Falling III: ESCAPE FROM THE EATERS (a story about human trafficking)

 

FALLING

 

A Story About Human Trafficking

 

III

 

ESCAPE FROM THE EATERS

 

 

 

 

Written by Judy Fay London

 

Content Warning:

The world of The Factory is brutal, unforgiving, and dark. The characters in this story face severe hardships, including violence, exploitation, and self-harm. While this is a story about survival, loyalty, and hope, it contains intense themes that may be distressing for some readers. Please read with care.

Introduction

Falling—my life is falling, falling, and falling;

my life is drifting away from the surface of Earth.

Falling—everything is falling apart. Everything;

The memories of my mother, my family, and my friends are fading. Fading…

 

2018

 

 

I had a weird dream last night—falling through a vast, endless sky. I kept falling, falling, and falling.

I recounted the strange dream to my best friend, Jean, as she sat next to me on the Factory bus to the city. “It’s weird, isn’t it?” I asked.

Jean didn’t answer my question; instead, she asked, “Maybe it's because you were worrying about Flora before you went to sleep?”

“Yeah, maybe,” I admitted. “Last night. I regretted telling her the terrible news about her boyfriend, Keith. I still do.”

“I know.” Jean wrapped an arm around me. “But, Cara, like I said, it’s not your fault.”

“I…don’t know.” I leaned my head on her shoulder, tears silently tracking down my cheeks. God, I hated this. I hated The Factory—our private name for it—and how it turned kids into machines. Machines that roamed the streets day after day, forced to beg and steal.

I hated Mina, the leader who kidnapped me about three years ago. I hated the Green Gang for taking Keith away and sending him to a different Factory, where his arms were taken from him. Most of all, I hated myself. I was the one who told Flora about Keith. I was the reason she slashed her wrists and bled to death.

I hated so many things in my life now. But I dried my eyes as the bus navigated the winding roads through the dense woods. The Factory was hidden deep within the hills—or rather, a mountain. It rose thirteen hundred feet, dense and heavily forested. I stared out at the passing green trees through the window, my head still resting on Jean’s shoulder.

I let out a deep sigh, wondering how we could escape this horrible place and how we could rescue Keith. We had been planning our escape for almost three years, yet we were still here. Yes, Norman would become a trainer next month—technically making him one of the rulers of The Factory.

We hoped we would eventually figure out a way out after that. But I got a bad feeling, deep down. I just felt something was wrong, or would go wrong when the time came. I didn’t know. I decided to stop thinking about it for the moment. I closed my eyes. I was so tired.

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