So intent was Hannah's gaze upon Thomas that her other senses picked up nothing. Her ears heard nothing of the screams of the Continentals as they were shot, heard not even the gunshots. Her nose smelt none of the gunpowder that floated about the air, her eyes saw nothing. The only sense that seemed awake and alert was the sense of acute pain in her heart as it ripped in two. She didn't even hear Benjamin's words to his children as he got up and gently laid Thomas at her feet. Her eyes never moved from his smooth, white face. Occasionally her eyes would drift from his face, down his shirt to the bloody hole in his chest, but instantly the sight would send her eyes back to his face, her own face becoming pale.
She looked up with sad and weary eyes as Benjamin returned, guns of all sizes over his shoulder. He was speaking to her she could tell, but she heard none of it. She only saw him talking to Margaret, Nathan, and Samuel. She couldn't hear. It was as if all sound had ceased, save for the scream of her own heart. Benjamin's gaze flickered as it passed her, concern filling them. But he walked off bravely into the woods, Nathan and Samuel following him uneasily. Margaret stood still, her small chin quivering and her eyes filling with tears. Young William stood up and clutched her hand as they watched their Father and brothers walk into the depths of the forest.
"Margaret, go get a wash cloth and a pitcher of water." Margaret looked down at her friend. Hannah had not even looked up at her. "But, why?" She faltered. "We can't have Thomas looking like this." She said softly. A tear slid past Margaret's cheek as she stared at her friend. "But Hannah, the house is on fire. I can't go in." She said in a quavery voice. Hannah looked around as if she had woken from a deep sleep. "So it is. No matter. Take this and get some from the small creek running by the woods." Hannah said wearily. Margaret's chin quivered but it was held high as she took the handkerchief in her friend's hand and began to run away as fast as she could.
When she returned, she thrust the sopping handkerchief into Hannah's hand and plopped onto the ground. Hannah took it and began to wipe Thomas' face gently. She ran the cloth on his forehead, over his closed eyes, watching the droplets of water run down his face and off onto the bloody ground. She ran it past his cold lips and her hands rested there as her chin began to quiver. With one finger, she touched it gently. Then as if shocked, she drew back her hand and began to rub the cloth over his face once more. When the cloth reached the bloody hole in the boy's chest, Hannah began to sob. Her hand seemed to have a mind of it's own as it's tender fingers wiped away the blood in and around the wound that had destroyed the body. She looked at his face again and she straightened. She wiped away the tears from her eyes and looked at the children. "Don't worry. You're Father will be back soon. So will Nathan and Samuel and Gabriel. They're all good shots. Margaret, dry your eyes. William, sit here by Thomas. I'll be back." She said gently but firmly.
Hannah began to run to the house but decided not to chance it. The house was a fiery inferno now and there was no chance of retrieving anything of value from it. She wavered in her decision then began to run towards the stables. The horses were all gone, including Patriot, she noticed with sadness. The thought of that MAN riding that noble beast that she had named, caused an unexplainable anger to rise in her chest. It was then that she noticed the smoke filtering out of the closed doors. She ran and opened it and was greeted by a flash of smoke and hot air. She fell backwards and saw a small bale of hay lit on fire, which was rapidly spreading. She looked frantically from the door into the stable, searching for something, anything that the family could use. There were blankets from the horses resting in the corner.
She took a deep breath of fresh air and rushed in, holding her breath. She reached the blankets and took them, but stumbled. When she did, all the air she had been reserving came out in a flash. She took another breath and breathed in the poisonous smoky air. She began to cough and hack as the smoke whirled around her, seeping into her eyes and blinding her. The doorway seemed nonexistent, it was blocked. She was alone. She fell to the ground and looked up. There a few feet in front of her was the doorway. As she coughed, she slithered on her belly to the doorway, finally reaching her goal. She finally stepped into the blinding sunlight, her arms full of the horse smelling blankets, coughing and choking. She stood straight and began to run back towards the children.
