1590 A.D.
Elizabeth Viccars looked into the sky, praying for any sign of a storm cloud. The rains had not come for many days, and food among the colony was becoming scarce. Even the nearby Indian tribe refused to help, as they too were suffering from the effects of the severe drought.
With a sigh, Elizabeth shifted her green eyes from the bright sky to the raging seawaters spread out before her. Shielding her eyes from the sun, she gazed into the horizon. If only Governor White would return with the promised supplies from England, then the colony would be saved. And yet, no matter how long or hard she looked, there was still no sign of the captain. He was only to spend a few months in England before returning to Roanoke. Surely, his ship would return soon.
Fear ached inside of Elizabeth. But what if soon wasn't soon enough? She dispelled that thought along with her fear. Now was not the time to be afraid.
Her thoughts wandered back in time as she remembered how she came to be here. She was one of only a handful of women willing to reestablish the colony at Roanoke after the first failed attempt. After the death of her mother, England held no joy for her family. She, her father, and her younger brother decided that leaving England to establish a colony in the Americas was the best way for their family to start over. And so they left.
In all, the Roanoke colony consisted of ninety men, seventeen women, and nine children. One hundred and sixteen souls brave enough to risk everything and start over in the New World. Their journey across the sea had been long and grueling. But they had made it.
And for what? To die of starvation a mere two years after reaching their Promised Land?
Elizabeth sighed in frustration.
In the distance she could hear her younger brother, Abe, calling her name. Turning away from the ocean, she headed back towards the colony.