Amy's Story

[bigvic]

Good job, drone girl! Just finished part 1. Getting inspired myself Will come back for more later. Sucks how life keeps getting in the way of civ!

[sgrig]

Hey Bella! We are all waiting for part 6 now! Where are you?

[Metaliturtle]

Bella, will you be my girlfriend? Just kidding, I'm probably too immature for you, but seriously, request membership in the union, your story is real da*n good

[Bella Hella]

i'm sorry, i've been really sick since saturday and not in any condition to write! (amy coughed weakly as she tossed and turned in her bed, her feverish body alternating between hot and cold. "gimme nyquil or gimme death," she mumbled to pierre.) but i'm feeling better now, and will try to get part 6 in here today or tomorrow.

[Bella Hella]

part 6

i hope this will suffice for now. i had already written half of it and finished up the second half of part 6 today. i wish my head was clearer so i could think! i can't get into writing today. still no major conflict, but the introduction of another character who will be playing a big part in the rest of the story. this thing is turning into a friggin' book. metaliturtle, i can't be your girlfriend because i don't like orgies. sorry!

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Amy’s Story, Part 6

The next three months passed quickly for Amy, despite the growing fear and unrest in Seattle, the whispered rumors of King Abraham’s increasing insanity, and the stories of death and heroics the men brought back from the battlefield. Pierre had become not only her lover, but her combat instructor and her teacher as well. Yes, Amy was finally learning to read. Pierre had brought many books into the forest with him when he’d first set up his camp there, knowing that it would be lonely and boring in the woods by himself after he had killed the barbarians. Amy was a quick study, both with sword and with written word. Pierre had finally given her a book to take home, and she struggled through the fascinating tales of Chaucer whenever she got the chance. The book, too, had to remain hidden, and she loosened yet another floorboard to provide space for it. One of these nights, thought Amy, the floor will become so weak that my bed will fall right through it!

Amy was hard at work alongside her mother and father in the shop, fashioning more soldiers’ boots, when the loud, authoritative knock at the door sounded. Her heart skipped a beat. Had someone found out where she’d been spending so many late nights? Old Mrs. Barrington, the farmer’s widow, was a nosy old bag. Had she been watching Amy steal away? Had she decided to report her? Amy’s father got up and answered the door, and Amy and her mother followed.

Two uniformed men stood there. “Mr. Jones?” said the taller one to the right. “That’s me,” responded Amy’s father. “Sergeant William R. Taylor, 4th Division of American Knights. I’m afraid we have some bad news for you…”

The men stepped aside, revealing an immobile form on a stretcher. NO! It couldn’t be…

“BENJAMIN!” screamed Amy’s mother, running towards him. He stirred weakly. “Ma?” he mumbled. “Is that you?”

Amy dissolved into tears, thanking God or Whatever that he wasn’t dead, joining her mother and father as they all knelt over him, kissing and hugging him there in the road.

The next few days were touch and go. Benny (he’d probably rather be called Ben now, thought Amy) had taken a serious chest wound and then been violently knocked from his horse in battle, his left leg crushed and his entire body bruised and battered. Although the bleeding finally stopped, he raged with fever for almost a week, barely knowing where he was or who was around him. It was highly unlikely that he’d ever walk unassisted again.

When the fever broke, Amy was sitting beside him with a damp cloth on his forehead, holding his hand. She had taken to telling him stories of France throughout those long days and nights alone, trying to nurse him back to health. Her mother and father worked impossibly hard at the shop all day so that Amy could care for her brother.

“… and the gardens have every kind of flower. And they have something called “cathedrals” which are like temples, but bigger and taller and even more beautiful than you could imagine…”

“Sounds nice. When can we go?” asked Ben.

“You’re awake!” cried Amy, hugging him. Ben winced. “Yeah, but not so loud. Ow. My head is killing me. What’s wrong with my leg? I can’t move it.” He tried to sit up and then thought better of it. “What the hell happened to me? The last thing I remember is falling off my horse.”

Amy gave him the full diagnosis, sparing nothing. She knew Ben, and knew he hated being lied to. He listened gravely, fingering the bandages wrapped around his chest.

“That’s it?” he finally said when she was done.

“That’s it.”

“Ok. So basically I have a big hole in my chest and will never walk again.”

“Pretty much. Oh, you’ll be able to get around, but you’ll have to use a cane.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad,” said Ben nonchalantly. Suddenly his face crumpled and he burst into tears. Amy felt tears slipping down her own cheeks as she reached to put her arms around him. “No!” Ben sobbed, putting the pillow over his head. “Just leave me alone!”

Amy shut the door quietly behind her and let him cry by himself. He was ashamed to let her see him like this, ashamed to be lying in bed while his brothers and friends were still out fighting the war. Amy cried for him in her own room. Her baby brother had gone from little kid to wounded soldier much too quickly.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

[Metaliturtle]

originally posted by Bella Hella:

metaliturtle, i can't be your girlfriend because i don't like orgies. sorry!

Hey, I can Change

[trevor]

Wow, great story. Excelent character development. I can't wait for the next part.

[Tarquinius]

Yeah, very good story
I am hungry for more

[Bella Hella]

don't give up on me - it's only monday! writing another part as we speak.

[Solver]

While it's not quite civvish, it's still a great story. I had lots of fun reading this.

[Mr. President]

You want my honest opinion?

Don't post any more of this here.

Take it away, work on it seriously until it's novel-length, change the names of the countries and the leaders, and send it to a publisher. It beats most of the heroic fantasy on the shelves now.

[Bella Hella]

*blush* thank you so much for your comments, solver and mr. prez. i still plan on finishing this but it's getting tough since it's so friggin long. i never intended for it to get this crazy! glad you're enjoying the story. wish me luck in getting it done!!! i wish i had more time to work on it.

and i promise my next story will be SHORTER!

[Metaliturtle]

I resubmit my request to have you be my girlfriend Bella.

PLEEZE

[Mr. President]

wish me luck in getting it done

Good luck!

[Solver]

Good luck Bella!

And I know what is it like when you make it too long... think of a finish scene, and keep that in mind.