Date 1776
A young girl ran through a beautiful meadow of flowers. Her long blonde hair bounced up and down on her shoulders as she ran. She giggled to herself as she ran up to her big, yet cozy, home. Thomas, 15, was lying on his stomach on the porch, making is soldiers, and Gabriel, the eldest at age 18, sat in a chair with his feet propped up on the ledge of the porch, reading a book. Their youngest sister, Susan, played with her dolls and the three boys Nathan, 10, Samuel,9, and William, 5, played marbles. Margaret eagerly ran up onto the porch. "Father's coming! Father's coming!" she shouted eagerly. Margaret was ordered to go into town and by a loaf of bread, but once she saw father's horse, she had to run back home and tell the good news to the others. Sure enough, she was right and the children saw their father on his horse coming towards them. Everyone, except Gabriel, got up to greet him. The tall man jumped off his horse with the most bitter face any man could have on his face. Thomas, Susan, Margaret, Samuel, Nathan, and William ran at him laughing and asking lots of questions. Gabriel stood where he was, he knew what kind of mood his father was in, and at a time like one of those, it was best not to bother him. Ben shook his kids off and stomped inside the house. Gabriel watched his father's massive boots stomp on the floorboards, then up the stairs. The children, not as happy anymore, also watched him. "Something is obviously bugging him." Thomas replied walking up beside Gabriel. Gabriel sighed. "Obviously" he murmured and walked inside the house. He looked up the steps, looked back at Thomas, walked up the flight of stairs, and knocked lightly on the second door on the right. "WHAT IS IT!?" he heard his father bellow. "Father, may i come in?" Gabriel asked, no response came, but instead of the noise of the lock unclicking. Gabriel opened it and walked in. His father stood next to the window sill and looked out of it. "Father.... if i may, ask you what is wrong?" Gabriel asked. Ben looked into his son's eyes, who only stared back at him. "The meeting at Charlestown was a disater. Everyone is getting fed up with the British..... and they want to go to war." Ben replied. Gabriel's eyes widened, for 2 reasons. 1, he couldn't believe the people of the colonies wanted to go to war with a country like Britain, and 2 he wanted to get information about the war. He wanted to become a solider so badly. "Are we?" he asked after a moment of silence. "Yes" Ben said regrettably, then looked at Gabriel. "Your not enlisting." Ben said sternly. Gabriel's mouth dropped. "H.. How did you know that I....." "Please Gabriel, i am not that stupid, I was a young headstrong 18-year-old once. Being a man of war has no advantages, believe me" Ben replied. "But Father, I..."" No Gabriel! And the at is final!" Ben yelled, raising his voice 10 times louder. Gabriel looked at him and sighed. "Yes sir" he murmured. "What was that?" Ben asked. "Yes sir" Gabriel said louder so Ben could hear him. "Good" Ben replied then walked out of the room.
Gabriel walked through town, while walking the busy streets of the market, he noticed several British soldiers surveying the people, some beating colonists because they didn't pay taxes, others firing small shops because they owed to much debt. Susan followed close behind Gabriel, holding his hand tightly. "Gabriel, why are those men hurting people?" she asked. "Um, i don't know Susan" Gabriel lied. Gabriel then stopped walking and just stared at what was happening to some people. Susan, bored of standing around, looked over her shoulder. She saw a tall man with brown hair and ice cold blue eyes set a shop on fire. Her mouth dropped once she noticed a little girl try and run to her mother. The girl was one of Susan's friends, and she watched the man grab her. Susan let go of Gabriel's hand, ran up to the officer, and kicked him as hard as she could in the shin. Hearing someone howl in pain, Gabriel turned around to see what was going on. Gabriel's mouth dropped once he saw Susan, and took off after her. Once the man was done yelling he pointed a gun at her. Gabriel ran up to Susan, picked her up, and jumped out of the way. Gabriel landed hardly on the ground. He looked up and saw the solider draw his sword and then Gabriel pushed Susan off of him, to the side. He grabbed an old rusty sword lying in the dirt next to him, and raised it above his head. The soldiers sword clashed down onto it. He barely blocked that blow. Susan's friend's mother picked Susan up and faded into the shadows to protect her. Once the solider pulled his sword away and made ready to hit again, Gabriel lifted his foot and kicked him hardly in the face, giving him time to stand up. By then, most of the people on the streets had gathered around to watch. Gabriel didn't want to fight a british solider, but he sure enough didn't want them to hurt his sister. The solider was kneeling, he touched the edge of his mouth were blood was coming from and glared up at him. He glared back, threw the sword down, and began to walk off. Suddenly the solider jumped back on to his feet and swung his sword as hard as he could. Gabriel blocked his blow with his musket, which surprised some people. The man then kicked Gabriel in the stomach, and sent him to the ground. Before Gabriel knew it, the man had the tip of his sword centimeters away from his throat. People gasped in horror, and some women covered their children's eyes. "Colonel Tavington! Seize your sword!" someone shouted. Gabriel looked over to the person who shouted the command. The man walked up behind Tavington, who wouldn't take his eyes off Gabriel. " Colonel, i told you.... seize your sword!" Cornwillis shouted again. The man clenched his teeth together then put his sword away, but he wasn't happy about it. "Sir, this boy attacked me!" tavington replied. The Man looked at Gabriel. "Young man, is this true?" he asked Gabriel. He shook his head. "N...no sir" he replied breathlessly. "You lie!" Tavington shouted at him. "You! Tell me what happened!" the chubby man demanded pointing at a colonist. "This man lies! He attacked the boy!" he shouted, hating the British. Tavington gave him the death stare in return. "Oh I don't know what to believe! Just let him be!" he replied. "Wait sir, this boy fights like he has fought for years! Maybe the colonies are organizing a militia and this boy is a rebel!" Tavington replied, yanking Gabriel up to his feet. "Oh for heaven's sake, leave the boy alone!" a woman shouted. "Well, yes, I did see him fight you, but for good heavens, these people aren't that stupid, right?" he asked walking up into Gabriel's face. Gabriel shook his head yes. "W...We might not agree with some of your laws, but we would never commit treason" Gabriel lied. "Let him go" he ordered. Cornwillis snickered and turned and walked away. "With pleasure" tavington murmured and shoved Gabriel into the edge of a door, cutting his forehead and splitting the bottom of his lip. Blood trickled from both. Tavington smiled in pleasure then turned and walked away. The spectators returned with their lives and Gabriel slowly got up to his feet. "Gabriel, you were always a fighter." the mother said as she handed Susan to him. "Thank you for watching her Mrs. Taylor" Gabriel replied. She smiled warmly and shook her head. Gabriel nodded politely and walked home, half scolding Susan, half praising her.
