Flower of My Heart
1894
Lillian woke from the shaking of the wagon. She found she had been tied to prevent any escape from happening. A cloth had been tied around her mouth to prevent her from shouting out. Tall crates surrounded her to keep her from knowing where it was she was heading. Other noises came to her, noises of shouting, what sounded like several different kinds of wagons and rigs, and a train whistle could be heard off in the distance. Wherever she was, they had entered a large town somewhere. Hope of ever being found was quickly vanishing. Carson had mentioned that she was being sent to China. Did not Caine come from China? If she reached her destination before she was found perhaps there was someone there who might help her.
Slowly the wagon drew to a stop. Lillian closed her eyes and decided to pretend she still slept. Maybe she would learn just where she was.
"Got another one for you. This one must be treated with care. Make sure she's put in with the Indian woman. She's the most experienced. Inform Mr. Crabtree that Carson finally caught the one he's been looking for when he arrives."
Mr. Crabtree? No, he was the man from her memories. What does he have to do with all of this? Suddenly, Lillian's thoughts were cut off as a heavy rug was thrown over her. She was lifted from the wagon and tossed over someone's shoulder. She could tell the man was very large by the ease of which he was carrying her. It was not the same man who drove the wagon. The man's shoulder dug painfully into the pit of her stomach as she was carried and she realized she had not eaten in at least 24 hours. The next thing Lillian knew was that she was being tossed onto a bed. She heard the voices of other women from some other part of the building, some obviously angry and had the quality of the native tongue of the Indian people.
"Let us go! You cannot keep us here!"
"My father, White Heart will kill you when he finds me. He will cut out your heart and feed it to the wolves!"
"Pipe down in there or I'll come in and teach you a lesson you'll soon regret," the man shouted then said more quietly. "Take care of the new arrival. I expect her to be cleaned up and dressed. It will be up to you to see she's trained properly. She gives you any trouble, you know what to do."
Lillian heard the man leave, shutting the door and locking it behind him. She could hear footsteps coming closer.
"Well, we might as well take a look," she heard someone say.
She felt the heavy rug being lifted off of her; and as her eyes adjusted to the brighter light of the room, a face came into view. Surprise shown in the eyes of the dark skinned Indian woman whose face was partially concealed with a scarf. It was obvious she had thought that what the man brought in was another woman much like her. Not too many white women had come through this place in recent months, let alone one such as Lillian Montgomery.
"Oh that fool. To take young girls from the tribes is one thing, but to take a white woman . . ." Her voice trailed off. Though she felt angry at the fact that many of her people were being exploited, some from tribes that were even considered enemies of her own people, she would rather see all the people free. But her time with Crabtree had not all been that unpleasant. There had been promises and even money, but that all stopped when he began taking young girls from her own tribe and even white women, so she objected. She tried to warn him that taking white women would get him in deep trouble. Her own people at one time had been foolish enough to do that. It cost the lives of many young brave. Crabtree, however, would not listen. The result was deep wounds on her face, which she kept hidden from the world. She vowed one day to take revenge, but it never came about. Now all she could hope for was an early death to free her from her torment, but even that was denied.
Lillian could hear the cynicism in the woman's voice. How long she had been here was any one's guess, but it was obvious, from Lillian's perspective, the Indian woman had resigned herself to helping Mr. Crabtree and his cronies in the business of "white slavery." Still, Lillian was determined to try to ask for help. Hope was known to come from some unlikely place. Perhaps this would be the case here.
"Please, you've got to help me," Lillian pleaded.
"Why should I? You're people have not even made an attempt to save mine."
Lillian blinked at the woman in shocked indignation. How would she know what was happening to this Indian woman?
"Please, if you help me to escape, I can tell someone."
"And who would you tell, golden haired one?"
"I know of a man, his name is Caine. He could help," Lillian said, her voice going down to a whisper as if trying not to be heard.
"What can one man do?" The Indian woman laughed. "Best not to even try. You do not even know what they will do to you if you even try to escape."
"What do you mean?" Lillian asked, chills running up her spine as she saw the look of horror and pain in the Indian woman's eyes.
Without a word, the woman removed the scarf that graced half of her face. Scars could be seen crisscrossing her once lovely features. "You do not need to have a beautiful face to please a man. The man after all is not interested in your face."
Lillian stared back in shock. Turning away, tears of shame and horror filled her as she wondered if this might be her fate after all.
'Oh Caine, where are you?'
End of Part 13
Alisa Joaquin Copyright@2000.
This story cannot be reprinted or sold in any other form without strict permission from
the author. It is being distributed here solely for your enjoyment.
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