Please do not copy the diary entries. They belong to the author, I would not be sharing any of them if I did not purposefully comment and respond to almost every other sentence. And FYI STARTING AT this chapter of my  annotation of  this book is where it is not for the age group below high-schoolers as there are really dark stuff coming up. Unless you use it as a model to write your own example of annotation or a challenging writing prompt to follow NEVER COPY IT EVER. I will never put this book in stores or on another website either. This is a solo Wattpad story only and only exists for the convenience of those who wish to catch onto several writing skills and practiced them, Skylights, when they have no resources to use and accessibly provide themselves off line. I don't want any money for it and I don't want popularity for it. It is just a simple gift to less fortunate than me and to me them being able to read this is satisfying enough. It is enough for me that readers will want to read it.

You, however,  may quote whatever annotations I have stated that you find make a very good lesson and point I will allow that. I quote people all the time. And I will be listing several quotes from the story in these chapters to come up later because they are really good to quote, my friends.

133: 152nd diary entry annotated.
Tuesday, December 6, 1859
Samella, a barn cat, had a litter of three kittens under the kitchen porch. (14 words, aww, better that was exciting enough to cheer you up, Clotee.) Two died. (The poor things.) I captured the last one, a jet black one, and took it to William. (14 words, fun teachers, dedicated kindly healing woman and last but not least of an animal companion to help move him through the healing process. Clotee gave him quite the gift today; the only meaningful living physical gift William has ever received.)
I'd never heard William say thank you for anything in his life, but he thanked me for the kitten. (19 words, you're probably like, did I actually read this right? He really thanked her for the kitty?! Yes he did say thank you to her. The first real nice recognition from a white person was from her Master's own son after she passed him a living gift to care for.) He named it Shadow. (4 words, it is a common name for dogs and cats still today. But I think Shadow in this cast doesn't mean darkness. This cat hung around William as if it were a second shadow of his, Skylights.)

Later
"That was a kind thing you did for William," said Mr. Harms. (12 words, Harms just complimented her for bringing William that barn cat.) He was standing in the doorway to the study. "Keep dusting." (11 words) At last, we were having that talk. (7 words, patience always pays off, God set you up in the right place at the right time.)
My head was spinning with thoughts. (6 words, not surprised.) What to ask? What to say? (6 words, it is easy to think about speaking to the persons you dream of meeting but it is much harder to say the real things.) "I've been waiting and waiting for this time." (8 words, good starting statement, best not to really over bombard him with questions.)
Our talk went like this:
"I had to make sure you could be trusted — and that you could trust me." (15 words, valid points of reasoning.) "Are you a abolitionist?" I wanted to know that in the worst way. (13 words, she wanted to know to an extreme degree is what to know that in the worst way translates to, Skylights.)
He smiled, but his eyes were serious. (7 words, yep your face can convey two different tones and expressions gleefulness in your physical smile and stern serious concern with your eyes of your face, but they can also do it vice versa too.) "Yes, I am. Who else knows about me?" (8 words) "Aunt Tee, Spicy, and me. (4 words, Immediately Clotee truthfully responded.)
But Miz Lilly's looking at you real careful-like." (8 words) "Thanks for the warning. She could be a problem." (9 words, yet another thank you, another recognition from a white man. Yep, Mr. Harms knew Miz Lilly was always going to be a problem when he got into this.)
"Are you and the one-eyed man the Underground Railroad?" (9 words)
"No. Not by ourselves," he whispered. "We are conductors." (9 words, the riskiest job in the organization is to be a conductor especially when you risk being found out.) He told me it was neither underground nor a railroad. (10 words, I can only imagine how bored conductors must have been explaining that misleading name even when they recall stories in history classes today.) It's a group of people who work together to help slaves get to freedom. (14 words, it is gonna take a while for Clotee's brain to reset the right kind of picture back in.)
"You can read and write. I figured you learned by listening during lessons. Remarkable." (14 words, listening during lessons means you learn by sounding out all the letters you hear. Doesn't matter if it is British English or U. S English both are English and English is as phonetic as the French and Spanish languages too. There is no way to learn these words without hearing their letters' sounds before hand. Anyone who says something different about that rule of the language is lying straight to your face.) "I done learned a lot from you." (7 words, she totally has.) Then I say, "You a southerner. Why you want to end slavery?" (12 words, that's gonna have to wait a while longer.)  He wasn't able to answer, because somebody was coming. (9 words, you both need to go about your ordinary business.)
I had more questions to ask. Later. (7 words, yep wait again to talk. Patience pays off.)