Abigail, the Martian's black nana, nursed Gabriel's cuts. She smiled at him as se stitched his forehead and put peroxide on his lip. Ben walked in and looked at him. "Abigail, the children please." he replied wanting her to leave to the room. "Yes sir" she replied taking the hint. "Here leave this on your lip, it's still a little swollen" Abigail ordered as she handed him a pouch of ice then left the room. "What happened?" Ben asked once she was gone. "Tripped and fell" Gabriel lied. Ben smiled at him. "Don't lie to me boy, Susan told me the truth" Ben warned, getting angry. Gabriel looked at the floor. Ben moved the the other end of the room. "A British solider huh? You know you should respect them, i taught you better than that." Ben lectured. "The British are cruel thieves father, why are you blinded by their immortality!? Why mustn't you see that they will eat us alive if we don't do something?" Gabriel replied, this time raising his voice. "Gabriel, i was a patriot, and i hated them as much as you do now. I thought they had no right doing what they have done, but in the end i found that they do know what they are doing!" he shouted. "Your wrong father! They are greedy pigs who want nothing but power and land and people to do their work for them! By doing these laws, they'll seize control over our land, over us and eventually either killing us or using us as slaves!" Gabriel shouted back. Ben backed his son up against the wall. "and how did you get this evidence?" Ben asked softly, but sternly. Gabriel thought about it for a moment. "I..I can feel it" he replied finally. "Thought so, now there will be no more talk about this, you here? Or I'll bust that other lip!" Ben replied then walked out of the room.
Late that night, a noise woke Ben up. He lit a candle and walked downstairs and looked around, when he then found a note. He read it:
Dear Father,
I bet at this moment, your infuriated at me. But i am only trying to let you and my brothers and sisters have a better life. What you do not know is that while i was in town with Susan this morning, I signed up for the militia. And i am going to make sure that i kill that bastard who brought pain not only to me, but to Susan as well. I hope you can understand my cause and i will find you after this is all over. I will return.
Your Loving Son,
Gabriel
Ben crumbled up the note and dropped it to the floor. His head boiled with anger. He went back upstairs into his room, he had an idea.
6 months passed
Gabriel, along with other militia men, hid in the bushes as they watched a troop of British soldiers march down the path. It had 12 soldiers walking in front of the wagon and 12 marching in the back, and 5 horsemen. Gabriel took a deep breath as he gripped his gun. The militia leader gave the signal to shoot, everyone shot up and fired their muskets, killing most instantly. The militia men jumped out of trees and bushes and began attacking. Suddenly a man walked out of the wagon. It was Colonel Tavington, thousands feared him, for he had no heart, so therefore showed no mercy. Most militia men backed away frightened. "Anyone who surrenders, I shall go easy on" Tavington announced releasing 20 soldiers from the wagon. The 18 militia men looked at the leader, who gave a face of defeat. Gabriel then began laughing. Tavington's face went serious and he glared at Gabriel. "What is so funny!?" Tavington demanded. Gabriel still laughing, pointed behind him. In furry, Tavington looked around to see what Gabriel was laughing at. Gabriel's face then went serious, pulled out his pistol, and shot it. The bullet landed in Tavington's hand. The man screamed out in pain. "RUN!" Gabriel shouted. The militia men scattered like a bunch of pigeons, in all different ways. Most of them, getting shot on their way trying to out run them. "After them!" Tavington shouted holding on to his bloody hand. British soldiers, including Tavington, started running after them. Gabriel stopped, held up his musket, and shot at the soldiers. Suddenly he began fighting with an officer. The others saw, and ran back to help. Suddenly someone shoved Gabriel up against a tree. He felt someone breath hardly down his neck. "Not a rebel huh?" he asked, grabbing a hold of Gabriel's chin with his bloody hand. Gabriel stared into his eyes, then he tried to get his face free. Suddenly Gabriel elbowed him in the stomach and punched him in the face, then began to ran. Suddenly a solider jumped from a tree and tried to punch Gabriel. Gabriel easily caught his fist and swung the redcoat over his shoulder. Gabriel's eyes fixed on Tavington, pulled out his pistol, and shot the redcoat that he had just swung over his solider. With out looking, he shot the solider right in the heart. He then jumped into the woods and began to run as fast as he could. Suddenly someone blocked him and knocked him down. Gabriel slowly raised his hand to his head, for he landed on a rock. He looked up and saw his father. "Father! I am so glad to see you!" Gabriel replied jumping to his feet. Ben didn't have a smile on his face, and he didn't look happy. Ben then turned hi son around and tied his hands. "Father.. um.. ok this isn't funny. Father what are you doing!?" Gabriel shouted. Once Ben yanked Gabriel to his feet and pushed him back up to the path.
