My Valley Forge Love Story

It was December 18, 1777 when we were sent out to train at valley forge and my experience as was a very unexpected one. So let's start this story from the very beginning when we first met.

I was in a boat on my way to valley forge along with 10 other soldiers; I was looking over the edge down at the water when I felt someone tap my shoulder. I turned around and there was a soldier standing there, he looked nice and just a little taller than me. He put his hand out for me to shake and said "Hello sir, my name is joseph." as he smiled at me. I took his hand in mine and shook it, "My name is Henry, it is nice to meet you joseph.". I returned his smile and looked back over the edge. The water was clear enough to see the fish swimming around, "The water looks beautiful." I say mesmerized by it.

He looks over the edge next to me, "It is beautiful.". We stand there for a couple seconds before the captain yells, "We are almost to valley forge soldiers!". ¨I hope to see you later, Henry." He walks away to get ready to enter valley forge and I wave goodbye. When we got to valley forge it was completely freezing, and I knew it was gonna be hard to survive in this condition. But at least I had someone to talk to.

We were put into groups of 3-5 soldiers each to build our cabins. I look at the people in my group, I see Joseph smiling at me and I can't help but smile back. I had a friend to get me through these hard training months. While building our cabin Joseph would help me a lot when I would get tired, he was a very good friend to have around.

When training started it was hell, with the freezing weather and harsh training. Many soldiers started dropping out but I refused to leave, these harsh conditions were nothing compared to my life at home. I'd rather die here than die at home cause at least I have a purpose here, and a reason to keep going. Joseph started thinking of leaving valley forge but when he heard that I refused to leave he decided to stay. I don't know what I would have done if he left me alone. After a couple months of training almost 1,000 soldiers had left valley forge. But Joseph and I had stayed together the whole time, but one day of training was too harsh for Joseph and he passed out from starvation and exhaustion. He was sent to the infirmary for frostbite from staying out in the cold for too long when he passed out and no one realized it but me, but the officers refused to let me help him because it was "too much a hassle to go back and get him when we were training." the officers said. When we weren training I would sneak into the infirmary to see him, most of the time he was asleep and so I would kiss him on the cheek and leave.

A few weeks went by and Joseph was fully healed and able to start training with us again. I was so happy to see him when he walked up to me with the same smile as always, I ran to him and hugged him as hard as I could. He was still in a little pain but he hugged back just as hard anyways, and without even thinking about it I kissed him. We were both surprised by the moment and I just stepped back looking at the ground. "I'm happy to see you." I said, "I'm happy to see you too." He smiled wide and we walked to the cabin talking about everything he missed on the way there.

It is now june 1, 1778 just a few months from where it all started and we are training even harder than ever before, everyone was exhausted and hadn't eaten much for months. One day when we were training I had broken my ankle from falling down a hill but I just wrapped it with a piece of cloth from my pants and continued training through the pain. It was hell but I was determined to finish training without being in the infirmary on the last day in valley forge. Joseph was extremely worried about me the whole time, but I assured him I was fine and not to worry about me too much.

Back at home I always had some sort of injury, whether it was from my parents or from myself. My parents hated me for being "A homo." as they would call me, they always yelled at me saying things like. "You're not my son you homo!" or "My son isn't a homo." and they would beat me because they found me kissing a boy one day while at a party when they came to pick me up because I wasn't supposed to be out that late. That's why I was sent out to valley forge, the last thing they said to me was, "We are sending you out to train at valley forge, we hope it will either fix you or kill you. We really don't care which one happens, we just want a normal son to call ours. Not a homo like you." And then they kicked me out and the only thing I had left to do was come to valley forge and train until I was "normal." like they said.

The last few days in valley forge were insane, me and joseph decided to run into the forest together for just a few minutes. It was cold and harsh, but we had each other at that very moment and that's all we cared about. We were dancing around, laughing and thriving in each other's company. We hid in a little cave and just started talking about our home life and what we miss the most. I hadn't told him the truth because I didn't want him to worry more than he already is after everything that has happened here. But his life at home wasn't so good either; he had an abusive father and a mother that was trying to save him from his father but ended up taking the blame for something and didnt make it past his drunk wrath to live another day.

His father went to jail for the murder of his mother after Joseph snuck out one night to report him to the police. And he was sent away to train at valley forge cause it was either that or he had to survive on his own with no help. So he decided to hop on a boat and come to valley forge, leaving his old life behind to start a new one where he can be who he wants with someone he loves. He's trying so hard to forget about his mothers death but she was the only person who loved him and now she's gone.

A lot more time goes by than we hoped would, and we hear a group of soldiers walking by, so we try to hide deeper in the cave. "Hey look at this cave!" one of them yells to the others. Joseph covers my mouth so I don't make any noise in case they get too close. The cave was pretty dark and there were many crevices to hide in but if they had a lantern we were done. We hear the soldiers get closer and when they turn the corner we see the lumination of a lantern enter the cave and I feel like I'm about to cry. Joseph hides me with his body as they get farther into the cave. When they are just a few steps away Joseph looks at me and kisses my cheek, he then proceeds to throw himself to the ground sitting on his knees pleading mercy. "Please officers! Have mercy on me!" The one holding the lantern turns to look at him while the other two point their guns at him. They approach him and check him for weapons, "Soldier trying to flee!" one them yells to the soldiers waiting outside.

I watch this happen while trying to stay quiet but that doesn't last long when I
accidentally let out a cry. The soldiers stop what they're doing and look behind the rock I was hiding behind, "Another one!" They grab me and throw me next to Joseph. Joseph gets mad at the fact they found me and gets up to fight them, but one of them shoots him in the leg making him scream in pain. But that didn't stop him from running at the officer with the lantern. A loud crash is heard and the cave goes dark in a blink of an eye. I feel a hand grab mine and pull me out of the cave running as fast as he can, it was Joseph. He held my arm running as far as he could on his fresh gun wound, but we got far enough to lose the officers.

We make it to a part of the woods where no one would be able to find us, because it's completely enclosed by trees. I push Joseph off of me, "we will die out here Joseph!" I yell. "At Least we won't be murdered by officers!" He cries knowing that he couldn't just let me get murdered by someone, he wouldn't be able to live knowing that he let me get killed. I hug him because I know he's right, but it still hurts knowing that we will die from frostbite and starvation if we stay out here in the forest. Joseph cuts off a piece of his pants and ties it around his wound crying in pain as he tightens it and looks up at me "I love you, you know? And I will make it my job to get you somewhere safe." I begin looking around for pieces of wood to make a fire. While he limps around making a small shelter for us to sleep. It was a long and cold night...

The next day I wake up to see Joseph already up and watching the area outside. I walk over to him, my whole body shivering and I hug him for warmth. He puts his arms around me and I start to cry, "I want to leave valley forge, Joseph" He looks down at me and then to a wooden boat sitting next to the shelter "I made that while you were asleep. Joseph is an expert on survival situations, he knows every secret and tip when it comes to surviving in the wild because he had to so much as a kid. He grabs the boat and drags it through a secret path, I follow him and it leads to a lake. He puts the boat in and gets in, "Get in, im getting you out of here Henry. You deserve better."

I get in and he begins rowing down the river. Hours go by and we see a dock, we decide to stop at the dock and see what it leads to. As were walking up the dock I start to see it get more and more familiar. I cry as I see my grandparents house....  TO BE CONTINUED