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"If you gather all woman of this world and they shout together, their voice would not override my whisper." ~ Haseki Elmas Sultan
Calista, eldest daughter of a single mother lived her life happily in her little village on a gree...
I walked down the path to my little house on a greek island as I heard my sisters playing with each other in our garden.
Even if they were fifteen and fourteen they behaved like little children. I didn't mind it at all, because seeing them have a happy childhood made me also happy.
"Calista! Come on, play with us!" Lilith, my youngest sister said as she came running towards me. I bent a little down and hugged her tightly.
"Is mom home?" I asked for my mother and walked hand in hand with Lilith to my other sister, Bella.
"No she will come in the evening, because she has a lot of patients." Bella turned around and walked to the table and sat on one of the chairs around it.
My mother was a doctor who worked with some other ladies in our village. They had their little surgery for kids and woman. Sure there were a lot of hospitals, but most of them were only for men.
After my father left us, she did everything alone and I helped her in everything I could. That's why I grew up very fast without having a good childhood.
We sat down at the table and talked about random stuff as we heard the bells ranging. They only rang if there was something serious and dangerous in town.
I quickly stood up and took my sisters inside the house. The doors were shut and the curtains closed.
"Go to the cellar and don't come out until I tell you, okay?" they nodded and went down to our cellar. I could hear shoutings from outside so I took a dagger and went out to see what it was.
People of our little village were running around and shouting. I saw Cassandra, my best friend who also panicking.
"Cassie! Cassie!" I shouted her nickname and she saw me. She jogged to where I was and pulled me to the side.
"We have to hide. The Ottomans are here and they take girls with them." she told me out of breath. We always knew the day would come for our town to be a victim of the Ottoman pirates.
Their big ships were on the harbour and some men got out and some got in. They had girls with them who screamed and cried for help. I took Cassandra's hand and went down to the cellar. My sisters were sitting on the floor and fear was written on their faces.
"What happened?" Bella asked while trying to comfort a crying Lilith. Cassandra and I stood in front the door, ready for a fight.
"The Ottomans also arrived at our island. They capture girls." the words came out of my mouth even if I wanted to lie and say everything was fine. As Bella was about to say something someone tried to open the door.
They kicked harder and harder and as me and Cassandra backed up, the door bursted into two pieces. A man with a long beard and came in and looked firstly at me and then at Cassandra and my sisters. He had a dagger which was covered in red liquid.
"Take them." he ordered to the men behind him and they took us. Lilith was crying, Bella and Cassandra were shouting while I was kicking the men.
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"Let go off of me!" I kicked the man and bit in his hand as he screamed in pain and let my hand go.
I wanted to free the others, but saw my mom with blood on her stomach at the ground.
"Mama!!!" I picked her head up at my lap and saw her wound. It wasn't that serious, but I still was afraid for her. The men came with Cassie and my sisters out of the house.
As soon as they saw me, they came to attack me again.
"No please don't, my mom is hurt. I have to help her." I begged and also started crying. Bella and Lilith saw our mother and wanted to come, but the men didn't let them.
The guards stood around me and tried to pull me away from my mother, but my grip was strong. At one point I screamed as loud as I could for anyone who could come and help me in this situation.
"What is the matter Silahtar?" a man asked and as soon as he came everyone bowed. I assumed he has a higher position.
"I am sorry Hünkarım, but this girl just doesn't want to come." the man who I bit said in an angry tone and looked at me like he was ready to kill me.
"My mother is hurt. I have to help her, please understand!" I cried not even looking up. He signaled everyone to step away and bent down to my level.
"What is your name?" I looked up and saw a young man looking me directly in the eyes.
"Calista. My name is Calista." I wiped my tears away.
The man helped me to get my mother up and brought her to the house. We laid her on the little couch and we both stepped back.
He ordered some other things to the men and they immediately did it.
"Your mother will have all her needs, but you and the others have to come to Istanbul." my face turned from happy to angry.
"What? Why? We don't want to." he turned around and walked out. I followed him.
"Wait! Fine, but please one last wish." he turned his head back to me.
"I listen." I sighed and looked at my sisters in the back. They were so young to go far away from our mom. Everything I could think of was them ending as some servants and slaves.
"I will come with you, but let my sisters be with my mom. They still are so young." I begged.
His eyes went from me to Bella and Lilith. After some time he nodded and the men let go of them. They also let got of Cassandra who was crying. The men walked up to me and grabbed my arms.
I turned around for the last time seeing my home and my family. We walked to the harbour and were about to go on the ship as I heard my name being shouted.
I turned around and saw my sisters and Cassandra. My sisters were waving while Cassandra walked up on the ship to me.
"What are you doing?" I asked as she took my hand.
"Did you really think I would let you go alone? You are my best friend." tears of joy were in my and her eyes.
I waved to my sisters and shouted 'Take care of mom'. The men brought me and Cassie to the other girls in the cabin. Some of them were crying while the others were chatting.
Me and Cassie sat in one corner completely alone.
"Do you think they will kill us?" Cassie asked with fear in her voice.
"Believe me, I would rather die than to be someones slave and servant." I said truly not caring if anyone else heard.
"We will go to the Harem of the Sultan." a girl in the background told us. I knew her, she was also in our village. Her was Yasmin.
Before I could respond a man came and told us that we will leave now. I prayed to god that I could survive with Cassie and go back to our home.
But god had obviously other plans for me. Plans that I could never imagine of.