"READY!!! AIM!!! FIRE!!!" Tavington shouted. Gabriel watched his friends as they got shot by British soldiers. He was all that was left of the militia. He stared in horror at his dead friend's bodies. Tavington glared at Gabriel. His face, mixed with blood and sweat from the fighting. He hurt eyes, hurt form the betrayal of his father, stared back at Tavington. "Now what do you have to say for yourself?" Tavington asked holding a knife to his throat. Gabriel swallowed hard. "Kill me" he replied. Tavington smirked. "Gladly" he replied. "Wait!" Ben shouted. Both looked over at him. True yes, Ben was angry at his son, but he was still his son, and he couldn't let Tavington kill him. "Wh..Why not just let him go, let him go warn his neighbors the consequence if they join militia." Ben replied. Tavington chuckled. "Benjamin Martian, your son committed treason, and he should take his punishment. Ben looked at Gabriel, who stared at the ground. "Wait, i have a better idea." he proposed, then spun Gabriel around so he was facing him. "I will make you pay for blowing off my thumb. You will be my slave" Tavington said smiling evilly, a smile that sent chills down Gabriel's spin. Tavington snapped his fingers and 5 soldiers tackled him to the ground on his side and held him down tightly. Tavington knelt down beside him, ripped his sleeve, took his knife, and began carving a symbol into Gabriel's flesh. Gabriel squinted his eyes in pain, clenched his teeth together, and his muscles tensed up, making it hurt worse. After he was finished, Tavington tore a piece of cloth from Gabriel's shirt, and wiped away the blood. Tavington got up and ordered his men to begin packing the wagon. Once they were finished, they untied him and threw him into a small cage in the wagon. Gabriel traced the outline of the mark with his index finger, then punched the wall in anger. Suddenly the wagon started to move, and Tavington hopped into the back. There was silence for a while, until Tavington's chuckle disturbed it, and Gabriel glared at him. "After I am done with you, you'll be begging me to kill you." Tavington said eerily. Gabriel gave him a mean look. "I would have killed you but....." "But what!? Your father stopped you?" he asked, knowing that was what Gabriel was going to say. In response, Gabriel looked at his feet. "How does it feel to be betrayed?" Tavington asked quietly. Suddenly Gabriel pulled a gun out of his pocket and shot Tavington, the reached for his knife in his boot and cut the rope that help the wooden cage together. Gabriel jumped out of the cage, stole Tavington's sword, and jumped on a horse up in front. The horse whinnied in surprise and went up on his hind legs. Once the horse landed all 4 feet back on the ground he cut the horse free of the wagon. He smiled at Tavington, then cut the other horse loose, which ran down and got lost i the woods. Immediately Gabriel galloped away, with all men firing at him, some running after. Tavington screamed out in anger, they were stranded.
Gabriel made the horse gallop as fast as it could for a while, until he felt sure that it was safe enough for them to stop. He stopped at a bank to let the horse get a drink. Gabriel was panting hardly as he looked around at the location. "We must be miles from the village" he told himself. He through the sword in the river, and returned the knife to his boot. He pulled out his two revolvers, loaded them, then returned them. Then he took his musket and reloaded it too. Suddenly he heard something, he looked up and saw red coming down from the path. Gabriel jumped up, and ran to the horse. He led the horse behind a big patch of bushes and tied him there, after he was done, he looked into the horses eyes. "Please be quiet, don't move, if you do, they will find you and take you back to where you came from, and they'll treat you terribly. And i desperately need you to escape them, please stay still." Gabriel told the horse, the ran and jumped into a hole under a log, and there was a little space to look out form under. He heard people walk, rummage, and talk to one another. Suddenly a pair of shiny black boots landed right in front of him. Frightened, and surprised, he had o cover his mouth to keep him from saying anything. "Have you found him yet!?" the voice bellowed. "No sir, for his age and class, he's pretty smart." a solider remarked. "Keep looking! I want him alive!" he warned, then Gabriel watched his boots walk out of sight. He then noticed some soldiers were walking over to where the horse was. Gabriel took a small rock and threw it in the opposite direction, startled the officers went to check it out and forgot about the bushes. What seemed like hours, they finally left. Gabriel climbed out of the hole and checked on the horse, who was fine. He smiled, mounted him and galloped away towards town.
