The Star Spangled Banner

            The Star Spangled Banner

 September 13 ,1814 , Baltimore state jail

Two boys opened their eyes. They were in a prison. One had green eyes, the other had gray eyes. One had chestnut hair, the other one had complete black hair, and they both had tan skin.

“Who am I?” The green-eyed boy asked. “And where am I?”

“I don’t know who I am and where am I, too.” The gray-eyed boy replied. “I just know that there’s a war going on right now.”

“Well how are we-” The green-eyed boy began, he paused at the talking outside the prison.

“Well, you just captured two boys, yes?” a strict voice asked.

“Yes, yes, we indeed have, sir.” someone that sounded like a soldier replied.

“Would you tell me their names?” 

“Well one of them has gray eyes and the other has green-” 

“I did not ask the color of their eyes, I asked what their names were!” 

“Well the green-eyed one’s name is Theodore and the gray-eyed one is James, sir.” 

“Very well, I also heard that you captured two other children, will you please tell me their names, Captain?” 

“Well one has hazel eyes and the other has amber-” 

“Again, captain, not the eyes, the names!” 

“Well amber-eyed one is Kelvin and the hazel-eyed one is Benjamin, sir.” 

“Very well, captain, now I would want you to go back to your tent and make your next war plan for tomorrow, while I check on these four kids, they’re in the same cell right?” 

“Yes, sir.” 

“Now get out!” 

The boys did not say another word until the footsteps died.

“Wait, there’s two other kids?” Teddy asked.

They looked behind them, and they saw two other boys staring at them.

“You must be Theodore, and you must be Scott.” an amber-eyed boy said. 

“And you must be Kelvin and you must be Benjamin!” Scott said.

“We heard the whole conversation,” Kelvin said. “And we lost our memories too.”

“Okay,” Teddy said. “We need an-”

Francis stopped talking. He had just heard footsteps getting louder and louder. They finally saw the face. It was none other than Roger Sheaffe.

“Hello,” he said. “I am the highest ranking general in the British Army, and you probably know me.”

They said nothing. Why did the highest ranking general of the British Army want four children? Like seriously, who would want to put four children in a prison? Well, probably lots of people would, but how were these kids special? 

“The reason why my men captured you four was because your father was the best in the war, only two years of him fighting and half of my men are dead.” Sheafe said.   

 “W-we have memory loss.” James said. 

“What?!” Sheafe shouted. “Prove it then!” 

“Okay, er...  hello, my name is Semaj.” James said.

“Nonsense!” Sheafe burst out. “Who on earth would want to name their own son Semaj?”

Then he looked at Kelvin. “And you young boy, what’s your name?”

“I’m Nivlek.” Kelvin said.

“What!?” the general burst out. “What a hideous name!”

Then he looked at Benjamin. “And you young boy, tell me your name.”

“My name is Nimajneb.” Benjamin said.

“Those are not your names, mister's!”  Sheafe said. “Now get out!” “You useless street ruffians are free.”

Sheafe then remembered something. “Tell me your name young boy.” He said looking at Teddy.

“I’m Yeddet.” Teddy said.

“Okay, you guys are useless ruffians, I’m freeing you useless dogs.” George said.

He opened the gate and lifted Kelvin and Benjamin by their shirts while the warden lifted Teddy and James by their shirts. Right after Sheafe and the warden stepped out of the door they threw the four boys to the ground. Nobody said a word until Sheafe and the warden stepped back inside.   

“What is the ground made of?” Benjamin asked. “Cause it's really hard ground.”

 Teddy knew that too, he already got his skin ripped off, but no blood came.

“Guys, even though the British took our memories away, I remember a few things.” Teddy. “But there’s only one thing I remember.”
“What?” Kelvin asked.

“All four of us are brothers.” Teddy replied. 

“Oh,” Benjamin said.

“And I also know who’s youngest and whose oldest, and what age we are.” Teddy said.

“So are you gonna tell who’s the youngest, who's the oldest, and what we are?” Kelvin asked.

“Well, I'm the oldest, age thirteen, Kelvin’s second, age twelve, James is third, age nine, and youngest is Benjamin, age eight.” Teddy said. 

“Okay,” Kelvin said, “I’m gonna get some sticks for the fire.”

