Shadows of the Past by Katie Brethorst (scary books to read TXT) 📕

Dedicated to those who have given their lives for America. Also to my family and friends who have supported my writing.

I didn't know a lot about the Battle of Manassas. I do now, but under stranger circumstances. The way I learned now, is simple. I fell in love with someone who fought in 1861. What year am I in now you ask? 2012.

"Does he really have to go with us Dad?" I asked, no pleaded, my father. We were in a difficult impasse right now on a certain guest who might be coming with us on a month long vacation.
"Of course he does honey," he said. "He is your boyfriend you know. Most girls would be pleading for their boyfriends to go with them on vacation. Why are you so against it?" Oh I had plenty of reasons I didn't want him to go, but I had to come up with a convincing lie so he wouldn't suspect the real reason.
"I just wanted to spend alone time with you Dad. Just you and me in Washington D.C." I hoped my rhyming might convince him to keep Rick home. He cannot ruin vacation. Not again.
"There will be plenty of chances. Trust me Sienna. Even a Senator gets breaks now and then. I want you to get quality time with Ricky though. He would be an excellant husband you know." My dad's hinting did not even shadow the true feelings I had for Rick. The conniving little ingrate had hurt last years vacation and me on several occasions. I guess there would be no convincing my dad to let my weasel of a 'boyfriend' come with us on vacation.
"I suppose Dad. But do I have to spend every waking minute at Washington? Could I look at neighboring cities and sites?" I really hoped I wouldn't be stuck in that stuffy city. There were only so many sites in D.C.
"I guess you could go other places. Take Rick along. You need a man to protect you. A strong family name always helps too." He was so pleased he thought he could matchmake me with another senator's son, just because I was a senator's daughter. Well la de freaking da. Jeez.
"Of course I'll take Rick everywhere I go." Not. "He would be my only protector since I only have five bodyguards with me at all time." My dad was so clueless when it came to sarcasm.
"That's the spirit honey. Now go pack." Yay. Another month long session in the capitol of the country. Not like I've spent every summer there since I was five. I've never even left the city's perimeter while I was there. I wanted to see the rest of the area, not just the wheel and spoke pattern streets of D.C. I climbed the stairs to my room to go finish packing. All I really needed was a suitcase full of clothes. If I ever needed anything there, all I had to do was show a flash of a platinum credit card and I was good to go. I wanted to see something historical, not white on white capitol. I laid back in my bed and thought about what was going on in my life.
I had no mom. Couldn't squeeze anymore child support out of Dad, so she handed me over to him at age four and ditched us for a French chef. Last time I heard, she had had three children and was living in Brazil. My dad was the senator of Iowa and loved his job. Me, I was just a black haired, hazel eyed daughter who hated her boyfriend. Rick, my dad's perfect ideal boy for me, was nothing but a class A jerk. He wouldn't show that side to Dad, but to me, I saw the darkest evil's the earth has ever seen. I was probably the only girl in history who felt the way I do.
I hate to sound petty and shallow, but I couldn't stand Rick. I was thinking this, when I heard a knock on my door. I swung my legs over the side, and strode over on long leg to the door. I was wearing my favorite outfit. Jean shorts and a T-Shirt that said "Bored to Death" with a monitor and a squiggly line that ended in a flat line. I opened it, and Jessica our maid stood like a board in front of me.
"At ease soldier." I ordered Jessica. I grinned and she relaxed. She had to stand like that unless I gave her a direct order not to. One of Dad's perks is being able to set the law of the land at this mansion. I loved Jessica like a mom. She was the basically the only one I really had. I keep hinting to Dad, but again, he is a nononsense person. That's what makes him such a great senator. But a horrible employer/dater. Jess stepped into my room to give me some kind of news. Hope it was good.
"Rick is here to see you,Sienna." No such luck. Jess was the only one who knew how I really felt about him. She had the decency to notice. She saw how I grimaced, and she gave me a comforting smile. "You want me to tell him you have recently developed a headache, and are in no condition to see him?" She smiled at her own beautifully constructed lie.
"Actually, now that you mention it, I think I need to sit down. My head hurts so badly because I felt a bad presence walk through my front door." I grinned at Jess and she beamed back.
"Headache it is then. Thank you for your time miss." She started to close the door when I stopped her.
"Jess, do you like my dad?" I hope it didn't sound weird. I really, really wanted her answer to be yes.
"Of course, he's a wonderful employer and he is quite funny to be around when he isn't in senator mode. But if you mean like a relationship way, a poor girl like me is nothing compared to the likeness like him." There she goes with this commoner crap again. She was so beautiful. Fiery red hair, full pink lips, heavy lidded green eyes, and dark eyelashes that made mascara companies envy her. She needed no makeup to be pretty. The only reason she looked down on herself was because her family was middle class. I knew she liked Dad. I just had to show her how pretty she was.
"Would you like to come with us to Washington?" I wanted her to spend as much time with Dad as possible. She would come to realize she could win him over in a heart beat.
She smiled sweetly. "I would love to, but there is too much to watch over here. I promise I'll be here when you get back. I will not leave you like previous women in your life. Trust me." She smiled and I hugged her. She left promising to wake me up at 6:30 a.m.
I walked to my bathroom and felt the comforting rich white carpet on my feet. It felt good just to curl my toes and look at the setting. I know it's a bathroom, but I decorated how I wanted it, not the way the interior designer wanted it. I stripped and got into the shower. I lathered my hair with shampoo and thought over my conversation with Jessica.
Was I as bad a matchmaker as Dad? I don't think so. I actually think they would be a cute couple. But then again, so did Dad with Rick and me.
I rinsed, and got out. I wrapped myself in a creme colored tower, and looked in the mirror. I was just a plain normal girl, even if my dad was senator. I sometimes wished I was prettier, but then realized I had better things to worry about.
I got into a comfortable set of pajamas and headed to bed. My four posted bed was the most comforting thing in this house besides Jess. I was asleep before the sheets even settled.

"Wasn't that just the absolute worst plane trip you've ever had? No first class seats for two senators children. If I were that captain, I would've kicked two mid-life crisis people back to seccond class." Rick was seething over our five hour plane trip. It wasn't that bad for me. I like conversing with people who aren't rich. It makes me feel a little more normal. For Rick, it's like a king sitting in a room of peasants. I rolled my eyes, but I didn't say anything. I knew better.
"It was horrible." I said curtly. He annoyed me so much when he was even in a good mood. I was anxious to get away from him as soon as I could. Please let the tourist buses be running when I get to the stop. I was really hoping for one there