DISCLAIMERS:

This story is set in an alternative world, in a racist society. I am writing this story for my own enjoyment, and I get a sexual kick out of imagining black girls as property. I expect some people will probably find the story offensive. Other people might find it too tame for their tastes.

In reality I believe that treating people primarily as members of groups, rather than as individuals, can have less than optimal results.

My entire knowledge of the Southern states of the US comes from watching the first season of True Blood! So it's probably dumb of me to set a story there . . .

Part One:

I was literally shaking with . . . fear? Or was it excitement?

This morning, me and a bunch of other black girls were made to scrub ourselves clean in the showers, under the watchful eye of one of the many white male middle-aged prison guards that work in the Louisiana Penitentiary for Female Criminals. Mr Guard told us we had to scrub up well for the auction, and kept giving us helpful suggestions for how we could help each other to get clean. There wasn't any hot water - prisoners here don't get luxuries like heated showers. Then, without even being given a chance to towel ourselves down, or any clothes, we were shackled and bundled onto a prison van that drove us, naked, wet and in chains, to the Negro Salehouse in New Orleans.

At the salehouse, we had our pubic hairs waxed off (they weren't gentle), oil rubbed onto our dark skins, and were locked into cages. We weren't given any breakfast - each cage held a bucket of water in case we were thirsty, that was all. I was put into a cage with four other girls. Most of the other occupied cages had male prisoners in. The atmosphere was very tense. We were all nervous. Us girls (we were all under thirty) were probably a lot more nervous than the guys, wondering what our new lives would be like. We cried, comforted each other, and then chatted a bit with the guys in the cage next to ours. I drank water and was allowed out of the cage to use the toilet. The guys all got sold before we did. It seemed like we were there for hours, and then there were only two cages left, mine and another cage of girls further down the corridor, and the guards started pulling girls out of my cage, until I was the only one left. Then it was my turn!

I walked up onto the wooden platform, alongside a tall blonde in a smart business suit. She was pretty, but no-one was looking at her. I am 18 years old, 5 foot nothing, slim and cute. I was completely nude, my dark skin glistening, my hands and feet shackled. I stared at the floor of the platform, covering my vagina with my hands. I couldn't cover my breasts, because the chain that ran between my leg-shackles and my handcuffs wouldn't let me lift my arms that high.

I'm a shy girl, and I've always hated doing anything that involves lots of people looking at me, so this was my worst nightmare! No, this was beyond my worst nightmares!! No wonder I was shaking, and my teeth were chattering in my head.

"Head up, girl!" said the blonde. I forced myself to lift my head and look at the crowd. I had noticed the guard standing at the back of the platform, near the steps, holding what looked like a cattle-prod.

The buyers were mostly white men, relaxed and smiling, joking with each other, and looking at me . . . well . . . looking at me as if they would like to own me!

The blond woman came over and whispered in my ear, stroking my shoulder.

"They won't bite. I know it's scary. Just try and relax"

She smiled at me and turned to the audience, holding my upper arm.

"Okay guys. This is lot 57. We have something very special for you here. One female negress, 18 years old, in perfect health. A pure-bred black, of East African ancestry. Her name's Nikki, and she's from England! Seriously! Say hello to the ladies and gentlemen Nikki."

"H-Hello"

I was still shaking.

"Can you give us a smile, Nikki? It would be nice if you could!"

I attempted to smile. It wasn't a very good attempt. There was some laughter from the crowd. One guy wolf-whistled.

The blonde raised her hand.

"Hang on guys. I think Nikki's a little nervous. After all, she's not familiar with the traditions of our country, and she's never been sold before, so I think we need to cut her some slack. Just give us a moment here."

And then the blonde turned to me and hugged me. After holding me tightly for about half a minute, smiling at the crowd (some of whom were making sympathetic noises, while others were laughing), she started stroking my long hair and saying "There, there. There there."

This went on for a couple of minutes. The crowd went quiet. A part of me felt this was just ridiculous, but somehow, it worked, and I felt calmer and stopped shaking!

"I'm okay now, thank-you" I smiled at the blonde woman.

She smiled back, let go of me and stepped back, facing the crowd.

"Right. On with the show! Now, believe it or not, Nikki here is a virgin! Isn't that right, Nikki? You've never had sex, and you've never had a boyfriend?"

So now she's got me to stop shaking, she expects me to answer a question like that in front of a crowd of men?!

"Um . . . um . . . well, I did kiss a boy once . . . He wasn't really, like, a boyfriend though."

"You kissed a boy huh? Wild! . . . You know, I don't understand how a hot little negress like you managed to get to the age of 18 without having sex? Were you brought up in a nunnery or something?"

"Um . . . well, I went to an all-girls boarding school. So I've never really got to meet any boys . . . um . . ."

"Oh yes, Nikki is very well educated, ladies and gentlemen. She's just finished her high school education at one of Englands poshest private girls schools! And she was going to go on to study law and become a lawyer. . . before she had an unfortunate run in with the legal system over here! . . . Yes, I'm required by law to tell you guys that she was convicted of speeding, drink-driving and underage drinking. The speed limit in England is higher than over here, isn't that right, Nikki?"

"Um, yes. It's 70 miles per hour in England."

"And you're allowed to drink at 18 there, too, right?"

"Yes . . . but . . . I shouldn't have been driving, though. I didn't realise how much I'd drunk."

"Well, we all did stupid things when we were teenagers. Some of us still do! It sounds like you're a good girl at heart though. I'm sure you'll make someone a very good slave! Right. I'm going to start the bidding at $1000."

That brought me down to earth with a jolt. I was going to be a somebody's slave! And now the bidding had already started! Hands shot up left, right and centre - it seemed as if everyone wanted to buy me!