Run for Your Life

The rain was coming down so hard that Tilly felt like she was going to drown. She was slopping through the mud and could feel her shoes sticking each time. She didn’t have a coat, so she was beginning to shake uncontrollably. The blanket she had grabbed to wear was torn and ragged. It wasn’t good for much.

Every muscle in Tilly’s body ached with exhaustion. She had been on the road running for days now. She wasn’t sure exactly how many days she had been gone because all of her running was done at night under the light of the moon. But tonight there was no moon: only the clouds that blocked the moonlight and her feeling of freedom. As long as the moon was in the sky, Tilly felt like she was safe and everything would be okay.

It all started when a new slave showed up on the plantation. She was assigned to work in the shed just outside the barn. But this new slave had also brought a plan—a plan for an escape. She was careful whom she shared the plan with, as it was dangerous to let too many people know. Tilly had listened to the plan, and she and her sister were resolute about going.

The escape route was dangerous and filled with fear. At any minute, a slave could be caught and returned to his or her owner to face the severe consequences of trying to run away.