Here it is, my story for National Novel Writing Month 2009. National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, is a writing challenge where authors try to write 50,000 words of a novel in only 30 days. That's right, 50,000 words from November 1-November 30. I look forward to this every year because I never know just what is going to happen, and I hope you guys enjoy it as well. Please Read & Review.

Chapter One

The brightly colored autumn leaves seemed to give the appearance of a fire in the small town nestled in central Ohio. It was the kind of town where most everyone knew each other and it was hard to hide any sort of secret. Even now it still seemed to be deeply rooted in old traditions and the townspeople all waved at each other or smiled and nodded politely. It was the sort of place where nothing really ever happened, a quiet neighborhood and a peaceful community.

Liberty Sullivan walked down Main Street and headed towards the Martin family’s home. Every school night she would babysit the Martins’ three children: Luke, Robert, and Ashly. It was a job she had had for four years already and it was one she rather enjoyed, though that did not say much at all.

The sky was beginning to change color as the sun began to set. Liberty would watch the children from the time their father left for work until the time their mother came home. Having two different work schedules and three young children had been difficult for the Martins. With the way the economy had been lately, Mrs. Martin had had to return to work just so the family could stay afloat financially.

She walked up the sidewalk towards the Martins’ split level home and knocked on the door. Ashly pulled open the door and Liberty smiled at the six year old. “What are you doing answering the door?” Liberty asked her. “I could have been a stranger.”

The little girl shrugged. “Daddy’s still in the bedroom.” She pushed the door open further and stepped out of her babysitter’s way.

Liberty stepped into the house and looked around. “Where are Luke and Robbie? Playing video games in their room, I’d imagine.”

Ashly nodded. “But Daddy said they have to go to bed early tonight,” she answered with a small grin. “They didn’t eat all their vegetables at dinner.”

“Ah, I see.” Liberty looked around the living area. At least this night it didn’t look like she would have much to clean up. Though Mrs. Martin had said that they could not pay her more money for the extra cleaning she did, Liberty didn’t mind. She actually enjoyed helping people out. She walked down the hallway, leading towards the bedrooms. “Mr. Martin?”

She heard him clear his throat and shuffle around in his bedroom. “Just one minute, Liberty,” he called from behind the closed door. A few moments later he pulled the door open and gave her a strained smile.

“Ashly let me in,” she said. “Is there anything you need done around the house? I really don’t have any homework for tonight so I could spend a little time with the dishes or the laundry.”

Mr. Martin nodded. Liberty could see the signs of stress written into his face and she could see the rigidness of his posture. Working all these long hours was taking its toll on him. “There is some laundry that I didn’t get around to folding and I think Sarah left some dishes in the sink. You really don’t have to do anything other than watch the children.”

Liberty shook her head. “No, really, it’s fine. You guys work enough as it is. It’s the least I can do to help you guys out.”

“Thanks, Liberty. I don’t know what we would do without you. Ever since Sarah went back to work, we haven’t been able to keep up with all the housework.”

“I know and I understand completely.” She paused and looked, her forest green eyes meeting his hazel gaze. “You should probably be leaving for work. I’ll make sure the boys get to bed on time and I’ll get Ashly in for her bath.”

“Sarah should be home in a couple hours. I think she was going to stop at Wal-Mart to do a little grocery shopping first.” He headed down the hall and Liberty followed him. After he grabbed his lunchbox and his car keys, he gave Ashly a hug, opened the door, and headed off to work.

“All right now, little one. It’s time for your bath and then you need to be in bed.”

“Aww…but Libby,” Ashly protested. “Luke and Robbie get to stay up.”

“Yes, because they are older. I’ll be sending them to bed in another hour. Now go get your pajamas and I will meet you in the bathroom.” She looked down at the little girl, who still hadn’t moved. “Either you pick out your pajamas or I do.”

Ashly’s blue eyes widened and she turned and ran down the hall towards her bedroom. Liberty smiled and walked to the bathroom, turning the knob in the tub and waiting until it had reached a comfortable temperature before she turned to grab a fluffy towel for when Ashly got out of the tub. The little girl came into the bathroom a few moments later, carrying one of her favorite pairs of pink pajamas with flowers on them. After helping her get undressed, Liberty sat by and watched Ashly as she got into the tub and grabbed her washcloth.

The family had been working on getting Ashly to help out a little more, and that meant trying to teach her to bath herself. However, it was still important to watch her, just in case. She was still only six years old and it would be all too easy for something to happen to her. Ashly turned and looked at Liberty. “Can you help me?” she asked sweetly, holding her no-tears shampoo out. Being able to wash her hair by herself was still a little out of Ashly’s ability.

Liberty bent down and poured a dime size of shampoo into her hand before massaging it into Ashly’s platinum blonde curls. Then she helped her lean back and wash the suds out of her hair.

“Thank you,” the little girl said.

Liberty smiled. “You’re welcome.” And when Ashly finished with her bath, Liberty helped her out of the tub and wrapped the fluffy white towel around her and dried her off. “Can you get in your pajamas?”

Ashly nodded enthusiastically and started to pick up her clothes.

