I do not condone slavery primarily because children should not be enslaved and no one should be enslaved based on superficial characteristics like skin color. This story is a guy consenting to be a slave. There will be elements of non-consent, bondage and humiliation in this chapter.
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My name is Noah. I was eighteen and had just graduated high school. I would be nineteen in two months. I was trying to figure out my future. My dad was poor. We were comfortable enough but he could not afford to send me to college. Other options for getting wealthy all required an initial investment of money I didn't have. And I didn't want to struggle being poor my whole life.
Investing in slavery was an option. If I could get my hands on one slave, I could rent him out. Slaves made more money than free people because there were fewer limits on what you could do with a slave. You did have to make sure the slave stayed healthy so you had to provide water, food, medical and basic shelter but a slave could be worked fourteen hours a day with fewer breaks, fewer rights and a slave could be required to do things a free person could never be required to do.
That's when I came up with a brilliant plan. I could put myself up as collateral on a loan. Then my legal status would change to that of a slaveling, not a full slave but required to obey like a slave. I would lose many rights but I'd still have the right to conduct my own financial affairs. Then I could rent myself out and earn more than enough to make the loan payments and get free room and board as long as I was rented out.
I went to a lawyer, Finnegan, to make sure my plan didn't have any hidden risks. He said, "Financially, your plan is fool proof but I don't think you realize how hard your life will be physically and psychologically. I have read about others who tried your plan. They all became wealthy but most of them became so broken psychologically that they couldn't handle being free. Seriously think about that before you decide."
He was right. At the time, I did not realize how hard life would be. I had book knowledge about what slavery was like but I'd never seen a slave myself. Only wealthy people could afford slaves and the only way to make their money back was if they worked their slaves hard. But I figured I was young and could handle working hard for a few years. So I decided.
Finnegan didn't react immediately but then he smiled. "You will make a great slave. You are a good investment. Therefore, I will waive my lawyer fees for you and agree to represent you for the entire time. I'll keep checking on you from time to time to make sure you don't get cheated."
He stood up and shook my hand. There was something different about his demeanor that I couldn't figure out. It was like he was picturing me naked.
I asked, "That's awfully kind of you but what's in it for you."
He said, "Like I said, I'll be checking on you from time to time. I'll be checking to ensure you retain your value as a slave."
I shook his hand and he went with me to the bank. A loan officer, Mr. Canmore, quickly wrote up a contract and had me sign. He promised the loan minimum would be 100,000 but that the results of a medical exam would probably increase the size of the loan.
Both Canmore and Finnegan went with me to a slave evaluator. The nearest slave evaluator was fifty-nine miles away. They both had cancelled appointments to go with me.
I asked, "Why are you going with me?"
Canmore answered, "It's about time we had a slave in town. It's going to be good for the economy of the entire town. And you are such a good looking slave. I bet you bring in lots of money."
We got to the slave evaluator and the place was an interesting mix of wealth and ruggedness. There was a security fence all around the facility and a guard let them know we were here. A slave evaluator, Master Corona, came out to meet us.
Corona asked, "Which one of you is the slave?"
I raised my hand and both Finnegan and Canmore pointed at me.
Corona asked, "Why is he wearing clothes?"
Canmore said, "He isn't a slave yet. He's putting himself up as collateral on a loan."
Corona said, "I don't care. While on these grounds, slaves wear nothing. Strip boy and leave your clothes in the car."
I asked, "Here, outside where everyone can see?"
Canmore said, "He doesn't know much about slavery. None of us do. He'll be the first slave where we come from."
Corona said, "He'll learn soon enough. Boy, you are going to be naked outside where everyone can see often. Slaves don't have the right to choose what they wear. Your owner will choose what you wear even if that means he chooses for you to wear nothing."
I said, "But I'm going to be my own owner. So I still get to choose what I wear."
Corona said, "I know how that works. I've dealt with slavelings before. Your self ownership only goes so far. When you rent yourself out, your renter will decide what you wear. He's obligated to give you protective clothing but that is all he's obligated to provide. Also, many businesses have their own dress codes for slaves. We have a dress code here that slaves must be naked so strip boy."
That was my first clue that slave life would be harder than I had imagined. In all the books I read, the slaves wore raggedy old clothes. They were not completely naked.
I stripped and put my clothes in the car. Corona said, "Barefoot, bare assed, bare everything. Even leave your jewelry behind." When I was completely naked, I shut the door, covered myself and stood there looking at Corona.
"Hands on your head." Corona shouted. "Stand up straight. Feet shoulder width apart. Part of my evaluation is how well you obey orders. The better you obey orders, the higher your evaluation will be."
Canmore added, "And the higher your loan will be."
Corona continued, "There are certain poses and ways of carrying yourself that you must learn. Even if you are not given an order, never slouch. Always be in one of the approved slave poses and always carry yourself in an approved slave manner. Now follow me but keep your hands on your head and your back straight."
Corona led the way and I followed with Finnegan and Canmore following me. All three men had been examining my entire body with their eyes and I was sure Finnegan and Canmore continued to examine my backside with their eyes.