Young Writers Society

Oliver

I admit I may have done it because I grew weary of my life in New Orleans, the same thing every day.

When the tear appeared in the middle of my room, I picked up my bag and jumped in. Immediately, I felt a change of fabric with what I was wearing, with the bag I was holding, the shoes I was wearing, and even the ribbon that held my hair back from my face.

For a moment, I stood dumfounded, looking at my new clothes, then I heard a girl give us a welcome to Boston.

Looking up, I examined the other people, all wearing clothes like mine.

"Um...Hello. My name is Oliver. Oliver Pleasant, of New Orleans"

Vanessa

When I stepped through the tear that appeared in the middle of the livingroom and landed in a room with a few other people, I gave them all a soft smile.

When I got shocked looks in return, I felt my brow furrow and I asked, "What year is it?"

A girl replied with, "It is 1776. Welcome to Boston"

1776.

Raising a hand to my hair, I realized that they didn't have such thing as hair dye in 1776. They were all staring at my hair.

"Well, I'm Vanessa" I said, hoping to draw attention from my blue hair.

Fern Thornton

"Hey Fern! Come have a drink!", one of the guys at the overcrowded bar called out.
She walked upto the bar and thumped her bag down on the scrubbed wooden table. "Hey Tom. Get me a beer wouldja?" she asked as a white owl swooped into the tavern and landed on her shoulder.
"Chris", she said, turning to the burly bounty hunter who'd called out to her "Ya shouldn't drink so much. Not good for your health y'know."
"Don't be cheeky brat. This is coming from the girl who could finish all the barley water in this town, and still be standing, looking for more."
She took a deep drink from the mug Tom kept in front of her, laughing with rest of the guys. "Yeah, well. Just sayin'. Don't want you to kick the bucket 'cause of beer now? Who would I compete with then?" "You'd win anyways kiddo." Chris replied, chuckling.
"Visited Mrs. Leopold yet, Fern?" asked Tom. Fern froze at the mention of her foster mother. Tom, seeing this nodded. "She refused to take the money again, aye?" Fern nodded quietly.
"Well, she always did consider herself your real mum, that Mrs. Leopold. Takes care of all them kids who'd be in the workhouse else. And for naught too, even after she's in a wheelchair." said Chris
"I know she has a big heart. I wish she would take the money... I've given her so much trouble from so long ago."
"She never took it as trouble kiddo." said Tom
"I'll leave it with you this time too, right Tom? Help her for me?"
"Always have, always will Fern."



Fern climbed up the stairs to the room she was staying in for the night. She kept her backpack down and got into bed, hunting outfit still on. Ariel had flown off while Chris was talking about his latest hunt. If the owl could express she would have looked extremely uninterested. She wasn't back yet.
She must've gone off to sleep without realizing, becuase when she woke up, the first rays of the sun had just touched the horizon. She went down to the common areas and discovered the mess.
"So Chris drank too much again, heh?" she asked Tom, who'd just come out pf the back. "Give him a lift ta his room for me wouldja?" he asked, doing his usual early morning scrub-down. "I'm a girl ya know", she joked, rolling her eyes and heaving Chris. "Really? Can't tell with all the muscles." "Thanks for the compliment," Fern smirked.

Back in her room, she saw something that didn't helong to her - a ring with an ornate band and a blue cat's eye on the center. Before she could take it to Tom, she saw the letter. Her decision was made in an instant.
However, she needed a bottle of beer... Or maybe two. What if they didn't have any where she was going?



She stepped into the tear...and stepped into a barn. She smiled, liking the familiar smell of horses...and wrinkling her nose at the smell of poop. Her clothes and cross bow were still the same, everything, down to her backpack. At the last moment, before the tear closed, Ariel flew in, and settled herself on her shoulder.
She looked around at the roomful of strangers, and said, "Heya. Fern Thornton at your service." as she stroked her owl.

She looked curiously at the girl with blue hair. "Didja get blueberry juice on yer head? Ya say your name is Vanessa? Can I call you Van? I like your hair." Then looking around, she asked "Where are we?"
A young girl with French braids replied, "You're in Boston, in year 1776."
Fern gave a low whistle. "I'm in the future."

Lottie
When the girl with the owl, Fern, said that she was in the future, chaos broke loose. Everybody argued about the year, insisting that it was not 1776. I heard everything from 1660 to 1979. People were talking over each other, and nothing was organized about it. I got sick of it pretty quickly, so I stepped up on a bale of hay and yelled, "Alright! Everybody calm down!" They all looked at me, immediatly shutting their mouths. "Alright, it's obvious that everybody is just a little confused. So, if you would please do us all a favor, sit down and stop arguing."

