Forum Thread

"Dad, where are we going?," said Cassius curiously.

"We're heading first to Montgomery for emergency meeting and get some supplies before we went to our destination. Then, we'll be heading to Charleston, South Carolina tomorrow. I think we'll be there in Charleston in a few days," said Cassius.

"But, dad. I'm not ready yet," said Cassius.

"A soldier always ready, Cassius. That's not how a soldier's personality likes," said Eustace.

"But dad," said Cassius.

"No BUTS," said Eustace.

A few hours later, 8:25 PM. Montgomery, Alabama.

"All right, soldiers. Leave this vehicle at once," said Eustace shouting. All the soldiers went outside their vehicles and went to their camp, except Cassius and his dad.

"Cassius, we're having an emergency meeting for now," said Eustace. "As a leader of your own battalion, you must attend the meeting," added Eustace.

"Y-Yes, Dad," said Cassius, leaving the vehicles and went to the meeting place.

---

"Why are you taking me?" Evangelina asked as he untied her.
He put her in handcuffs and lead her into a room. He made her sit in a chair while he waited for the others to arrive.
Eventually, men filtered into the room. Some of them eyed her curiously, others openly starred at her. And still more glared at her.
She shrank back into the chair, wishing she was home again.

---

The meeting had started. Then, Cassius's dad sat down in front of the fellow highly-ranked Confederate States Army. Cassius sat down, but Hector, (Let's call him Hector who kidnapped Lina.), the leader of the 83rd Battalion, suddenly moved Cassius's chair backwards.

"When we reach ---" Lt. Gen. Erickson suddenly heard someone falling. Everyone in the room stared at Cassius.

"Lt. Cassius Madison, are you okay?" said Lt. Gen. Erickson. While Hector laughed at him silently. Cassius stands up and clean his uniform.

"Yes, Gen. I'm fine," said Cassius.

"Good. As I was saying, when we reach Charleston, ---," said Gen. Erickson, refraining.

Cassius grabs the chair and sits down. Then, Cassius turned to Hector with anger.

"Hector, what's the big idea?" whispered Cassius.

"I don't know, I didn't do it," whispered Hector sarcastically.

"Don't tell me that, Hector, I know it was you," whispered Cassius.

"Okay, everyone listened to the general loud and clear," shouted Eustace.

Cassius and Hector turned at Lt. Com. Madison.

"Yes, commander," said everyone who is in the room.

"Good, we'll be leaving to Charleston, 4:30 AM," said Eustace.

"Yes, sir," said everyone.

"Okay, head back to your camp," said Eustace.

Then, Cassius went to his tent, along with his co-battalion, Isaac, Kyle and Paul.

"Soldiers, Hector humiliated me in front of the highly-ranked officers. Especially my father," said Cassius.

"Don't worry about it, Cassius. He does that to everyone. He think he is the most trained soldier in the Confederate States," said Isaac.

"I guess we need to face our problems with Hector. He sometimes mess us up," said Kyle.

"But, let's get back to sleep for now, we'll be leaving to Charleston at 4:30 AM," said Cassius.

"By the way, what time is it?," said Paul.

"I think it's 10 PM," said Cassius. "Okay, I want you to be active tomorrow when we get to Charleston. I don't want my fellow soldiers to be inactive tomorrow. Got it?" said Cassius.

"Yes, sir," said Isaac, Kyle and Paul simultaneously.

"Let's get back to sleep, soldiers," said Cassius.

"Good night, everyone," said Kyle.

But, without noticing, Hector listened to what they talked about. Then, Hector left the tent site.

---

(Sounds good to me!)
Evangelina was still confused as to why she was there. Then the lower level soldiers left and it was just her and the higher ranking men.

"Why am I here? What are you going to do to me?" she asked, looking the leaders over.

"Well, you're Lt. Lovelace's daughter. He will do anything to get you back," one of the men told her. "So, we're keeping you as collateral. When he makes his fellow Battalions stand to keep you out of harms way, we can attack them at their most vulnerable."

"No he won't! My father will never do that! Freeing all of those poor innocent people you all force to work for you is more important then I am!" Evangelina told them fiercely. "I am of no use to you!"

