The Revolutionaries

• Lachlan Cobcroft, Grade 9, Erina High School
• Short Story
• 2013

Finalist in the 'Written in the Stars 2013' competition

The air was bitter and cold, a frosty winter’s night — a night Johnson should have been with his family sitting in his home by the warm, hearty campfire reading a nice book. Instead he was sitting in a tree watching as the snow fell down, waiting just waiting for the carriages to come.
But he wasn’t always this way. About fourteen years ago he was a normal boy discovering what 18th century New York had to offer him. He would watch as the peddlers would come into the town and see how many poor, orphaned children would try and take something from the loose rucksacks on the wooden side of the rickety carriages.
But while trying to go to sleep, Johnson kept hearing some people talking about so much money being in a house. He went to sleep with ease, but when he woke up he felt like he could never sleep again. Their house had been robbed and his family was missing. As he searched around the house he saw a picture of a cross with a line through it. He could remember seeing this before, but where?
After being adopted by his uncle in the forest, he made a promise to find out who did this and seek revenge. After living with his older uncle for fifteen years it was about time to seek justice. He waved goodbye and set out for answers. As he left he saw a mighty eagle fly overhead, Johnson saw this a sign of good luck and promises.
As he walked through New York for the first time in fifteen years he saw the old children, now adults and the peddlers now made from metal. He remembered the insignia of the men that killed his family, a cross with a line through it. Johnson asked a few people if they had ever seen that sign before. After nearly giving up hope a man dressed in a dark robe came out of the shadows and told him everything he needed to know. The men were part of a group called “The Revolutionaries” a group of robbers breaking into people’s houses, stealing and murdering everyone in their path
The dark robed man was once part of them until he realised what he was doing was wrong. The group did not like it and kicked him out. He told Johnson his name was Kennedy and he would help him with his journey. He led Johnson to his house and gave him a box, a box filled with Kennedy’s past. A robe with the insignia of the Revolutionaries filled the main compartment with a robe like blade in the smaller pocket. After telling him a bit more about what to do he set out to find their base - in Boston.
And here he was perched neatly on a tree branch waiting, just waiting for a supply carriage to lead him into the lair and give him revenge.