All sat but the girl dressed as a boy and the tall, looming boy that was dressed in fine knickers, and a very colorful cravat around his neck. I made a mental note to look at the stitching on it later. "Obviously, it is a different time wherever you are from. But here and now, it is 1776. F.T. sent you people here for some reason, but I'm sure that we all agree that it must be for something important. So, since you'll all be here for a while, I guess we need to know everybody elses' name. I'm Charlotte Tryon, but call me Lottie." I went around the stall, drawing names out of people. There was a well dressed boy with long, auburn hair named Oliver Pleasant, a girl with dark hair and dark blue eyes named Jane Milicent, the tall, looming boy with the fancy cravat was named Stephen Abandonato. The girl that was dressed as a boy was named Aleya Jazidon, and the Irish girl with the owl was Fern Thornton. The tallish boy with sandy hair, the one who had said something that made no sense to Aleya was named Ian Haverty and the blue haired girl was Vanessa Renee.

Now that we had each other's names, I stood in front of everybody, thinking. Finally, I said, "So, since we have to wait for F.T.'s instructions, you can all sleep in the rooms above the miliner's shop where I'm apprenticed. I have a seprate room for the boys to sleep in, but the girls will have to share my room with me. I shall pass you all off as distant cousins of mine. So, that takes care of that."

I looked at Vanessa, trying to decide what to do about her hair. I knew that she was from 1979, and maybe blue hair was normal in her time, but it certainly wasn't in mine. I snapped my fingers and ran over to my basket, rummaging through the various threads and yarns until I found a white, unhemmed, square of fabric. I handed it to Vanessa. "Cover your hair, and I'll think of something more permanent tomorrow." I turned to every body else as Vanessa wrapped the scarf around her head. "If you'll follow me, I can lead you to the miliner's shop."

As the others grabbed their bags, I wrapped my shawl around my shoulders and pushed my basket up my elbow. As I lead them out of the barn, I froze when I saw Thomas on duty. He noticed me and was walking quickly toward me. I fell into the middle of the group, walking next to Oliver. He had an odd accent that I'd never head before, and he asked, "Who is that man?"

I muttered back, "He is Thomas Wilder. A redcoat and unfortunatly, I'm courting him." I turned to Fern on my other side. "Could you take them to the miliner's shop? It's next to Paul Revere's silversmith shop."

I goaned inwardly as Thomas caught up with me. Oliver stayed with me for some reason as I plastered a smile on my face and lied easily, "How nice to see you, Thomas! I'm in a bit of a rush though, as I just met my cousins who have come for a stay! I shall talk to you tomorrow, though."

He shouldered his musket, looking at Oliver suspiciously. "Cousins you say? If that's all, then I will call on you tomorrow. Expect me at noon." I walked away, rolling my eyes at Oliver as we caught up with our group.

Aleya Jazidon

I slung my bag over my shoulder, and the money clinked inside of it, making the boy who had made an odd comment to me earlier stare. I found myself getting hungry as we walked to what the girl, Charlotte, had mentioned.

As we walked past men selling barrels of fruit, or carrying trays of fresh rolls. I swiped several as we walked past them. The traders did didn't notice, but the tall Italian one notices and smirked as I took a loud bite of the apple. Charlotte walked over to a pompous redcoat. So, making sure she noticed, I pocketed several coins of his, and he never noticed.

British were so stupid.

Oliver

The group of us grabbed our bags and followed Lottie out of the barn. I noticed Lottie tense up, stopping in her tracks for a moment. Following her eyes, I saw a man walking quickly towards us. Lottie drifted beside me.

"Who is that man?" I asked, feeling her tension.

"He is Thomas Wilder." She muttered to me "A redcoat and unfortunatly, I'm courting him." Turning to the girl beside her, Fern, she asked, "Could you take them to the miliner's shop? It's next to Paul Revere's silversmith shop."

As the others moved onward, I stayed back with Lottie. There was something very wrong here. This was not how it is supposed to be.

"How nice to see you, Thomas! I'm in a bit of a rush though, as I just met my cousins who have come for a stay! I shall talk to you tomorrow, though." Lottie said, a smile gracing him.

Shouldering his musket, Thomas glared at me, eying my up head to toe. I returned the glance. "Cousins you say? If that's all, then I will call on you tomorrow. Expect me at noon."

