Annalise was walking through the dark night. She hugged onto her coat that gave her little warmth from the cool December wind. The candle's light peeped through her neighbors window curtains.

She walked around the puddles and eventually got to her front door. She knocked on the oak wood door and it swung open with her mother greeting her.

"Doll, I thought you were going to take a carriage.." she put a blanket around my shoulders.

"Well mother, your friends son is a total hornswoggler!"

"Language!"

"Well it's true!"

Annalise's father came down the steps of her house and went over to her and her father

"Who is a hornswoggler?"

"Moms friend's son!"

"What did he do?"

"He's a total cheap. He told me to pay for the date since he didn't have money and since he was forced into the date."

"Did you pay?"

"I paid my part and then left the rest to him."

"Oh no... my friend is going to me so angry with me."

"Mother! That's not what matters!"

"Don't speak time your mother like that."

"Sorry." Annalise put her head down.

"Your daughter is right. Your friend clearly does not know how to raise a gentleman. You don't need someone like that in your life." Her father walked off into his office to resume what he was doing.

The mother glared at Annalise before walking off into the kitchen to fix up dinner for herself and her husband.

Annalise went up into her bedroom and plopped down on her fluffy bed. Her and her family were off pretty well. She wouldn't say that they were the richest, but she could wear feathers and flowers in her hat. That had to say something.

Annalise stood up and went to her wardrobe to fish for her nightdress. She got out of her beige dress and corset and slipped into her nightgown. She tiredly made her way over to her desk and grabbed a notebook.

November 17th, 1857

Today I went on a date with a wonderful looking gentleman. Well... gentleman my ass. Excuse my foul language but he truly was! I got at the nice restaurant (without an escort might I add). And I finally find him, Henry I think it was. I sat down and I knew I should've left. He had no manners. He did not take my coat, NOR pull out my seat. And his table manners.. my my... do not get me started on those. We eventually finish eating and he tells me he forgot his money and he knows I have some since he saw it in my handheld purse. I curse the broken clip of my purse. I, being the complete genius that I am, decided to pay... for my part. Heehee. And then I take my leave. I hope women don't have to go through this in the future, that would be terrible. Men are cumberworlds. And that is the end of this story.

I hope it is better tomorrow.

Annalise picked up her pen from the paper and yawned. She turned to the clock in her room that read to her 10:59. She blew out the candle that was on her desk, and she got cozy in her bed before drifting into a deep sleep.

She awoke with the birds at her window and the loud ring of the clock tower. 7 a.m. what a beautiful time to be awake and to take a stroll at the garden down the road.

Annalise got up from her bed and went to her wardrobe, pulling out a carnation pink dress. She put it on along with her corset. She looked into her mirror and stared at her hair before she put it up in a nice folded knot. She looked at her many hats to wear but she decided a shiny pin would look better. When she clipped it into her hair, she could barley notice it until she turned her head to the side and the sunlight hit it. This was probably her favorite outfit of the month.

"I'll be sure to write about this in my journal." Annalise mumbled before opening her door and making her way downstairs.

Her mother placed down a plate of corn bread, stew, and boiled eggs. Annalise sat down and waited for her father to come and join before she took a bite.

Her father eventually came down in his work uniform and sat down quickly, shoving food into his mouth.

"F-father..."

"Not now Anna. I have to get going soon."

"Oh..."

Her father looked her in the eyes and slid her an envelope without her mother noticing. Annalise opened the pre-opened letter in her lap so her mother couldn't see it.

Dear Easton Johnson,

We are glad that you are home keeping your family safe. It is in our deepest sorrows to request you back. There has been some fights happening in other countries as you read this. It is our fear that the countries will come after us. We would like you back as Commander Easton Johnson. We will pay you in the best amount we have. Thank you for your return.

Regards,

Captain Higley

Anna gripped onto the paper whilst looking at her father with deep doe eyes.

He gave her a sweet smile and kissed her forehead before heading off while giving his wife a sweet kiss.

"Bye dad!" Anna stood up with tears in her eyes belting at the door which almost closed.

Her father peeped his head in through the door and gave Anna a assuring smile before saying "Bye sweetheart."

Anna cleaned up her face in the sink and sighed. She looked up into the mirror and noticed that she was still dressed up for a nice stroll outside. Her father leaving wasn't going to stop her from enjoying the nice air.

Anna slipped on proper shoes and took her umbrella to shield her from the sun. Even though it was cold outside, she read a study that the sun can be a little damaging.

She started walking to the garden with a notebook and a pencil in hand. She spited a double sided bench and sat on the side that was facing a bush and a wall. She opened up her journal and flipped to the page where she was going to write her entry for today. She looked up from her lap and saw a beautiful barn swallow sitting atop a wall behind a bush of meadowsweets.

She grabbed her pencil and started sketching the bird and flowers. When she was almost done with her sketch she felt a person sit on the bench behind her. She didn't pay it any attention and continued through her sketch.

Suddenly the person behind her started to breath funny and grunt a little. Annalise got very uncomfortable and turned around to see what was making all of that noise.

When she turned around she saw a man holding his stomach and laying down.

