Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the movie, The Patriot. Some of my material has been taken from the author of Behind the Ice(SteeleRanger). There is nothing in what you are about to read that I have used that I have not been given permission to use. This is my first story, so if you give me some feedback, I would really appreciate it. Thanks!

Foolish Girl, Demonic Capture

"Catherine! Get up! Hurry and get your sisters down to the cellar. The Dragoons are here!"

My mother shook me awake, and I was about to snap at her for waking me a t such an ungodly hour, but once the fog of sleep had cleared and what she said registered in my head, I looked out the window. As my mother had already said, outside waited a group of about fifty British Green Dragoons,growing impatient as they waited for their leaders' lit torches glowed brightly against the blackness of the night and I knew then that the moment we'd all feared was finally upon us. I jumped quickly out of my bed and was instantly alert and following my mother and sisters out the bedroom door.

I was breathless as I ran down the stairs, following closely behind my three sisters. Charlotte, who was 13, Anne, only a little younger at 12 and Mary, 9, the youngest of us all. My mother, Elizabeth Tarleton, led the way, whispering urgently that we were to stay quiet and away from any of the several windows. By the time I got to the cellar, I heard the dragoons outside, speaking loudly amongst themselves. Then, all of a sudden, it went quiet and one Dragoon was speaking, rather loudly, but the walls muffled his voice. Once again, it went quiet outside, and just when I thought they had decided to leave, the front door burst open and the silhouette of a tall Dragoon stood in the doorway, outlined by the light of the moon.

He walked across the kitchen as I dashed behind a piece of furniture, hidden from sight. He looked to be about six feet tall, and about thirty years of age. Then, I looked to his face and saw that it was, as I had so often feared of meeting, the cold-hearted Butcher himself, Colonel William Tavington. He stalked towards my hiding spot, rummaging through our belongings as he went. He disappeared from my sight, but I could still hear his heavy, deliberate footsteps as he continued his search. I held my breath as I waited for him to finish his raid, but as he continued, my lungs began to ache due to the lack of oxygen. I couldn't help the sudden shaky breath I took, which immediately gave away my position behind the chair. The footsteps stopped abruptly, then a moment later, began again, quicker this time. Then I felt something grab a large lock of my hair and yanked it hard.

"Well, well. What have we here? You shouldn't have hidden so foolishly, girl. This is not hide-and-seek."

He pulled me up from my dwelling, into the light of another Dragoon's lit torch. I couldn't pay much attention to the waiting officer, due to the severe pain I felt as the Colonel kept a firm hand around my hair. The Colonel seemed to be apraising me and I noticed that the officer was now waiting for Colonel Tavington's attention.

"Ah, Bordon, you're here. Take this girl and bind her wrists and feet and sit her down beside my horse, but keep a close eye on her."

"Yes, Sir, but what about the family? Should we fire the house and barn? There are some horses in there that look quite healthy and young that can be used for the Dragoons, Sir."

"Kill the family, Captain, at least all the young girls. Bring "Mother" in here. She might be of some use to us later."

"Very well, Sir."

The Captain left the room, dragging me along with him. He did as he was ordered, binding my hands behind my back and my ankles together, and before I knew it, my house was being taken over by Dragoons to find my sisters and my mother. I waited in silence as the soldiers raided my house. It didn't take them long to find my sisters and mother. I knew it would do me no good to scream or fight to get free. There was nothing I could do that wouldn't put me in the same position as the rest of my family was in now. Not that I was any better off than they were. What on earth could he possibly want with me?I stopped myself mid thought as I heard the screams of my sisters, try as I might to block them out. I put my head on my knees and waited for it to end. I heard three gunshots in a row, then silence. I knew that my siblings were say I was frightened was a complete understatement. I'd never been more horrified in my life. It was then that I learned why he was called The Butcher by all of his enemies. Just then, Colonel Tavington stalked out of the house. Through all the terror I felt, there was no way to stop seeing red as the man who had just killed my family in cold blood walked towards where I sat.

"Burn the house and barn, but, you thick-headed dolts, remember that you must take the horses out of the bloody barn before you burn it!"

"But what about my mother!"

"Oh, well, she's still in the house."