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.  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 practice them, Skylights, when they have no resources to use and accessibly provide themselves offline. 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.

155: 174th diary entry annotated.
Thursday, January 5, 1860
It finally happened! (3 words, what?)
Mr. Harms done been found out. (6 words, well he always knew it was going to happen sooner or later. Not all good things last forever.)
Hince tattled. How did he know? (6 words, yep you thought he never knew, but he did keep it secret this long.)

Later
We're all here at Aunt Tee's cabin. (7 words, the best place to be) I'm trying to write down all that's been going on, so we'll never disremember. (14 word, that is the first time I ever seen this version of to never not remember.) Spicy told Hince about me, Mr. Harms, the one-eyed man, the abolitionists — everything. (13 words, you could have mentioned that a lot sooner, honestly Spicy.)
She asked me to forgive her. "I trusted Hince.
I didn't know he was gon' tell on po' Mr. Harms." (20 words, he had no reason to earlier but now with the possibility of going to the Deep South he had a real big excuse to reasonably tattle.) I wouldn't a-counted Hince 'mongst the tattlers either. (8 words, me either; he is such a kind, generous, thoughtful boy.)
It breaks my heart that he has. (7 words, mine too, mine too, Clotee, dear.)
Would he tell on me if he got scared enough? (10 words)

Still later
Hince came to Aunt Tee's cabin after the last meal, when he knew all of us would be here. (19 words) "I aine going to the Deep South with the Campbelles. (10 words) Why should I care about a white man? (8 words, because he can help you, Hince.) It's his life or mine." (5 words, yeah sure.) Them words didn't sound like Hince. (6 words, absolutely true.) He must be plenty scared. (5 words, also true.)
I would be — having to go to the Deep South. (10 words, no slaves who wasn't from the Deep South would ever want to be moved there, Skylights.)
Aunt Tee never stopped stirring the pot. She spoke. (9 words) "Going to freedom this way would be a bitter road. (10 words, wow, what a quote, Skylights.) Mr. Harms may be white but he come here to help the likes of us. (15 words, so much truth.) Wrong for one of us to be the cause of his undoing." (12 words, also totally true.)
"What am I s'posed to do?" (6 words)
"You've got to make this thing right, somehow." (8 words, you do have to make it right in one way.) Then with pleading in her voice, Aunt Tee went on saying,
"Oh, son, if you gets to freedom, don't let it be on a river of innocent blood — or you'll sour yo' heart and soul." (35 words, if only more people spread advice like Aunt Tee there'd be fewer wars in the world today. What an amazingly powerful line of advice to quote, Skylights.)
Hince dropped his head. "I aine going to the Deep South and that's all there is to it. (18 words, I can't blame him for saying what he did, Skylights.) I'm purely sorry 'bout Mr. Harms, but it's him or me, and right now, I got to look out after me." He looked at Spicy. (25 words, at least he does feel consciously guilty and sorry about his action.) She didn't say nothing. (4 words, of course she's not saying anything, she's probably still upset with you currently, Hince.)
I stood with Aunt Tee. (5 words)
"Mr. Harms could have turned me in to win favor with Miz Lilly and Mas' Henley. (16 words, very true.) He never did. I owe him something. (7 words, true he never did do that.) I'm gon' try to help." (5 words, you do that, clever little girl.) Now that I've studied on it a spell, I can't shake a stick at Hince without it pointing back at me. (21 words, also true, but that's a more hilarious way of putting it, Clotee.) I told on Shad when I thought it would save Hince. (11 words, what matters is you told the truth that really counts when is told, Clotee, don't feel bad about telling truth.) And I didn't care. (4 words) Now Hince done used what he knew to bargain with Mas' Henley for his freedom. (15 words, also true.) He aine about to go to the Deep South. (9 words, true nobody who is a slave wants to be in the Deep South States.) I understand wanting to be free, but telling on Mr. Harms aine the way to do it — it just aine right. (21 words, also true.)

Right now I feel like we're the Israelites standing at the Red Sea. (13 words, she has read the Bible and now she draw clear analogies in her own life similar to the stories of the Bible.) Pharaoh's army is coming in chariots. (6 words, it would feel like that, like the idiom stuck between a rock and a hard place.) Our backs are to the water. (6 words)
Mr. Harms is tied up in the study waiting for the sheriff to come. (14 words, eugh!) What we need is for God to push back the waters so we can cross over on dry land. (18 words, he will send you help. God does protect his people who choose to follow him and you and Aunt Tee certainly did choose that, Clotee.) We need a plan. (4 words, yes you do and it better be very clever.)

