It was almost a moth since we recieved the news of the war starting. The British attacked, and took over South Carolina. I had the feeling that we had already lost, but then about a week after the British arrived, a man stepped up, and killed an entire group of Red Coats because they had killed his son. Now there was a miltia, and they were giving the Red Coats a lot of trouble.

"Carrie," Eric called," Carrie come down here."

His voice sounded urgent, and I hurried to the door and down the stairrs.

"What's wrong," I asked.

"Eric," mother said," Remember what I told you. Take her, and find somewhere to hide. Go out the back way."

"Mother what's wrong," I asked. She didn't answer me. Instead, she just kissed my forehead, and then Eric grabbed my arm and pulled me outside.

Once we got outside we started running in the direction of the big oak tree.

"Climb up there," Eric ordered me,"We can hide there for now."

I obeyed and once I was up there, Eric climbed up after me.

"Don't say anything," he warned me," Don't worry this will all be over soon. They wont do anything."

I was about to ask who he was talking about, but he covered my mouth, and I could suddenly hear hooves pounding the ground. I looked down and saw flashes of green and red shoot by below us.

"Search the house," a cold voice said,"take any goods you can find."

I looked at Eric and I could tell that he was trying to keep himself from jumping out of the tree.

"Sir," someone below said," there are some servants giving us trouble, and a woman as well."

There was silence and then," Lock them inside, and burn the house."

"NO!"I yelled before I could stop myself. Eric grabbed my arm and the two of us tumbled out of the tree.

"Run Carrie," he said.

"Go after them," said a man on a horse. That was the one who ordered the horse to be burned. I could see, before I turned and ran, my mother watching through the window, and a soldier locking the door. That was the last time I saw my mother.

"This way," Eric said," They won't find us here."

We ducked down into some bushes, and watched as a few soldiers ran past us.

"I'm sorry," I said to Eric," I didn't mean to do that."

He took me into his arms and hugged me tightly," It's alright. I was about to do the same, but..."

He trailed off. I knew he was thinking about mother. I wish my father could have been there at that moment.He could have saved mother. Teares began to crawl down my cheeks.

"Hey," Eric said," Do you remember the things we always do at the table?"

"Yes,"I said. He pulled two grapes out of one of his pockets, threw one up in the air, and tried to catch it, but it hit him in the face instead. I couldn't help but laugh.

"Did you find them," said a voice behind us.

"No sir," another voice answered," They seemed to have disappeared."

"You are an idiot," the first voice said," People just don't diappear."

Eric moved slightly to the left, and his head hit a dry branch on the bush, causing it to snap loudly. There was silence from the soldiers.

"They are still here," the first voice said," Continue your search."

"Yes Colonel," the second voice said.

Eric motioned for me to get out of the bush in the opposite direction from where the soldiers were. I crawled out, and he followed me. Once we were a safe distance from the soldiers, Eric told me to quietly get up and run. I got up and ran as fast as I could. I didn't look behind me once until I reached a small clearing.

"We made it," I said.Eric came bounding out after me.

"Yes," he said," For now. Wait here."

He disappeared in the other side of the clearing. He was most likely checking for officers.

A pistol cocked behind me," Turn around."

I froze.

"Come now child," the voice said again," Turn around, nice and slow."

I turned slowly and came face-to-face with the man who had ordered my home and mother to be burned.

"Good girl," he said," Now, come here."

The left side of my body twitched. I wanted to run, but he aimed his pistol at me, and I thought better of it.

"Come here," he said again, but this time I caught the frustration in his tone,"If you try to run, I will shoot you. "

I moved slowly towards him. An officer came up behind the man, and was about to say something to him, but stopped when he saw me.

"Go and find the boy," he said," I'll take care of this one."

The officer ran past me, and I was once again alone with this man. Once I was close enough, he reached out and grabbed my arm.

"Hm," he said," There's nothing threatening about you. Who was that boy you were with? Your lover perhaps?"

"You are a sick man do you know that," I said. A sharp pain went over my face as his hand made contact with it.

"Do not talk back to me," he said. He pulled a rope from the sash across his chest and began tying my hands.

"I saw you and that boy running away," the man said," I knew you were somewhere close by."

"Who are you," I asked.

"I am Colonel Tavington of the British Green dragoons," he said," What is yours."

"Carrie Campden," I answered. Tavington went towards the woods and grabbed a horse that had been tethered to a tree. He then cocked his pistol again,"Where may I ask do you think you are going?"

I stopped backing towards the trees," Nowhere."

"I thought so," he said. He then came over, grabbed me roughly by the arm, and pulled me to his horse.

"Get on," he said.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Get on the horse," Tavington said.

I got on the horse with some help from Tavington because of my tied hands. He got on behind me, and was about to say something when three officers and my brother came out of the woods.

"Watch it," Eric snapped. He looked up at me and froze," Let her go!"

"I would hold my tongue if I were you boy," Tavington said," Now how do you and this girl know each other? Answer me truthfully, or I will shoot her here and now."

I looked pleadingly at Eric, who was looking the same way at me.

"She's my sister," he said. I felt Tavingtons pistol loosen a bit. My body suddenly swayed backwards and I was looking into Tavingtons eyes. He looked at me then at Eric.

"Well," he said," isn't that something?"

No one said anything.

"Captain," Tavington then said," Take the boy with you. Tie his hands."

The Captain came forward and grabbed Eric. He began to tie his hands together.

"I'm warning you now boy," Tavington said," If you cause me any trouble, your sister will die."

I watched as Eric was put on a horse which was tethered to the Captains horse. I recgonized that horse as our families horse, and the anger inside me began to rise. As we started out of the woods, I looked behind me and could see smoke from the flames on what was our house. Tavingtons grip tightened on my waist, and I turned back around. I would never forget this day, and I'm sure that Eric wouldn't either.