I wasn’t always a country. Hell, I wasn’t even a person at one point. I was a little state wandering my lands alone and hunting for food where I could. I swam, I played, I laughed. But I was all alone. I spent years watching over my people. But there was of course the day I just appeared. I had no knowledge of who or what I was. Only that I was alone.
I was probably around three in human terms when I appeared. Shoulder length blond hair and bright green eyes. I had a simple dress, nothing more than a piece of forest green cloth sewed into a dress with matching leggings and heavily buckled boots. I believe there were six buckles on the boots that reached my calves. My hair was held back with a green headband. I had a simple canvas backpack filled with magic books. I would gather the ingredients and read them wherever I went.
As I watched the people I learned. They were ruled by a tyrant. A man they called king who taxed them without even letting them have representation at parliament.
They were very angry. I heard through a newspaper that they’d tried and failed to reason with the king and had thrown all the tea in the harbor in Boston. The king had sent over soldiers. I don’t know how I knew, but I knew to stay away from the soldiers.
Once in the forest I was taking a nap under the trees. I could smell something delicious over a fire. I slowly opened my eyes and looked around to find the cause. A man, probably in his late teens, looked over at me.
He smiled. “Awake now princess?”
I rubbed my eyes. “Who the hell are you?”
“I’m Alfred F. Jones. Who are you?”
I thought for a moment, than shrugged. “I don’t know. No one ever gave me a name.”
“How long have you lived in New York?”
I decided to trust this man with the truth. I didn’t know why I wanted to trust him. “Since the first boat of colonists came sir. I just appeared, I guess you could say.”
“Then you do have a name.”
“What?” I asked.
“You’re the state of New York. Now you just need a human name.”
“A human name?”
“How about…” He looked up at the sky. “Skylar, Skylar Heartlyn.”
I smiled. “I have a name!”
He chuckled and poured me a mug of the liquid, handing it to me. I took a sip.
“Mmmmm…”
“You like hot chocolate?”
I smiled. “Yessir.”
“Skylar, I’m the country of America.”
I nodded, still drinking.
“And America is all of the states together.”
I nodded again.
“So what am I to you?”
I stopped and thought for a moment. “My daddy?”
He ruffled my hair and smiled. “Yep princess, I’m your daddy.”
“I always wanted a daddy.”
Soon enough the rebellion started and I watched my soldiers die. My people died. Innocent people died for this cause. Years of battle. He promised it would be over by now. It was the first promise he broke. But not the last.