Lottie broke away from him, and we caught up with the others. Something would have to be done about that Thomas.

Jane

it was crazy to go out and see what it was like here in this time. I cannot even remember a time when there was not a person everywhere you turned, smoke filling the air, filth crowding the streets, sick people over your shoulder, and someone trying to sell something to you. It was crazy to see everything so...open so...clean. I was almost nostalgic about the city I call my home.

*Short, I know. Sorry*

Ian C. Haverty

As I followed the group, I looked around. It seemed crazy that there were so many British here. I thought we were supposed to be - Oh, right, time difference...

I stopped and started staring off into space. I couldn't get it out of my mind: my mother's face when she turned to speak to me, as a different motor car came rushing into her passenger side, slamming us into a building.

I shook my head, causing my light blond hair to fall into my eyes. I shouldn't think about this.

I caught up to a girl with wavy, brown hair and dark blue eyes.

"Hi there, Miss."

"Hello." She gave a small smile with her red lips.

"I'm Ian. From 1840 England... You seem a bit offish, though. Got something on your mind?"

Jane

As I admired the strange place, a boy baring blonde hair that fell in his eyes came beside me. "Hi there, Miss."

"Hello." I replied, a small smile spreading across my mouth

"I'm Ian. From 1840 England... You seem a bit offish, though. Got something on your mind?"

"Nice to meet you, Ian. I am Jane, 1801 England." I said, then answered his question. "I am alright. It is just strange to be in a place like this. I am used to big buildings and factories, to the air being so thick with smoke and disease and filth you can hardly breath without coughing. I am used to everything and everyone being everywhere. It is strange to see everything so...subtle. So quite and still. Everyone is always moving where I am from."

Before he could respond, I tossed out, "You know, if we were to have met in your time, I would be in my fifties. Do you find that strange?"

Ian C. Havery

"Nice to meet you, Ian. I am Jane, 1801 England." I said, then answered his question. "I am alright. It is just strange to be in a place like this. I am used to big buildings and factories, to the air being so thick with smoke and disease and filth you can hardly breath without coughing. I am used to everything and everyone being everywhere. It is strange to see everything so...subtle. So quite and still. Everyone is always moving where I am from. You know, if we were to have met in your time, I would be in my fifties. Do you find that strange?" She asked me.

I grinned and spat out, "Yes, a bit odd. And welcome to the past. I'm gay to know that there's someone near the 1840s here. I guess we can ride the river together then." I grinned again.

Fern

Fern walked a little faster than the others, worried for Ariel. The young owl was a nocturnal creature by nature, and did not take kindly to being carted arond in the blinding mid-afternoon sun. "Why did you follow me you stupid bird?" asked Fern, worriedly. "Ya could've bin free y'know." Ariel responded to this with just an affectionate nip on her ear.

Preoccupied as she was, she noticed the Italian boy dragging along at the end of the group. However, she failed to notice the strange stares she was getting from passers-by. She was still leading the group, making her way to the aforementioned milliner's shop. She stepped into the shop, and a bell tinkled overhead as the rest piled in after her. An middle-aged lady looked up from the shawl she was crotcheting, got up and bowed. "Welcome, what can I do for...you?" her sentence faded away as she took in Fern's attire and the owl. Behind her, Aleya eaised her hand to push back a loose strand of hair, and the lady saw the snake.

Just who are these people? wondered Mrs. Burbidge. In the mean time, the others had begun chuckling. Fern relised she was the center of attention, and, looking down at her outfit, she relized just what it was. Though her outfit had remaind the same, it wasn't something normally worn in town.

She turned around, (noticing Stephen the italian smirking as she did so) and looked around desperately for Lottie. She spotted her making her way towards the milliner's shop, and ran to her. "We have a problem."



"I don't get it." Lottie said. "Why is it that only your outfit didn't change? The ohers said theirs did." All the girls were in Lottie's room. The introductions were ovr, and Lottie had somehow managed to (successfully) explain away Aleya' snake, Stephen and Fern's ethnicity and their pets. She'd also found a passable excuse for Fern's outfit. The boys were occupying the neighhouring room.

"Maybe the Irish still have something like your current hunting outfit",Vanessa shrugged from the other end of the room. She was folding up the clothes she was wearing that morning.
Jane nodded, turning from her spot on the floor. "Easiest explaination."
Fern shook her head. She was sitting on the wide ledge of Lottie's window, one leg dangling iff the edge, hunting outfit still on, and watching the now dark sky.

