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The Patriot
The Bloody Road to War
Chapter I
In the bright days within South Carolina year 1776, a family lived within the plantation that held within four acres of landscape. It was the home of the Moore family, whom were not as rich but very well known to the farmers nonetheless. Jonathan Moore was a landscaper, helping out the farmers as they went about their properties. He had a wife and three children, two boys and a girl, that were coming towards their later teens.
He was working outside, while the boys headed out towards the woods to shoot with neighboring friends for a catch for dinner. His wife was preparing other dishes for supper as she watched her husband work out in the yards preparing for the harvest season. The daughter, Evelyn Moore, a girl of seventeen, was helping her mother with washing of clothes of dry dust and dirt at the outer boundaries of the house. She had light brown hair that reached up to her shoulders, pulled back from her face and unusual grayish blue eyes.
She was unlike most of the women within South Carolina, especially the ones that live and dwell among the towns. She hated wearing dresses for they were most uncomfortable by the tightening of corsets and various fabrics. She would wear boots, perhaps trousers that were beaten up and passed over to her by her younger brothers, as they grew taller from age and growth spurts; then a long rustled white shirt that became filthy from her daily chores outside the house.
She always wondered how her mother could stay inside the house for so long. She hated being inside when the harvest seasons came and went for the sun would sometimes become brutal. The house would become dry that even outside is much cooler from the smallest amount of wind. She scratched at the clothes within the filled, spilling barrel of cold water.
"Evelyn! Tell your father that supper's almost ready!" Mrs. Moore called out from the kitchen window.
"Sure thing mother," she called back, departing from her work towards the front of the house. She wiped her face with her shirt from the slight bit of sweat that poured down her forehead. She noticed her father was not lingering within the front of the house but heard him within the shed. She entered the large shed hearing chopping noises. Mr. Moore was cutting up the birds that both Elijah and Logan had shot down from their afternoon hunt.
"Father," she called towards him, walking into the large boundaries of the shed. She spotted the dead birds, upon the bloody, wooden cut-board.
"Hello Evelyn," he greeted with a smile upon his face, he threw the bad meat towards his German Shepard dog, which ate it happily.
"Mother said supper's almost ready," she informed coming up towards him.
"Good, I'm almost done with this bird," Mr. Moore informed chopping another piece of meat from the stomach. After a few moments he was finished.
"Listen can you grab these, and throw them in the woods for me?" he asked holding out the two carcasses of the dead birds by the necks.
"Sure," Evelyn replied in a soft but agreeing tone. She grabbed the birds by the necks, carrying them by her side. She departed from the shed, the dog following her in a soft horse-like trot. She went down the dirt path alongside the cornfields that lead towards the tall boundaries of the woods. As she entered into the opening of the trees, she threw the carcasses into a ditch that they had formed over the years, and bury them firmly underneath the soil.
The dog, Brook, sat there watching his female master bury the carcass. Suddenly, his ears perked up, beginning to bark loudly. He ran deeper into the forest, barking continuously, running at a full gallop. Evelyn ran after him, dropping the shovel upon the soil.
"Brook!" she yelled after him. She ran for about a half-mile until she reached the end of the property, hearing the sound of hooves pounding against the ground.
"Brook!" she called out again, she suddenly spotted him barking at two boys carrying their birds and guns upon their shoulders.
"Whoa! Get down!" one of the boys shouted at the hopping dog. Evelyn immediately rushed over to the excited German Shepard.
"Brook!" she yelled approaching them. Brook immediately turned towards his female master, his ears dropping, his head bowing slightly.
"Brook! Come!" she ordered, the dog rushing over towards her ignoring the boys.
"I'm so sorry about that," she apologized. She looked up noticing it was Thomas and Gabriel Martin that lived towards the next plantation, her neighbors.
"Thomas, Gabriel," she greeted with a small smile.
"Evelyn?" Thomas questioned he and his brother walking towards her with a smiling. "It's been a while since we've seen you."
"I agree it has been a few months before the harvesting season," she informed. "How is Mr. Martin?"
