Prologue
November 5th, 1860
A young girl was cowering in the corner of a dark room. She screamed as she was struck again by her grandfather. She was frightened but she had learned long ago not to scream. Screaming, she had learned, made him beat her harder. She knew the beating would be much shorter if she stayed silent despite the pain. She just prayed that he wouldn’t whip her today. She hoped to be able to run to her Native American friends today. She was excited about the election. She just knew her papa, Abe Lincoln, would win. She longed to move to D.C. and away from her grandfather’s hands. It would be sad to leave her friends, but she nearly grinned at the prospect of not being beaten on a daily basis. “What are you grinning at, you stupid girl?” yelled her grandfather angrily as he grabbed her head and slammed it into the floor. Emma forced herself to stay conscious even though her vision was already blurry. She remembered the last time she fainted she ended up locked in the cellar. She did not want that to happen again because she hadn’t been allowed out for a week. “It’s almost over,” she thought to herself. After her papa was elected, it would only be a month or two before her parents and brothers moved to D.C. In fact, she wondered if she could convince her papa to allow her to move up there early for her birthday. Surely her mama would be planning a huge birthday party, mayhap even a ball. It would be Emma’s first ball. Emma usually detested her mama’s spendthrift behavior, but she felt that it would be wise to use it to her advantage when she could. She certainly would not survive under her grandfather for more than a few more months. The sooner she left the better. She was so focused on her thoughts that she didn’t realize the beating had stopped and her grandfather had gone to the kitchen to get the whip. “Get up, lazy bitch!” he said when he came back. She looked up and nearly screamed. He was immediately impatient and pulled her up by her arm, nearly dislocating it. Emma shook in fear. The one thing she hated the most was being whipped. She could almost bear everything else, but the whippings hurt so much she couldn’t ever get used to them. She wondered if this was what slaves were treated like. She certainly felt like a slave as her grandfather beat her with the whip. She was a slave in her own home, just like Cinderella. But she knew nobody would come and rescue her. She was all alone except for her friends and there was nothing they could do. Suddenly, despite her best efforts, she fainted.
She woke up outside in the snow. She stood up slowly, wincing from the pain in her body. The snow around her was red with blood. Her vision was blurry as she looked around. She began to walk, hoping she was going the direction of her friends. Suddenly, she jumped as she heard footsteps behind her. She turned around, frightened for a moment that it was her grandfather. But when she saw who it was, she smiled. It was her best friend, a Native American girl a few years older than her. Emma smiled in delight and hugged her tightly. The girl, whose name was Nakoma, hugged back, acting like she was Emma’s older sister. “Oh Emma, you're covered in bruises again! Your grandfather beat you again, didn't he? It breaks my heart that I cannot do anything to prevent these awful things from happening to you!” Emma said, “It’s all right, Nakoma. It's almost over now. My papa is about to win the election and then my family and I will live in Washington D.C with him. I'm thinking that mayhap I can even convince him to let me move up there early for my birthday.” Nakoma pulled back and looked at Emma with a loving but sad look. “But Emma dear, your birthday isn't until December! Are you going to stay with your mama until then? She does nothing to protect you! I am afraid that we will lose you!” Tears filled Nakoma’s dark eyes as she hugged Emma again. Emma sighed, knowing that Nakoma was very right. She stood a very good chance of being murdered before her twelfth birthday. But there was nothing she could do. She was doomed. But she didn't want to chill or dismay Nakoma, so she grinned brightly and said in a sweet voice, “I'm sure I will be all right, Nakoma.” Nakoma raised an eyebrow and said,”No you're not. I can tell you are trying not to worry me, but please get out of this pace before your grandfather beats you again! We will help you go to DC.” Emma replied, “If I tried to run, he would surely pursue me, and then when he caught me, he would beat me worse than ever. I would definitely die then. I'd like to stay here with you and your people, whom I view as family, but that would end badly for you.” Nakoma said, “You could go on the train. I'll go with you. You are my sister and I will protect you. But come, let us go to my father and discuss this with him. Also, your injuries need to be tended to.” Nakoma led Emma farther into the reservation to a house. Then they both went inside. A tall man with long black hair was there. He smiled when he saw Emma. “Hello! I am so happy to see you again, Emma. I was afraid you had been murdered when I didn’t see you for so long.” Emma smiled back and ran into his arms. He hugged her tightly.