156: 175th diary entry annotated.
Friday, January 6, 1860
We've got a plan that might save Mr. Harms. (9 words, yes!) It may or may not work, but we've got to try to save him. (14 words, the trying is what counts and brilliant to recognize you might also fail big time too.) We can't just let him die. (6 words, no you should not.)
God, please help us like you did the three boys in the fiery furnace. (14 words, you know when I said William would be a miracle in disguise for Clotee, sent by God, well this is where he shows us he is changed so much from his parents thanks Harms' and Clotee loving caring kindness that helped him get his legs back to walking Skylights. God melted his heart by these two people and he was no longer a spoiled twelve year brat (means disobedient.)

157: 176th diary entry annotated.
Saturday, January 7, 1860
I'm still shaking from the cold and fear. (8 words, not at all surprised considering what just has happened.) It snowed all night, so the sheriff didn't get here until this afternoon. (13 words, lol I think God got that storm underway just so he was delayed honestly.) This is what happened. (4 words)
The sheriff and Waith came to the Big House. (9 words, if there is one person to hate it is Waith.) Spicy and me slipped in the side door and hid in the pantry where we could see and hear everything that was going on in the large parlor of the Big House. (32 words, wow, never knew that before, but then good old Houses always had so many hidey holes.)
If Mr. Harms was afraid, he didn't show it. (9 words, why would he this is not his first time being suspected probably.) He looked as strange and out of order as he did the first day I laid eyes on him — not at all like the picture of a brave and daring abolitionist. (31 words, that's his trick to look as innocent as possible, Clotee.)
Just like we'd planned it back at the cabin — Hince said that he had seen Mr. Harms talking to the one-eyed man down by the river. (26 words, simpler words the better for playacting.) "The same one-eyed man who's been helping slaves get away." (10 words.)
Hince did a fine job. (5 words, I believe that, Clotee.) Mr. Harms said none of it was true. (8 words, of course he would deny it, make yourself look real innocent and people fall for your games, Miz Lilly did.) "I don't know a one-eyed man." That was good. (9 words, wow, yes. Well he's smarter than he likes to show off, Clotee.) We spected he'd say that. (5 words, absolutely agree.)
Then it was time for Spicy to come in. (9 words, you got this girl.) She was so nervous, I had to push her two times. (11 words, not surprised she didn't have the best relationship with Master Henley & Miz Lilly when being a worker in the Big House so she would be incredibly nervous now.) But she burst into the room, screaming, "Oh, please, Mas' Henley, don't hurt Mr. Harms. (15 words, quite a phenomenal actress.) He aine done nothing wrong. Hince be just lying 'cause he's jealous — jealous of me . . . and Mr. Harms. Tell 'em, Hince. Tell 'em." (23 words, drama stirred!)
Spicy was even better than when we practiced it in the cabin. (12 words, she'd make a great theater Professor with her brilliance of acting, Skylights.)
I prayed Mr. Harms would catch on to what we were doing. (12 words, I'm sure he already did and already has.) I had never gotten around to telling him what I'd told Waith about him and Spicy. (16 words, I think he knew anyway when Spicy came out acting all dramatic and sappy like, Clotee.)
"No, I'm the one telling the truth," Hince say, right on time. (12 words, Spicy and Hince haven't argued in awhile but this time it was a planned argument, Skylights.) The room fell quiet. (4 words, not really more surprised.)
Mas' Henley's mouth fell open. (5 words, now that's funny and a surprise!) You could have pushed Miz Lilly over with a broom straw. (11 words, probably true.)
"Here at Belmont? I'm so ashamed," she say, heaving a big sigh. (12 words, seems like she about to faint again for real again.) Mr. Harms stood still and quiet. (6 words, silence is power in some cases this is just one of them.) The sheriff shifted around from foot to foot. (8 words shifted means pacing like he doesn't know what to decide about it either, Skylights.)
"We got two nigras with two different stories.
How do we get at the truth. (15 words, total confusion.) Have you and this gal been together?" (7 words, wow, to even stump a sheriff that's quite a clever plan you came up with Clotee.)

