Stand Up for Freedom

Ivy could understand her concern. She was the only friend Dora had known even from the orphanage but she was well aware that if she didn't take this seemingly deadly step then all the girls were going to die, eventually. She could still hear the lyrics of the song she had been singing, as if on repeat, in her mind.

… I go to prepare a place for you…

"I go to prepare a place for you Dora, for the girls. Listen, if I don't make it this night, you must find another way for the girls…."

"What if he doesn't come?" Ivy paused, she had never thought for once that he would not show up. He had told her he would only believe what she told him if she could meet him that night at 10 p.m.

"I would find him."

Dora knew her mind was made up. She was like that since they were kids. Strong. Brave. Resilient. Always taking the trouble for others.

"Girls, time for inspection!" Dora's eyes widened with alarm

"Go on Dora, get your act together. I'll be just fine." She wrapped her arms tighter around the smaller lady and released her to go.

Ivy rubbed off the uneasy feeling in her stomach. She got the biggest opportunity she had been dreaming of. She got to spend a night with the Sindaco's son, yet she still felt like a failure. Maybe it was the way he said

"Why should I believe you? Madame is one of the biggest philanthropists in the town. She helps children, not destroys them!"

Or the way he turned unbelieving eyes to her when she said

"That orphanage is a whore house! She brings men to have those kids, you must stop them!"

Brushing the tears that had seeped into her cheeks, she prepared her heart for the worst. If she could not prove the truth to the Sincado's tonight then that would be the end. Madame swept her lush artificial lashes over the girls and would have given a satisfied smirk if she had not noticed that one was missing.

"Where is Ivy?"

She dropped from the wall and stifled a groan. Looking around to ensure there was no guard coming, Ivy ran barefoot to the street light. She counted to ten then began walking as fast as she could to freedom.

The only noise she could hear was the sound of waves crashing violently into each other. Ivy checked the time on her wristwatch, it was already 3 minutes past 10 p.m. She headed for the shadows so she could watch for him from there, if she had to wait for 30 minutes without seeing him, she would look for him. She knew there would be chaos already at Diamonds, the guard she had innocently gifted a bottle of wine would probably be beaten to a pulp by now. She could not afford to go back.

"I see you came" She froze in her tracks and turned slowly then released a deep sigh when she saw it was him.

"We don't have much time, half the guards at Diamonds would be combing the city for me in no time."

He held out a hand to her, a smile dancing on his lips

"Well no one will comb through my vehicle now, will they?"

It was 11:45 p.m. when Madame was eventually taken away from Diamonds, cuffs on her hands, a growl on her face. The girls who had been forced into whoredom under the guise of an orphanage had been rescued and taken into custody. Ivy looked out of the moving vehicle and didn't care to brush the tears away this time as she found solace in the song that had remained on repeat in her mind.

"…Stand up, take my people with me
Together we are going to a brand new home
Far across the river, can you hear freedom calling?
Calling me to answer gonna keep on keeping on…" Stand Up Song by Cynthia Erivo