The Colonial Heart ✓ (Editing)

Chapter 27

                               A M A

"Don't say that," William whispered softly, reaching out to embrace me in a sweet hug, but I pushed him away and ran. I fled the suffocating grandeur of his manor and into the cold, taunting forests.

The earth trembled beneath my feet, sending me tumbling to the ground with a shriek. As I gazed up, a blinding light illuminated the horizon, casting an eerie glow on the black smoke billowing from our village.

My heart racing, I stumbled toward the inferno, the screams and pleas of my people piercing the air like a chorus of the damned. The village, our home, our sanctuary, was ablaze, consumed by flames that danced like malevolent spirits.

"No, no, no!"

I wailed, rushing into the heart of the inferno.

Huts and houses crumbled, reduced to smoldering ruins as I desperately sought my parents amidst the chaos. A woman's scream rent the air, and I spun toward the sound, my eyes widening in horror as her head lolled, followed by her lifeless body.

Adrenaline coursed through my veins, propelling me forward with a speed I never knew I possessed. I stumbled, my foot catching on a stone, and yelped in pain. But then, I heard it – a cry that seemed to echo from my very soul. My mother's voice.

I scrambled to my feet, my heart heavy with foreboding, and rushed toward the sound. And then, I saw her, my mother, struggling in the grasp of a British soldier, his hands closing around her throat like a vice. "Let her go!" I screamed, launching myself at him with a ferocity I never knew I possessed.

His gaze locked onto mine, and I felt a shiver course down my spine. He flung my mother aside, her body crumpling to the ground, and advanced on me, sword at the ready. I closed my eyes, steeling myself for the end, but the pain never came. Instead, I heard the sound of metal meeting flesh, and my eyes snapped open to behold my mother's lifeless form.

Something within me snapped. With a strength born of desperation, I pushed the soldier back, wrested the sword from his grasp, and plunged it into his heart again and again, until he lay still at my feet.

As I gazed upon my mother's fragile form, her hands clutching her heart as if to contain the life slipping away, I felt an anguished cry rise within me. I rushed to her side, cradling her head in my lap as tears streamed down my face like a torrent of sorrow. "Mama, don't leave me... I never meant to hurt you... I should have been more considerate," I whispered, my voice trembling with remorse.

Her gentle fingers caressed my cheek, and I felt my heart shatter into a million pieces as she whispered, "I didn't take it to heart, my darling... I'm so sorry... I should have been more understanding." Her words only served to deepen my sorrow, and I felt overwhelmed by the turbulent emotions coursing through my veins.

"Don't become the woman you think you should be," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Become a man... a leader." Her eyes, once bright with life, grew dim, and I felt a desperate sense of loss as I begged her to stay. "No, no, please don't go... I can't continue without you." But it was too late. Her eyes closed, and I held her lifeless body, my throat raw from crying.

In that moment, I felt the weight of my world crumbling around me. The warmth of her body began to fade, leaving me with a chill that seeped into my very soul. I held her close, as if trying to keep her spirit from escaping, but it was too late. She was gone.

The silence that followed was deafening. I was consumed by a sense of emptiness, a void that seemed to swallow me whole. I felt like I was drowning in a sea of grief, unable to find a lifeline to cling to. Yet, amidst the devastation, a spark of determination ignited within me. I knew that I had to keep moving forward, no matter how impossible it seemed. I had to make her proud, even in death.

I felt as though my soul had left my body when she died. I felt bitter and mad.

I felt as though I had lost everything I had loved, everything I had ever known. Why was life being so cruel to me? I do not know

All I knew was that I was not going to be at rest until I had taken all of their lives in the most horrible ways under the sun.

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Do you think her mother's death will make her a better soul in life or a horrible one, leave your thoughts in the comments I do appreciate the little comments you guys make!

I do hope you enjoyed the chapter and have a great day or night!