Mr. Harms wouldn't answer. (4 words, he wouldn't anyways.) Waith leaned over to Mas' Henley. "Well, I heard that Harms had picked that one out for hisself." (18 words, you should have kept your mouth shut. Waith your word got turnt against you, sir, and was used for the good of things.) This part was going just as we had hoped. (9 words, are you really that sure, Clotee?
What happened next took me by surprise. (7 words, yep it is hard to surprise Clotee
"Spicy is telling the truth," William shouted from the doorway. (10 words, God's help came in the form of an innocent white man's child's mouth, dear Skylights.) I've seen her go into Mr. Harms's room many times. (10 words, wow, William!) I also heard Spicy and Hince having a fight in the stables. (12 words, you have really have changed your mind about slaves being inferior, boy.) Maybe Hince is jealous and isn't telling the truth." (9 words, that's was so unexpectedly welcome William.)
That was all we needed — two white men's word — no matter if one was a boy. (16 words, indeed a white man's words count more than those of slaves and Clotee dealt with halfway and God met her halfway in the plan and it worked so well, Skylights.)
The sheriff untied Mr. Harms, saying he would not take Mr. Harms — not enough evidence. (15 words, all too true there never was enough evidence to be shown anyways, sweet Skylights.) Now it was my time to heave a sigh. (9 words, yep now you can indeed breathe.) We'd done it! We'd saved Mr. Harms. (7 words, yes you did, Clotee. You're so brave, Skylights.)
I felt just like we'd killed Goliath. (7 words, another well drawn analogy.)

Later
When the sheriff was gone, Mas' Henley slapped Spicy so hard she fell and slid across the room, bumping her head 'gainst the wall. (24 words, men hit hard when punishing people.) I think Spicy is the bravest person in the whole wide world for doing what she did. (17 words, well it was her boyfriend who tattled first. She felt like she had to fix the problem herself.) She's braver than Sojourner Truth and all the abolitionists rolled together. (11 words, that is very true.)
Spicy knew she was probably going to get punished in a bad way, but she was willing to go under the lash to save Mr. Harms's life. (27 words, that's true bravery and humility, Skylights.) I saw Hince close his eyes and clench his fists. (10 words, think of it as your payback for tattling in this case in the first place.) He was at that jumping over spot. (7 words, of course that's his girl.) I was praying that he wouldn't jump over. (8 words, don't want him to do that.)
See, I remember when Mr. Barclay's Kip crossed over. (9 words, new newsflash)
He went wild on his mas'er, took the whip away and beat his own mas'er with it. (17 words, yuck.) They hung Kip, but he died smiling. (7 words, not surprised by either mention.) Sometimes, I guess people get tired of being hit on, beat on, mistreated. (13 words, totally true some people tire of that situation.)
I reckon people get tired of seeing they loved ones smacked in the face — half fed — worked near 'bout to death. (21 words, also true.)
I saw Hince come mighty close to that jumping over spot, when Mas' Henley hit Spicy that hard. (18 words, keep holding back boy, everything almost all done and over with, Hince.) But he held hisself, because the plan was working. (9 words, good job.)
Mr. Harms didn't make a move. (6 words, moving would be suspicious.) He hardly looked like he was breathing. (7 words, he was probably breathing silently cause he didn't like what he was seeing.) I don't think I was breathing, either. (7 words, you'd also be breathing silently because you didn't like what you saw.)
"What kind of southern-born man are you?"
Mas' Henley asked, spitting out the angry words. (15 words, that's hilarious.) You come in my house and use one of my girls, and then turn around and rob me of my property? (21 words) Steal my property away on some blasted Underground Railroad? (9 words)
"I am a tutor, sir —" (5 words)
"No. No," Mas' say, cutting in. "I believe Hince told me the truth." (13 words, they wanted all the other folk to disbelieve Hince and Henley so the sheriff would leave empty handed, but Clotee and Spicy always knew Master Henley that he knew Hince would tell the truth to him.) That's what I was waiting to hear. (7 words, yep that was the full out plan, Skylights.) Now I could breathe. (4 words, yes indeed you can.)
"You know how I know? (5 words) Hince doesn't want to leave Belmont — his only home. (9 words, that is a partial guess at the real truth, he's not entirely wrong there.)
You abolitionists don't understand and you never will. (8 words) Our slaves love us. (4 words, think that all you want, Master Henley if it makes you feel better, sir.) They run away when you people come down here exciting them about freedom — freedom to do what? (17 words, to live.) They are like children — unable to do for themselves." (9 words, only you would compare them to white children.)

