There's only one thing I miss about the desert. If I were telling someone this, they'd most likely say I miss my freedom, but I don't have freedom to miss. What I miss at this moment, is sunlight. While the bright light was painful at times, and it was never liked by the slaves or guards, it's easy to be missed when in the middle of a forest in a stupid wooden cell. As I think about it, a memory floats into my head. Alex, turning around and smiling at me, the sunlight I'm wishing I had is making Alex's brown hair sparkle, turning it gold and making him look even more beautiful than normal. I can feel myself smiling, and then order myself to stop. I don't know how I feel about Alex. It's a different feeling when I think about Laf or Herc, and yet, Alex is my friend. But he had said to me "I love you". Well he clearly doesn't know what he's getting himself into with those words. I feel like the least lovable person in the world, so how can Alex, talented in so many ways, decide that I was the one he liked. The one he wanted to spend his time with. It just didn't make sense. It felt as though the Captain was playing another trick on me, like when he made me hear my mother's voice, or when he switched out Herc with a robot. Did he perhaps get a hold of Alex like he did with Herc, and injected something in him to have fake feelings towards me? Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but I had every right to be. "John!" Almost as though he was summoned to the spot by my thoughts about him, Alex appears. "Good news. I just finished my second speech about you, and turns out, that it's not only the slaves who've had bad injuries. Some of the rebels had been hurt by the Captain too."
"That's... good?" I ask.
"Well, it's not supposed to be, but you know what this means?" and without waiting for an answer Alex continues. "It means that they're connecting to you! They know what it feels like to be you, and now more people are on your side. Jefferson wasn't too happy. He said that he's going to convict you anyway, if you get anymore attention. But I told him to try it because I said I would defenestrate him if he did."
"That's great." I mumble. For some reason, I can't bring myself to feel happy about this. Even though the thought of Alex throwing Jefferson out a window was funny, I feel like I'm sitting on the edge of a horizon that's never looked darker.
"I have more good news." Alex says cautiously. Maybe he was guessing my mood. "We've done enough interviewing for now, so I can leave you alone."
"Wait, no you can stay! I like it better when I have people to talk to." I say quickly.
"Hercules and Laf can come to visit you now." Alex smiles, and ignores what I just said.
"What?" I ask, somewhat confused.
"Hercules agreed to let me be the only one allowed to visit you. So I'd have more time to interview you." Alex explains.
"Herc agreed to that?" I say, astonished. Alex nods, and then turns his back to leave.
"Just wanted to let you know. Goodbye now." and he waves to me. The door closes behind him only to open seconds later, revealing my best friend, Herc.
"Hamilton," Washington's voice fights to be heard over the talking of a large crowd. All the rebels were asked to make their way down a path through the forest and to the even larger meeting space where important decisions were made. Incidentally, the place was where I've been making my speeches about John, so I've trekked the path many times before. I slip in and out through the sea of people, to my general. "Jefferson wants a word with you before the meeting."
"What about?" I ask, somewhat rudely. Washington raises an eyebrow at me.
"I suggest you ask him." Washington responds, mimicking my rudeness. He has a knack of letting me know when I've crossed the line. And so, with much unwillingness, I walked towards the large dining tables, where Jefferson was waiting.
"What do you want?" I question, even I can hear my own voice dripping with malice.
"We're agreed that we're fighting back, are we?" he shoots at me, ignoring my tone.
"Yeah." I say simply. And it was true. Even though I was against the idea of storming the Captain's base, especially with all the wounded, both Washington and Jefferson agreed that fighting back against the Captain, now that he was weaker, was the best idea.
"Hamilton, though I'm against the idea, my advisors say it's best to give you this option." I almost snorted in disbelief. It just didn't seem possible for Jefferson to have anyone advising him what to and what not to do.
"What's your proposition?" I ask through clenched teeth. If it was about John...
"It seems the whole camp is against my initial actions against Laurens. So I want to compromise with you. I will allow Laurens to go free, if and only if, he fights on our side of the upcoming battle," Jefferson states. I could feel more disbelief seeping into my veins. Who is this man before me, and what has he done with Jefferson? But before I could accept his offer, he opened his mouth once more and continued. "During this fight, he must prove his loyalty to us. If he fails to do so, we will convict him without a trial, and he will be punished for treason accordingly." I stare at him in shock for a moment, while he glares down at me impressively.
"Surely the meer act of fighting on our side in the first place is enough to prove that he's on our side?" I ask.
"We've had spies before. Correct me if I'm wrong but you're friends with Peggy Schyuler. You're aware of what she's done?" he responds.
"Of course I'm aware." I say through gritted teeth once more.
"Then there is nothing less to discuss. Think about my offer." he says.
"If we were to refuse?" I ask.
"I don't think either of us believe it will come to that." And, turning around with a self-satisfied smile on his face, Jefferson walks away.
What to do? I can't make the decision for John. I'll have to consult him. But of course, he'll accept it without hesitation. John wants to do anything he can against the Captain, and this is perfectly ideal. If I'm being honest with myself, Jefferson has given me a better offer than I could have hoped for. And yet I can't shake the feeling that something dreadful will follow John's going off to fight. And that stupid Jeffershit didn't even give me another deal, so what am I supposed to do? Refuse and see what happens, or, accept and give John a chance at freedom. Am I so selfish that I'd be willing to throw away what might be my only shot at getting him out of this alive? No. There's only one thing to do,
"We accept."
YOU ARE READING
Years of Dying
Fanfiction~Sequel to Mines~ John Laurens was captured by the British, and was taken away from everything that he loved. Furthermore, when the Captain approaches John with an offer, but not any offer, an offer to work alongside the British, John accepts. His l...