It was Sunday morning, therefore all of the town was at church. Gabriel rode behind the church and tied his horse there, and walked in. Startled everyone in the church looked back to see who it was. "Gabriel Martin!" the reverent replied in surprise. Gabriel's brothers and sisters jumped to their feet and all group hugged him, shouting questions and laughing. "Gabriel Martian, good god, it's a miracle! We heard that the last of the militia was whipped out." the reverent replied. "Yeah, I almost was." Gabriel replied. "Well then your a hero Gabriel." a woman said proudly, everyone agreed. Gabriel grinned with embarrassment. "Your father shall be pleased with you." a man replied smiling, not knowing what happened. Gabriel tried to smile. "Thanks" he replied, the led hi sisters and brothers outside to cause less of a commotion. Gabriel looked at Margaret. "Margaret, will you please take Susan and William to pet the horse?" Gabriel asked, trying to get the girls and the youngest boy away. Margaret shook her smiling head, and led the two to the horse. Gabriel looked at Nathan, Samuel,and Thomas. "I am the only one left alive from the militia" he spitted out the truth. Thomas eye's widened. "Cool" Nathan replied. "Do you guys know where father is?" Gabriel asked. "Nope, he just left and put Thomas in charge" Samuel said. "Ah, I see. Guys, i am going to be straight up honest with you, but don't tell Margaret, Susan or William. William is too young to understand and girls do weird things when you tell them bad stuff ok?" Gabriel replied trying to make Samuel and Nathan laugh about girls acting crazy. "Ok, father is fighting against me, on the British side. I don't know what his lesson is, but he wishes to catch me." Gabriel replied. "You sure!?" Thomas asked, Gabriel shook his head yes in response. "Well, that's not right." Nathan replied. "They have the whole damn British army looking for me, and i got to lay low of a while. Nathan, Samuel, can you go to our house and go get your muskets?" Gabriel asked seeing his house in the distance. They shook their heads yes and the Thomas, Nathan, and Samuel took off. Margaret watched her brother fall on his back on the grassy hill in exhaustion. She smiled and walked over to him and sat down next to him. "Gabriel, what's wrong?" she asked softly. "Nothing Margaret, why?" he asked. She stared at him. "Gabriel, where's father?" she asked, knowing he knew where he was. Gabriel sighed. Just as he was about explain it to her, he saw the British enter from the woods. Susan, Margaret, William!" Gabriel shouted as he picked Susan and William up and pushed Margaret into the woods, and landed Susan and William there too. Gun shots rang out and bullets flew everywhere. "AH! Gabriel what's happening!!?" Susan screamed, Margaret also screamed loudly. Gabriel took off his musket and fired it twice, and hit 2 officers off their horses. He dropped his gun, and took out his revolver and shot it 3 times, killing 3 people. He ducked then dropped the revolver and got the other and shot it. Finally the other boys arrived. "Nathan, load the guns!" Gabriel shouted and then took Nathan's musket and stared shooting it. Nathan did as he was told. Thomas took Samuel back in the woods with the rest, but they watched in horror as their brother tried to hold them off. People ran out from the church, scared to death, once they saw the British army coming closer, men rushed to their nearby houses to get their guns to help Gabriel. Soon the British reached the church. Gabriel looked back at his brothers and sisters, who were scared to death. Gabriel ran up to Thomas. "Thomas, if anythign happens to me, you take everyone and run deep into the woods as fast as you can! Don't stop, don't talk, but most importantly, don't look back, you hear?" he ordered. Thomas hesitanted, then finally shook his head yes. Gabriel smiled at Susan, pointed to his eyes then to her. She smiled weakly, it was a game and she loved it when Gabriel did that. Gabriel turned around and began fightening British soliders. One by one, they dropped dead, until suddenly Ben walked in front of him. "Father!" Thomas shouted in shame at him. Ben ignored him and threw himself at Gabriel, lunging and throwing his sword hardly in the air. Gabriel fought hard to block his father's blocks, but they were different than the other soliders, they were more powerful, and stronger. Soon the two broke away to rest. "Who are you kidding Gabriel? I'm your father, i taught you how to fight. Ha, I know every move your going to make. You always lost to me when i was teaching you and it will never change. So if you surrender and admit the British are better, then I MIGHT go easy on you son." he said, breathign hardly. Gabriel looked at him meanly. "I shall NOT surrender! Your going to have to kill me before I surrender." Gabriel replied then tried to hit him with his gun, but Ben blocked it. They broke again and just glared at each other. Suddenly Samuel, a daddy's boy, took off toward Gabriel, once close to him, Samuel dug his knife deep into Gabriel's side. Gabriel's mouth dropped but nothing came out and he fell to the ground, gripping his side. Ben chuckled as he runned his fingers through Samuel's hair. "Good job son" he said pleased. "Gabriel!" Susan screamed and jumped up to run after him. Thomas grabbed her and began to run deep into the woods. "Thomas! Thomas, stop!!" Margart yelled trying to yank her hand free from this grip. "What!?" he asked stopping. "We have to go back and help Gabriel!" she screamed at him. "No, he told me that if anything happened to him to take you guys into the woods and not bother about him." Thomas explained. "Thomas....he's our brother" she said crying. "Yeah, who cares what he told us, we have to help him!" Nathan replied. Thomas looked at his sister, then at Nathan, then finally up where Gabriel was. "Ok, come on hurry!" Thomas replied putting Susan down and running up the hill. Thomas watched Ben and Samuel go around to the front of the church to get Tavington. The children ran up to Gabriel who was lying there holding his side, and breathing hard. They all managed to drag him a little ways into the woods. Once they heard Tavington come they stopped and hid. Tavington and Ben looked around near the edge of the woods. Gabrile groaned b/c of his wound, Margart covered his mouth with her hand and prayed that they didn't hear him. They didn't thankfully. They watched Samuel climb on the horse with their father and watched the British gallop away. Margart took her hand off of Gabriel's mouth. Finally Gabriel looked at them. "I...I thought you guys were suppose to not look back." Gabriel replied. "We couldn't leave our brother there." Margart relied smiling. Gabriel smiled and tried sitting up. "Ahh!" Gabriel replied then clenthched his side and fell back on his back. "Gabriel, don't move" Thomas instructed. "Thomas how are we going to get him back to the black swamp?" Nathan asked. Thomas thought for a while. "We could go get Abigal" he suggested. "Guys, i can get up, it's just going to hurt." Gabriel replied then, with a help of a tree, stood up. He held his breath while doing it and let it out as he stood up. "Come on, it'll get dark soon." he protested, then carefully led the children to their hide out.
