Claudia
stood by a pillar. She could see senators walking in and out of the
forum. Just when it seemed business would be slow today, a tall bulky
senator approached her and grabbed her from behind. A cold tingling
sensation soon ran down her spine. She tried to pull away,
but he held
firmly, effectively trapping her under his arms.
He
then took her to the nearest building and inflicted himself upon her.
She screamed, desperately trying to get the attention of the guards,
but no one replied. Then she realized that the inevitable was about
to happen. She simply belonged to a world in which prostitutes were
shameful and were not protected by the Roman law. She was no better
than a slave and no one would bother to listen to her. She tried
pushing him away, but he simply dragged her down an alley and
threatened her with a knife. He cut her toga open while she
reluctantly covered herself with her hands. Claudia pulled back
involuntarily, but the senator cut her and pressed harder. He pulled
her towards himself, continuing his dirty work. She
continued to cry out, but her pleas would still fall on deaf ears.
After
what seemed like an eternity later, Claudia lay abandoned in the
alleyway.
Gathering
herself, she wrapped herself up in the shredded remains of her toga
and left the scene of the crime quickly.
She sobbed as the blood ran down her arms, but continued to make her
way through the forum, knowing that she would be invisible to
everyone. When she finally made her way to the of the Temple of
Vesta, she knelt at the steps and looked up at the goddess that
represented everything she lacked. Realizing how homeless she was and
how homeless she would always be, she wept.
~Aime Ahumada