Margaret stood up as she approached and Susan ran to her and grasped her dress in a tight grip. William hadn't moved from the spot where she had sat him beside Thomas. He sat there, his body still, his eyes fixed on his motionless brother. "William, you and Margaret go into the little graveyard and begin to dig a hole. I'll be there in a moment, just as soon as I can." Hannah said. William started and stood with wide eyes. "For Thomas?" He asked quietly. Hannah looked up at him. "Yes for Thomas. We can't leave him here William." She said gently. "Margaret, you'll help him?" She asked, looking up into the girl's face. She nodded quickly, gulping back the tears that threatened to fall. "There's a shovel lying by the barn." Hannah remarked. Margaret choked back a sob and began to run to the place, leaving Susan and Hannah alone, William having gone to the graveyard.
Susan looked at her with wide eyes and Hannah met her gaze. "It's alright Susan. Things will be alright. Thomas can't be hurt anymore. Never again." She whispered. Susan whimpered and pushed herself up to Hannah and Hannah held her close.
An hour past before the tall figure of Benjamin and his two sons, including Gabriel, walked wearily on the horizon. Margaret jumped up. "It's Father!" She said, running to him. "Can I go see Father?" William asked, looking to Hannah and the sleeping Susan who lay on her lap. Hannah nodded silently and William took off towards his father. Hannah took a final look at Thomas' face. They had moved him to the graveyard, waiting for Benjamin so that they could place him in the much slaved after hole. Her hand trembled as it reached towards him and fingered his hair. Then she pulled her hand back and put it into her pocket. She drew out the little pouch that she held her sewing things in and drew out the small scissors. She snipped a piece of hair off and put it into the bag along with the scissors.
Hannah glanced up at Benjamin as the gate swung open. He glanced a pained look at the scene before him. Gabriel stepped behind him and he seemed to wince as he looked at her. She stood up wearily. "We got a cart and horse. We must leave for the children's Aunt Charlotte's." He said uneasily. Hannah nodded and looked back down. "I didn't want to bury him without you." She said quietly. Benjamin nodded and that pained look returned to his eyes. But he set his jaw and knelt down beside his son. He lifted him up gently in his strong arms and gazed at his face. Then he shuddered and placed him carefully into the grave. Benjamin gazed down into the grave for a long time. Then he looked to the pile of dirt beside it and he knelt down. Hannah turned away as Benjamin threw the first handful of dirt upon the grave. Her sad eyes met those of Gabriel, standing in his uniform, his eyes fixed on his father. After the last bit of dirt had covered the grave and it was pounded down firmly, Benjamin took a deep breath, trying to wish away the tears in his eyes. Then he turned to them, taking in their sad faces. "Gabriel, get the cart. We must leave now."
She looked up with sad and weary eyes as Benjamin returned, guns of all sizes over his shoulder. He was speaking to her she could tell, but she heard none of it. She only saw him talking to Margaret, Nathan, and Samuel. She couldn't hear. It was as if all sound had ceased, save for the scream of her own heart. Benjamin's gaze flickered as it passed her, concern filling them. But he walked off bravely into the woods, Nathan and Samuel following him uneasily. Margaret stood still, her small chin quivering and her eyes filling with tears. Young William stood up and clutched her hand as they watched their Father and brothers walk into the depths of the forest.
"Margaret, go get a wash cloth and a pitcher of water." Margaret looked down at her friend. Hannah had not even looked up at her. "But, why?" She faltered. "We can't have Thomas looking like this." She said softly. A tear slid past Margaret's cheek as she stared at her friend. "But Hannah, the house is on fire. I can't go in." She said in a quavery voice. Hannah looked around as if she had woken from a deep sleep. "So it is. No matter. Take this and get some from the small creek running by the woods." Hannah said wearily. Margaret's chin quivered but it was held high as she took the handkerchief in her friend's hand and began to run away as fast as she could.
When she returned, she thrust the sopping handkerchief into Hannah's hand and plopped onto the ground. Hannah took it and began to wipe Thomas' face gently. She ran the cloth on his forehead, over his closed eyes, watching the droplets of water run down his face and off onto the bloody ground. She ran it past his cold lips and her hands rested there as her chin began to quiver. With one finger, she touched it gently. Then as if shocked, she drew back her hand and began to rub the cloth over his face once more. When the cloth reached the bloody hole in the boy's chest, Hannah began to sob. Her hand seemed to have a mind of it's own as it's tender fingers wiped away the blood in and around the wound that had destroyed the body. She looked at his face again and she straightened. She wiped away the tears from her eyes and looked at the children. "Don't worry. You're Father will be back soon. So will Nathan and Samuel and Gabriel. They're all good shots. Margaret, dry your eyes. William, sit here by Thomas. I'll be back." She said gently but firmly.