"Oh, but I think you are," the man told her. "I am Lt. Gen. Erickson and I knew your father growing up. He will want you back safe and sound."

---

While Cassius was dreaming, ...

Cassius is now in the fort on the island near Charleston, South Carolina. Cassius went to the hallway with many dead Confederate armies and Cassius walked into the hallway. Suddenly, some troops are shooting while Cassius walked at the hallway. Somebody shoots Cassius. Luckily, Cassius hides at the side of the hallway.

---

Evangelina was placed in a room without any windows and told to sleep. They took the cuffs off of her and closed the door.
Evangelina immediately began to bang on the closed door, demanding to be let out. Hours later, she was hoarse and tired. She decided to curl up and fall asleep.

---

Then, Cassius tried to shot the Northern troops. Then, he went to the room nearby, along with other Confederate armies. Then, he went to other rooms and hid at the room. After the signal was gave by the Gen. Erickson. The troops went outside and ran before the bombardment happened.

---

Evangelina tossed and turned. More nightmares plagued her sleep. But this time it was her father's battalion that was under attack. She called out, trying to warn him, but she couldn't speak. She watched as a blonde haired boy snuck closer to her father. The boy looked conflicted, like he didn't want to shoot him. But then he pulled the trigger, hitting her father's shoulder. It sent him flying forward, landing on his face. She watched as the boy took aim at her fathers heart. Then he shook his head and shot the ground next to her father and ran off.

---

All of his troops left in the fort, except Cassius. Suddenly, one man from the Union Army tried to shoot him.

"Hold it right there. Are you thinking you can escape from this fort?," said the unnamed Union army.

Cassius put his shotgun down and knelt in front of the Union army. However, the Union army triggers a shotgun on his head.

"What are you doing?" said Cassius.

"Killing you of course," said the unnamed Union army.

"What?! I didn't do anything to you," said Cassius.

"Silence," said the unnamed Union army.

Then, he was shot.

---

Evangelina followed the boy in her dream. She watched him dodge people and bullets as he ran out of the building. She watched a boy kneel down and wait to be taken captive. But he wasn't! The Union officer aimed for his head and pulled the trigger.
Evangelina screamed.

"NO!" she sat strait up in the bed and gasped. Se didn't know why but she was terrified for the boy in her dream.

---

Then, Cassius woke up in a moment.

"Wh-What? It was just a dream?" said Cassius.

Kyle suddenly woke up, because of Cassius's voice.

"Cassius, you're awake now?" said Kyle.

"Kyle, you must get back to sleep," said Cassius.

"Have you dream about nightmares again," said Kyle.

"Just go to sleep, Kyle," said Cassius.

After a few moments, Kyle went to sleep and Cassius tried to sleep again. But a few minutes passed, Cassius tried to sleep, but he cannot sleep again.

"Drat! I'm not in the mood of sleeping anymore," said Cassius.

So, Cassius went outside of the tent and stared at the constellations.

"I think it's better to watch the constellations at midnight, than watching the sun rises," said Cassius smiling, watching the constellations above.

---

Evangelina curled up into a ball and tried to sleep again. She closed her eyes and counted sheep. She steadied her breathing. She tried everything she could think of to fall asleep but nothing worked. She kept seeing that boy from her dream. Who was he? Why did he matter so much to her?

---

"Wow! Sagittarius, Taurus, Ursa Major. So fun to watch," said Cassius.

Suddenly, Hector came near to Cassius at the back.

"So nice to watch the constellations. Eh, Cassius? How chicken you are?" said Hector.

"Yeah!," said Cassius. "Wait, what?" Cassius turned. It was Hector.

"Nice to see some whiny baby seeing the constellations. That's an unlikely soldier," said Hector.

"How dare you?," said Cassius standing up. He tries to punch Hector. But, the generals were walking, passing the camp site. Cassius stops to punch Hector. After the generals left, ...

"So, trying to punch me, huh? That's not a soldier's personality likes," said Hector seriously. "Come on, punch me. Punch me in the face."