"So, what next?" she asked, looking around at Lottie, Jane, Vanessa and Aleya.

"So, what next?" asked Fern, looking over the lot of girls that were in my room. Her owl had flown off somewhere, probably to go hunting for mice.

The others looked at me as I untied the ribbon from my hair and shook out my braid. It was one of the best feelings in the world, the relief of letting my hair down. I placed my ribbon neatly on the small end table that I had next to my bed. "Well, I believe that now we should all get some sleep, and maybe you can all go explore Boston tomorrow. We have to wait for F.T.'s instructions, so you girls might as well have some fun while you're here."

I gave a sarcastic smile. "And while you are having fun, I can look forward to a day of working and Thomas Wilder. Lord have mercy on me. Oh, and speaking of him," I turned to Aleya, giving her a concerned look. "Although it was funny that you robbed him blind and he never noticed, please don't steal from the redcoats again. It would not be good to have you being put in the stocks with your ears nailed to it."

She rolled her eyes, laying down on the cot that I had been able to find. "I'll try and restrain myself."

The others laid down on their cots as well. I blew out the candle and laid down in my own bed. But I did not sleep. I waited until eveybody's breathing had slowed and they were asleep. Then, very silently, I knelt to my trunk, pulling out the boy's costume. I let out a tiny sigh of relief as I took off my corset, the pressure on my ribs dissappearing. I would never wear one voluntarily, but since I made them, Mrs. Burbide said that I should be a representation of the clothing we made. I carried my shoes, so that I wouldn't make any noise as I tied my hair in a queue, powdering it until it was white, and pulled my tri-cornered hat over my eyes.

There was a meeting for the Sons of Liberty tonight. Even a mission from something that seemed even more important than how the British were treating the colonies would not keep me away from it. I felt it my duty as a Colonist to be there for eveything that concerned us. Besides, I knew that ben franklin was bound to speak tonight. I didn't want to miss the old man's wisdom.

I was walking down the stairs when a noise stopped me. Somebody was holding candle, masking them from my vision. "Is that you, Lottie? Why are you dressed as a boy?" I whirrled around, my heart racing from finally being caught.
*This can be anybody!*

Aleya

Thankfully Fern had saved me as far as my snake on finger, whos' I had decided upon arriving here, as Carrion. I myself was immune to him, for many bites had punctured my skin. I was actually immune to most poisons.

I walked into the room after Lottie's rather uninteresting lecture. The boys had departed into the room next to ours, and I frankly had no intention of staying here.

They talked about Ferns odd outfit as I quietly pocketed some gold I found on Lottie's vanity. No one saw.

Then Fern asked, "So what next?"

I laughed and leaned against the wall indifferently, "Isn't it obvious? We traveled back in time to win the revolution. "

"Well yes," said Lottie awkwardly.

I cocked my head slightly taking in their moronic expressions. "Uh-huh, and don't you and FT realize that we succeeded. I don't want to fight with a bunch of airheads in a war that's already been won. Pick your battles."

I don't know what came over me when I said that, but I walked out haughtily, slamming the door of the boy's room with an open palm.

The sky outside had darkened and was sending down flurries of white snow. I hald out my hand and caught a snowflake. It landed on my palm and didn't melt. My skin was always cold.

I had no idea what I was going to do now, but I always managed. I started running towards where I smelled fish. I always loved water, and there was bound to be abandoned buildings I could sleep in.

I ran, without stopping or feeling the need to pant. When I reached the docks, there were no suitable buildings. There was a small house that I scaled and climbed onto the steep roof. There was a chimney that puffed white smoke out of. It was rather warm against the chimney, so I fell asleep there, leaning on the chimney.

I still didn't regret anything.

Fern

"Is that you, Lottie? Why are you dressed as a boy?" asked Fern, shielding her face and moving the candle a little away from her face.
Lottie looked startled, but let out a sigh of relief when she saw it was Fern. "Oh, it's just you, Fern."
"Yea. Why are you out here again? And dressed as a guy?"
"Oh..umm. This and that. You know." Fern looked at her, making it clear that she did not know. Lottie sighed again, wearily this time.
"Looks like I should explain. Come, sit down here." She led the way to a stairwell, and seated herself on the bottom-most stair. Fern sat down next to her. In the next fifteen minutes, Lottie managed to compress and tell Fern all about her rebellion against the Crown. Once she was done, Fern grinned. "That's very very gutsy. I'll help you sneak out."



