Ariana sits on her bed as a loud crash and large explosion hits her father's cotton field. Mother calls for Ariana very loudly. It's time to go to the storm hole. Ariana's long blond hair waves as she runs down the stairs. Her sky blue eyes glimmer in fear as she runs into the storm hole.
The storm hole is a large hole in the ground with a steel door on top to protect them from the storms. The hole is damp and cold no one would want to be in there, no one. A red shine comes from her mother's lamp and is the only light in the horrid hole. Another loud crash. Ariana is frightened. She sees her dolls in the hole, she grabs one and holds it tight. The last time they were in the storm hole it lasted weeks.
Mother braids and unbraids Ariana's hair about fifty times. Mother is full of fear, even Ariana, though she is only six years old, could tell. Mother's eyes are a brilliant green and they change to blue when she is in doubt or confused. Her hair is messily done and extremely long. A tear streaks down her face. Ariana hugs her mother trying to comfort her.
Ariana and her mother live in the Confederate states, also known as the south. Father left to the Union states to set free all the slaves. Even though they do own slaves they treat them well because blacks are human to. Just then, the steel door above Ariana and her mother opens, but instead of a white solider it is their black slave. She needs to be in a safer place than the old shack she lives in.
Felicia is their black slave. Her hair is always tied in a knot to keep it out of her face while cleaning. Her deep dark eyes tell her story, dark and depressing, yet she can still find the good in anything. While cleaning, her back is sore and her knees hurt from kneeling, but she thinks that at least the floor will be clean for her master.
After a few hours of waiting the canons stop. Mother gets out of the hole first and looks to see that the house is still standing and she can see the cotton field still showing cotton. There are clouds of dust. Mother helps Ariana out then Felicia. They go back to the house to see a solider standing on the front porch.
He is tall and wearing all green. In his hand is a yellow paper. Mother's eyes turned from green to blue. Mother shoos Ariana and Felicia into the house and tells them to stay there till she comes back. Ariana and Felicia are curious of what the man and Mother are talking about so they listen. There is crying and yelling and more crying. They heard the man say sorry about a million times then mother comes inside.
Mother told Ariana to go to her room for a bit while her and Felicia talk. Felicia is a good listener so mother talks to her more than anyone. Ariana obeys her mother and goes to her room. But when mother starts crying more Ariana gets curious and sits at the edge of the stairs and holds onto the banister. Felicia hugs mother and says that every thing will be okay. Mother disagrees and explains that the yellow paper was a "missing in action" telegram about father. Mother cry's more and more till she notices Ariana sitting at the stairs.
Ariana can't believe it. "Missing in action". Most soldiers that are "missing in action" are really dead. Very few are really alive. Mother tries to get Ariana's attention when Ariana starts to cry and runs up stairs. Ariana sits on her bed as her mind races. She comes to the conclusion that she will find father. Mother knocks on Ariana's bedroom door, and tries to force herself inside when Ariana doesn't answer. Ariana opens her window and packs her bag. She figures she could find her father through the underground tunnels where the runaway slaves go to fight for freedom.
Ariana looks out her window. The roof is right below her. She hops onto the roof. Previously Felicia had a feeling that she needed to put a ladder by the roof. She did so. As Ariana was about to jump but when she saw the ladder she went down it instead. The first place that Ariana goes to is the river. Once she gets there and meets a black boy. He is probably as old as Ariana. But he has dark eyes like Felicia's. His hair is thick but short, he wears all rags and these rags sort of looks like clothes.
Ariana walks closer to him but he falls to his knees as if he is bowing down to Ariana. Ariana helps the boy to his feet but he stays down. He murmurs that he has been bad and disobeyed is master. He thinks he should be killed for what he has done. Ariana tells the boy not to worry and that she will get him to the north safely. The boy gets up and shakes Ariana's hand, the boy says name is David. Ariana and David go to find a shelter to stay the night at. Ariana and David find a hole under a large hollow tree, it reminds Ariana of the storm hole and she feels safe.
A strange man limping around outside of the hole looked like he started setting up a camp. The man is tall and muscular he is wearing all green and is limping on his left foot. He has gotten shot. The man wobbles around as Ariana watches.
The man sees Ariana's eyes and thinks them to be an animals'. He makes the opening of the hole larger and tried to shoo away the "animals." Ariana and David move into a shadowy part of the hole. The man thinkst the "animals" have left so he gets into the hole and just then a large rain storm comes out of no where.
Ariana and David look at the man while he cares for his wound. The man stares at David's eyes that glow in the dark. Then he starts talking to David thinking him to be only an animal. The man misses his family and his six year old daughter. He had planned on going home to see them but the plan wasn't going to good. The last time he had seen his daughter was when she was two years old. He had missed her first words and first steps.
Ariana remembers watching her father walking away two days after her birthday she imagines that it is as painful for this man as she knew it was for her father. Ariana, not thinking, steps out of the shadows. The man has his back turned and is crying. Ariana walks up behind the man and hugs him so tight she thinks he will explode. The man sees a pair of tiny hands wrapped around him. He looks closely at the tiny hands and sees a birth mark the shape of a heart, almost the exact same as his daughters'.
The man calls Ariana by her name. Ariana is surprised she thinks the man hadn't known any children since he had left to fight. Ariana looks at the man's face. He has the same "v" point at his chin as her father has.
Ariana realizes that this man is her father. He looks like the pictures of him and her mother. Mother was always so happy in those pictures and Ariana has never seen her like that before. The man looks so happy now but then that happiness slips right off his face. He is scared now. He doesn't known how long Ariana was out there and he doesn't know if someone was tracking her.
The rain storm outside is getting worse. Ariana's father steps outside, he looks around in fear of seeing a group of men that had tracked Ariana. Instead it is Caroline his wife, and Felicia his slave. They look as if they have been out in the rain for the whole day.
Caroline is shocked to see her husband. She runs and gives him a great big hug, She tells him that Ariana had run off to find him. Caroline starts to cry but manages to say that Ariana was no where to be found and was most likely captured and soon to be killed. Just then, little David comes out of the hole under the hollow tree. Felicia sees David and screams his name, David jumps up and runs to Felicia, then gives her a hug. David hadn't seen his mother since they had been separated, four years ago.
Ariana follows David out of the hole and her mother looks like she has seen a ghost. She runs to Ariana and hugs her very tight. Ariana tells her mother it is time to go home. So mother, father, Felicia, Ariana, and David all travel back home.
A few weeks later the law is passed that there is to be no more slaves. So Felicia and David get the shack rebuilt to be a two story house. They get better things around their house too. David and Ariana play games all the time. The parents and Felicia get the cotton field taken out because of the damage done. Now, many come and visit Ariana, David, and their three children. And stories are told about their adventure.
