I've been writing a book from the perspective of a Viking slave/thrall. This is something I wrote today I wanted to share. I hope you enjoy it. I am open to constructive criticism, feedback, and your opinion, as well.
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I was tired of sleeping with the animals. The straw was itchy and the smell wouldn't let me rest. I wanted to go home. I didn't want to be here anymore. I knew they had killed what was left of my family but I still yearned to be home, imagining my sister's faces around a nice warm fire.
Everything had changed since the Jarl came for us. Now I had shackles on my wrist. I slept with pigs. I had to get out of here. One night when everyone was asleep, I crept out of my stall and into the long hall. The flames were smoldering out so I hid in the shadows. I made it to the door, the cold night air stinging my face. I bolted as fast as I could toward freedom, away from this slavery. My shackles made all sorts of noise though so I had to slow down, I didn't want to wake my captors. But this was a mistake.
Jarl Sten appeared from behind a tree. I thought it was still in the long house. How had he gotten all the way out here? He was supposed to be asleep. He gave me an evil grin and grabbed my wrist. He forced me to the ground. His knees opened my thighs. He was inside me holding me down before I could do anything. He pumped violently inside of me, ripping me open. He bit my neck and held my wrist down. He was like a wolf. I tried to imagine I was somewhere else, anywhere else but here under the man who had taken me prisoner. My mind let me escape for a moment and I drifted off into the trees watching from above. Far away not really in the moment, like it was happening to someone else. Then it was over and I was back underneath him. He grabbed my neck and squeezed.
"You're going to pay for trying to escape." He growled in my ear. Goosebumps all over my body. He had more in mind than rape? He took a metal collar from around his belt and fastened it around my neck. Grabbing the collar he pulled me back to the long house. He tied my collar to one of the wooden pillars that held up the house.
He put more logs on the fire and left the room. I was left there tied to the pillar. My body was shaking and I was sore from him forcing himself on me. The idea of escaping became further and further away. I found myself sinking into the knowledge that this was my new life. He reappeared with a branding metal in his hand. A wide grin as his dark evil eyes looked down on me. He put the brand in the fire and heated it up until the metal was red. I should have known what was coming but my brain hadn't clicked. It wasn't until he put all his weight on me and held my arm down that I realized what he was going to do. He was going to brand me. As the realization hit me, then came the sting. It sent a jolt down my whole body, my arm felt like it was on fire. And part of it was. When he took the brand away my flesh had completely melted under the brand, it stuck to the metal. A giant "s" was now in my arm. Blackened by the fire. I screamed but he punched me hard in the mouth. He didn't want me to wake the others but I couldn't help but cry. The burn was too much.
Then he crawled on top of me and strangled my neck. I couldn't breathe I fought him as long as I could and then my mind drifted into the stars. Dozens, no hundreds of tiny white specs floating through space. I let myself go into oblivion finally free of all the pain and torture. But it went quickly.
The next morning I awoke and my arm still burned from the brand. I inspected it. It was a fancy S. It wasn't particularly ugly but I didn't want to be branded in the first place. I've seen people with tattoos before but I hadn't seen anyone with a brand before. My stomach sunk into itself even more. I would never escape. And now everyone would know who I belong to.