Now it's time to take Miz Lilly her warm milk before bedtime. (12 words, be ready to prepare a very blank face.)
I got to be sure that I don't give away nothing in my face. (14 cover up all your glee for now.)

134: 153rd diary entry annotated.
Wednesday, December 7, 1859
Today, Dr. Lamb came to see William — said he was improving. (11 words, that's so wonderful indeed.) That still gave Mr. Harms and me a moment to talk. (11 words, a moment is better than nothing at all.) He told me Belmont was the first station on the Underground Railroad in this area. (15 words, history never could teach us that.) It was a low point in the river, where it narrows and the current is less swift. (17 words, only river experts, people who study the river water's movements would ever know where it's lowest current drag is, Skylights.) Runaways meet their first conductor here in the Belmont woods and are taken to the next point. (17 words, yep that's how it was done, indeed, back then, Skylights.)
Why couldn't poor Rufus and his family make it? (9 words, because Rufus refused to trust the system that had been successfully set up and it had been successful for years, dear Clotee.)

135: 154th diary entry annotated.
Thursday, December 8, 1859
The days are short and cold. (6 words) The fields have been laid by. (6 words)
Tobacco is yellowing over slow coals. (6 words, the language of those last three sentences sound like the essence of a poem, right? Remember Clotee has read an actual poem!)
Waith's put everybody to work fixing up the place for Christmas — the Big Times. (14 words) Another holiday. Endless chores. (4 words, with too much work grumpiness isn't too far behind period.) Eva Mae is making fruit cakes today. (7 words) I chopped nuts and berries til my fingers have got no feeling. (12 words, that's better than having them aching from a bleeding Clotee.) Missy got on one of Clarissa's old dresses — Miz Lilly probably promised her a hat, too, if she tells on me. (21 words, that girl is really losing herself within worthless promises.) Missy and me hardly talk any more except when we serving the food. (13 words, you never really talked at all Missy took over all the talking she did with you, Clotee.)
She hangs under Miz Lilly like Shadow does William. (9 words, told you like second shadows clinging to them all the time, Skylights.)

136: 155th diary entry annotated.
Friday, December 9, 1859
We spent the day in the barn, restuffing Miz Lilly's mattress with fresh down we've been saving all year. (19 words, that's probably one of your easiest jobs ever.) Hince has been coming to Aunt Tee's cabin every night to sit with Spicy, so I can't write until he leaves. (21 words, she doesn't know Hince actually already knows yet why and how shouldn't be too hard to know who would tell him about what Clotee can do.) Since our talk in the study, Mr. Harms has been slipping me things to read. (15 words, nice. You get to read real stuff that you didn't have to steal.)
I hide them under my dress until I get here. (10 words, that can't be very easy.)
I read the papers to Aunt Tee and Spicy. (9 words, learning to read to others is another entirely different skill. Enunciation of pronunciation is extremely, extremely important Skylights.) A lot of it we don't understand, but a lot of my questions have answers now. (16 words, reading knew stuff owned by abolitionists of course you're going to an accurate answer to the majority of your questions.) Abolitionists live everywhere, just like I thought. (7 words, yep they do.)

But, what makes me happyest is that some abolitionists are women and some are even people who done been slaves, just like me. (23 words, there is a bunch of a variety of people who can be called abolitionists to me this is one of the most fairly tolerant organizations to exist in U. S. A history when it used so many from different backgrounds to say oppressed people.) Mr. Harms say that a used-to-be-slave named Frederick Douglass teached himself to read and write just like me. (18 words, our first real person mention in this book. )
Now he's an abolitionist and writes his own newspaper up in the New York called The North Star. (18 words, I didn't know he had his own newspaper created.) I want to read that paper some day. Maybe I will. I know I will. (15 words, you probably totally will your brilliant fearless determination.)