A young girl ran through a beautiful meadow of flowers. Her long blonde hair bounced up and down on her shoulders as she ran. She giggled to herself as she ran up to her big, yet cozy, home. Thomas, 15, was lying on his stomach on the porch, making is soldiers, and Gabriel, the eldest at age 18, sat in a chair with his feet propped up on the ledge of the porch, reading a book. Their youngest sister, Susan, played with her dolls and the three boys Nathan, 10, Samuel,9, and William, 5, played marbles. Margaret eagerly ran up onto the porch. "Father's coming! Father's coming!" she shouted eagerly. Margaret was ordered to go into town and by a loaf of bread, but once she saw father's horse, she had to run back home and tell the good news to the others. Sure enough, she was right and the children saw their father on his horse coming towards them. Everyone, except Gabriel, got up to greet him. The tall man jumped off his horse with the most bitter face any man could have on his face. Thomas, Susan, Margaret, Samuel, Nathan, and William ran at him laughing and asking lots of questions. Gabriel stood where he was, he knew what kind of mood his father was in, and at a time like one of those, it was best not to bother him. Ben shook his kids off and stomped inside the house. Gabriel watched his father's massive boots stomp on the floorboards, then up the stairs. The children, not as happy anymore, also watched him. "Something is obviously bugging him." Thomas replied walking up beside Gabriel. Gabriel sighed. "Obviously" he murmured and walked inside the house. He looked up the steps, looked back at Thomas, walked up the flight of stairs, and knocked lightly on the second door on the right. "WHAT IS IT!?" he heard his father bellow. "Father, may i come in?" Gabriel asked, no response came, but instead of the noise of the lock unclicking. Gabriel opened it and walked in. His father stood next to the window sill and looked out of it. "Father.... if i may, ask you what is wrong?" Gabriel asked. Ben looked into his son's eyes, who only stared back at him. "The meeting at Charlestown was a disater. Everyone is getting fed up with the British..... and they want to go to war." Ben replied. Gabriel's eyes widened, for 2 reasons. 1, he couldn't believe the people of the colonies wanted to go to war with a country like Britain, and 2 he wanted to get information about the war. He wanted to become a solider so badly. "Are we?" he asked after a moment of silence. "Yes" Ben said regrettably, then looked at Gabriel. "Your not enlisting." Ben said sternly. Gabriel's mouth dropped. "H.. How did you know that I....." "Please Gabriel, i am not that stupid, I was a young headstrong 18-year-old once. Being a man of war has no advantages, believe me" Ben replied. "But Father, I..."" No Gabriel! And the at is final!" Ben yelled, raising his voice 10 times louder. Gabriel looked at him and sighed. "Yes sir" he murmured. "What was that?" Ben asked. "Yes sir" Gabriel said louder so Ben could hear him. "Good" Ben replied then walked out of the room.
Gabriel walked through town, while walking the busy streets of the market, he noticed several British soldiers surveying the people, some beating colonists because they didn't pay taxes, others firing small shops because they owed to much debt. Susan followed close behind Gabriel, holding his hand tightly. "Gabriel, why are those men hurting people?" she asked. "Um, i don't know Susan" Gabriel lied. Gabriel then stopped walking and just stared at what was happening to some people. Susan, bored of standing around, looked over her shoulder. She saw a tall man with brown hair and ice cold blue eyes set a shop on fire. Her mouth dropped once she noticed a little girl try and run to her mother. The girl was one of Susan's friends, and she watched the man grab her. Susan let go of Gabriel's hand, ran up to the officer, and kicked him as hard as she could in the shin. Hearing someone howl in pain, Gabriel turned around to see what was going on. Gabriel's mouth dropped once he saw Susan, and took off after her. Once the man was done yelling he pointed a gun at her. Gabriel ran up to Susan, picked her up, and jumped out of the way. Gabriel landed hardly on the ground. He looked up and saw the solider draw his sword and then Gabriel pushed Susan off of him, to the side. He grabbed an old rusty sword lying in the dirt next to him, and raised it above his head. The soldiers sword clashed down onto it. He barely blocked that blow. Susan's friend's mother picked Susan up and faded into the shadows to protect her. Once the solider pulled his sword away and made ready to hit again, Gabriel lifted his foot and kicked him hardly in the face, giving him time to stand up. By then, most of the people on the streets had gathered around to watch. Gabriel didn't want to fight a british solider, but he sure enough didn't want them to hurt his sister. The solider was kneeling, he touched the edge of his mouth were blood was coming from and glared up at him. He glared back, threw the sword down, and began to walk off. Suddenly the solider jumped back on to his feet and swung his sword as hard as he could. Gabriel blocked his blow with his musket, which surprised some people. The man then kicked Gabriel in the stomach, and sent him to the ground. Before Gabriel knew it, the man had the tip of his sword centimeters away from his throat. People gasped in horror, and some women covered their children's eyes. "Colonel Tavington! Seize your sword!" someone shouted. Gabriel looked over to the person who shouted the command. The man walked up behind Tavington, who wouldn't take his eyes off Gabriel. " Colonel, i told you.... seize your sword!" Cornwillis shouted again. The man clenched his teeth together then put his sword away, but he wasn't happy about it. "Sir, this boy attacked me!" tavington replied. The Man looked at Gabriel. "Young man, is this true?" he asked Gabriel. He shook his head. "N...no sir" he replied breathlessly. "You lie!" Tavington shouted at him. "You! Tell me what happened!" the chubby man demanded pointing at a colonist. "This man lies! He attacked the boy!" he shouted, hating the British. Tavington gave him the death stare in return. "Oh I don't know what to believe! Just let him be!" he replied. "Wait sir, this boy fights like he has fought for years! Maybe the colonies are organizing a militia and this boy is a rebel!" Tavington replied, yanking Gabriel up to his feet. "Oh for heaven's sake, leave the boy alone!" a woman shouted. "Well, yes, I did see him fight you, but for good heavens, these people aren't that stupid, right?" he asked walking up into Gabriel's face. Gabriel shook his head yes. "W...We might not agree with some of your laws, but we would never commit treason" Gabriel lied. "Let him go" he ordered. Cornwillis snickered and turned and walked away. "With pleasure" tavington murmured and shoved Gabriel into the edge of a door, cutting his forehead and splitting the bottom of his lip. Blood trickled from both. Tavington smiled in pleasure then turned and walked away. The spectators returned with their lives and Gabriel slowly got up to his feet. "Gabriel, you were always a fighter." the mother said as she handed Susan to him. "Thank you for watching her Mrs. Taylor" Gabriel replied. She smiled warmly and shook her head. Gabriel nodded politely and walked home, half scolding Susan, half praising her.
