Mr.+Hilmer

__POV #2 A RUNAWAY'S POINT OF VIEW__
When you think of a slaves life, you think of brutal torture and no fun. Well that is true and I am telling you how. Here is my story.

Hi my name is Jack and I am 12 years old. And I work on a plantation in the south and it is painfull. I've seen old men and women in the fields that look like they are going to die. The owner isn't a nice man, he whips every one of us if we don't harvest the right amount of cotton each day. I have seen many with so many scars that it covers most of their back and everyday I hope that it won't be me. I dream of becoming a free person every day and night. I don't just work in the fields,I also feed the swine and horses. My mother tells me to stay strong no matter what the conditions are and that I can change my families future. I am the only child left because my brother, Bob, was just sold two days ago.

When morning comes everyday, I sometimes think of running away and then I get a grip of myself because I know that I won't make if far. I realized when I was six that I could climb trees well and when I was seven I made three new friends. I also could lift two baby pigs when I was seven. My mother encourages me everyday to keep working and to stay strong. Even when it is my turn to give the crops in I try to remember what my mother says even though I am scared about punishment. And I cry when I go to bed after punishment. The thought just keeps coming to me that I am one day closer to freedom.

Just recently I heard my mother talking about escape and I want to so badly. I saw what happened to the many that tried and I didn't want to then, but now I believe I am ready. Mother tells me that we should head out at night, this way the dogs won't get out till morning. So the next night after we head in, me and my mother escape. The problem is that the next morning we hear dogs and I get scared. My mother tells me to stay calm and that they won't find us. So from our hiding spots we stay calm, but when the dogs get within a few yards my heart starts pumping loudly and I am frightened. We get lucky and the we aren't found. But that night we run to cover more ground and when it starts to get light out we hide. And the dogs are after us again, I think that we will be safe. Close to the end of the day we are discovered and when we get back we are whipped so many times that it hurts to lay down. Now I know not to escape again, well that is for now. I will try when I am older and stronger, but for now I will just have to wait.

That is what a slaves life is all about. My name is Jack, and this is my story.