The Forbidden Touch

I felt a strong sensational against my face before I could even process the pain I felt a solid pain in my stomach I fell on the road and screamed. "Yes, that's exactly your place b***h!" the official guard said. I was in extreme pain and tried to get up I didn't know what came upon me but I grabbed a stone beside the road hit him with my full strength. It was that moment when I realized I was in deep trouble. s**t! Flashback- Astec was a beautiful, big, and peaceful state for the Lords of the society but for the serfs, it was worse than hell. After the civil war, it was decided that the society will be divided into three categories Lords, Mid-Serfs, and Serfs in order for a smooth transition to normalcy. However, with the passage of time, it had become the law of land. The Lords occupied the major positions in the state from government, army, bureaucracy and business, the mid- serfs were the people who assisted them and served, and the last was the Serfs who were exploited by both upper classes, they were beaten, thrashed, and were forced to work without minimal or zero pay, lived in worse conditions and in a separate part of the state. I, Irene was a serf, but I was slightly lucky as I did not live in the worse condition. My father was a loyal, hard-working, and diligent serf he had never committed any mistake and therefore wanted me and my brother, Irom to study and work hard so we could change our fate. However, we both knew it was hard even we were exceptional in our work we to the most could only become mid-serf but never a lord or even close to it. We could never own anything. I lived with my father and brother, Irom was a head-hotted 16-year-old boy. He was very smart, intelligent, and strong but always got into trouble because of his and his friends' activities. They always got into fights with the Lord's boys and infact beat them up. He was able to get away mostly because of Dad's rapport but I knew someday they will catch him. I and dad were always tensed both him. However, he believed that he and his boys will bring a revolution and finish this class structure. I knew this was because of his young blood but also wanted it to be the truth.  Present Time: "How dare you to hit a guard?" said another guard and grabbed me by my hair and ordered the other guards to put me and my friend, Rosa in the confiscation van. They grabbed and pulled our hands behind our backs and pushed our inside the van. The moment I sat inside the van I realized everything was going to go downhill. Rosa, my best friend, also a serf looked at me with dead eyes. Rosa and me grew together we were with each other through thick and thin. Her brother was friends with Irom. They lost their parents during the war and lived with their aunt. Her aunt was a pleasant woman both being a serf she always faced problems.  "I am sorry, I would take all the blame and combined punishment of both of us". Serfs were obligated to punishment according to their crimes. "There is no need to say sorry, whatever you did was right". Rosa said in a loud voice and other guards looked at her in the van. Rosa continued, "He deserved it any person who insults and teases women by grabbing and pulling them against their will is not a man let alone be a guard". This made everyone's jaw dropped and eyes pop. I looked at her in utter shock. It was considered to be immoral to insult Lord's guards but somewhere inside I knew this was the truth. The lord's guards used to grab, tease, cat-call, and even r**e the serf girls. No one would ever take any action against them. My train of thought was stopped by when Rosa screamed after a guard hit her with his rifle. After a few minutes, I asked Rosa in a hushed voice "Do you have any idea what the punishment would be?". Rosa said "I believe they will ask us to apologize and a month of service at the guards's house. That should be the maximum" "We only hit a guard". I gulped down my throat as our exams were coming up and a month of service would affect it badly. The fact that I haven't reached home and dad and Irom must be worried scared the s**t out of me. f**k what the hell I got myself into.  The van suddenly stopped, but it wasn't the law and order center but a bungalow, one second what? we were in the Lord's area. Why the hell we were here? I was terrified and confused as hell. Are they going to kill us for hitting a guard? I looked at Rosa and her face had turned pale and was as confused as me. We were forced out of the van and dragged inside the bungalow. I had no idea whose house was it and what was going to happen.  We stepped inside the bungalow and I was shocked to my cores. I had never seen a house like this. I had never ever been to any of the Lord's house before my dad had though he used to tell us how big, beautiful, and grand they are. I was only wondered as a kid I always wanted to see a Lord House and guess what I am able to see it now in the worst circumstances. We were taken to a corner of the hall and two guards held us. While their superior went inside a room. I was terrified but I just could not stop gauging at the beauty of the house. It had big paintings, chandeliers, and a mermaid foundation in the middle of the hall. There was a grand piano in one corner and several serfs running chores. The hall was as big as my entire house. My admiration was broken when Rosa " I don't care man.. even if I die today at least I will die after watching a Lord's house" said mockingly. I smiled in agreement.