She tracked the man in black as the sun sank lower in the sky. It would be harder to follow his trail in the dark, but she didn't expect the chase to last that long. She could clearly see the lines in the sand where he dragged his wounded leg in an attempt to run- occasionally, there was  a spot of blood where his tourniquet or bandage had failed.

He was unable to escape. She quickened her pace as the sun sank before her, drawing out memories as it filled the sky with color.

***

For a few muddled moments, Kate Logan thought she was back at the orphanage before she remembered her escape from the previous day. For a moment, she stretched out on the mattress before she remembered the deal she'd made: one day of work to prove she would fail, and then she'd be returned to Matron Willard.

She was out of bed like she'd been shot out of a cannon, tugging on her overshirt and stepping into her shoes as she made her way downstairs. The man, John, looked at her with a raised eyebrow and addressed her.

"And here I thought I'd win my bet before breakfast, with these two telling me they failed to wake you. We're almost ready to start- you'll have to eat something fast."

Kate and Matthew exchanged glares. No one had tried to wake her; they'd most likely be thrilled to see her shipped away. Kate grabbed a hunk of bread as she followed the two boys outside. They walked for a while, and Kate couldn't help but think about how beautiful it all was. All this space for one man; he may not dress rich, but to her he seemed like a demi-god. When he stopped walking, the children stopped behind him. 

"This is our spot for today. I'm sorry to tell you that you'll have to work hard. And long. If I were a millionaire, perhaps I could adopt orphans and pamper them. As it is, I've agreed to take you in so that you can provide me help as farmhands. I'm your boss and your legal guardian, not your father. If you fail to work, you're an expense I can't afford, and the matron has agreed to let me return anyone who does not meet my standards. That being said, I am not here to abuse you or take advantage of you. You'll be doing the same hard work that I will, but for shorter hours. You'll learn something about how to run a farm, and I will keep you fed, clothed, and with a roof over your head."

The two boys and the girl listened intently, especially as John explained their tasks for the day. They'd each be tilling a stretch of this particular uneven area. John would leave them here for a while, and return to walk them back in for lunch. 

When John had left, all three children immediately got to work. Matthew and Mark weren't men yet, but they were tall and strong for their age. Soon, Kate was far, far behind- and the fact that they had "accidentally" tripped her a couple times didn't help. When John returned to walk them back for lunch, he had his arms crossed, grimacing in Kate's direction. As he called them, the boys dropped their tools immediately. Kate kept working. John spoke to her a few times without a response before shrugging and leading the boys back.

They seemed to be gone forever. Slowly, steadily, she caught up to the progress the boys had made. Slightly ahead of Mark, slightly behind Matthew. She found a spot near the fence and flopped to the ground, sweat dampening every part of her body. It felt like just a minute when she heard their voices again. Two boys, fed and rested, ready to tear back into their work. She stood, and every muscle in he body cried out. John approached her.

"Girl, there's no shame in quitting."

She stared up at him, squinting her green eyes before starting to walk back to where the boys were. He stopped her with a hand on her shoulder, passing her a bottle of water and sandwich from his pack. Then he was gone.

The boys were finished in the late afternoon, and John watched them celebrate with each other. He granted them an early end to the day, sending them back home to wash up for dinner. He leaned against the fence and crossed his arms as he watched Kate continue to work.

Her arms were barely responding, and she was practically throwing her hoe out like she was casting a desperate line on a fishing rod, rather than using a tool. As the sun started to sink, she finally finished everything the boys had done.

More exhausted than she'd ever been in her life, she trudged over to where John was waiting. He looked at her for a long time.

"I'm ready to take you back now, girl."

She shook her head.

"You know we're just going to do this same sort of thing again tomorrow. And the next day. And the next day."

She nodded.

"And you still want to stay?"

She nodded.

"... Christ, you're stubborn."

He turned and started to walk back towards the house, and she did her best to keep up with him, despite her protesting legs. As she pulled up evenly with John, he dropped a hand on top of her head and she caught him smirking.

"Alright, girl. You can stay."