“Okay,” Teddy said, “I’ll get the apples for food, there’s tons of apple trees around here.”

It took Teddy only twenty minutes to get the apples, but when he came back Kelvin hadn’t come back.

“Where’s Kelvin?” Teddy asked. 

“Don’t know, he came back ten minutes ago and then he disappeared - oh, boy me and Benjamin are idiots!” James said worriedly. “What if he’s kidnapped.”

“I take that offensive.” Benjamin said. “And I don’t like Benjamin anymore, can you call me Benji?”

“We have no time to worry about nicknames Benji!” Teddy said. “And James, there’s no way Kelvin can be kidnapped.”

“Help!” Someone that sounded like Kelvin cried.

“Okay, he’s kidnapped.” Teddy said.

Without saying a word Teddy, Benji, and James burst into the forest and started looking for Kelvin’s voice.

“Help!” “Help!” Kelvin cried again. 

“Quiet, boy!” Someone shouted.

Then the footsteps stopped, but Teddy, James, and Benji were still bolting to find Kelvin. They bolted and bolted until they reached the kidnapper’s face. It was just a regular soldier, but that soldier didn’t see them. They were standing on a hill of mulch. Which turned out to be really slippery. The soldier tied handcuffs around Kelvin’s hands.

“Who are you?” Kelvin asked. 

“I’m under president James Madison’s orders to capture you and hang you to death.” The soldier said. “I-”

Someone burst out the tent. He had white hair. It looked like he was wearing a wig.

“Bernard, free him.” The man said.

“Ah, Francis, I'll free him only if you’re under the president's orders.” Bernard said.

Francis punched Bernard in the face and beat him up.

“You have the wrong child!” Francis shouted. “Did you even look at the picture?” 

Francis shoved a picture into Bernard’s face.

“That is the second one of William’s son’s!” Francis shouted.

James sprang out of his hiding place.

“You’re not gonna kill Kelvin.” He said.

“But-” Bernard began.

“I will talk to the president.” Francis said coldly.

Francis threw Bernard and Bernard realised Kelvin.

“Wait, that’s weird, only the second and third child are here.” Francis said. “Where’s the oldest and youngest?”

Teddy and Benji sprang out of their hiding places too.

“Ah, you two were there the whole time.” Francis said.

“Where’s my dad?” Teddy asked. “And where’s my mom?” 

“I thought you already knew about your dead mom.” Francis said surprisingly.

“Well, all right, I’ll tell you everything.” Teddy said.

He told Francis everything from when he woke up in prison to the part where Kelvin got kidnapped. 

“Well, you four dissapeared last week.” Francis told Teddy, “Your dad died three days ago out of sadness, and your mother was captured and died of Yellow Fever in a prison a month after the war started.”

“Oh,” Teddy said sadly. “How long has this war been going on?”

“Two years.” Francis replied. “And by the way, I’m Francis, Francis Scott Key.”

“Oh,” Teddy said. “I’m-”

“Yeah, yeah, I know your names,” Francis interrupted, “You’re Theodore, nickname Teddy, you’re Kelvin, nickname Kel, you’re James, and you’re Benjamin nickname Benji.”

“I have a nickname?” Teddy, Kel, asked together.

“Great, so I’m the only one who doesn't have a nickname?” James asked grumpily.

“You can stay at my house for a few days.” Francis said.

“Cool, I have a bucket of apples.” Teddy said.

“Come,” Francis said.

He led the boys to a ship.

“You’re home’s a ship?” Kel asked.

“It's a war and I’m a soldier Kel,” Francis replied.

He led them toward the ship and gave them a ship tour. After he finished the tour he said “Okay eat a few apples then sleep upstairs.” Francis said. “And I almost forgot, please call me Mr. Key.

“Thank you for the ship tour Mr. Key.” James said.

They ate the apples and slept, but Francis couldn’t sleep after all of the things they went through today. When would it end? Francis thought. Will it even end first of all? He couldn’t sleep. He decided for his body to just doze off, but it wasn’t going to. He waited and waited. Then after a few hours he looked at the clock: it was twenty-four minutes past six in the morning. It was time to wake up. He got up while the others were still fast asleep. When he walked downstairs Mr. Key was writing with his quill and parchment. 

“Hello, Mr. Key,” Teddy said.