"Father is fine, he has been busy with everything," Gabriel mentioned smiling a bit.
"Well if he needs any help let me know, I could tell my father and head over there if needed," Evelyn informed.
"We'll keep that in mind," Thomas informed. Evelyn petted Brook upon his back and head.
"Well I have to go back to the house. My mother's probably worried sick that I'm not back from burying the dead birds," she commented laughing a bit.
"All right, good seeing you again Eve," Gabriel commented.
"Yeah see you," Thomas followed, beginning to start their way towards their plantation a few yards off.
"Come by sometime you two, I want to catch up on things," Evelyn called out, beginning to jog with the dog trotting alongside her. The two boys smiled as they watched her leave.
Evelyn made her way towards the house, Brook by her side, running up the porch steps and into the house.
"I'm back!" she called into the house, taking off her muddy boots placing them outside onto the porch.
"Good heavens! Evelyn, where have you been?" Mrs. Moore questioned coming up to her daughter.
"I uh," Evelyn began to explain.
"She was burying the buzzards that Elijah and Logan caught earlier out in the woods Roseanne," Mr. Moore interrupted, kissing her on the cheek.
"Oh sorry sweetie," Mrs. Moore apologized to her daughter.
"It's all right, you were worried," Evelyn informed accepting her apology.
"Oh for heaven sakes sweetie get those wretched looking clothes off, your filthy from your work outside. And don't forget to wash up, your hands are probably filthy from those birds and dirt," Mrs. Moore remarked.
Evelyn nodded, heading towards the powder room to wash up. She washed her hands and face in the ice, cold water, scrubbing as best she could. She looked into the dusty mirror that lay in front of the sink. She stared for a while, noticing her age as was fitting her well now. Her body was thinner than when she was younger, her height grew to a descent length. She knew she grown into a young woman. She sighed rushing to her upstairs bedroom. She grabbed a shirt from her bureau, replacing the one she was wearing.
Finally, she headed towards the kitchen for supper. Logan and Elijah were already sitting at the table eating their game of the day with satisfaction.
"Oh hello sister, finally decided to join us," Logan commented teasingly. He was of sixteen, green eyes; fiery red hair that made it's way towards the tip of his collar. Elijah was the youngest of fourteen, matted dark brown hair and hazel green eyes. They were both hansom boys that the city and plantation girls would fall for. Evelyn did not have any boy call on her, but the only boys she knew were the Martins.
"What were you doing that made you so late for supper, spying on the Martin boys?" Elijah teased. Evelyn scowled at him.
"You wish," she protested.
"How is Mr. Martin?" Mrs. Moore asked.
"I've seen him nearly a week ago, I believe he's doing well. He was showing me how much he's been working on building a rocking chair," Mr. Moore explained laughing under his breath. "We had a bit of a debate on how to build it without it falling apart on him."
They finished their meal silently then departed from the room. Evelyn helped clean the dishes with her mother quickly then headed outside on the porch. She allowed the wind to blow upon her face; the coolness of the breeze became very refreshing. Mr. Moore came out on the porch, sitting beside her on the steps.
"Hey," Evelyn greeted with a small smile upon her face. Mr. Moore nodded in reply sighing.
"Listen, Evelyn, I've got a letter from the postman and we must head for Charlestown in the morning. There's a town meeting about the signing of the militia," Mr. Moore explained.
"We're going to Charlestown?" Evelyn repeated a bit of excitement in her tone. She was a little glad that they could finally leave from the house perhaps a day or two in the town.
"Yes, we'll leave tomorrow in the morning as soon as it strikes dawn. So be ready," he replied. He smiled kissing her forehead.
"Goodnight sweetie," he commented as he made his way inside. "Oh, Evelyn, you have to wear a dress."
Evelyn looked at him, smiling slightly and sighing playfully.
"Alright I'll wear a dress and all that fancy whatnot," she agreed leaning her arms upon her legs, hearing the front door shut from behind. The night seemed long as she soaked in the night's air and beauty. After a few long moments, she headed inside, preparing for an early rest for she had to wake with haste in the morning.