Hince and Mr. Harms wisely said nothing. (7 words, always power in silence.)
They let Mas' Henley rattle on, fooling himself into b'lieving we slaves was happy to be slaves. (17 words, yes just let him rant away.)
Then Miz Lilly stood up. "You helped my son. That's why I stopped my husband from killing you.
So, the best thing for you to do, sir, is get off Belmont and before I reconsider." (35 words, God did that for everybody softened Miz Lilly's heart for this one moment, Skylights.)
Then Miz Lilly swished away. (5 words, nothing more to say.) So far our plan had worked — all of it. (9 words, you bet it did.)

Late Saturday night
William and I were the only ones standing on the porch — cold, but huddled together, watching Mr. Harms load his buggy. (21 words, the fact that they could be that close and comfortable with each other shows just how much kindness opened up the eyes of William's own heart.) All three of us knew that William had lied to save Mr. Harms. (13 words, a very brave little boy he was to step out of the blue like that and voice his opinion.) He had not seen Spicy, because she had never been to Mr. Harms' room. (14 words, true.) He had not seen Hince and Spicy fussing because they had never had a fuss. (15 words, not since they were a confirmed couple in that time they never really argued.)
William knows that I know he lied — but we will never speak of it, I'm sure. (16 words, you seem to have some form of what many call twin telepathy if you can tell that he knows you know he lied to save his professor's life.) It's natural-like for William to be sad. (7 words, indeed true.) Mr. Harms was above all else a very good teacher. (10 words, also very true too.)
Waith stood by a pile of books in the drive. (10 words) He pointed the shotgun at Mr. Harms's head while the teacher climbed into the buggy. (15 words, that is so unnecessary.) "Please, may I have my books. Why burn them?" (9 words)

Upon a signal from Mas' Henley, Waith lit a match and the tutor's books went up in flames. (18 words, the books don't belong to Henley or Waith so it is an arson crime of property destruction, Skylights. This is the only physical crime aside from gambling Master Henley ever has a chance to commit for reals, dears.)
At the same time, Waith slapped the horse, and the buggy lurched forward, down the drive. (16 words, I doubt the horse of that buggy liked Waith anymore than we ever did.) It was a strange sight, not unlike the first day I'd seen Mr. Harms, coming up the drive of Belmont. (20 words, true, but with more morbidity.)
I was sorry to see him go, but happy he was alive to go. (14 words, you'll always miss him, Skylights.)
Books have been burned in all parts of the world the Han Dynasty in ancient China burned books that were not prophesy or law or agriculture related, Skylights. The Spainish of Spain torched whole libraries of literary history of the Incas, Mayans and the Aztecs too.)

158: 177th diary entry annotated.
Sunday, January 8, 1860
Aunt Tee made me tell her what happened at least ten times. (12 words, I'm not surprised, she's being a Mother figure right here.)
Each time when we get to the part about Spicy being hit, she says, "Bless you, chile." (17 words, indeed, ma'am.) Spicy's eye's swollen, but Aunt Tee is taking care of her. (11 words, good old friendly woman.)
"How do you get brave?" I asked Spicy. (8 words, really? You still don't really realize, Honey,  you're already brave!)
"I hope I was as brave as you are smart.
It was your idea. (14 words, good job Spicy, remind her of her worth.) All I did was do what you told me to do - even though I was scared to death the whole time." (20 words, you do brave things when you're very scared. That's truly amazing heroism.)

Later
Missy can't stop talking about what a bad girl Spicy is. (11 words, they really fooled you.) "Hince won't want a girl like that." (7 words, you really don't know much about anything especially about that boy you desperately keep clinging to.) If Missy only knew. (4 words, hilarious her reaction would be honestly.)

159: 178th diary entry annotated.
Monday, January 9, 1860
There is no cold like January cold. (7 words, truth for every winter month in the North