Prologue:

She watched as the rain beat harshly against the roof, and the wind shook the windowpanes to almost breaking point, screaming through the cracks in the wall. Lightning flashed across the sky, momentarily lighting up the room throwing shadows across her face, but it was too late to scream when she saw what was coming for her when the door creaked open.

May the 2nd, 1864 started exactly the same as every other day for Jane.

Waking up to the not-so-appealing smell of slightly rancid bacon and overcooked eggs, she opened her eyes and examined the ceiling of her small bedroom, which she shared with two other girls, Mary and Charlotte. Sighing, she got up as Mary opened the window to rid the room of its usual dusty odour. She shook Charlotte gently, but as usual she was taken over by deep slumber. It took both girls five minutes to rouse her from sleep. Grumbling, Charlotte got up and skipped down to breakfast with the other girls. Jane never looked forward to Sundays. It was fry up morning, supposedly the best morning of the week, but everyone knew better than to think that the orphanage bought fresh food. On Friday nights they all saw the cook collect the fly covered food from the back doorstep. The only chance of a decent meal was school lunches, but even those were to be desired. Jane thought about her life so far as she stood in line to receive her food. Most of the children avoided her here, except for Mary, Charlotte and her brother, Alec. But Alec lived with the boys on the other side of the house, so she only got to see him on weekends and during meals.

Jane had been lived here since she was eight years old. Her mother did not survive the twin birth, so they lived with their father. Their father went to war in 1860. He never returned. Jane and Alec loved their father dearly, only the country was in desperate need of soldiers, and it was civic duty to fight for their country. He promised them he would come back for them, but on the last day, his base was bombed. No one survived. When this news returned home, Jane and Alec were dragged to the orphanage. They were the lucky ones.

Every time the children walked on the street, the homeless begged and pleaded for money, but Jane never had any money. She was, in some ways grateful to be taken in, to be supported…. However loosely that definition applied.

After finishing her meal, Jane retired to her room to escape the glares of her peers. Mary and Charlotte had detention, so she had to wait until 10:30 to even have a hope of having a good day. As she sat on her bed, reading, she glanced outside. A storm was coming.