The Story of Eve

ONE

Winter, 1858

Eve sighed as she hung the wet clothes on the line. The sun was shining bright and the warm breeze tickled her skin as she continued the laundry. She'd been working as a housemaid for a few months and although she was glad to finally be earning a wage, she wished she could have enjoyed the weather like everyone else.
Mrs. Paulson, her employer and landlady was out at this very moment to greet her niece Celia who was coming to visit from Virginia.
Eve decided she liked Mrs. Paulson. The woman was a staunch abolitionist and had given Eve a job upon her arrival as well as a place to live. Eve figured she had to be grateful in times like these.
Eve finished hanging the clothes and set about going inside to finish the cleaning. Her hands would be sore from the lye and her back would ache but, Eve again would be grateful.
Eve thought back on the moment she had ran away. The memory was never too far from her. She'd been scared more than she could ever recall but knew it had to happen.
Her master had cornered her once again this time in a spare bedroom she'd been fixing up. Eve remembered watching as he locked the door behind him, her stomach roiling as she braced herself.
Eve had fought him off many times prior but each time felt harder than the last.

"That's a pretty plait in your hair." Master William said as he crossed the room towards Eve. She moved out of his reach as he twirled the end of her braid in his fingers. Eve continued to make the bed willing herself to move faster. Her heart raced as her eyes kept looking up at the locked door.
"Colleen has left to go visit her sister today."
Eve jumped when she felt his hand on her backside and she backed away. Why her?
"We're all alone." Master William said with a sly grin. His dark hair was loose and a curl fell in his face. Eve figured in his prime he would have been considered handsome. His green eyes were shaded by long dark lashes and bore a scare he'd received during a duel.
Eve had been so in her thoughts she didn't realize he had moved to stand behind her. Eve gathered the dirty sheets and moved around him.
"I have to finish my chores, sir." She said as she walked towards the door. He followed her and Eve's breath hitched when she felt his hand on hers on the doorknob.
He turned her to face him and Eve held her breath. She'd fight. He had to have known that and Eve was beginning to think he liked it.
"You know I'll not hurt you, Eve." He lifted her chin and turned her head to one side and then the other.
"You're so beautiful. Feel what you do to me, Eve." He released her chin and took her hand, placing it on the crotch of his pants where Eve indeed felt him. She moved her hands away quickly and turned to open the door but he closed it just as she cracked it open.
"Master, please. I must finish my chores."
"You don't like this? It's just the two of us." He moved closer to her, causing her back to be against the wall. Eve felt her skin crawl when he reached to cup her breasts and wanted to bring up her breakfast when he leaned in to kiss her.
"Don't fight this, Eve." He whispered and took her face in his hands placing his lips on hers.
Eve's eyes had been closed but she opened them and something in her brain clicked.
Lifting her knee she connected it with the part of him he'd made her touch and he groaned out in pain. Eve didn't think, she watched as he stumbled back and fell to the floor holding himself and she quickly walked to the table next to the bed and grabbed the vase, lifting it over her head.
William looked up at the vase and then his narrowed gaze met hers, "you bitch! I'll have you sold for this!"
Eve didn't speak. She didn't move as she continued to hold the vase above her head. She watched as she struggled to his feet and when he charged towards her she closed her eyes and hit him as hard as she could in the head with the vase.
The room was silent except for the sound of a THUD on the floor. Eve opened her eyes and saw William lying on the floor unconscious, blood seeping from his head. Eve panicked and quickly unlocked the door, rushing down the hall bumping other servants as she raced out of the door and down the dirt path.
Eve didn't stop. She couldn't. She kept running, her racing heart beat threatening to burst. She ran until her feet burned and her legs grew tired and even then she forced herself to keep going until she was deep in the trees and didn't know which way she was going.