Chapter 1
Spring 1785
The soft spring breeze blew back my long brown hair as I ran along side Acorn my big brown dog. The prairie side was blooming with beautiful purple flowers that smelled like sugar-cane and honey-suckle. Acorn barked and I laughed holding onto my dress so I could run without tripping. Then I heard my name called.
"Lulu! Time for supper!"
My step brother Erich stood on the hill in front of my family's cabin. He was 16 years old and very tall. His ginger brown hair was messy as usual.
"Coming Erich!" I yelled.
I hurried up the hill. Then flicked some grass off my petticoats. Erich placed his hand on the small of my back and led me inside. Acorn walked happily at my side.
During supper my step father stood up and cleared his throat. Something was wrong just by looking at his face. He looked at my mother then at me.
"Lulu, you have become the right age and we have arranged a marriage for you. Tomorrow we will all be moving up river."
My eyes widened in shock. Acorn lifted her head. I then looked down and nodded. I really didn't want to get married but there was nothing that could be done. Before I could say anything Erich jumped to his feet and started to scream at my father.
"Father! She is only 12! You can't have her married off that fast!" Erich spat out. My step father just shook his head and folded his arms.
"She doesn't even want to me married do you Lulu!?"
I just kept my eyes glued to the floorboards and bit my lip.
"Lulu?!" He begged me to say something.
"Enough Erich!" My step father ordered.
My mother stood up quickly and grabbed my little brother Sammy's hand and picked up my half brother John then motioned me to come with her. We went outside into the prairie grass waiting for things to cool down inside the cabin. We could hear acorn barking inside. I sighed and wondered if this was how things would be like when I married. I watched my mother sigh too. I wondered if she was thinking the same thing.
It took awhile for thinks to calm down. Erich started angrily stuffing his belongings into bundles. I started doing the same only more gently. Erich scooted over to me and leaned close to my ear.
"Meet me outside when you're done" He whispered.
He then got up and walked outside. I tilted my head confused but finished packing my stuff in bundles. I then quickly walked outside.
"Erich?" I called out into the night.
"Over here Lulu." He said and wave at me from around the side of the cabin.
I walked over to him. It was hard to see him in the dark when I reached the side of the cabin. He grinned at me in a strange way, as if he was going to do something evil like in the political cartoons in the newspaper that my stepfather went to town and got every Sunday.
"Lulu, I know that you don't want to get married, so run! Run away with me!" He said taking my hands and giving them a squeeze.
"Erich nothing good comes out of anything if you run from your problems!" I argued and pulled my hands away and stormed away into the house not looking back at Erich. My feel shuffled on the ground kicking up dirt."Watch yourself while around Erich" The wind seemed to whisper.
