I, Samantha Davis, sat outside of my quiet farm house reading my bible on a hot summer night. My mother was inside knitting a blanket and my father was down the road visiting Benjamin Martin and his family. He was always over there spending time helping him because of his wife passing last year. I have spent much time there also, making friends with Mr. Martin's eldest son, Gabriel.

So anyway it was a quiet night and all was calm until mysterious riders started down the road to our house. I, sensing danger, ran inside the house looking for my mother.

"Mother, strange riders are approaching," I said frighten. It was far to late for riders to appear and call on someone.

My mothers stood quickly and ran to the door. After seeing who it was that was approaching she turned to me and started pushing me toward the back door.

"Sammy you must run quickly and hide. Try to make your ways to the Martin's and get your father. Don't look back no matter what. And remember that I'll always love you," she replied as she gathered me into a quick hug, "Now go before you are seen."

By the time I reached the back door to leave, a knock echoed on the front door. I ran out the door and hide behind a bush. I would have to wait till the strangers to past until I could get away safely. The front door, I heard, flew open and a man looking like a King's soldier pulled my mother over to an officer on a horse.

"Where is he?" the officer snapped.

"Who is he that you speak of sir?" my mother calmly answered.

"Your husband, Mrs. Davis, is who I'm looking for."

"He is away on business," she lied.

"Ah business I see. Word has gotten around that he has been aiding the Continentals."

"Continentals? Sir, we are loyal to the crown, why would we help those scoundrels?"

"That is exactly what I've been trying to figure out. But it has seemed to me like the evidence is not in his favor. Now tell me Mrs. Davis, is your daughter home?"

"My daughter is not home. She is in Charlestown visiting her cousins. Please explain to me why you wish to see her?"

"Simply for reassurance that your husband will come to his sense and confess his crime," he replied smiling. "Now, once again I'll ask, where is she?"

"I told you, she is not here!" Mother shouted. The next second she was on the ground holding her check. The man had hit her.

"Don't you dare raise your voice at me. Your husband should have taught you where your place is. Since your daughter is not here than I guess I'll have to send him a message through you."

The next thing I know he had pulled out a pistol and shot my mother in the heart. I two soldiers that were holding her drop her cold heartedly to the ground and followed their officer's lead on leaving our farm.

Once the coast was clear, I ran from my hiding spot to my mother's side. I grabbed her hand and kissed and lightly shook her as if I was a child trying to wake up their parents in the morning. Unlike when I was little, she did not wake. I then realized that I had to go to father and tell him what happened. I hugged mother one last time and started to run down the road.

Upon reaching the Martin's plantation, I cut through the meadow to get there quicker. Halfway through the field I stumbled upon Gabriel who was sitting looking up at the stars. I stopped and stared as tears started to come to my eyes. His back was to me as he stared up at the sky.

"Gabriel," I sobbed finding my voice, though it wasn't loud. I'm surprised he even heard it as he turned around to see me.

"Sammy?" he questioned as he quickly got up and ran to me. Right before he reached me, my legs collapsed and he caught me in his strong arms. I began to cry into his shoulder.

"Sammy," he tried again, "what happened? Why are you covered in blood?" He pulled away from me to look me over to see if it was my blood or not.

"Soldiers came to my house looking for my father," I sobbed, "Mother told me to run and hide. When they couldn't find my father they asked Mother where I was. She lied to them and told them I went to Charlestown. So instead he shot her. He killed her, Gabriel, he killed my Mother." I buried my face into his chest once again as his arms wrapped around me providing me comfort. After a couple of minutes he pulled away from me and pushed some stands that had fallen in front of my face to the side.

"We have to get back to my house and tell our father's what has happened. Can you walk?"

I shook my head no. I knew I wouldn't be able to take one or two without breaking down again. He gently place an arm under my knees and the other behind my back and lifted me and carried me back to his house.

When we approached the house our fathers were sitting outside smoking. Upon seeing us and that Gabriel was carrying me, they ran off the porch and quickly to us. My father took me from Gabriel and sat me on the ground and inspected me just like Gabriel had, to see if the blood was mine or not.

"What happened?" my father asked.

"Mother's dead," I cried.

"What?" he asked confused.

"Red coats came looking for you. They were going to take me, if Mother didn't tell me to hide when we saw them riding up the path. When he couldn't find us, he shot Mother," I sobbed retelling my story.

"Gabriel, take Samantha inside and get her one of Margaret's dresses to wear. Come Jonathan, we need to tend to your wife."

Father kissed my forehead and gave me one last reassuring hug before Mr. Martin ran to the stable to get their horses and then raced to my home. Gabriel, once again, picked me up carefully and took me inside and placed me on the couch in their living room. Once he placed me down he turned to leave but I grabbed his hand stopping him.

"Please don't go," I pleaded.

"Sam, I'm just going to get you a glass of water and a change of clothes."

"I don't want that right now Gab. What I want is for you to sit here with me and tell me everything is going to be okay," I pleaded desperately.

He grabbed the blanket off the rocker and wrapped it around me and sat on the couch.

"I can't really say for sure that everything will be okay, but as long as I'm here, it will be."

"You won't leave me?" I asked.

"No I won't ever leave you."

He enveloped me in hug and I started to cry once again. After an hour or so of tears, I finally fell asleep against his chest.