Saints & Sinners

EVERYONE KNEW CAROLINE BARLOWE AS A SINFUL GIRL. The rumors about her escapades spread throughout Union like wildfire and yet, she was never penalized. Truly, the Barlowe's seemed to be the luckiest family in the village. Their crops were prospering, whole family beautiful, and the sun was always shining on their home.

Quite honestly, the young Barlowe girl was just like any other. She craved love, attention, and someone to be there for her. Difference is, she didn't mind if it came from a woman or a man. In this moment, it happened to be a girl from the village, Lizzie. They had been friends for years and had never explored their feelings any deeper in fears of being caught by the others around them.

Until now, of course.

"Do you plan to come tonight.. to enjoy the fruits of the land?" Lizzie asked, a playful grin on her face as she blew bubbles towards her friend who was sitting right outside of her bath.

"Oh, Lizzie. You don't have to use code with me. Of course I am attending, it wouldn't be much fun without me, would it?" Cynthia grinned slightly as she reached over, grabbing the other girls hand.

The Barlowe girls thumb brushed over Liz's, a faint smile on her face as it did.

"I suppose it would not, the two of us do make quite a pair on these occasions." Lizzie giggled slightly, sitting up straighter. "I hear Hannah Miller will be joining us."

"The day Hannah Miller joins us, there will be hell on Earth." Caroline laughed at that, her head resting on the side of the bathtub.

"Of course you would say something like that." Liz grinned, leaning forward to press a quick kiss against the other girls lips. "We've got to get to work, it's early morning, my love."

"If we must." The Barlowe girl let out a sigh as she got up, wiping the dirt off of her dress. "I will see you later tonight."

"Yes you will." Lizzie smiled slightly, waving as Caroline carefully made her way out of the room, checking her surroundings before she exited the house.

The Barlowe girl started to skip down the road when she made is safely out of view, humming her favorite song as she did. Her brother would surely be furious with her but she was too in her own world to care. Working was no fun and besides, she was a lady. Why does she need to shovel through dirt?

"Hello, Issac. Isn't it a fine day to enjoy the fruits of the land?" The young girl asked whimsically, a smile on her face.

She never remembered the full code, or at least, she never bothered to.

"Indeed it is, Ms. Barlowe. A very fine day." Issac replied, his shovel containing a mound of what would be later used as soil.

"Be careful with that, I do not wish for either of us to smell like manure all day." Caroline scrunched up her nose as she continued to walk, waving her friend a short goodbye.

She walked a few minutes more before finally reaching her home, the place where the sun shined brightest in Union. The home that everyone envied, with good reason of course. The Barlowe's were perfect, and most of the others were just ordinary.

"About time you made it home, sister!" Eric Barlowe called out. "I was about to start thinking you do not want to do your half of the work! We're off to the fields the moment you put on the correct shoes."

Caroline rolled her eyes slightly at her older brother. Him and his wife, along with their newborn lived in the Barlowe home and as much as she loved her brother, he was becoming a pain. Always bossing her around like he's her father.

"The moment you put on your correct shoes." The girl mumbled in a mocking tone, making fun of her obnoxious older sibling.

"I expect you to be on your best behavior, the Whitlocke's will be there and I heard that Ezekiel has an interest in marrying you." Eric grinned, happy that his sister would get to experience marriage, love, and children just like him.

"I will marry when our pigs start to fly." Caroline scoffed slightly, shaking her head. "You should know by now I do not intend to do such a thing."

"You act as if marriage is some sort of crime." The Barlowe man seemed hurt by her words as he followed the girl inside.

"I am just sick of having to do things that are expected of me, and if you can't understand that, I feel sorry for you." Without letting him speak another word, Caroline stormed up the steps, slamming the door behind her.

She'd be damned before going down the path that was wished for her.

CAROLINE LOOKED LONGINGLY OUT THE window as she waited for the best time to sneak out of the house. It had been an incredibly long day, and there appeared to be no end in sight. The Whitlocke boys had been incredibly nice, and although she found Ezekial attractive, she made it clear to him that she had no intentions of marrying anytime soon.

As the polite boy he was, he understood. Her father however? Was quite furious.

"About time, Lizzie." Caroline smiled as she seen the light flickering back and forth from the girls house, turning away from the window as she quietly creeped away from her bedroom.

"Going somewhere, sister?" Eric spoke up, almost making the girl scream as she held a hand against her chest.

"You always scare me like that!" The young girl whisper yelled, furrowing her brows angrily. "I intend to go on a late night walk, the moon looks beautiful."

"Is that all you intend to do?" The Barlowe man raised a brow.

"Of course it is, i'll be back in time to get some rest and go back to all of my duties." Caroline looked around the room carefully. "Please do not tell anyone."

"Hmph, you forget that I was once your age, not long ago." Eric stepped from the doorway. "I do hope you enjoy the fruits of the land, sister."

The Barlowe girl did not know what to say to that, smiling curtly before making her way past her brother and out of the house. He always knew everything, like he had been the same way when he was younger. Except, he was known as the golden boy so how exactly was that possible?

"Wait for me, would you?" Caroline called out as quiet as she could, running up to Sarah, Hannah, and Lizzie.

"We were beginning to think you would not make it, Ms. Barlowe." The Fier girl commented with a slight smile as she caught up with the group.

"I would never miss a night like this, you should all know that by now." Caroline threw her arms up, wrapping one around Lizzie and the other around Sarah, the tips of her fingers touching Hannah's shoulder. "Are we up for some mayhem, ladies?"

"It's a good night for it, Caroline."

This was the beginning of the end for Union, and the people in it, including Caroline.

AUTHORS CORNER—
Whewww here is chapter one! I was originally going to extend this all the way passed the party but then I decided that I need to stretch out all the movies as much as possible lmao.

How do we feel about Caroline so far?

Hope you enjoyed! More coming soon.