137: 156th diary entry annotated.
Saturday, December 10, 1859
Aunt Tee sent Spicy and me to pick the last of the beets from the house garden. (17 words)
They're tender and sweet after the frost hits the ground. (10 words, I never knew that.)
On the way back from the garden Waith jumped out and grabbed Spicy's arm. (14 words, get away you ugly creepy boy!)
"You're right pretty for a black gal," he say, spitting tobacco juice. (12 words, you're hitting on someone who's already taken hard to someone else, Waith.) He hissed at me to git, but I wouldn't go — not without Spicy. (13 words, of course she isn't going anywhere without her sister friend.) I held on to her hand. (6 words) He snapped his whip in my direction. (7 words, so devilishly rude indeed!)
"Git like I tol' you, or I'll give you a whupping gal!" (12 words, his attitude is worse than a U. S. Marine sergeant today happens to be.)
"Mr. Harms wouldn't like you bothering Spicy.
He done picked her for hisself." (13 words, sometimes we just say things to frighten stronger people off.) I surprised myself at how fast I could speak a lie. (11 words, while normally I don't approve of lies a lie is a lie even when told for good intentions good intentions do not ever cancel out that a lie is still always going to be a lie but for the people she told lies to it is their fault for not looking for the truth that tells us Miz Lilly and Briley Waith have the absolutely lowest IQ of a mental test, Skylights.) It was a good lie, because it was helping Spicy. (10 words, that may be truly it is still a lie.) She was frozen in fear, because she knew Waith didn't have nothing good in mind. (15 words, you know exactly what they mean when they say that, he would indeed probably have raped and disgraced her too, Skylights.) Waith b'lieved me. (3 words) He let Spicy go, and we ran as fast as we could to Aunt Tee. (15 words, yes, just get out of his ugly sight.)
I'll tell Mr. Harms what I said, and maybe he can protect Spicy until . . . until what? (16 words, now her desire to run is starting to hit harder right now as Waith continues to make her more uncomfortable.)
Dare I write it? (4 words) Until we run away. (4 words, Clotee's desire currently is to make a run herself, but what choices will delay it the last five chapters to come, Skylights?)

138: 157th diary entry annotated.
Sunday, December 11, 1859
I miss the good Sundays we had when Rufus was here. (11 words, I really betcha ya do really miss those good times.) But Mr. Harms gave Spicy's Bible back. (7 words, he was protecting it for her all this time, Skylights.) He had been keeping it in his room where it would be safe. (13 words, totally awesome)bThe one he showed Miz Lilly was one of his. (10 words, he had really fooled her back then at the time. Lol, that's so ridiculous.) Spicy was thankful to get it back — it being her mama's and all. (13 words, not surprised it's a very sentimental keepsake gift from her birth mother of she wants to keep it very close.) Now I read to Spicy and Aunt Tee when we get a chance. (13 words, remember Clotee said she wanted to read the Bible well now she could do so for two others in private in Aunt Tee's cabin granting both Spicy and her wish to one day read it because Spicy's Bible was now available to read to her remaining family, Skylights. God finds a way to make the impossible once again truly vividly possible. Praise the Lord!)

