The Thirteenth

Chapter 8

Richard hopped off the horse. "Get out," he said to the slaves in the back. They sat there, not really knowing what do nor who to trust. But despite their unsure behavior, Richard still didn't feel like he had to prove that they were safe in his hands. "Now!" he shouted after no one started moving.

Anita and Jimmy quickly hopped out of the back of the cart. Richard stood in front of them and pulled out a knife from his side pocket. He cut the ropes of their wrists. "Don't cry," Richard encouraged as he chopped off Anita's ropes. "Yer safe now." As much as Anita wanted to believe it, she didn't. Her and her brother were now runaway slaves. The worst type of slave one could be.

Richard busted through the church doors yelling, "Papa!" Anita and Jimmy made sure they followed closely behind. Adam was kneeling down at the altar when he heard the frantic call of his son's voice. He turned around to see Richard, Anita, and Jimmy standing right in front of him. Richard took a step closer and said, "Papa, we need your help."

The next thing the teenagers knew, they were entering a house that sat at the bottom of a hill. It was old and half broken down, but a very good place to hide. It was Adam's house. The one Richard had moved out of. "It's not much, but it'll do," Adam had said once the kids had entered the house.

"It's perfect," Anita said. "I ain't neva seen the inside of'a house befo'." She scoped the whole house out. From top to bottom and Jimmy did the same.

"D-d, do ya have somewhere I can lay?" Jimmy asked. It was evident that he was nearly unconscious, so Adam quickly directed him to a bedroom downstairs.

"Can't believe this happenin'," Anita whispered to herself.

Richard approached her with a smile. "You better believe it," he said. She smiled back, and for the first time, he was able to touch her. Like, actually touch her. And they hugged. Putting every inch of forbidden love into that hug...just the feeling of having her in his arms after years of dreaming it was so refreshing. "I love you," he whispered into her ear.

Anita smiled from behind his head. She never thought they'd ever have the chance to be together. And now they did. Was this fate? Destiny? Whatever it was, she had to make sure she thanked them. "I love you too," she whispered back. And they kissed for the first time ever. Just like they've always wanted to do.

           

Four months later, there was a knock on Adam's door. He got up to see who it was. Anita, Jimmy, and Richard directed their heads towards the door in alert.

"Don't answer it!" Richard had yelled from the couch beside his girlfriend, Anita.

"Who is it?" Adam asked through the door.

"Darrell," the voice from the other side said.

Adam placed his hand on the door knob, then paused. "Who are you with?"

"Nobody," the voice replied. "It's just me."

Adam hesitantly and slowly turned the knob. He peeked through the crack that was now created, and indeed it was Darrell. "Hello, nephew," he greeted opening the door all the way now.

"Howdy," Darrell replied walking through the door. He closed and locked it behind him. "Hey, y'all!" he said to the kids on the couch.

"Hey, Darrell!" Richard hardily greeted. He was happy to see his cousin, who was like a brother to him, that he hadn't seen in months. "How's the plantation?"

Darrell sat down in a wooden chair that sat against the wall of the living room. He then blew a deep breath from his mouth that implied that the plantation was not doing well. "Horrible," Darrell answered. "Everything's burnt down. All them slaves ran away. It's just bad."

Richard's eyes popped. "They all ran away?!"

"Not all of 'em," Darrell corrected. "Let's just say, we started off with bout three hundred, now we got like fifty."

"Wow," Richard said in amazement. "All 'cause these two left?" he asked in reference to Anita and Jimmy. Darrell nodded.

"What 'bout my brother?" Jimmy asked.

"And our Pa?" Anita added.

Darrell frowned, which led Anita and Jimmy to believe that he was bearing some bad news. "Y'alls daddy died a week after y'all left...,"

Anita felt her heart break a little. She placed a hand over her mouth in shock, and tried her very hardest not to break down. Richard placed his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in closer to him. "I'm sorry, Nita," he whispered.

"...and your brother. I think he was one of the runaway slaves."

Jimmy kept a blank expression on his face. And didn't say another word. They were both too afraid to ask how their father died. So they kept their questions to themselves.

"Why're you here, Darrell?" Adam asked while he walked into the living room.

"Cause, they drafting folks down here to be on the Confederate side of the war," Darrell answered. "I ain't even for the Confederates. So I decided I'd hide down here until the war is over."

"What war?" Anita asked.

"The North and the South are fighting against one another. I don' know why, but I do know slavery's got somethin' to do with it. The North wants it abolished, so the South is trying to secede from the United States. And Lincoln ain't lettin' it happen without a fight," Darrell explained.

"What happens if the North wins?" Richard requested.

"Then the South is forced to stay apart of the U.S, and slavery could quite possibly be abolished," Darrell said.

"...And if the South wins?" Jimmy asked.

"Let's not be so negative, shall we?" Darrell declared.

"Wait," Adam interrupted. "Does anyone know that you're here?"

Darrell shook his head. "No. Not that I know of."

Adam nodded in approval. "Then welcome home."