"Excuse me sir? Are you alright?" Annalise set her journal and pencil on the bench and stood up. "Sir?" The man with black hair turned his body and showed Annalise his bloody, bruised up face. "Oh my!"

Annalise rushed over to the mans side and analyzed what has happened. The man had a cut lip that was spewing out blood, a bruised eye, and a knife lodged in his abdomen.

Annalise looked the man in the eyes and wrapped both of her hands around the life's handle. "This is going to hurt a lot. You can grip onto my arm if you need to." Annalise ripped eye contact with the gentleman and stared at the knife. "3.. 2.." at the start of one she pulled the knife out as fast as she could.

The man let out a terrible cry at the same time. "I'm sorry. I didn't want you to clench and freak out once I got to zero. So I thought it was best to do it at one."

The man gripped onto her arm and sat up. "Oh no sir, let me stop the bleeding!" Annalise grabbed the bottom of her dress and tore a huge piece, which then she tore that on in half. She took both half's and put them over his cuts.

"I should get you to the doctor."

The black haired man grabbed onto her arm and shook his head no. "What do you mean no? I just pulled a knife out of you!" Annalise paused. "Sorry for my yelling but Sir we have to get you to the doctor." The man shook his head no again. "Well... let me take you to my house. I have a few things that can help you."

Annalise grabbed the underside of his arm and lifted him up. "And don't worry about my mother. She should be at her friends house. Thank the gods I went outside early. What were you thinking when you stumbled into the park? You don't seem to want to go to the doctor. So you just wander into the park? And why didn't you stumble into me? I would've helped you a lot faster than waiting for you to grunt!" Annalise kept on mumbling until she got to her house. Anna opened up the door and took the man into the bathroom.

She sat the man on the ground and unwrapped his makeshift bandage then took off his shirt. She didn't notice it before but the man was well built. Anna grabbed a sponge and dumped it into the bucket of water. "This is the most cleanest water I could get right now. I wish I had someone else here with me. I am terribly sorry to ask you of this but could you please clean yourself up a little while I go set some more water above the fire so you can have some warm water?"

The man looked at Anna and nodded his head. Anna stood up and ran out of the bathroom. The man started to run the sponge over his cut. He spotted a box under a basket. He grabbed the box which had a needle and threat, a wrap, and a few antibiotics.

Anna was at the water tap filling the bucket. She started the fire and rushed the bucket over the water. "I wonder what his name is. He hasn't talked ever since I met him. Oh I should go check on him." Annalise rushed over to the restroom and saw the man biting on the wrap and stitching his cut. "Oh my..." Annalise said softly so she doesn't startle him. She bent down and took the needle and thread from his hands before she started doing it. He was already 1/3 of the way there. She remembered reading a book on how to stitch. It was filled with many of other things like how to wrap a bandage around a foot or an arm.

She took the needle and punctured it through his stomach and knitted the string up. She finally finished and apologized as she left to go get the water.

The man cleaned your more of his would tiredly. He set the supplies in the kit before dry swallowing a few of the pills. He closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Annalise walked into the restroom and took the bucket of bloody water and the bloody sponge outside in her backyard. She made sure her neighbors were not looking as she dumped the bucket into some bushes and trees. She looked at the sponge and brought it back inside running it under some water to get most of the blood off.

Annalise went back into the restroom and looked at the sleeping man. She took a small towel from the side of the box. She dipped it into the warm water and rubbed it over his cut and around it as well. She decided to take the cleaning part in a spare room that she had in the house. She looked at the muscular man, "I will not be able to lift a sleeping man."

Anna stepped outside and saw Henry, her date from yesterday. "Hey! Henry!"

Henry turned around and stared back at Annalise. "Yes ma'am?"

"As a payback to you not paying for dinner, help me with something and I won't bother you or give you a bad reputation."

"'Reputation'? Really Abigail?"

"It's Annalise lubberwort."

"Lubberwort?! I am not helping you what so ever."

"Fine. You'll die lonely and boring you tallowcatch."

Henry stood there with his mouth agape and eyes wide.

"Catch flies you wandought." Annalise turned around and saw one of the soldiers in her fathers patch out guarding the area. "Excuse me sir? Hi! My father, Easton, I am his daughter, Annalise." Annalise shook her hand out and the man bowed a little and kissed her hand.

"You see I need a bit of help. My cousin.. Fabio is home and he accidentally stabbed himself. Now I would take him to Doctor Horn but his religion forbids it. So I have him all stitched up, I just need help carrying him to his room."

"That is tragic. Of course I'll help a beautiful lady like you." Annalise giggles and guided the guard to "Fabio".

The guard picked him up and placed him on the bedroom upstairs next to her bedroom. "Thank you sir."

The guard nodded as Anna walked him out of the house. Anna ran back upstairs looking up to the ceiling mumbling "god forgive me for lying." Anna got to the room that already had the bucket of warm water. She crabbed a new rag and rubbed it over the mans face.

She finally got a good look at his features. Admiring his face, lips, and nose. She rubbed off the blood from his lip and chin. She ran downstairs to the icebox and gathered a few ice cubes from the tray and placed them in another towel. She ran back upstairs and placed the ice towel on his eye.

Annalise ran the cloth over his bloody hands and his face before she set her head down on her rested arms and fell into a deep sleep.