As Fern walked with Lottie to the foyer door, she noticed Ariel landing on their room's open windowsill. She gave a low whistle, startling Lottie in the process.
"What are you doing?" She hissed.
"Hush. I'm just calling Ariel." she replied, giving another soft whistle. The owl heard her and landed on her shoulder.
"You're awfully fond of her, aren't you,"
"We've bin together fer a long time," said Fern, Irish accent slipping into er usually clear english.
"By the by, you never told me why you were out here." said Lottie, hand on the doorknob.
"Oh, I was about to go and bring Aleya back. It's late, so I sent Ariel to find her. Since she's here now, we'll go find her. Good luck with your meeting."
Fern turned and walked away, waving as she did so.

Ian C. Haverty

Once we had finished walking through the town, Lottie brought us to the place where, I suppose, she lived. She let us in and left us in two separate rooms: one for the girls, and one for us, the men. Then, she walked into the girl's room and we walked into our. Simple.

I lay down on one bed, claiming it for myself.

"Well, I'm a bit at sea about this whole concept of going back in time." I stated as I pulled out a few of my gears and tools from a few of the pockets in my waistcoat.

"Yes, it is a bit strange, isn't it?" Oliver added.

"It doesn't really matter." Said Stephen, sounding like we'd annoyed him with our conversation as he sat silently by the window. "What we need to do is find out why we are here. Do what we need to do, the blow."

"Oh, you're such a curly wolf, Stephen." I said, grinning as I focused on my gears.

I felt my head pulled up by my hair and I was suddenly staring into Stephen's face.

"I don't care what kind of animal you call me, you can keep your opinions to yourself."

"Oh, let's not spark anything, here, shall we?" Stepped in OIiver as he gently pried Stephen's fingers from my hair.

Stephen turned quickly away from both of us. "Beat it, blondie."

I guessed that that meant me, since Oliver had auburn hair, so I slipped my gears back into my pockets and skeddaddled. I didn't have the game to fight Stephen.

After a while of walking outside, I met up with the girl who had the owl, and hadn't changed into clothes of the era we were in. Fern.

"'Ello there." I said to her. "It was such bosh for you to not change into different clothes like the rest of us. Quite odd, no?"

She looked confused at my slang. "What are you talking about?" She snapped.

"Oh, I just meant it was odd that your clothes didn't change like everyone else's did."

She rolled her eyes, "As you will."

I walked next to her in silence for a minute. She was a bit shorter than me and had a toned build, her owl was in the air above us, seeming to lead her on. She had a white-ish scar through her right eye, but it was open and seemed to be working.

"So, what are you walking around the bur- er, town, for, may I ask?"

"I'm looking for the Aleya, she disappeared a while ago."

"Oh. And is your owl helping you?"

"Yes."

"Oh, well that's rich."

"Mayhap you'll believe me once Ariel finds Aleya."

"Uh, yes..." I understood her slang as much as she understood mine. Which was very little. I guess I'd just have to go through the mill with everyone's language.

On my way home from the meeting, I passed Fern and Ian, who were following Fern's owl. I tipped my hat to Fern, keeping up my appearences as a boy, which brought a knowing smirk from her. I carefully stayed away from the Redcoat barracks, taking a route through alleys to get home.

The meeting had gone very well. Paul Revere, Ben Franklin, and a tall man named George Washington spoke, all talking about how unfairly the British were treating us. They encouraged us to boycott British goods, such as tea and sugar, and only use what we made ourselves. Mister Washington especially emphasized that the men of Boston and surrounding villages should take up arms, to defend ourselves. I wasn't sure how I felt about this Washington fellow. He had been an officer during the French and Indian War, fighting for the British. Could we really be sure that we could trust him?

I narrowly avoided being caught by Thomas as he was coming out of a tavern. He had been exubrant from way too much ale, so he probably wouldn't have been able to tell who I was in the first place. My stomach wretched at the thought of spending time with him tomorrow, because he was sure to still have clouded thoughts from the ale in the morning.

It took me a long time to brush all of the lead powder out of my hair when I finally got home, but eventually my hair was back to its natural ginger color. Fern and Aleya still weren't back, so I blew out my candle and tried to sleep, but in reality I was too excited from F.T.'s adventure starting and from the Sons of Liberty rally that night. Instead, I thought with dread about what was waiting for me in the morning. Mrs. Burbidge would have a speech about proper ladies manners waiting for me. She would also force me into my fancier dress and she would lace my corset especially tight. I could look forward to a day of light-headedness and perhaps a few fainting spells.