We ate for a little bit, as quietly as possible. For hours, no one spoke. We kept silent hoping the soldiers passing by on their horses outside wouldn’t hear us. I started to get used to being underground more and more. I felt more at home in this darkness then I ever did in the light. I blended in with the dark, no one could find me in the pitch black. I had been in the darkness for 3 days now. Tired of the same and in the comfort of the shadows, I dozed off. 

          I saw Mica with me again. We were in the cotton fields together. I waved. He waved back. It was a hot, sunny summer day. The sun was gazing onto our dark skin. But then I heard a door slam shut and footsteps approached. Master Jones was coming to kill my brother. He kept coming closer and closer. I couldn’t speak, my words were frozen inside me. His footsteps, closer and closer. Now too close. 

               I woke up, terrified, it was just a nightmare, Mica wasn’t back. Master Jones wasn’t here. I was still in the dark like I had been before. But I still heard the footsteps echoing inside my head. They weren’t just in my dream. Someone else was here and I could tell it wasn’t Abi. 

               The floor boards were shaking above our heads and the steps were getting louder and louder. Closer and closer. It was a Confederate on the hunt— for us. I was frozen, yet sweat was dripping down my face, my mind apprehensive. We all held our breath, trying our hardest to remain motionless. He was standing right above me, I could hear the low thumping of his foot as it strummed on the wood floorboards.

            I was terrified. Right above me was a demanding soldier who wanted nothing but the truth from Abi. The footsteps were trapped in my head.

          "Do you have anyone else in this house?" The Confederate demanded. If she got caught, we would all die.

           "No sir." Abi said, limiting her answers as much as she could. 

            "No family, or escaped slaves?"

             I could tell Abi was holding back, a lot. "No." 

           The Confederate stomped. "Then you won't mind if I maybe-" he tore her curtain off the hook, " look around." I could hear him rustling through more items in her house. He stomped again, harder this time. But then I fell. His footsteps came closer again, even though they had just left. He started to speak, “What was tha-“ 

       Abi then quickly knocked something over and it broke. 

“Oh I’m so sorry, things are just falling all over the place” she said. His footsteps faded once again, walking to help her clean it up.

       "Have a good day then Miss." He slammed the door.

              Abi sighed in relief. We could hear her panting anxiously after they left. Abi waited for the horse’s galloping to fade away into the distance. She finally lifted up the rug and the plank to check on us. I had almost forgotten what light looked like. My heartbeat was still racing but the footsteps were finally gone.