A Slave´s Vision
   I, Emily Whitaker, fifteen year-old and house slave of Clyde Whitaker, vowed to be a life-changing woman for the slaves of Maryland and of course, the world. But, this longing dream I have, it’s difficult for me to accomplish, since it’s only my thirteen year-old brother Jacob and me. My mom left this world thanks to Mr. Whitaker, he thought my momma was a witch so he burned her alive and made my brother and I watch her die. My dad went straight to the upper room ever since he tried to escape and was beaten to death by Mr. Whitaker´s henchmen. Because of these horrifying events, I decided that this gibberish had to end; what kind of lowlife would think that my sweet momma was a witch? What kind of monster would kill my father just because he wanted to seek freedom? That was when I had the dream that encouraged my perseverance to save those who were forbidden from the rights that every human deserves… and freedom.

    I wanted to be a woman that would be remembered for her efforts to save slaves and that she fulfilled her mission. And the dream I had that moonlit night changed my vision of things completely. A woman who was robust, yet delicate appeared in my dream; she was black as dark chocolate and wore an outdated turban around her head; she was also small and slender and had rough hands but she gave a soft touch. She was so close that I could see her clearly, though she sounded peculiarly distant. The woman told me something that made me feel curiosity, excitement and fear all at once: “I have a mission for you, Emily and it won´t be smooth sailin´”
 
The mysterious woman informed me that a little birdie told her I wanted to find justice for my people and she said that she was gonna be my guardian angel and be there for me, through thick and thin. Reaching the end of the transmission, the figure began to buffer and was disappearing when she said: “To begin your journey, you must choose those who will motivate you to continue on your mission and without any hesitation, follow the North Star towards Gurnee” as the woman began to vanish, and I wake up thinking: “Isn’t Gurnee still under slave law? Was this dream surreal or was it the real deal?” I decided to trust my gut and began to plan my escape towards independence with the companionship of my compatriots and the guidance of my new friend.

  I had my escape plan almost ready to go. I had all the things I needed: my eight compatriots, in which were Marcus, a friend of mine and my brother Jacob. Once out of the plantation, we would follow the route toward Gurnee, Illinois which I traced in an aged map. I slept once again and found myself explaining my plan to my new friend. The short woman was proud of my efforts and she said, cautiously: “Now Emily, you need to be strong and smart-alecky to achieve this task. You have all the elements; all you need is a distraction to ensure your getaway.           And remember, leave no one behind” We waited late at night to fulfill our destiny. We commenced our escape and tried to remain quiet. As we were reaching the entrance of the plantation without any intrusions, an alarm began to sound because someone spotted one of the slaves who accompanied me, and as soon as that happened, a large metal gate began to close over the entrance and lock us in for good. If we didn’t reach the entrance before the door closed, Mr. Whitaker would sure make us pay. Because Marcus and I were the strongest, we ran towards the closing gate and held it as it closed. The others were all out of the plantation but as soon as we were about to let go of the gate, Mr. Whitaker comes out of the threatening shadow, takes Marcus by his shirt and I’m left alone holding the door with the strength I have left. As soon as I grow enraged, Marcus becomes free from Mr. Whitaker´s clutches and as he shouts his goodbyes, he pushes me to the other side of the door, closing the door shut…

What I wanted for people to remember about me was that I was a woman that gave all that I had to save slaves and that I completed that mission. Now I can say that people will remember me because my friends and I got safely to Gurnee, Illinois thanks to the guidance of my friend, the mysterious woman. Every time I went to sleep, she appeared as a magnificent light and with her wise advice; I could bear the next day. However, the people won’t remember me alone but also Marcus, who gave his life to save us all. Even though we walked slower each day, we walked sure; sure that we would get to Gurnee, sure that we would get to a place where we weren’t treated like dirty animals, sure that we would get to freedom even though Illinois is slave state. But I believed in the mysterious woman and without a doubt, put my friends´ lives and mine in her rough hands. The first night I spent there was the last time the mysterious woman appeared to me and she said with utter serenity: ¨Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world¨-Harriet Tubman