Bird Set Free || Harry Styles AU

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This is an emergency if y'all have any good books to recommend please tell me I need it! Lol

5 years later

"Mama it hurts!" She screams as she watches the blood trickle from the tips of her fingers to her palms.

Mama shoots her a sympathizing yet harsh glare before straightening her back.

"Baby you gotta suck it up! We are all workin hard here. Look at my hands. Look at em!" She reveals her dry, bloody fingers to the distraught five year old.

"They worse than yours. Stop that cryin before Masta Styles comes and tries to discipline you again. I can't stand to see ya get hurt again. I just cant. So please baby. Keep pickin that cotton." Mama begs as she looks at her pained daughter. Mama knows what it feels like, anyone would think that a person who has done it for so long will be numb to the pain. But that's a lie. Pain is pain and it cannot be numbed.

Darcy sniffles as she brings her reddened fingers to her still sore side. Underneath the thin off white fabric there was a wound, right below her chest, hidden underneath her arm. This was the first time she experienced a beating from Master Styles for misbehaving.

She thought maybe he wouldn't have notice her nibbling on a tiny blue fruit. Before returning to her duties. But he did. Des Styles sees all. He noticed the little girl chewing on something when he approached her. At first he thought it was just something slaves like her do, grab a nearby leaf or something to chew on because they were ungrateful for all they've been given. But when he got closer he saw a dab of purple juice oozing from the side of her mouth and her little finger tips staining the cotton boll. That's all it took.

In his eyes Darcy needed to be disciplined. He pulled out his whip that he kept secured next to his hip, Darcy raised her arms in defense. Then.

Wuh-pshhh!

The crack of the whip collided with her side. She bellows out for her mama. The pain was excruciating, rippling through her tiny body. She could not really fathom what happened, this was her first experience on being disciplined. She wished that the blueberry didn't tempt her empty stomach like it did when she laid eyes on them in the basket.

Mama was not far from the attack. And with a newfound strength, mama's throbbing legs nimbly carried her with speed over to Master Styles who was hitting her baby. Before she had time to process her next actions she jumped in front. Taking additional hits for intervening. Mama had a matching scar like Darcy's but many more littered over her body that she refused to show.

That moment is forever ingrained in little Darc. How heroic her mama was for saving her from the mean man.

She eventually sighs and obeys. She heard the distant hums of others singing with one another which caused her to look up. Everyone including Colis was picking through the cotton with ease while singing at the top of there lungs. Darcy over here was silent, struggling with same boll of cotton for what felt like ages.

This wasn't the first time Darcy heard the choir of slaves in a distance. In fact, when she was three, she began to listen to the songs that were sung as she was able to standby mommy and Colis as they worked.

She loved the way they sound. She wondered if she too can sound the same. Dismissing the thought of singing she continues to pull the cotton bolls from its hard sharp shield. Nicks and jabs puncture her soft skin, she winces and stifles a whine.