The sound was deafening.
The snow falling over the side of the mountain with such a roar, the clear white clean snow, all 13 people in the Pontipee's wagon stopped and stared at it.
The avalanche was blocking echo pass now, the only way to the Pontipee Farm from St. John's. The girls were stuck until the spring.
This soon sunk into the young girls, and they stopped struggling and cried. Liza was the only one of crying, she was still in a bit of shock.
She kept her eyes on the pass as Adam drove them back to the farm. She was shivering as they got closer to the farm, being a lot higher in the mountains. Ephraim wrapped her tighter in the blanket, trying to keep her warm.
Liza looked around at the six other women in the wagon, the ones who had been kidnapped.
Dorcas was leaning into Ben, wrapped tightly in a blanket. Ben was rubbing her arms. Liza then noticed that she was only wearing a thin nightgown. Dorcas was only still on Ben's lap because she was too cold to move and because he was warming her up. She was crying a bit but was mostly just too cold to care.
Ruth had pushed off of Caleb's lap and was curled up hugging Alice. They were both crying very hard. Gideon sat next to them, not really noticing. Caleb, on the other hand, looked very upset and guilty.
Martha was also off of Daniel's lap. She was currently grabbing snow off of the passing tree's. That snow was then going onto Dan's head.
Sarah was crying into Frank's chest. She was too upset to push him away. She was scared to death.
The brothers were just talking and cheering. Not really noticing how upset the girls were.
Liza felt awful for her friends but she wasn't mad at Ephriam. He couldn't control his brothers.
The wagon started to slow and Liza looked up at the farm.
It was gorgeous, the clear white fields, the large house and barn, and the snowy trees. She fell in love with it very quickly.
All the girls, except Liza, began to jump out of the wagon, yelling for Milly. They all began to run to the house.
Milly suddenly appeared on the front porch, eyes wide in confusion.
" Milly help!" Martha cried
"We've been kidnapped," Ruth said unhappily
Alice rushed into Milly's arms, crying.
While they did this, the boys climbed out of the wagon. Ephraim lifting Liza down as well.
"What have you done? You take these girls back at once! AT once, you hear?" Milly said angrily to the boys.
The girls were huddled behind Milly, except Liza who stayed by Ephraim's side. Martha just raised an eyebrow at this.
"We can't!" Ben said happily.
"There was an avalanche! We have to wait till spring!" Caleb yelled.
"What kind of men are you? A bunch of wild animals?" Milly cried out in horror
"Naw. They are just young pull cats in love. That's all." Adam said, slapping Frank on the shoulder.
"Milly I want my mother!" Alice said, crying, she was shaking from the cold and the shock.
Gideon stepped towards her, glancing back at his brothers. "Alice, please don't cry. I'm sorry. It was the only way I would get to marry you."
Alice just ignored him, clinging tighter to Milly.
Gideon's face then turned a little pale and he turned to his brother, "Um...Adam? I forgot to get the parson." He said, obviously scared.
All of his six older brothers glared at him and began to yell at the same time.
"Damn it!"
"You had one job!"
"Seriously Gideon?"
"What the hell?"
"What are we supposed to do now?"
Milly just began to move the girls into the house, murmuring to them to try to calm them, "Nothing is going to happen to you. I promise."
Ephraim gently nudged Liza forward, "Go on." He said gently
Liza followed the girls into the house, ignoring the stares from everyone. She was almost inside when Adam and Milly began to argue. She stopped and turned around to listen.
"This house is for the girls! You won't set one foot in it while they are here! You all will sleep in the barn with the rest of the animals. Now go! I am ashamed of you." Milly said, crossing her arms over her chest as she blocked the steps up to the house.
"This will all be fine. The boys and I will get a parson up here somehow. Maybe we can go down to Gaithersburg." Adam said, trying to keep calm.
"You think those girls would marry them now?" Milly spat out bitterly, "When I think of those poor girls families, sick with worry. Not knowing what happened. I can't stand to look at you!"
"Now Milly, you should stop before you say something you don't mean," Adam said, starting to get mad.
"I haven't even begun to say what's on my mind!" Milly cried in anger.
"God damn it! You come in here, telling my brother now to talk, how to eat, how to look and how to think. Making sissy's out of them. Soon they won't be able to go to the outhouse without you showing them how!" Adam yelled
"I'm only showing them how things are done. Besides they don't seem to mind, Adam." Milly said, looking a little scared now.
"Well, either way. I am still head of this household. The boys and I are staying in the house where we belong." Adam said stepping forward.
"No Adam!" Benjamin yelled. This made Adam stop and look at his brothers, who all began to talk at once.
"Milly is right," Frank said.
"It wouldn't be proper," Caleb added
"Leave things be," Daniel said.
'Adam calm down," Gideon begged.
"Leave things be? Well isn't this a fine how'd you do?" Adam said with a chuckle. The brothers just looked at each other. Adam sighed, "Fine! If that's what you want. Then that's what you can have. But as for me? I'm getting out of here!" Adam declared.
He then turned and marched up to the house, pushing past Milly and Liza. He went in and slammed the door. The girls inside screamed.
Adam soon came out with a gun and his bag.
"Adam just wait for a minute," Ben begged as Adam began to saddle his horse
"Listen to your brothers," Milly said.
"last time I listened to my brothers, I ended up getting married. I would have been better off with a hired girl!" Adam yelled.
Liza glanced at Milly to see tears streaming down her face. Adam continued,
"My pa worked himself to death before Gideon could even walk. I never once saw my mama cross him! You weren't here for anything. Where were you when our barn burned to the ground? Where were you when the twins nearly drowned? Where were you the day that mama died?" Adam sighed and turned his back, but he continued to talk, "I never went to the socials because I was too busy making sure the boys had clothes so that they wouldn't freeze! You don't understand how hard growing up was for us. But the one thing that our mama taught us was that women always stood behind our men!"
And with that, Adam mounted his horse and left.
Liza gently took Milly's arm, "Let's go inside." She said gently. Milly wordlessly went inside.
Liza glanced back at Ephraim, he had stayed quiet through the whole ordeal. He smiled slightly at her, "Go on." He said gently, "It's late. You should get some rest."
She smiled and nodded, "Good night.' She said quietly before going inside.
The next few months are going to be interesting.
Sorry I didn't really know how to end it. But I hope you all enjoyed.
Next chapters will have the big twist (FINALLY) but I can't wait for you all to read it.
If you have any ideas for the story, please let me know. I ave Ephraim and Liza's story in place but if you have any ideas for changing up the other 6, I am all ears.