The Tattoo (formerly Unbreakable)

Don't Say Sorry

"Tell me about yourself."

Ash glanced skeptically up at Meriddion. She had him seated in her bathroom and was doing her best to clean the blood off of his face.

"What do you want to know?"

"Tell me how you got here," she shrugged.

Ash laughed.

"It's not very complicated, I was at the market, your father wanted me, your father has money."

"That's not what I mean."

"Then what do you mean?"

"My father is known for the obedience of his slaves, and he's known for making them that way.  So why was he interested in you?"

"A challenge," the slave shrugged.

"But what made you a challenge?"

Ash groaned in exasperation, but began to speak.

~~~

Young Rose couldn't have been happier. She had given birth to a beautiful baby boy, the fifth in her line of children. As she held her child in her arms it didn't matter who or where they were, or who the child's father was. The child was hers and she loved him, and she would hold onto him for as long as she could.

Nine years after that happy day, many things had changed. The master, knowing that the child was his had subjected the boy to all assortments of pain and misery, forcing him to work more than any of the other children and beating him severely when some of the work wasn't done. One day, Rose could bear no more and she stood up to her master. On that day everything in Ash's life changed, as his first master forced him to watch as every bit of life was dragged from his mother.

The cries that had echoed across Roland Farris' vast plantations for the past hour finally died down. The woman became too weak to protest. Her son's screams had died into pitiful sobs as well, he tried to look away but Roland grabbed his black hair and forced him to watch. He would kill this wench; she had gone too far this time.

"Please stop. Please!"

The hushed plea escaped the boy and his master threw him against the wall of the small room they were in.

"You do not speak unless I tell you to speak boy."

The child was curled up on the floor, the pain he had undergone over the past day immense.

"Sir."

One of the men who had been assigned the task of torturing and killing the woman spoke.

"It is finished."

"Very good."

With that all left the room, but Ash who slowly looked up the tears running down his cheeks.

"Momma? Momma? Say something momma! Please!"

He crawled over to where she was tied placed his hands on her bloody cheeks. Hr touched his forehead to hers and began to sob. His mother was gone. The only person he ever had in his life, gone. All of the other children teased him and picked on him, all of the adults shunned him, his mother was the only love he ever knew. He stayed that way for what seemed only moments before an overseer pulled him back out to the fields. He was thrown into a narrow aisle between two rows.

"Get these two rows done, and do it before sunset."

Ash looked down at the ground, his lower lip quivering. He shook his head.

"What was that?"

He shook his head again, this time adding a defiant,"no."

The overseer scoffed.

"What? You think you can say no to me? You think you have a choice?!"

The man began to yell in anger as he withdrew his whip. A whip had never be used on Ash before, always fists or feet because he was so young. Now, seeing this he was scared. He cried out as the first lash made contact with his already muscular upper arm and he rolled over to protect his front. The whip continued to fall until the pain was too much as he fell unconscious.

~~~

"I'm sorry."

Ash scoffed and looked up at her again shaking his head.

"I'm serious, you make my life sound like a walk in the park."

"Why shouldn't it be?"

"It's nothing."

"You know, many times nothing means something.

"My mom died too. It wasn't a malicious master, at least not the same type.  She had cancer, and whatever divinity is out there decided she couldn't be with us anymore.  My dad really changed when she died."

"How so?"

"He used to be really nice, now he's cold and I can't wait until I can leave."

"At least you can."

"Right, sorry."

"Stop saying you're sorry."

Meriddion didn't respond, she finished placing the bandage on Ash's forehead and left the bathroom. She sat on her bed. A moment later the slave appeared in the doorway.

"Tell me about it."

Meriddion didn't look up.

"I was suicidal," she whispered.