Abigail, the Martian's black nana, nursed Gabriel's cuts. She smiled at him as se stitched his forehead and put peroxide on his lip. Ben walked in and looked at him. "Abigail, the children please." he replied wanting her to leave to the room. "Yes sir" she replied taking the hint. "Here leave this on your lip, it's still a little swollen" Abigail ordered as she handed him a pouch of ice then left the room. "What happened?" Ben asked once she was gone. "Tripped and fell" Gabriel lied. Ben smiled at him. "Don't lie to me boy, Susan told me the truth" Ben warned, getting angry. Gabriel looked at the floor. Ben moved the the other end of the room. "A British solider huh? You know you should respect them, i taught you better than that." Ben lectured. "The British are cruel thieves father, why are you blinded by their immortality!? Why mustn't you see that they will eat us alive if we don't do something?" Gabriel replied, this time raising his voice. "Gabriel, i was a patriot, and i hated them as much as you do now. I thought they had no right doing what they have done, but in the end i found that they do know what they are doing!" he shouted. "Your wrong father! They are greedy pigs who want nothing but power and land and people to do their work for them! By doing these laws, they'll seize control over our land, over us and eventually either killing us or using us as slaves!" Gabriel shouted back. Ben backed his son up against the wall. "and how did you get this evidence?" Ben asked softly, but sternly. Gabriel thought about it for a moment. "I..I can feel it" he replied finally. "Thought so, now there will be no more talk about this, you here? Or I'll bust that other lip!" Ben replied then walked out of the room.
Late that night, a noise woke Ben up. He lit a candle and walked downstairs and looked around, when he then found a note. He read it:
Dear Father,
I bet at this moment, your infuriated at me. But i am only trying to let you and my brothers and sisters have a better life. What you do not know is that while i was in town with Susan this morning, I signed up for the militia. And i am going to make sure that i kill that bastard who brought pain not only to me, but to Susan as well. I hope you can understand my cause and i will find you after this is all over. I will return.
Your Loving Son,
Gabriel
Ben crumbled up the note and dropped it to the floor. His head boiled with anger. He went back upstairs into his room, he had an idea.
6 months passed
Gabriel, along with other militia men, hid in the bushes as they watched a troop of British soldiers march down the path. It had 12 soldiers walking in front of the wagon and 12 marching in the back, and 5 horsemen. Gabriel took a deep breath as he gripped his gun. The militia leader gave the signal to shoot, everyone shot up and fired their muskets, killing most instantly. The militia men jumped out of trees and bushes and began attacking. Suddenly a man walked out of the wagon. It was Colonel Tavington, thousands feared him, for he had no heart, so therefore showed no mercy. Most militia men backed away frightened. "Anyone who surrenders, I shall go easy on" Tavington announced releasing 20 soldiers from the wagon. The 18 militia men looked at the leader, who gave a face of defeat. Gabriel then began laughing. Tavington's face went serious and he glared at Gabriel. "What is so funny!?" Tavington demanded. Gabriel still laughing, pointed behind him. In furry, Tavington looked around to see what Gabriel was laughing at. Gabriel's face then went serious, pulled out his pistol, and shot it. The bullet landed in Tavington's hand. The man screamed out in pain. "RUN!" Gabriel shouted. The militia men scattered like a bunch of pigeons, in all different ways. Most of them, getting shot on their way trying to out run them. "After them!" Tavington shouted holding on to his bloody hand. British soldiers, including Tavington, started running after them. Gabriel stopped, held up his musket, and shot at the soldiers. Suddenly he began fighting with an officer. The others saw, and ran back to help. Suddenly someone shoved Gabriel up against a tree. He felt someone breath hardly down his neck. "Not a rebel huh?" he asked, grabbing a hold of Gabriel's chin with his bloody hand. Gabriel stared into his eyes, then he tried to get his face free. Suddenly Gabriel elbowed him in the stomach and punched him in the face, then began to ran. Suddenly a solider jumped from a tree and tried to punch Gabriel. Gabriel easily caught his fist and swung the redcoat over his shoulder. Gabriel's eyes fixed on Tavington, pulled out his pistol, and shot the redcoat that he had just swung over his solider. With out looking, he shot the solider right in the heart. He then jumped into the woods and began to run as fast as he could. Suddenly someone blocked him and knocked him down. Gabriel slowly raised his hand to his head, for he landed on a rock. He looked up and saw his father. "Father! I am so glad to see you!" Gabriel replied jumping to his feet. Ben didn't have a smile on his face, and he didn't look happy. Ben then turned hi son around and tied his hands. "Father.. um.. ok this isn't funny. Father what are you doing!?" Gabriel shouted. Once Ben yanked Gabriel to his feet and pushed him back up to the path.
