The next morning
The cannons is gone. Thank God.
Well, it's a beautiful day, and I'm outside with the children and Abigail, working on my poetry.
Margaret and little Susan are sitting on the stairs, and Nathan and Samuel are playing tag near the barn.
Father is working on the land, planting the corn seeds.
Suddenly, I heard an horse neighing, running away from the barn. Nathan and Samuel started to chase after the house, laughing.
"Margaret, you go get your brothers!" said Abigail. Margaret got up and started to run after them, yelling at them. I don't know why but I got a bad feeling about this one, so I got up and started to run after them.
"Wait! Stop!" I said as I get closer to them. Suddenly, they stopped at the creek. When I got there, I gasped and covered my mouth.
The creek is full of blood and dead soldiers. They were from last night's battle.
Finally, I found a way to speak. "Go inside the house. NOW!" I yelled. They turned around and started to run toward to the house.
Father comes running and stopped. He looked at the creek, then at me.
"I'm sorry you had to see that." said Father.
I looked down and I see that Father had his pistol in his hand.
I looked at him. "It's coming, right?" I said in disbelief. Father looked confused.
"What do you mean?" Father asked.
"Remember the speech that you made that day at the courthouse? About how there will be a battle on people's land and at people's home. How the children will see this and their innocence will die with the soldiers. Remember that? It's coming true now." I said, thinking of Father's speech.
"Yes, I remember. The war is coming." said Father, nodding his head.
"The funny thing is that all these two years, I thought it would never come." I chuckled weakly.
"We need to stay close tonight. There might be another battle tonight." said Father.
"Yes." I said, nodding my head.
"Come on, let's go." Father said softly.
He put his hand on my arm, leading me back to the house.
Dinnertime
I was helping Abigail with dinner when Samuel turned around from the kitchen window and said "They're going to come."
Margaret, holding a basket of bread, whispered to Samuel: "Quiet. Sit down."
Samuel obeyed her and went to the table to sit down. Thomas is probably upstairs, working or painting on his soldiers, near the open window in his room, which I could hear the cannons going off.
"We're going have to fight them off." said Nathan.
"Won't Father do that?" said Samuel, confused at Nathan's answer.
"They'll probably kill us men." said Nathan, looking at Samuel and William before continuing. "And do Lord know what to you women" He said, looking at the girls.
Abigail looked up and said "Nathan!" with a stern voice.
The cannons are getting worse, which makes me nervous.
"Abigail, I'll be right back." I said, taking off my apron. She nodded.
When I walked out in the hall, it was very dark.
I heard the front door open and the footsteps. I couldn't see who it was, but he's holding the pistol, walking near the kitchen door. I was about to say something when Father came out slowly with pistol, pointed at the stranger.
His pistol cocked. "Slowly turn."
The stranger slowly turned. I gasped. It was Gabriel!
"Father." said Gabriel. "Gabriel!" said Father, rushing to him as he was about to fall.
I rushed to Gabriel and put his arm around my neck, helping him to walk to the living room, where the couch is.
I heard the children making commotion, Thomas running down the stairs.
Father yelled for Abigail: "Abigail! Water and bandages, fast!"
Gabriel groaned as we lay him down on the sofa.
Thomas rushed to Gabriel, asking him all kinds of questions.
"The battle. Were you there?"
"Thomas, please be quiet." I said, getting annoyed at Thomas. "You can ask him later, when he's better."
"Have you seen any Redcoats?" Gabriel asked.
"No, not yet." said Father.
Abigail came back and gave Father the bowl of water and bandages.
"Abigail, the children, please." said Father, looking at the children, which are standing at the door.
"Children, come. Up the stairs. Come, Thomas." said Abigail, shooing them out. Thomas left the room.
Father ripped Gabriel's shirt to look at his wound. His wound looked terrible but not serious. His wound is across on the side of his ribs, a long cut.
I held his hand as Father began to clean the wound.
"Gates marched us straight at the Redcoats. Our lines broke. The British Green Dragoons cut us to bits. I was given these dispatches. As I left, I saw the Virgina Regulars surrender. The Dragoons rode into them. They killed them all. Over 200 men." said Gabriel, breathing hard from pain.
"I have to get these dispatches to Hillsborough." said Gabriel, trying to get up but Father stopped him by pushing him down.
"You're in no condition to ride." Father said.
"I can't stay here. It's not safe for--" Gabriel said, interrupted by gunfire, men shouting outside.
Father takes his pistol and told me to stay here with him. I nodded.
Gabriel looked at me and smiled. I smiled back and squeeze his hand.
"It's been a while, huh?" said Gabriel.
"Yes. You've changed a lot." I said, putting my hand to move a piece of hair from his forehead.
"You, too. Now, you're a woman. Do you have any gentlemen callers?" Gabriel said, jokily.
"No, not yet." I said, chuckling.
"I wanted to say that I'm sorry for hitting you that day in Charles Town." I said, regretting the bad memory.
"Don't be sorry. I deserve it. I was so angry and I wanted to rebel against Father. I forgive you." said Gabriel as he lift my hand and kissing it to show his forgiveness and affection.
"Thank you. Now, you need to rest." I said, grabbing the blanket and putting it on him.
Gabriel nodded and closes his eyes. Soon, he went to sleep.
I smiled at him. I sighed and say a prayer for Gabriel and my family.
I got up and went outside on the poach. I can see the soldiers shooting at each other. I heard footsteps behind me and turned around.
It's Thomas. He was shocked at the scene playing on our land.
Then I looked back at the bloody scene.
I couldn't take it anymore and ran back inside to my room. When I got in my room, I just collapsed on my bed and cried for the men at the battle. I tried to cover my ears with my pillow from the cries of men dying.
The battle took four hours to last.
Finally, when it was over, I prepared myself mentally to see the dead men outside.
When I got to outside, there were dead bodies all over the field, it was the scene that I would never forget for the rest of my life until the day I die.
Father came out with Thomas and said:"We're going to look for the wounded and help them. OK?"
I nodded my head. They found a survivor but there were still more survivors out there.
I thought to myself:"This is going to be a long night."