November 5th, 1860
A young girl was cowering in the corner of a dark room. She screamed as she was struck again by her grandfather. She was frightened but she had learned long ago not to scream. Screaming, she had learned, made him beat her harder. She knew the beating would be much shorter if she stayed silent despite the pain. She just prayed that he wouldn’t whip her today. She hoped to be able to run to her Native American friends today. She was excited about the election. She just knew her papa, Abe Lincoln, would win. She longed to move to D.C. and away from her grandfather’s hands. It would be sad to leave her friends, but she nearly grinned at the prospect of not being beaten on a daily basis. “What are you grinning at, you stupid girl?” yelled her grandfather angrily as he grabbed her head and slammed it into the floor. Emma forced herself to stay conscious even though her vision was already blurry. She remembered the last time she fainted she ended up locked in the cellar. She did not want that to happen again because she hadn’t been allowed out for a week. “It’s almost over,” she thought to herself. After her papa was elected, it would only be a month or two before her parents and brothers moved to D.C. In fact, she wondered if she could convince her papa to allow her to move up there early for her birthday. Surely her mama would be planning a huge birthday party, mayhap even a ball. It would be Emma’s first ball. Emma usually detested her mama’s spendthrift behavior, but she felt that it would be wise to use it to her advantage when she could. She certainly would not survive under her grandfather for more than a few more months. The sooner she left the better. She was so focused on her thoughts that she didn’t realize the beating had stopped and her grandfather had gone to the kitchen to get the whip. “Get up, lazy bitch!” he said when he came back. She looked up and nearly screamed. He was immediately impatient and pulled her up by her arm, nearly dislocating it. Emma shook in fear. The one thing she hated the most was being whipped. She could almost bear everything else, but the whippings hurt so much she couldn’t ever get used to them. She wondered if this was what slaves were treated like. She certainly felt like a slave as her grandfather beat her with the whip. She was a slave in her own home, just like Cinderella. But she knew nobody would come and rescue her. She was all alone except for her friends and there was nothing they could do. Suddenly, despite her best efforts, she fainted.
She woke up outside in the snow. She stood up slowly, wincing from the pain in her body. The snow around her was red with blood. Her vision was blurry as she looked around. She began to walk, hoping she was going the direction of her friends. Suddenly, she jumped as she heard footsteps behind her. She turned around, frightened for a moment that it was her grandfather. But when she saw who it was, she smiled. It was her best friend, a Native American girl a few years older than her. Emma smiled in delight and hugged her tightly. The girl, whose name was Nakoma, hugged back, acting like she was Emma’s older sister. “Oh Emma, you're covered in bruises again! Your grandfather beat you again, didn't he? It breaks my heart that I cannot do anything to prevent these awful things from happening to you!” Emma said, “It’s all right, Nakoma. It's almost over now. My papa is about to win the election and then my family and I will live in Washington D.C with him. I'm thinking that mayhap I can even convince him to let me move up there early for my birthday.” Nakoma pulled back and looked at Emma with a loving but sad look. “But Emma dear, your birthday isn't until December! Are you going to stay with your mama until then? She does nothing to protect you! I am afraid that we will lose you!” Tears filled Nakoma’s dark eyes as she hugged Emma again. Emma sighed, knowing that Nakoma was very right. She stood a very good chance of being murdered before her twelfth birthday. But there was nothing she could do. She was doomed. But she didn't want to chill or dismay Nakoma, so she grinned brightly and said in a sweet voice, “I'm sure I will be all right, Nakoma.” Nakoma raised an eyebrow and said,”No you're not. I can tell you are trying not to worry me, but please get out of this pace before your grandfather beats you again! We will help you go to DC.” Emma replied, “If I tried to run, he would surely pursue me, and then when he caught me, he would beat me worse than ever. I would definitely die then. I'd like to stay here with you and your people, whom I view as family, but that would end badly for you.” Nakoma said, “You could go on the train. I'll go with you. You are my sister and I will protect you. But come, let us go to my father and discuss this with him. Also, your injuries need to be tended to.” Nakoma led Emma farther into the reservation to a house. Then they both went inside. A tall man with long black hair was there. He smiled when he saw Emma. “Hello! I am so happy to see you again, Emma. I was afraid you had been murdered when I didn’t see you for so long.” Emma smiled back and ran into his arms. He hugged her tightly.