Bare feet splashed against murky puddles on the hard ground. Small hands desperately clutched a wall for support as her lithe body was sent off-balance by rough, pushing arms. The little girl raised her head cautiously to stare at the looming figure above her. The sliver of moonlight peeking through dark clouds shone on her pale face, causing the tear tracks to appear on her cheeks.

"Papa," came a feeble whisper through trembling lips. Just as the word left her mouth, stars suddenly exploded across her vision and her body tipped sideways onto the cold ground. As she cradled her stinging cheek, the girl let stray tears fall.

A dark shadow fell upon her shaking body. "Do not call me by that name, ever again," a hoarse voice spat. "You are no child of mine."

A broken sob escaped from her. She clung on to the man's pants, only to have her hands painfully pried away.

"I did not kill her, Papa!" she cried. "I promise by the name of God!"

Her words were abruptly cut off when she was roughly hauled to her feet by her arms. The man shook her body hard enough to cause her teeth to gnash together.

"Do not utter God's name through those demonic lips! You have been the cause of this family's misery. I am glad to finally rid of you from my hands now that your grandmother is dead."

At the mention of her grandmother, the girl cried even harder. The image of her warm wrinkled smile flashed before her eyes. "Papa please, it was not my doing. I love Alina."

"Shut up!" the man roared. "How dare you mention her name! Your sister is dead because of you!"

The man's screaming was droned out by the loud pitter patter of hooves against stone. Just as quickly as he exploded, he righted his demeanor and a smirked grazed his face.

A large wooden carriage pulled by neighing horses pulled up before the duo. An old man jumped down from his spot in the navigating seat and closed the distance between them. The two men nodded in acknowledgement.

"Is this the child, Mr. Younger?"

The man pushed her forward roughly. "Not a child, dear sir, but a demon."

Cold, dark eyes studied her figure. The man raised a bony hand to lift a strand of black hair from her small shoulder. He hummed under his breath as he took in her features, from the tips of midnight black hair down to dirty toes.

The little girl's eyes widened in fear as the man dug into a pouch and handed the latter with five gold coins. The man enclosed his hand around her arm. She started squirming against the old man's grip when he tried to steer her into the carriage.

"Please, Papa! It was not my fault, believe me! Please do not sell me!" she started pleading and clawing to free herself. When her tear-filled eyes caught a sight of a boy hiding between the gates, she flailed harder.

"Caspar, please tell Papa!" she begged. "Tell Papa it was not my fault!"

The old man clicked his tongue in annoyance at the girl's struggles. He swept her off of her feet and carried her over his shoulder. The little girl's screams pierced the eerie silence of the night.

"No, Papa, please! Forgive me, do not make me go!"

She gasped out both in pain and shock when she was thrown into the wooden carriage. Before she could regain her bearings, the door was slammed shut and locked. The little girl scrambled to the little window panel and grasped the two metal rods in her hands.

"Papa! Caspar!"

With a jolt, the carriage was sent rolling forwards. The little girl continued to cry with her face pressed against the window as she watched her life and family slip away. She jumped in surprise when a hand descended on her shoulder. Spinning around, her eyes could only catch glimpses of curious face and ragged clothing in the darkness of the carriage. She pressed her back against the wooden wall, whimpering in fear.

"Do not fear, little one, I am not here to harm you," a gentle voice reached her ears. Still utterly terrified, the little girl responded by burying her face in her dirty skirt. She couldn't suppress a flinch when the same hand patted her head softly.

"There, there, do not shed anymore tears," the voice murmured soothingly. "We still have a long way to endure before we reach the slavery."

At the mention of that, the little girl cried harder. Her father had sold her to slavery and she was terrified. The gentle voice began crooning a soft lullaby. It washed over the girl's body like waves of calm. Within a few heartbeats, her eyelids started drooping. The smiling image of her sister brought her to a dreamless sleep.