But Cassius turned from Hector away and returned to his tent.

"Whiny baby. Fff! Cash," said Hector. Then, Hector leaves at their tent area.

---

The door to Evangelina's room opened and Lt. Gen. Erickson walked in.

"You are going to write a letter to your father," He told her, placing a quill, ink, and parchment in front of her on the desk. He held a lock of her hair and deftly cut it off.

"Hey!" Evangelina gasped, putting her hand to the sheared strand of hair on the right side of her face.

"Something for your father," Erickson told her, tying a piece of string to it.

Evangelina wrote what he told her to write and sat back from the desk. She had written a hidden message in there that her father taught her.

---

After few minutes, 4:20 AM, Cassius gets up. He went to bathe, cleanse himself, rubbed his own towel, and wears his soldier attire. Then, Cassius wakes his co-soldiers.

After that, the soldiers are now in the vehicle to ride on their way to Charleston.

But they kept waiting until their highly-ranked officers went to the vehicles.

"(groans) How they took them so long?," said Kyle.

"Patience, Kyle. The officers will be here in a minute. Just keep waiting, okay?" said Cassius.

"Yes, Cassius," said Kyle.

While waiting, Cassius stared at the constellations to erase his boredom, while waiting for the officials to come in the vehicle.

---

Evangelina was led into a carriage. She was handcuffed and forced to sit down.

"Where are we going?" She asked.

"To go see you're father," Erickson laughed.

Evangelina glared at him. She was afraid for her father and that dream last night had scared her. She sat quietly as they rode to where ever it was they were going.

---

The vehicle started to move, along he other vehicles.

"Oh, well what do you know? We're moving," said Kyle.

"See, I told you Kyle. Patience is just what we need," said Cassius.

"Okay, next stop, Charleston, South Carolina," said Kyle.

"Yes. Wait, why are we going to Charleston again?" said Isaac.

"I don't know. Maybe a bombardment or something," said Kyle.

Isaac just laughed.

"I think," said Isaac.

After that, they left Montgomery, Alabama and headed to Charleston, South Carolina.

---

When they finally stopped, Evangelina was led out and chained, like a slave, to a post in the middle of the camp that was set up.

"You are going to stay here until I can make sure your father is there," Lt. Gen Erickson told her, then he left.

Soldiers catcalled and whistled at her as they walked by. Evangelina hung her head and stood there.

---

After few days of sitting in the vehicle, they reached Charleston, South Carolina. Then, the soldiers went down the vehicles, except Isaac, Kyle, Paul and Cassius.

"I'm terrified of our first exercise as an army, serving for our Confederate States," said Kyle.

"Don't be so pessimistic, Kyle. You have trained very well, so you have no problem for your training after all," said Cassius.

"Thanks, Cassius. You are the best friend I have ever know," said Kyle.

"Hey, how about me?" said Isaac.

"Of course, you also, Isaac," said Kyle.

"How about me?" said Paul.

"Um, you're just our co-brigade, but we're friends, though," said Kyle.

"Okay, let's leave this vehicle. I'm tired of sitting for how many hours," said Isaac.

"Let's go," said Cassius.

After Cassius, Paul, Isaac and Kyle left the vehicle, they saw a nurse in the middle of the camp.

"Look, guys. A poor woman," said Paul.

"Let's catcall her," said Isaac.

"How about you, Cassius?" said Kyle.

"I'll just go to our tent," said Cassius.

"Okay," said Kyle.

After Cassius goes to the tent and bring his backpack to the tent, Kyle, Isaac and Paul catcalled and whistled her. Then, Cassius goes outside to see Isaac, Kyle and Paul. Suddenly, he saw a girl, crying.

"Hey, you! What are you doing in this campsite? You're not allowed to do that," said Cassius seriously.

---

Evangelina looked up started at the voice. She looked over at it's source and saw the blonde haired boy from her dream. Awkwardly, she brought her handcuffed hands to her eyes and wiped away her tears.
"I don't want to be here! I just want to go home!" She called back at him. She held up her wrists, making sure he could see them. "Take these off and I'll gladly leave!"

---