“Okay, I’m going to go check on the boys. I want you to get dressed and then go to your bedroom, all right?” After she saw Ashly nod again, Liberty left the bathroom and walked a few feet down the hall to the room that Luke and Robbie shared. The boys were older than Ashly by a few years and they were now obsessed with the old Playstation their parents had gotten for them at a yard sale. They couldn’t afford to buy a newer gaming system but right now that didn’t seem to matter too much to the boys as they could play newer games when they visited with their friends. The trouble was trying to get them to turn the games off.

“Luke, Robbie, you have to be in bed in a half-hour,” she said through the door. “I am not joking tonight and I will tell your mom if you try and weasel out of your bedtime.”

She heard the sound on the game go off, which she assumed meant that they had paused it. “Come on, Liberty, we’re too old for a bedtime,” Luke answered.

“I still have a bedtime, Luke, and I’m seventeen.”

“But…”

Even though they couldn’t see her, she shook her head. “No, no buts. You are going to go brush your teeth, change into your pajamas, and get to bed.”

She heard both boys groan for a few moments but then she could hear them turn their television off. Shortly after that they pulled the door open. Liberty smiled at them. Both Luke and Robbie took after their father, having his darker complexion and hair color. The main difference between the two boys was their eye color; Luke had hazel eyes, and Robbie had brown. “Come on, you know the rules.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Luke said.

“I’m going to go tuck Ashly in. When I come back I want to see you two in your pajamas. After that, we’ll talk.”

Luke nodded. “All right.”

“Good.” Liberty walked away from the boys and into Ashly’s room. As with any typical young girl, her room was decorated with pink, flowers, and princesses. “What story would you like tonight, Ash?”

The little girl was already waiting in her bed. “Umm…how about…Little Red Riding Hood?”

Liberty sat down on the edge of the bed and nodded. “Okay. Once upon a time…” As she began to tell the story, she noticed that Ashly was already near to falling asleep. In fact, Little Red was not even to her grandmother’s house when Ashly’s eyes closed and she drifted off. Liberty smiled and stood up, heading out of Ashly’s room, turning off the light and closing the door.

Then she headed over to check on the boys. They had changed into their pajamas and were sitting on the edges of their beds, playing video games once more. Liberty sighed. Well, at least they were ready for bed. She walked into their room and looked at them. “I want you to turn this off in thirty minutes,” she said. “If I come back up here and you’re still playing video games, I’ll tell your mom when she gets home.”

She was mostly telling the truth, though Liberty did sort of have a weak spot when it came to her duties as a babysitter. There was a reason why the kids liked having her around. Robbie looked over at her and nodded. That sealed the deal in Liberty’s mind, and she left the boys so she could go and work on the laundry.

The time passed easily from that time on. Liberty finished folding the laundry and then moved to the kitchen and did the dishes. Then, seeing that she still had a little time left, she prepared the kids’ lunches for school the next day. It would give Mrs. Martin one less thing to worry about in the morning.

Mrs. Martin arrived home a little later than usual, as Liberty expected. She walked out and helped her carry in the groceries and then unpack them. “They were all really good tonight, Mrs. Martin.”

She smiled at Liberty. “You always say that, even if they misbehave.”

“But they didn’t misbehave this time. I didn’t have to worry about anything. Their lunches are made, the laundry is folded, and I did the dishes.”

“You’re a life saver. I don’t think we could ever thank you enough.”

Liberty looked over at the woman. “I really like spending time with the kids.”

“I thought we were going to be in a lot of trouble when we lost our last babysitter, but then John mentioned asking you, and now I can’t believe we didn’t think of it sooner. You really are a unique young lady, Liberty.”

“I am nothing too special, Mrs. Martin. I just try to help wherever I can.”

“Well, we really appreciate it.”

Liberty nodded. “I know you do. I don’t want to just run out on you or anything but my father is expecting me at home, and I have to make sure I have all of my things set out for tomorrow,” she said. “I’ll see you again tomorrow night.”

“It’s fine. See you tomorrow.”

Liberty walked out of the kitchen and picked up her bag from the living room. She slipped out of the Martin’s home and headed out into the chilly late September air. Many teens her age were still out and about though they were most likely at a party or doing something else that could be thought of as inappropriate. Liberty looked up at the starry sky for a few moments and then began to walk down the street.

She knew her father would be sitting in the living room, facing the door and waiting for her to arrive home. He always worried about her even though she wanted nothing to do with the activities of her classmates. While they spent their time at the mall or the movies or doing any number of other activities, Liberty was at home, babysitting, or spending her time helping her neighbors.

There was a reason she only had a few friends at school. She knew she wasn’t considered to be at all popular and most of the other students saw her as a goody-goody and a teacher’s pet. It really didn’t bother her what they thought because none of them really had any idea what they were doing or where they were going with their lives. Unlike them, Liberty had a plan for her life and she knew that nothing would stand in her way.

However, as she looked up at the sky once more, she couldn’t help but wish for just a little excitement. The sleepy little town needed to be woken up, if for no other reason then the fact that it just might help bring the town together once more. It was all too common now for people to forget the simple things, to be thankful for what they had in the world and for the people in their lives.

She headed home, told her father good night, and got ready for bed. As she closed her eyes, Liberty found her mind filled with images of what it would be like to have her wish come true.