AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've tried to stay as true to the story as I could, but for creative purposes, some things have been changed. All characters found in this fic, aside from Cassandra Davies, Anna Rourke & Marc Collins belong to The Patriot Movie. This story is just for fun and entertainment purposes.
Cassandra Davies sat, head propped up on her elbow desperately trying to stay awake. Her American History Professor droned on in the same monotone voice he had used all year, but that combined with the gorgeous weather outside, was making her sleepy.
"Miss Davies" her teacher's voice cut through her daydreams, and she blinked once earning several snickers from her classmates.
"Hmmm" she asked looking thoroughly confused. "Did you ask me something?"
Professor Gumble sighed. "I asked you who was the most ruthless British Officer of the American Revolution. But if you're not going to pay attention….."
"Colonel William Tavington of the Green Dragoons" she answered stifling a yawn. "Also known as The Butcher".
"Very good Miss Davies" her teacher said with a nod. "Can you tell me perhaps where and how he was killed?"
Cassandra rolled her eyes. "He was killed in battle during the Battle of Cowpens" she answered without looking down at her book. "Killed by American militia leader Benjamin Martin during an altercation"
"Nicely done" Professor Gumble said with a nod clicking the button in his hand to bring the slideshow to the next frame. "And here he is ladies and gentlemen. The Bloody Butcher himself"
Professor Gumble droned on again, but Cassandra was no longer paying attention. Instead, she laid her head upon her arms and waited for the bell to ring signaling the end of another long day of classes. She had a number of things to do, a research paper on the American Revolution to complete, prom dress shopping with her best friend Anna Rourke, and she wanted to take her stallion, Apollo, out for a run before the predicted storms hit.
Cassandra was one of the first students out of the school and in the student parking lot when the day's classes were over. A senior in high school, she couldn't wait to be rid of the place. She stuck her key into the lock of her sporty black convertible and had her door open when she heard someone call her name.
"Cassie! Hey Cassandra!!" Cassandra looked over and saw her friend Anna running towards her. "Hi Anna" Cassandra waved before tossing her schoolbag and history book into the back seat. "Are you riding home with me?"
"No, I'm going to ride home with Marc actually" Anna said with a sheepish smile. Marc Collins was the captain of the football team, and had become taken with Anna during their junior year. "I just wanted to make sure we were still on for tonight" she said tucking a lock of her curly blond hair behind her ears.
"Definitely" Cassandra agreed with a nod, although if she were being honest with herself, she wasn't much looking forward to it. She didn't have a date, and wasn't overly thrilled with the prospect of spending half of her prom sitting alone at the table. But she had promised Anna that she would go, and she was a woman of her word. "I'm just going to get home, and take Apollo out for a run first, it's been so long since he's gotten to do any real trail riding, and I know he misses it." Cassandra smiled at the prospect of riding, her father had taught her at a young age, and when he passed away, it was the one thing she could do that still made her feel close to him.
"I'll see you tonight" Cassandra said glancing up at the sky. Dark clouds were starting to roll in, and she really didn't want an outside shower. "I'll be at your house at five". Cassandra slid behind the wheel and started her car, glancing around once before pulling out of her usual spot and heading towards home.
Cassandra pulled her car up the long driveway of her home, and parked next to her mother's rose bushes. She inhaled deeply as she got out, enjoying the fragrance and the warm breeze on her skin. She took her time walking out to the barn where her horse was kept. "Hey boy" she called out grabbing some sugar cubes and her saddle from its hooks. "You wanna go for a run?" Cassandra walked over to the horses stall reaching her hand in to pet his head before she unlocked the gate and allowed him to come out to her. "Here you are" she said holding out one hand so he could take the sugar cubes while she ran her other hand down his flank. "Such a pretty boy you are" she crooned rubbing him affectionately. Cassandra saddled her horse, and set out the back gate into the lush green forest that ran behind the barn. She was so engrossed in being alone with her horse that she didn't notice the sky was darkening, nor did she hear the distant rumbles of thunder. In fact, she didn't notice anything but the greenness of the trees, and the sounds of the birds until the first fat rain drops began to fall on her. "Ah shit!" she exclaimed pulling on the reins to turn her horse around. "Better get back quick boy" she said looking up for the first time "It looks like its going to be a hell of a storm".
Cassandra dug her heels in the stirrups for support as she nudged Apollo into a gallop. The rain was coming down harder now, and the wind had picked up considerably. She was going to be drenched long before she ever made it back to the stables. Suddenly, the loud crack of thunder sounded nearby and the ground shook with the force of the lightning strike. Apollo reared back with a whine, knocking Cassandra backwards onto the ground. She fell, hitting her head hard enough to see blackness around the edges, but she struggled to her feet. "Apollo!" she cried out, but she did not see her horse. "Apollo where are you?!?!" Cassandra raised her hand to her eyes shielding them from the rain, but still she saw no sign of her horse. "Dammit Apollo" she mumbled to herself as she began making her way through the dense trees heading back towards home. Cassandra stomped down the trail, soaked to the bone, her teeth starting to chatter. Served her right for taking the horse out when she knew there was bad weather in the forecast she thought shaking her head bitterly.
Finally, up ahead, Cassandra saw a break in the trees. She picked up her pace slightly, hoping to see her horse in the paddock by the barn. The rain was coming down harder than ever, and the wind blew with enough force to push her sideways as she came out of the clearing and looked around the paddock. Cassandra cursed inwardly as she saw no sign of her horse outside. She ran into the barn as another loud crack of thunder shook the foundations. "Where was that bloody horse?" she muttered. It wasn't like him to get spooked so easily, and it was even less like him to take off on her. Cassandra peered into his stall, and was about to turn when she heard the unmistakable click of a gun being cocked.
"Hold it right there" a velvet voice said from behind her. "Now turn around, slowly, that's it."
Cassandra turned, and had the breath sucked right out of her, for she had found herself face to face with the Bloody Butcher himself. 'That's impossible" Cassandra thought as her eyes rolled back in her head, and she collapsed in a heap on the cold barn floor.