Later

There was a big celebration at Belmont tonight. (8 words) Had to work in the kitchen. (6 words) Mr. Cleophus Tucker and the other men Mas' Henley supported won. (11 words, you might have won this round, but that doesn't mean the fight has ever stopped yet.) The house looked beautiful, everything shining and sparkling. (8 words, she's never called that house beautiful before ever.) We'd worked hard enough to make it look that way. (10 words)
The guests went on and on about how they hate abolitionists and northern meddlers. (14 words, ironically Virginia split into two during the Civil War the Northern part of the statement remained with the Union and after the war became the West Virginia state. The Southern part of Virginia did not, and like North Carolina it was one of the last states that kept delaying its decision to secede or not. This tells Virginia had a very mixed crowd and a lot of muddled information going around. This book is set two years ahead of 1861 when Virginia finally seceded in May of 1861, kind of funny.) Made me smile inside, seeing Mr.
Harms right in the middle of them — and they don't even know he was a fox in the henhouse. (25 words, glee does make you feel much better when you know something others had no idea about it. It clears out all your sadness and hurt and makes you giggle silently inside. Fox in the henhouse is a really clever ironic analogy comparison drawn here that's so furiously hilarious, Skylights.)
Mas' Edmund Ruffin was part of the group tonight. (9 words) He was the one who talked the longest and the loudest about the rights of slaveholders. (16 words, the loudest and most drolling speakers in a self center political party often tend to be the most bias sticklers for the current systems they have in place. All the nonsensical value and worth of greed and lustiness.) He was always talking 'bout his freedom. (7 words) "We are a free nation. We fought England for our freedom. (11 words, if there is one thing you can say about British Red Coat soldiers back in the Revolutionary War of Independence is that those soldiers were never huge Boasters about their control. That is where they actually surpass us as better people. We have plenty of U. S. American in history who boast too much about all the good they have and still want more handed to them both in the War for Independence and the Civil War there were soldiers of both sides who fell under such a personality, Skylights.) We will fight again for our freedom if we must!" (10 words, you're fighting only for your free will not for freedom in the case of what will occur in two years time.) Mas'ers talk a powerful lot when it comes to their freedom. (11 words, indeed, Clotee, indeed.)
But when it comes to freeing the slaves — they gets struck deaf and dumb. (14 words, hard core politicians are always deaf and dumb to core fair reasonings, Clotee. It's just the stupid way of politics. People get caught in the leisure of not having to scrape off the grime and grit off themselves and sit up in their high horse 24-7. I wish it weren't this way period.)

139: 158th diary entry annotated.
Monday, December 12, 1859
It's night. (2 words) It was cold all morning, warmed up by late afternoon, and now it is cold again — a winter cold. (19 words, that's how it usually works keep yourself moving till the sun has a chance to warm things up.) Long hard day over. (4 words) Miz Lilly fussed around in the kitchen most of the morning — setting up for the big Christmas dinner. (18 words, not really all that surprised.) She ended up slapping Eva Mae twice 'fore it was over. (11 words, now that is a surprise in this entry.)
Later, Miz Lilly gave every one in the Quarters a measure of cloth to make something for the coming Big Times. (21 words at least she makes sure they have suitable clothes every Christmas holiday every year.)
I gave my piece to Aunt Tee, because I got Mama's dress to wear. (14 words, oh Clotee that is so sweet.) Aunt Tee is stitching up something real special while Spicy and me work on our quilt. (16 words, I have never seen two girls in a story love quilting as much as these two do, Skylights.) We almost got it finished. (5 words, that's great news, darlings!)
The cabin floor is cold, so we keep our feet wrapped in rags. (13 words, that's kind of an obvious thing to be assumed to do in evening before you get to sleep.)
We sit by the fire, so our fronts are warm, but our backs are cold. (15 words, also quite understandable and that is how heat is it goes up not out.) There are so many cracks in the walls, the wind whistles. (11 words, not easy to sleep at night I betcha with all the windy noises.) And it's also getting harder and harder for Aunt Tee to piece a meal together, even though I'm slipping as much as I can out of the kitchen. (28 words, winter is difficult for anybody and everybody.) Winter hard times is upon us. (6 words, so true.) What keeps us going is waiting on the Big Times — our Week of Sundays. (14 words, not sure that's gonna be there to meet you with Waith around this time. At least not the full week will be there, Clotee.)
Uncle Heb always used to say, if we can last through February we can March on through. (17 words, that's probably quite true for all three winter months in any of the Northern States, Skylights.)

140: 159th diary entry annotated.
Tuesday, December 13, 1859
Riders woke us at daybreak. Dogs barking. (7 words, uh oh!) Torches glowing in the darkness. (5 words, uh oh!) Aunt Tee, Spicy, and I went to the door to see who it was. (14 words.) Late-night riders always mean one thing — trouble. (7 words, you certainly have that right.)

The lead rider, Wilson, spoke first. (6 words)
He was quick to the point. (6 words)
"Two of my nigras (this is a nicer way of spelling that n word black people have adopted today which I wished they wouldn't. They don't deserve to be called the other version of this today. It is not fair for them to have identify themselves by nicknames given through hate.) have run away — a buck named Raf and a mulatto gal named Cora Belle. (18 words, the girl is biracial European and Black not just one.) We beat it out of the gal's mama that the two was helped by a white man, who's missing an eye. (21 words, eww, so gross torturing an old woman,