Chapter 1

Gloria was sitting in a cafeteria. There were not many people there, so nobody paid attention to her.

Her phone broke the silence. It rang off the hook. Gloria was impatient to pick it up. “Ms. Washington, your sister passed out. Please come to Green Hospital immediately.” Gloria dropped a dollar on the table immediately. She walked across the street without looking at the traffic light.

“Toot!” Gloria saw a red Jaguar rushing towards her. Everything was red. Gloria heard screaming. She couldn’t move her legs. Her body was too heavy. She tried her best to open her eyes, but she couldn’t.

“What are you thinking? She is dead! We can just leave her and go forward. She will be an encumbrance!” a man grunted.

“No, she is still alive. She just got wounded by a British soldier! How can we leave her alone? We must bring her with us. And… she will help us a lot,” a female voice said.

Gloria opened her eyes. The sunshine was dazzling. She was in an old-styled hut. There was a woman in a gray coat and a man in a uniform standing by her. The man was about 20 years old.

“Is that a sword? Are you a soldier?” Gloria asked in a low voice.

“Of course! Do you think it is a stick? What are you thinking?” the man said as his face turned red.

“Darling, don’t mind him. That sword is his treasure. Do you feel better now?” the woman asked with a worried look.

“Thank you,” Gloria murmured. “Could you please tell me who you are and what day it is?”

“Today is March 24, 1779. I am Annie, Annie Barnes. I used to be a school teacher and I lost my home. Now, I serve in the army as a medic. And this is my friend, Harry Mitchell. He is a soldier. We are going to the army base to meet others.”

“Hey, hold on. She hasn’t told us her name. Unless she tells us her name, don’t tell her anything about us,” the soldier insisted.

“My name is Gloria Washington,” she replied

“What? Washington? Are you a relative of George Washington? Your clothes are quite weird; I don’t believe what you’re saying.”

“A war? Oh, Jesus! Please don’t tell me it is the Revolutionary War,” Gloria thought to herself. “Calm down. Take a deep breath. Just talk to them in a calm voice, like you talk to your friends in 2017.”

Gloria looked at her jeans and shirt. “Umm… I am George’s distant relative and descendant. And my clothes, I like to do some sewing in my spare time. I made these on my own,” continued her inner dialogue.

“OK, Gloria, don’t be so nervous. We are not bad people. Look, your hands are trembling! Don’t do strenuous exercise, or your wound will get torn. Now we are going to get some firewood. You just need to stay here and wait for us,” Annie insisted.

Gloria soon fell asleep. She hoped that all of this was just a dream.

Chapter 2

“Gloria, wake up! We are back!” A familiar voice made its way into Gloria’s mind.

She opened her eyes slowly, but was soon disappointed. She was still in the hut. She then felt a fresh breeze and raindrops blowing against the window.

Annie ran towards her. “Let’s eat breakfast. We need to move in a hurry. The Continental Army is going to move in three days. We have to meet them before they leave.” “Why do we need to get there before they leave?” Gloria thought, “That’s really weird.” However, Annie and Harry urged her in this matter.

Gloria followed Annie and Harry. They went through the woods, walked over tall grass and went across a brook. Branches scratched their arms, shoes scuffed their feet, but there was no time for them to stop. Although Gloria ached all over, she still said nothing. She was clear about the fact that she couldn’t remain alive if she was alone.

Finally, when they stood on the top of the mountain, they saw smoke rising up into the sky. “It is the Continental Army!” Gloria thought. “Finally, we made it! We are safe now!” they cheered. Everyone relaxed. Their faces exhibited smiles.

The American soldiers were warm-hearted. When the three arrived, a soldier gave them hot water and biscuits. The medic helped them clean their wounds with alcohol wipes.

“You can walk around if you want, but remember, don’t enter that house over there. If you guys enter, you will be punished,” said the officer.

Gloria was so tired. She hadn’t slept well for two nights. She huddled herself up in a corner. In her dream, she heard two people murmuring as she stood behind a wall. They were talking about how to get into that place they shouldn’t enter. Gloria wanted to see their faces. She moved quietly. Suddenly the two persons turned back. They were Annie Barnes and Harry Mitchell. Gloria was surprised!

It was four o’clock. Everything was quiet. Gloria saw a shadow flashing. She stood up with curiosity and a little bit of fright. The shadow looked like Annie’s back! “Annie?” Gloria asked in a low voice. “Gloria! When did you wake up?” Annie said in a surprised tone.