Chapter 1 It was Sunday, around eight thirty. I was awakened by the sound of a tractor horn blasting outside my window. I went over to the fogged up window in my room to see what the fuss was about. I pressed my hand against it, and it was frozen to the touch. “Hurry up! We’re leaving for church in ten minutes, Alyssa, if you're not out here ready to go by then, there will be a special beating in store for you !” Ma shouted the almost as loudly as the tractor horn. I quickly got dressed in my knee-length, dandelion yellow dress, my only nice dress, did my hair in a low bun, and brushed my teeth, which took two minutes, but didn’t have time to eat breakfast, because right as I walked out of the door my mom was putting the Chevrolet truck in drive to tell me to “Hop in or else you're punished for a month!”. “I’m comin’ Ma! I had to get ready for the day, you just wake up earlier than us and have more time to get ready! Ease up!” “Well come on faster,