Chapter Three: Arrested!

"What!" Pocahontas asked, shocked.

"John's been arrested. The guards came this morning about eight o'clock. They said he's being held for treason." Thomas explained.

"Treason? What does that mean?" Pocahontas asked.

"Betrayal. Disloyalty to one's country." Thomas explained.

"What? How has John been disloyal?"

"I don't know. If I had to guess, Ratcliffe has something to do with this." Thomas said, shrugging.

"Where did they take him, Thomas? Take me to him!"

"Follow me." Thomas said, leading her to the Jamestown jail. Pocahontas shuddered. It didn't look too inviting (But what jailhouse does?). She swallowed hard as Thomas opened the door.

John sat in the cold, damp, dark cell in the Jamestown Jailhouse. This had to be a bad dream. He hadn't done anything wrong! What was he going to do? What could he do? The king had signed that document. It was hopeless. He had heard what the guards had said. He knew nothing could help him now.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

The loud rapping on the door caused John to jump. Who was that?

"Open up! Under orders of the king!" Someone had said.

'The king?' John thought as he went to open the door. The three guards stormed in. John backed up. One of the guards held up a document as he read it.

"John Smith, you are hereby under arrest for treason here in Jamestown by orders of the king."

"Treason? You must be looking for Ratcliffe." John said. He tried to duck and run for the door, but one of the guards tackled him and chained his hands. Then they pushed him out the door to the jail. Thomas watched in horror as three guards came out of John's house and dragged him to the Jamestown jail. A million things were going through John's head. Ratcliffe had to have something to do with this! One of the guards unlocked the cuffs on his hands and shoved him so hard into a cell that he fell over.

"Your execution date has already been scheduled. You'll be put to death by hanging on June twenty-first. Enjoy your stay here at the Jamestown Jail." The guard said and he slammed the door closed. John got up. He went and sat down against a wall. The guard had broken at least one rib and bruised the spot pretty bad. John closed his eyes to think things over. He knew that Thomas knew. He hoped he would tell Pocahontas. John couldn't believe what was happening. He had done nothing wrong. He had not committed treason. All he had done was fallen in love and taken a bullet for her father! How was that so bad? John knew that it was over. He already had an execution date! He only had seven months. His hope was gone.

John was brought out of his thoughts by a guard talking to him.

"You have a visitor." He said as he unlocked the heavy cell door. John looked towards the door. The guard moved aside to let Pocahontas in. She entered the dark cell. She could barely make out the dark figure leaning against the back wall. The guard lit a torch and Pocahontas could finally see John and John could finally see Pocahontas.

"John!" Pocahontas said, running to him. John was already up and she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him close.

"Thomas told me you're being held for treason!" She sobbed.

"I know. I know." John said.

"Why?" Pocahontas asked.

"I don't know. I think Ratcliffe has talked to the king and lied. But that's what he does best: lying." John said sarcastically.

"Is there any way to get you out of here?" Pocahontas asked, looking at him. John shook his head.

"No. I already have an execution date. June twenty-first." John said sadly. "They didn't waste any time, did they?"

"Apparently not." Pocahontas answered. She sighed. "What are they going to do to you?" She asked cautiously.

"You really don't want to know, Pocahontas. You really don't." John answered.

"I do. I do want to know. I want to know what cruel, unfair, unjust punishment they have in store for you." Pocahontas said strongly, but on the inside, she truly did not want to know. John sat down. He didn't like to think about how he was going to die.

"They're going to hang me." John answered after a long pause. Pocahontas gasped. Her vision blurred.

"No! No, that isn't right!" She said. She wanted to run, but like in her dream, she couldn't. Was her dream telling her John was going to be killed and there was nothing she could do to save him?

"Pocahontas, it's alright. I've been near death before and I know what it's like to…well, OK, almost die." John assured her, trying to smile. Pocahontas just sobbed more. She sank to the ground beside John and cried.

"It's not fair! You didn't do anything!" She said.

"No, I didn't do anything, but the king signed that document and there's no way to reverse this." John said sadly. He wished he could go back. Go back to when the guards had knocked on his door. He wished he could go back so he could jump out the back window and run. He didn't want to die, but he wasn't scared to. His only fear was never seeing Pocahontas again. Pocahontas's only fear was never seeing John again. Both had the same fear for each other.

"I wish there was some way to reverse this." Pocahontas said after a little while. She had finally quieted down.

"I do, too, Pocahontas. I do, too." John said, sighing.

"You have to leave. The prisoner has a court conference to go to." A guard said, chuckling. Pocahontas hugged John hard, irritating his broken rib. John gasped in pain and Pocahontas drew back.

"Are you alright?" She asked in a concerned voice. John had his hand over the spot where his rib was broken. He nodded, but his face showed he was in pain.

"Yes, I'm fine." He assured her, but his rib was hurting like crazy.

"What's wrong?"

"When I was being dragged here, at least one of my ribs was broken." John answered.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"I've been in worse pain than this." John answered honestly. Pocahontas smiled now. She knew that was true.

"You have to leave." The guard said roughly.

"I'm going, I'm going." Pocahontas said sharply. She hugged John gently. "I'll be back. I promise." She whispered.

"I'll be alright." John told her.

"I love you." Pocahontas said.

"I love you, too, Pocahontas." John said. Pocahontas turned and walked out of the cell sadly.