A Country Divided : Through Blood United

The Beginning: Meeting Oliver

Kansas. I never knew that I would end up in Kansas after I parted ways with Jewel in Illinois. I made sure that she was as North as we could get, and then I decided to head South into the new state. By the time I arrived in Kansas, my name quickly became a common topic around Topeka, where I now live, and I'm quickly becoming famous and respected for my escape with Jewel.

    I know that I'm not going to stay here for long, as I hope to explore America and draw my surroundings.

    "Evangeline! Evangeline!" Someone shouted from across the street. "Is it true that you betrayed your family to free one slave?"

    I rolled my eyes and groaned in annoyance. This was the about the third person today to ask me the exact same question. "Yes, yes. It's true." I paused and glared at the random townsman. "Don't call me Evangeline. It's Evan." I spat out the last word, and it almost sounded like a low growl.

    Even though I hated my real name and preferred my nickname, Evan, I still didn't like to hear my brother's name after what he did to Jewel.

    I turned around and began to walk in the opposite direction to avoid the previous townsman. Instead of heading for the market, I headed for the local art museum to sell my paintings and drawings from the escape with Jewel.

***

    Once I finally reached the large building, I nervously clutched my twin brother's satchel that I stole before I left with Jewel. I lightly brushed the smooth leather with my fingers and remembered how he would always take me to the nearby forest and teach me drawing lessons, and I soon felt more comfortable and relaxed.

    As I pushed open the large double doors of the museum, a tall, thin man rushed over to me. I firstly noticed his icy blue eyes that stuck into my gaze like a sharp knife. The man's eyes didn't show any hint of wildness, but they were comforting and calming like an ocean's waves rippling in the soft breeze.

    Another striking feature was a bright lavender necklace that loosely strung around his neck. It had the shape of a teardrop, and it was the same shade of my one purple eye.

    The horrifyingly handsome stranger speed-walked toward me with a clipboard in his hand, and he awkwardly stumbled on the bottom corner of the podium in front of me.

    He adjusted his round glasses and stood up to face me. "H-hello. Miss Freebourne, is it?" His voice was shaky like he didn't have enough confidence to approach me.

    He smiled awkwardly as I opened my mouth to answer. "Yeah, I'm Miss Freebourne. I was, uh, wondering if your museum can purchase my art."

    The stranger paused, and he seemed to be gazing straight through me as if I was but a ghost in the museum. His expression was blank, and I predicted that he was zoning out into space. I tried my best not to giggle.

    "Oh, good heavens!" the man said as he snapped back into reality, his cheeks flushing to a bright pink. "Sorry, Evangeline." He said my name slowly as if trying to savor every syllable that rolled off of his tongue.

    He rubbed his neck in embarrassment. "Sorry, today was just a busy day, I'm probably just really tired."

    I finally managed to let out the chuckle I was trying so hard to hold in. "Don't worry, that's fine. As long as you don't fall unconscious, I'm okay with you daydreaming for a bit."

    He smiled thoughtfully and held out his hand, trying to distract me from his reddened face. "Thanks. I'm Oliver. Oliver Brown."

***

    Oliver quietly led me to his office and had me sit down in a leather chair on the side of the desk opposite to his. "Evangeline, show me your works and I'll see what I can do with them." he removed a checklist-like sheet from a drawer in his desk.