"READY!!! AIM!!! FIRE!!!" Tavington shouted. Gabriel watched his friends as they got shot by British soldiers. He was all that was left of the militia. He stared in horror at his dead friend's bodies. Tavington glared at Gabriel. His face, mixed with blood and sweat from the fighting. He hurt eyes, hurt form the betrayal of his father, stared back at Tavington. "Now what do you have to say for yourself?" Tavington asked holding a knife to his throat. Gabriel swallowed hard. "Kill me" he replied. Tavington smirked. "Gladly" he replied. "Wait!" Ben shouted. Both looked over at him. True yes, Ben was angry at his son, but he was still his son, and he couldn't let Tavington kill him. "Wh..Why not just let him go, let him go warn his neighbors the consequence if they join militia." Ben replied. Tavington chuckled. "Benjamin Martian, your son committed treason, and he should take his punishment. Ben looked at Gabriel, who stared at the ground. "Wait, i have a better idea." he proposed, then spun Gabriel around so he was facing him. "I will make you pay for blowing off my thumb. You will be my slave" Tavington said smiling evilly, a smile that sent chills down Gabriel's spin. Tavington snapped his fingers and 5 soldiers tackled him to the ground on his side and held him down tightly. Tavington knelt down beside him, ripped his sleeve, took his knife, and began carving a symbol into Gabriel's flesh. Gabriel squinted his eyes in pain, clenched his teeth together, and his muscles tensed up, making it hurt worse. After he was finished, Tavington tore a piece of cloth from Gabriel's shirt, and wiped away the blood. Tavington got up and ordered his men to begin packing the wagon. Once they were finished, they untied him and threw him into a small cage in the wagon. Gabriel traced the outline of the mark with his index finger, then punched the wall in anger. Suddenly the wagon started to move, and Tavington hopped into the back. There was silence for a while, until Tavington's chuckle disturbed it, and Gabriel glared at him. "After I am done with you, you'll be begging me to kill you." Tavington said eerily. Gabriel gave him a mean look. "I would have killed you but....." "But what!? Your father stopped you?" he asked, knowing that was what Gabriel was going to say. In response, Gabriel looked at his feet. "How does it feel to be betrayed?" Tavington asked quietly. Suddenly Gabriel pulled a gun out of his pocket and shot Tavington, the reached for his knife in his boot and cut the rope that help the wooden cage together. Gabriel jumped out of the cage, stole Tavington's sword, and jumped on a horse up in front. The horse whinnied in surprise and went up on his hind legs. Once the horse landed all 4 feet back on the ground he cut the horse free of the wagon. He smiled at Tavington, then cut the other horse loose, which ran down and got lost i the woods. Immediately Gabriel galloped away, with all men firing at him, some running after. Tavington screamed out in anger, they were stranded.
Gabriel made the horse gallop as fast as it could for a while, until he felt sure that it was safe enough for them to stop. He stopped at a bank to let the horse get a drink. Gabriel was panting hardly as he looked around at the location. "We must be miles from the village" he told himself. He through the sword in the river, and returned the knife to his boot. He pulled out his two revolvers, loaded them, then returned them. Then he took his musket and reloaded it too. Suddenly he heard something, he looked up and saw red coming down from the path. Gabriel jumped up, and ran to the horse. He led the horse behind a big patch of bushes and tied him there, after he was done, he looked into the horses eyes. "Please be quiet, don't move, if you do, they will find you and take you back to where you came from, and they'll treat you terribly. And i desperately need you to escape them, please stay still." Gabriel told the horse, the ran and jumped into a hole under a log, and there was a little space to look out form under. He heard people walk, rummage, and talk to one another. Suddenly a pair of shiny black boots landed right in front of him. Frightened, and surprised, he had o cover his mouth to keep him from saying anything. "Have you found him yet!?" the voice bellowed. "No sir, for his age and class, he's pretty smart." a solider remarked. "Keep looking! I want him alive!" he warned, then Gabriel watched his boots walk out of sight. He then noticed some soldiers were walking over to where the horse was. Gabriel took a small rock and threw it in the opposite direction, startled the officers went to check it out and forgot about the bushes. What seemed like hours, they finally left. Gabriel climbed out of the hole and checked on the horse, who was fine. He smiled, mounted him and galloped away towards town.
