Feedback from the last chapter has helped a lot. I made a conscious effort to develop Kelsey through her inner monologue and actions more. Not entirely sure where I'm going after the next couple chapters, a few different roads I could head down, but I'm glad there's plenty of interest regardless.
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She had been left alone for several hours. It was perhaps the first peace and quiet Kelsey had received in the time since her capture, and it was a refreshing opportunity to regroup and gather her thoughts. Of course it was also an invitation for doubt and despair to seep into her mind, with Kelsey now constantly fighting a battle to keep resolute and focused.
Her mind immediately turned to the prospect of escape. She was free of any restraints, though she was locked in a small cell within the center of the slavery quarter of New Chicago. Her cell itself was one of many, neighboring the other slaves that would soon be sold alongside her. Their wails and sobs haunted the place, a constant reminder for Kelsey of her fate, no matter how hard she tried to forget.
Escaping the cell itself wouldn't be all that hard. The lock was rather flimsy, more likely for show than security, and a few good kicks on the wooden cell door would likely send it flying open. However, Kelsey had no doubt in her mind that the second she left the prison she would be confronted with half a dozen slavers and guard, armed with whips and cudgels. They'd likely beat her until she curled into a ball, and then have their way with her, passing it off as some sort of extra training.
"Wouldn't you like that, you slut?" a part of her thought, as she imagined being pushed down on the muddy street, brutish men pushing inside of each of her holes as others watched and jeered. "That's right, you whore, you're wet just thinking about it. Jake was right. This is your place. You wear that brand well."
Kelsey shook her head clear of the thoughts; this was no time to have a moral dilemma about her unfortunate arousal. She had done little to submit so far, at least mentally. She had taken to the new name as it was nothing more than something to be called by, and in all honesty she couldn't care less if her name was Olivia or Kelsey, or any other outlandish moniker, as long as she knew when someone was talking to her. She was still in charge, even if she had to allow herself to be subdued for the moment.
As she saw it, she had two options at the moment; try to escape now under the cover of darkness, or endure a couple days of humiliation and training before escaping from whoever bought her. The first likely entailed escaping a lot more security, but it meant she wouldn't risk the chance of losing her desire to be free after enduring their methods. The second not only possessed that risk, but it also entailed uncertainty, as she had no idea what lengths her new owner would take in regards to security.
"Or you could just submit. You could just go outside on your knees and beg to be taken like the whore you are. Then, when you're auctioned off, you'll spend the rest of your life serving your betters, like you were meant to do." Once again the unwelcome part of her mind chimed in. Kelsey quickly stifled it once more. Her arousal was becoming an increasing factor in her decision-making process, but it was nowhere near being able to take over the reins from her more rational side.
What it did do, however, was convince her that she couldn't afford to subject herself to training. She had no doubt in her mind that she would be kept in a constant state of pleasure and pain over the next few days, and she was unsure if her resolve would waiver in the face of an expert's touch. No, her best option was to leave tonight, even if it meant dealing with the security of the slave quarter. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to rest as she awaited nightfall.
As the sun ducked below the barren landscape and the pale light of the moon emerged among the scant clouds wandering amidst the horizon, Kelsey opened her eyes. Now was her moment. With a newfound quickness to her step that would have surprised Jake or Jared, she stood up. With one mighty front kick, she sent her cell door flying outward, the lock falling to the ground along with the whole of the metal hinge it was attached to.
Her fellow slaves had not even bothered to wake up from the clamor. Most had spent the day in training, and were far too weary to allow a singular crash disturb their precious hours of respite. Kelsey snuck over to the front of the barracks and peeked up at the little barred window, looking for any sort of guard that would catch her. A quick scan of the area revealed that there was no guard posted outside the door, and no patrol in sight. "They've gotten lazy," she murmured.
Kelsey pushed the door open slowly, before walking outside and closing it behind her. Her bare feet, as she had only been supplied a rough spun shift from her new owners, sank into the cool mud, and let out a little 'splosh' with each step. She doubted she would be able to sneak up on any guard who was even half-awake without alerting them.
The slave quarters were the largest part of New Chicago, but two of the sides lay on the edge of the town. As a result, she could simply escape into the wilderness, assuming she could get there. Kelsey decided to sneak over to a nearby cart, passing several sets of stocks as she made her way along the edge of the barracks. The ruins of Old Chicago were only about 100 meters away, about the length of a football field. Yet those 100 meters were perilous. There was no cover, and a couple patrols made odd intervals along the open field, looking for any runaways or, more likely, thieves. There would be no stealth when it came to her escape now, just a dead sprint and a prayer that by the time they saw her she was far enough gone to lose herself in the ruins of the old city.
Kelsey took a deep breath and waited for the patrols to reach the center of the field and start to head in opposite directions. As soon as she saw a decent divide between them, she bolted from the cover of the cart and set out at a dead sprint towards freedom.
The young blonde had never run like she did now before. Literally everything rested on how quick she reached the edge of the ruins, and her frantic pace reflected that. Kelsey blocked out the submissive voice in her head that begged her to stop and await sweet punishment. She blocked out the dull pain from her bare feet against the trodden, rough ground. She blocked out the pain from her butt, that reminded her exactly of her fate would she fail. Only one thing mattered, and she was fast closing on it.
The sound of shouting and boots against the muddy turf managed to send a shot of adrenaline through her, allowing Kelsey to reach a new gear that she thought unattainable. 40 meters. Her breath was ragged as her lungs desperately drew in air. 30 meters. The voices grew louder as they began to catch up with her; each of the men behind her knowing that their salaries would be docked if she made it out. 20 meters. The ruins were now easily distinguishable, a plethora of nooks and crannies for an escaped slave to hide herself in. 10 meters. Freedom was so close, she could taste it; Jake would pay with his life. 5 meters. Freedom was snatched up in a hurry as the leader of the pack behind her lunged forward to tackle her in a last ditch attempt to stop Kelsey from escaping her fate.
Right on the edge of the slaver quarters, right behind the low-standing sandbag wall, Kelsey was sent skidding to the ground, her tanned skin once more stained with mud and her tackler desperately clinging onto her right leg. Frantically, Kelsey lashed out at him with her left leg, kicking him hard enough to knock him unconscious. Even though she had dispatched of the man, three others were now right up on her to thwart her escape, each armed with either a whip or club. Kelsey scrambled to her feet and glared at them, the look of a cornered dog now evident in her gaze.