it?”, “Anthony brown..” responded my brother.” the crowd of white people started to clap. “ Would you like me to start?” he asked the crowd. The crowd got even louder. So he said “who wants to be the lucky person to take home their first slave?” the crowd cheered. “Let's say 150.” he waited, then people started to bid on my brother. The prices just kept getting higher and higher. Until my brother was sold to an old man named Louise Manford for 345 dollars. My heart broke into pieces. Then,the  guy said “lets cheer it up for Anthony Manford!”. The crowd clapped. The the man paid for my brother then hopped in a car a drove away. That was the last time i ever saw my brother. I was next. I was forced to walk up the stage and i was tied up with a rope.

The man asked me my name and i answered. The the bidding started happening. I'm not gonna lie my bidding took atleast and hour. Until i was sold for 790 dollars. In that moment i realized my life had a price. I was sold to a guys named John Miller. He was a middle aged man, with brown hair and, light green eyes. He paid the man on stage and i was taken away.

Chapter 4

After a couple of weeks,all i was doing was chores.I didn't have a room for myself, i slept in the living room floor.But one day he showed me a little room he had built for me.It had an old bed but that was enough. So for me he seemed nice at first. I thought i was just gonna do house chores until i died,but as a couple of years went by, i started realising things. He wanted me to call him master. Not sir. That didn't really bother me. But then one rainy day. My master had just arrived from work, and i had just finished cooking.And as i was getting the broom to sweep,he grabbed my arm really hard. And he brought me to his bedroom, i asked “is everything okay master?” he didn't answer.. And then he shut the door open. I started to get anxiety.Fear filled my body,as he got closer and closer until he was so close to me i could feel him breathing so close to me. I closed my eyes praying this is just a nightmare

and that i would wake up any second. But i immediately opened my eyes as i felt him run his disgusting, dirty hands up my arm. He started saying things that ruined my life and all i wanted to do in that moment was die. And i guess you know what was about to happen. As he assaulted me, i had a flashback of how wonderful my life was before this whole slavery thing happened. I cried in silence. After he was done. I simply got up and ran to the kitchen. I was still shocked. Confused, i was wondering why would a person who seemed nice be such a cruel person and not care about me. Me! I was just an innocent slave i was inoffensive. I finished cleaning and took out the trash. I kept silently crying. as  i walked out with the trash bag in my hand i closed the door shut behind me. I walked to the trash bin. And dropped the trash inside and right when i closed the lid, i heard someone whisper, “pshht. you little girl. You the one dumping the trash.” i looked left and right and didn't

see nothing but as i looked again i saw a girl.She was a light brown skin like me. I knew i wasn't allowed to talk to anybody but i, hadn't seen a girl,in a long time i got closer to the fence separating us. And as i did i wiped the tears off my face and she looked at me, then got closer to the fence too. “ hey, my name is Yasmin Hourt, and i'm the next door slave,what's your name?” “Hey,Yazmin nice to meet you, my name is Anais Miller, it was Brown...but you know everything changes when your black.” “oh yeah, i know”. “We should be friends Anais” she said. Right when i was about to answer her,her master came out and demanded for her to come inside immediately or else she would get whipped. She quickly said “ ok, goodbye friends, see you soon.” I didn't have time to answer but, my answer was yes. I watched her run inside her house and then shut the door i walked back inside my home, and as i did i remembered what having a friend feels like.

It turned dark and i. Was afraid to talk to my master but i had to ask him if i was allowed to rest. So i fixed myself up and asked him “dear master, am i allowed to go rest?. Or do you need my service?” He nodded yes. So i walked away. I looked out into my room window and just looked at the stars. I started to remember the loving memories i had with my family. But then just went to sleep. As months went by my master started to assault me more often. It felt terrible. I once tried to defend myself, and i scratched him in the face and kicked him.I had so much anger accumulated inside me i just let it all out. That barely did something to him. He was way stronger than me. So we just acted like nothing happened then he took me to basement. And he gave me a look that scarred me and i still remember til this day. He took out a whip from a box.

And he pointed at me. I was so scared i ran out to the front door

But in a flick of an eye there he was he choked me until i turned blue. I was sad and glad at the same time i was sad because i might die that day, and glad because he would end my suffering. BUt he let go and dragged me to him basement, tied me to a chair and wiped my face. He ripped out my clothes and whipped me until blood came out. I was trying to be string but it hurted. I screamed and screamed and he didn't care to see me suffer. He went on for at least an hour and half i was beat so hard my skin hung from the deep open cuts. I was at the point were i was bleeding a river. Literally, my vision was really blurry and i think i just went unconscious, because i woke up in my old rusty bed. I had clothes on , and a blanket over me. Was it a nightmare? I asked myself i lifted my shirt and saw all the open cuts, i tried moving but my legs were numb i saw my legs covered in bandages. My master came inside and told me to get myself together and make