A Country Divided : Through Blood United

Outbreak of War: Extra Work

The sun's annoying rays shone directly on my eyelids, forcing me awake. I grunted angrily and slowly rose out of bed, my necklace that Oliver gave to me falling onto my chest.

I glanced next to me to see if Oliver was sound asleep. It's still an instinct for me to do, but I should probably try to forget it. Oliver has passed away, and he can't come back. There's no need to check if he's sleeping next to me.

Rubbing my head in exhaustion, I slowly slipped on my cardigan and walked down the hall and headed down the stairs to where I eventually was in the town's street.

    I remembered that Oliver's father and I rented a house in the South Carolinian town of Charleston to observe how the Southerner's were acting about slavery, giving us more information for another possible mission.

Charleston was filled with the smell of salt from the sea nearby, making my nose a bit numb. A hazy cluster of clouds hung over the town, making the overall mood darker. The usual hustle-and-bustle of the town occurred, several people being pulled along in small, horse-drawn carriages, children played under the watchful eye of their parents, and some people strolled along the safe side of the road.

Oliver's father, who was accompanying me at my new house, found me sitting on the bench outside. "Anything bothering you, hun?"

Ever since he found out that Oliver and I both loved each other, John Brown treated me like his daughter, as if Oliver and I were married. Since I'm basically his daughter-in-law, he calls me "hun".

I scratched my chin in thought. "Not really, Mr. Brown. I just really want to see this town. I want to know where all the stores are, and if there's anywhere interesting to go."

"I understand, Evangeline," he still said my regular name from time to time. "I ain't holding you back, so go have fun."

"And I also want to see if I can join the local militia," I muttered under my breath as I rose from the small bench.

John's eyes grew wide with surprise. "What was that, hun?"

"I-uh," I stammered. "I want to see if there are any opportunities for me to join the local militia."

Mr. Brown rolled his eyes. "Evangeline, you're a woman. You can't fight in a man's war."

"What's telling me that I can't fight?" I pouted angrily, my voice turning into a growl.

"Uh," John said, clearly taken aback. "Nothing really, it's just that-"

I rolled my eyes like John just did a few moments ago. "And I've made my exact point, Mr. Brown. Men don't understand. There's nothing stopping me from wanting me to join the militia. And by the way, women aren't actually 'weak' and 'delicate' like some men might think. We can fight, we can stand up for ourselves. And I? I won't let some man boss me around."

    Oliver's father sighed slowly and stepped back into the house. "You go what you want to do, hun. Don't come crawling back to me if you get injured or if you get arrested."

    "Don't worry, Mr. Brown," I shouted as I ran into the Charleston streets. "I won't!"

***

    I made my way through the city of Charleston, South Carolina. I grimaced at the fact how so many people in this area were fond of the idea of forcing slaves to work, only earning the whites a profit.

A rumor circulated around the country that America is going to war. Already, states have seceded from the Union due to their opinion on slavery, and now they're probably going to go to war. A small part of me hoped for war so that the anti-slavery group won and Oliver was avenged, and that America would be whole again.