Why do you let me stay here ?

hiding

The night was still and silent, Jessica slowly rustled in the sheets of her and her sister's bed, turning over on her side she looked out the window in-front of her staring out into the clear night sky. It had been months since she had last seen her father and her brother Gabriel. Gabriel had left earlier before her father, to join back with the Gates and the Continental Army .

Jessica could tell that Gabriel had sought out revenge over the death of their brother Thomas. She could still remember that dreadful day in her mind, she remembered The British Green Dragoons arriving to their house and Gabriel being accused of being a spy and being tied up and dragged away by British soldiers.

And Thomas, she remembered Thomas beginning to sprint over to to were Gabriel was being held ordering Gabriel to run as he knocked a British soldier to the ground, but he didn't get to far. She could still hear her fathers voice shouting and pleading for the Colonel of the British Green Dragoons, who cocked his pistol and aimed it at Thomas to "wait", and the sound of a gun shot that rang out into that beautiful summer morning. The bullet had pierced through Thomas's back and out through his chest. Bleeding and falling to his knee's her father came from behind Thomas holding him in his arms as Thomas's face turned pale and his breathe was heavy and short.

Jessica remembered looking into the eye's of the man who killed her brother, his bright blue harsh eye's pierced into her own, he slightly smirked at him "stupid boy" he sneered looking at the now dying Thomas laying still and quiet in her fathers arms. Then grabbing the reins of his horse, he turned and rode away leading the rest of Dragoons out of sight.

So much hatred burned inside of Jessica the same as it did that morning. Her tears started to pool at the rim of her eyes, she wiped a single tear off of her cheek with the pillow beside her. She suddenly stopped and looked over beside her to where her sister was now sitting up in their bed, her body faced the window.

"Margaret, what's wrong?" Jessica whispered.

"Listen , don't you hear it ? " her sister asked her

Jessica propped herself onto her elbows and closely listened to the outside . she heard the whines and hooves of horses approaching the house , the sound made her smile to herself .

" Come Margaret " Jessica said tugging on the sleeve of her night gown " It must be father and Gabriel " she said excitedly still smiling .

" I don't think so , look " Margaret said pointing to the window . Jessica rose up off of her elbows looking out the window too see more than a dozen men on horses carrying torches . they were all coming towards the house and the men looked all too familiar to her .

Nathan scrambled back into the house from ware he was standing on the porch outside . He ran up the stairs and went directly into their aunt Charlotte's room .

" Aunt Charlotte " he shook her " Aunt Charlotte , wake up someone's coming . Aunt Charlotte immidietly opened her eyes springing up out of the bed .

" Get the boys " she said hurrying out of the room

" Come on Susan " Jessica said picking up Susan out of their bed " Margaret you too , hurry " she said impatiently . She ran out of the room joining her Aunt and her other three brother's Samuel , William and Nathan . Jessica could hear the sound of the horses whines and hooves coming closer , and her heart racing faster , she was scared .

" Come quickly and stay close " Charlotte ordered to all of them . leading them down the stairs . They all stopped to stare out of the windows now to see that all of the men were dismounting their horses and coming up the stairs and on to the front porch . " This way " Charlotte panicked escorting them all quickly into the dining room shutting the doors behind her .

Jessica placed Susan down and rushed over beside her aunt , they both peered through the window beside the dining room door ,both of their eye's widened when they saw the front double doors being pushed wide open revealing a few men with torches starting to enter inside the house . Jessica's heart rate increased , as she began to panic .

She looked over to her brothers and sisters , as they stared back with the look of fear in their eye's wondering what they were going to do next . Then she noticed the door at the end of the room leading to kitchen downstairs .

" Aunt Charlotte " her Aunt faced her , " why don't we hide downstairs in the kitchen , they surely wont find us down there . " Jessica whispered . Her aunt nodded then rushed over the door , as they all followed .

"we'll go down stairs to the kitchen " Jessica said looking at her almost crying sister Susan , She sighed and knelt down to her youngest sister Susan .

" Susan I know you are scared right now but please trust me , everything is going to be fine " she paused " al-right ? " Jessica smiled cupping Susan cheeks in her hand as she kissed her forehead .

She opened the door and leaned down to open the little door on the floor leading to the downstairs . Jessica could hear the footsteps of the men going through the house now .

one by one she helped her aunt Charlotte , William , Susan , Margaret Nathan and Samuel . go down and through the door . Jessica looked over to the dining-room door to ware a man was standing

"come on Nathan get down there , fast "

" what's going to happen to you " Nathan asked concerned

" shh " she hissed " don't worry about me just get down there with the others and stay quiet "

There wasn't any-time she could hear the handle of the door being twisted now . she shut the door to ware Nathan was , and ran sliding underneath the table .