Afoot
By: Nicholas Drabant
In 1770, times were simpler. No cars on the ground, nor planes above, nor had anyone even
dreamed of flying above the heavens themselves.
Yet, simpler does not mean better, as the simple, god-fearing settlement of De Witt knew.
Recently, the town had been plagued with both disease and economic malaise alike.
The town, being god-fearing, did what they could. They prayed and spoke with their most trusted
member of society, a man by the name of Aaron.
The town, though deeply religious was, ironically, without a priest or an official church that had
moved from Europe to the New World. But Aaron, being trustworthy and virtuous enough on the surface, filled the spot quite nicely according to the all the townsfolk. All, except for one.
Her name was Anne. She, despite it being a time where woman seemingly were forcibly glued to
their households, was free. She lived alone, cooked alone, acted alone, sewed alone, and, most importantly to the town, went to church alone. She was, by all meanings of the word, beautiful: her hair
blond, her skin tanned, and her eyes piercing. Every man wanted her; to them, she was a prize, the
untamed horse that nobody could tame without some divine intervention. Yet, despite all their advances, she readily rejected all of them with urgency. She was in this bold New World to be alone, to
be different from the domestic slaves at her home country. Despite her constant rejections though,
people kept following her.
Then came the biggest rejection of all: Aaron. To the town’s leading figure, the spitting image of religious integrity and the face of domestic happiness, the only fitting bride would be the one who was
obviously saving herself for someone special.
“Well who is more special then me?” Aaron would often think to himself as he gazed longingly at the
independent beauty. Finally, he gained the willpower to ask for her hand in marriage. Now, as any
truly smart \