The Hour of Dreams by Shelena Shorts

Author:Shelena Shorts [Shorts, Shelena]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Lands Atlantic Publishing
Published: 2012-11-25T00:00:00+00:00

We knew we would travel through the forest, but weren’t sure where. I could hear my father telling William that his sister lived about ten miles to the west and that my mother had a brother who lived about five miles southwest. Feeling the vulnerability of traveling as a group, William and my father agreed to the shortest distance, so we set out to my uncle’s. There were still several shortcuts that the Redcoats wouldn’t know about, so we hid ourselves well, but it didn’t take long for a thought to occur to me and my parents.

We were heading in the direction of Charity’s house and thankfully my mother thought to ask my father if we should check on them and he agreed. Plus I think he wanted to share words about the impending conflict with her father.

Their house was small, but sat on over a hundred acres, well off the most traveled road, so we assumed they would be nestled at home safely. Unfortunately as we approached the peak of the hilltop we could hear noises. Shouting and cries similar to the ones I had heard in the distance beyond our own home.

“Get down!” my father hissed, ducking his head and forcing my brother’s down at the same time. Suddenly, terrified of what I might see, I obediently squeezed my eyes shut and bowed my head.

My mother crouched frozen beside me, but movement to my left gave me courage to open my eyes. William and my father were inching their way to the top of the hill.

“Bastards,” my father said through gritted teeth.

William was silent, but as soon as he caught sight of whatever it was, he bowed his head, no longer wanting to look. Several horrible scenarios shot through my mind until I could no longer take the suspense. Leaving my mother’s side, I too inched my way to the top. Before I could reach it, my father scurried down to me and held me back.

“What is it?” I pleaded.

“We have to go back,” he said, but I had to see for myself. Rolling away from him, I scrambled to the top. I was met with the sight of what looked like a thousand Redcoats making their way over the hills from every direction. And right in the center was Charity’s house, smoke billowing from the windows.

I sucked in a shocked breath so sharply that I had to clap my hand over my mouth to keep myself from screaming. Squeezing my lids closed, I ducked back down, unable to focus. Only when I pressed away the distant sounds of fighting did I hear my father’s commands.

“We have to go back to the house.”

“What? Why?” my mother asked, grabbing hold of his arms.

“Because we are surrounded. Our only chance is to go back home and hope to gain favor with our willingness to host their wounded.”

My mother’s eyes bounced between my father’s, my brother’s, and myself, until she finally settled upon William.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured.

She glanced at him and then my father.

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