Hannah began to run to the house but decided not to chance it. The house was a fiery inferno now and there was no chance of retrieving anything of value from it. She wavered in her decision then began to run towards the stables. The horses were all gone, including Patriot, she noticed with sadness. The thought of that MAN riding that noble beast that she had named, caused an unexplainable anger to rise in her chest. It was then that she noticed the smoke filtering out of the closed doors. She ran and opened it and was greeted by a flash of smoke and hot air. She fell backwards and saw a small bale of hay lit on fire, which was rapidly spreading. She looked frantically from the door into the stable, searching for something, anything that the family could use. There were blankets from the horses resting in the corner.
She took a deep breath of fresh air and rushed in, holding her breath. She reached the blankets and took them, but stumbled. When she did, all the air she had been reserving came out in a flash. She took another breath and breathed in the poisonous smoky air. She began to cough and hack as the smoke whirled around her, seeping into her eyes and blinding her. The doorway seemed nonexistent, it was blocked. She was alone. She fell to the ground and looked up. There a few feet in front of her was the doorway. As she coughed, she slithered on her belly to the doorway, finally reaching her goal. She finally stepped into the blinding sunlight, her arms full of the horse smelling blankets, coughing and choking. She stood straight and began to run back towards the children.
Margaret stood up as she approached and Susan ran to her and grasped her dress in a tight grip. William hadn't moved from the spot where she had sat him beside Thomas. He sat there, his body still, his eyes fixed on his motionless brother. "William, you and Margaret go into the little graveyard and begin to dig a hole. I'll be there in a moment, just as soon as I can." Hannah said. William started and stood with wide eyes. "For Thomas?" He asked quietly. Hannah looked up at him. "Yes for Thomas. We can't leave him here William." She said gently. "Margaret, you'll help him?" She asked, looking up into the girl's face. She nodded quickly, gulping back the tears that threatened to fall. "There's a shovel lying by the barn." Hannah remarked. Margaret choked back a sob and began to run to the place, leaving Susan and Hannah alone, William having gone to the graveyard.
Susan looked at her with wide eyes and Hannah met her gaze. "It's alright Susan. Things will be alright. Thomas can't be hurt anymore. Never again." She whispered. Susan whimpered and pushed herself up to Hannah and Hannah held her close.
An hour past before the tall figure of Benjamin and his two sons, including Gabriel, walked wearily on the horizon. Margaret jumped up. "It's Father!" She said, running to him. "Can I go see Father?" William asked, looking to Hannah and the sleeping Susan who lay on her lap. Hannah nodded silently and William took off towards his father. Hannah took a final look at Thomas' face. They had moved him to the graveyard, waiting for Benjamin so that they could place him in the much slaved after hole. Her hand trembled as it reached towards him and fingered his hair. Then she pulled her hand back and put it into her pocket. She drew out the little pouch that she held her sewing things in and drew out the small scissors. She snipped a piece of hair off and put it into the bag along with the scissors.
Hannah glanced up at Benjamin as the gate swung open. He glanced a pained look at the scene before him. Gabriel stepped behind him and he seemed to wince as he looked at her. She stood up wearily. "We got a cart and horse. We must leave for the children's Aunt Charlotte's." He said uneasily. Hannah nodded and looked back down. "I didn't want to bury him without you." She said quietly. Benjamin nodded and that pained look returned to his eyes. But he set his jaw and knelt down beside his son. He lifted him up gently in his strong arms and gazed at his face. Then he shuddered and placed him carefully into the grave. Benjamin gazed down into the grave for a long time. Then he looked to the pile of dirt beside it and he knelt down. Hannah turned away as Benjamin threw the first handful of dirt upon the grave. Her sad eyes met those of Gabriel, standing in his uniform, his eyes fixed on his father. After the last bit of dirt had covered the grave and it was pounded down firmly, Benjamin took a deep breath, trying to wish away the tears in his eyes. Then he turned to them, taking in their sad faces. "Gabriel, get the cart. We must leave now."