It was Sunday morning, therefore all of the town was at church. Gabriel rode behind the church and tied his horse there, and walked in. Startled everyone in the church looked back to see who it was. "Gabriel Martin!" the reverent replied in surprise. Gabriel's brothers and sisters jumped to their feet and all group hugged him, shouting questions and laughing. "Gabriel Martian, good god, it's a miracle! We heard that the last of the militia was whipped out." the reverent replied. "Yeah, I almost was." Gabriel replied. "Well then your a hero Gabriel." a woman said proudly, everyone agreed. Gabriel grinned with embarrassment. "Your father shall be pleased with you." a man replied smiling, not knowing what happened. Gabriel tried to smile. "Thanks" he replied, the led hi sisters and brothers outside to cause less of a commotion. Gabriel looked at Margaret. "Margaret, will you please take Susan and William to pet the horse?" Gabriel asked, trying to get the girls and the youngest boy away. Margaret shook her smiling head, and led the two to the horse. Gabriel looked at Nathan, Samuel,and Thomas. "I am the only one left alive from the militia" he spitted out the truth. Thomas eye's widened. "Cool" Nathan replied. "Do you guys know where father is?" Gabriel asked. "Nope, he just left and put Thomas in charge" Samuel said. "Ah, I see. Guys, i am going to be straight up honest with you, but don't tell Margaret, Susan or William. William is too young to understand and girls do weird things when you tell them bad stuff ok?" Gabriel replied trying to make Samuel and Nathan laugh about girls acting crazy. "Ok, father is fighting against me, on the British side. I don't know what his lesson is, but he wishes to catch me." Gabriel replied. "You sure!?" Thomas asked, Gabriel shook his head yes in response. "Well, that's not right." Nathan replied. "They have the whole damn British army looking for me, and i got to lay low of a while. Nathan, Samuel, can you go to our house and go get your muskets?" Gabriel asked seeing his house in the distance. They shook their heads yes and the Thomas, Nathan, and Samuel took off. Margaret watched her brother fall on his back on the grassy hill in exhaustion. She smiled and walked over to him and sat down next to him. "Gabriel, what's wrong?" she asked softly. "Nothing Margaret, why?" he asked. She stared at him. "Gabriel, where's father?" she asked, knowing he knew where he was. Gabriel sighed. Just as he was about explain it to her, he saw the British enter from the woods. Susan, Margaret, William!" Gabriel shouted as he picked Susan and William up and pushed Margaret into the woods, and landed Susan and William there too. Gun shots rang out and bullets flew everywhere. "AH! Gabriel what's happening!!?" Susan screamed, Margaret also screamed loudly. Gabriel took off his musket and fired it twice, and hit 2 officers off their horses. He dropped his gun, and took out his revolver and shot it 3 times, killing 3 people. He ducked then dropped the revolver and got the other and shot it. Finally the other boys arrived. "Nathan, load the guns!" Gabriel shouted and then took Nathan's musket and stared shooting it. Nathan did as he was told. Thomas took Samuel back in the woods with the rest, but they watched in horror as their brother tried to hold them off. People ran out from the church, scared to death, once they saw the British army coming closer, men rushed to their nearby houses to get their guns to help Gabriel. Soon the British reached the church. Gabriel looked back at his brothers and sisters, who were scared to death. Gabriel ran up to Thomas. "Thomas, if anythign happens to me, you take everyone and run deep into the woods as fast as you can! Don't stop, don't talk, but most importantly, don't look back, you hear?" he ordered. Thomas hesitanted, then finally shook his head yes. Gabriel smiled at Susan, pointed to his eyes then to her. She smiled weakly, it was a game and she loved it when Gabriel did that. Gabriel turned around and began fightening British soliders. One by one, they dropped dead, until suddenly Ben walked in front of him. "Father!" Thomas shouted in shame at him. Ben ignored him and threw himself at Gabriel, lunging and throwing his sword hardly in the air. Gabriel fought hard to block his father's blocks, but they were different than the other soliders, they were more powerful, and stronger. Soon the two broke away to rest. "Who are you kidding Gabriel? I'm your father, i taught you how to fight. Ha, I know every move your going to make. You always lost to me when i was teaching you and it will never change. So if you surrender and admit the British are better, then I MIGHT go easy on you son." he said, breathign hardly. Gabriel looked at him meanly. "I shall NOT surrender! Your going to have to kill me before I surrender." Gabriel replied then tried to hit him with his gun, but Ben blocked it. They broke again and just glared at each other. Suddenly Samuel, a daddy's boy, took off toward Gabriel, once close to him, Samuel dug his knife deep into Gabriel's side. Gabriel's mouth dropped but nothing came out and he fell to the ground, gripping his side. Ben chuckled as he runned his fingers through Samuel's hair. "Good job son" he said pleased. "Gabriel!" Susan screamed and jumped up to run after him. Thomas grabbed her and began to run deep into the woods. "Thomas! Thomas, stop!!" Margart yelled trying to yank her hand free from this grip. "What!?" he asked stopping. "We have to go back and help Gabriel!" she screamed at him. "No, he told me that if anything happened to him to take you guys into the woods and not bother about him." Thomas explained. "Thomas....he's our brother" she said crying. "Yeah, who cares what he told us, we have to help him!" Nathan replied. Thomas looked at his sister, then at Nathan, then finally up where Gabriel was. "Ok, come on hurry!" Thomas replied putting Susan down and running up the hill. Thomas watched Ben and Samuel go around to the front of the church to get Tavington. The children ran up to Gabriel who was lying there holding his side, and breathing hard. They all managed to drag him a little ways into the woods. Once they heard Tavington come they stopped and hid. Tavington and Ben looked around near the edge of the woods. Gabrile groaned b/c of his wound, Margart covered his mouth with her hand and prayed that they didn't hear him. They didn't thankfully. They watched Samuel climb on the horse with their father and watched the British gallop away. Margart took her hand off of Gabriel's mouth. Finally Gabriel looked at them. "I...I thought you guys were suppose to not look back." Gabriel replied. "We couldn't leave our brother there." Margart relied smiling. Gabriel smiled and tried sitting up. "Ahh!" Gabriel replied then clenthched his side and fell back on his back. "Gabriel, don't move" Thomas instructed. "Thomas how are we going to get him back to the black swamp?" Nathan asked. Thomas thought for a while. "We could go get Abigal" he suggested. "Guys, i can get up, it's just going to hurt." Gabriel replied then, with a help of a tree, stood up. He held his breath while doing it and let it out as he stood up. "Come on, it'll get dark soon." he protested, then carefully led the children to their hide out.
