CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Tasyra had spent countless days confined within the oppressive walls of her prison cell. By now, she had fallen into a daily routine. Each morning, she would be abruptly awakened by a loud noise, jolting her from sleep, followed by the creaking of the iron doors of her cell as the guards arrived. She would then be escorted to an open field, where she and other male and female slaves would bathe. Afterwards, their oppressors would drag them to the farm, where they would toil without respite, water, or sustenance. At the end of the day, they would receive a meagre, unappetizing meal from a large pot, and they would all scramble to eat like animals before being returned to their cells without another bath. Initially, Tasyra would spend the entire day crying while working, and during mealtime, she would go without food. However, as time passed, she found strength in the thoughts of her child and fought harder when food was brought.

One fateful day, while she was basking in the air in the