Hillwood Tales

29. The charm of Dulcinea Milligan

– PS 118- 6th Classroom —

- So students, this weekend, Hillwood will be celebrating a very important day, our bicentennial!! is pretty exciting, huh?

Like always, the deadpans pre teens looked at Mr Simmons without any intention to really listen to him.

- Anyway... to value our story and the legacy of our founders, let's learn something about them...

A series of generalized moans and sighs were heard throughout the classroom, any of the students would like to be anywhere but there... The last two months of classes feel very slow to their perception... except for a secret young couple shooting glances and notes at each other.

- We have General Edwin Milligan, a famous general that helped to liberate the territory of the English soldiers, was very brave and intelligent. He prepared a secret group of women soldiers that helped him to win the war.

- Edwin Milligan? - Gerald's eyes opened with a sudden interest. - Was he a relative of Dulcinea Milligan?

- Who was Dulcinea Milligan? - Sid asked, now calling the attention of almost everyone present, except for Arnold and Helga.

- Did you never hear about her? She was the worst traitor in Hillwood's story...

Was around almost 200 years ago... in Colonial Hillwood, in those days called Elkville... The Milligan family was very important and rich, the siblings Dulcinea and Edwin created a secret battalion to defeat the British... But, unlike the other failed attempts at independence, Dulcinea went further, she convinced her brother to create an army of women only... She prepared them as skillful warriors in secret, and they managed to defeat the English.

- Incredible! I would never have imagined it! - Harold said, totally surprised.

- But Harold, I just said it...

- Please Mr Simmons, we're trying to learn here.

The fat teen silenced him. The teacher rolled his eyes, annoyed, took his learning sheets and decided to take a seat. With all eyes on him, Gerald continued his tale.

But the winning wasn't enough to Dulcinea, she fell in love with power, and wished more and more... She increased her army, and she was winning more and more battles, even if it meant sacrificing many of her warriors. Her brother was worried about her, she was hungry for power... The Hill warriors, as they called themselves, talked with Erwin, they decided not to help her more. Erwin talked with her, trying to make her see reason, and she "promised" to stop their plans...

But she had another intentions... She reunited her brother and the soldiers that he trusted more, in a special dinner. In secret, she was planning to kill them with a bomb... but during the dinner, it never happened, surprising her a lot.

Once the guests had left, the lady began to review why her plan had failed.

Without anyone expecting it... the bomb detonated, killing her instantly and destroying the southern part of the mansion that was her base of operations.

Clara Vine, one of her warriors, was the one who thwarted her plans and murdered her.

Later, she would marry Erwin and they would found the Hillwood city.

They both lived on the street we now call Vine, in the large haunted abandoned house, for they say Dulcinea's spirit never left the house and promises revenge on anyone who dares to enter it... The end...