Mr. Key jumped at the sound of Teddy. He had no idea Teddy was up; he turned around.

“You’re up early.” He said. “I was about to put my quill down and get ready for today’s war.”    

“But Mr. Key, don’t you fight at like, three in the morning?” Teddy asked.

“No, why?” Mr. Key asked.

“Just curios,” Teddy replied.

“Okay, got to go,” Mr. Key said. “Don’t look outside.”

“Why?” Teddy asked.

“Well… er… just in case I don’t come back,” Mr. Key replied. “I don’t want you to see.”

“Well okay,” Teddy said, but Teddy was not gonna listen, he knew there was something fishy going on.

Mr. Key left, and fifteen minutes after Mr. Key left Teddy looked out of the window. There were ships with cannons in them. He looked at the British ships. All of the ships had cannons, and the fire in the cannons was heading straight to the flag! Oh boy, this meant that the british were gonna destroy the flag of the United States. Then he saw something else, it was a man on a ship, watching, and that man was none other than Mr. Key. Teddy bolted upstairs, he had to wake his brothers up. He burst through his room.

“Why are you waking us up so early?” Benji asked tiredly.

“Because the british are trying to destroy the flag of the United States.” Teddy said.

“WHAT?!” Benji, Kel, and James asked angrily.

“Yeah, and Mr. Key ain’t fighting with them.” Teddy said. 

“We have to go!” Kel said.

“It's too risky Kel,” James said.

Everybody stared at him.

“Fine, three against one, lets go.” James said.

They bolted downstairs and burst outdoors where Mr. Key was standing, watching the cannons. Mr. Key turned around.

“Why are you here?” He asked.

“Because you said you were gonna fight, but you’re just watching them destroy the flag.” Teddy replied.

“They didn’t let me fight today.” Mr. Key said.

“Why?” Teddy asked.

“I don’t know why.” Mr. Key replied.

Teddy, Kel, James, and Benji jumped on a canoe without saying a word. They rowed and rowed for three hours until they finally reached the battleships. They grabbed a chain next to one of the ships and climbed onto the ship.

“Okay,” Kel said. “What do we do?”

“Let's try to turn off or, something, like-” Teddy nearly finished.

“Do what?” James interrupted. “Do you know how cannons work?”

“Hey, I’m not a cannon master.” Teddy replied.

“Well I am,” Jame said. “Just take a sword and cut the string.”

“What string?” Benji asked.

James said nothing, he just picked up a sword and cut a string on top of the cannon.

“Oh,” Kel said. “That string.”

“Okay, we cut this string, now let's go on that ship,” Teddy said pointing to their right, it was anyways really close to the ship they were on.  

They jumped onto the next ship. James still had the sword in his hands when they were on the next ship. They cut the strings on top of every ship, well not every ship. 

“We’ve cut two-hundred forty of them and we’re only half way through!” Kel said after twelve hours.

“Oh, no,” Teddy said.

“What?” James asked.

“We’re caught.” Teddy replied, he pointed at a british soldier staring at them.

“Hey!,” The soldier shouted. “You!”

“Oh boy,” Benji said.

“Run!” James shouted.

The soldier went after them and they bolted. After a while the soldier shouted “Intruder!”

 Now millions of soldiers came with guns. They kept on shooting and one of them missed Teddy by centimeters. The soldiers kept on shooting and shooting. After a while one bullet hit James. Everybody froze, including the other three brothers. 

“James!” Benji shouted. Teddy was shaking James making sure he was alive, and Kel was touching James heart.

“He’s alive.” Kel said. “I can feel it from here.”

Right after Kel said this a bullet hit Teddy, but even though the bullet hit Teddy he was still alive. Now Teddy knows how getting hit by a bullet feels like, painful, really painful. Now everyone was huddling around Teddy.

“Are you okay?” Benji asked.

“Yeah, I’m okay,”  Teddy replied weakly.          

Suddenly a bullet was about to hit Kel until a cannon hit the ship. The four brothers were up the stairs so they were safe. Suddenly someone in armor came charging towards them, it was Mr. Key. 

“Boys!” Mr. Key shouted. “Why on earth are four-” “Theodore!” “James!”

Mr. Key had also seen Teddy and James. The nearly dead Teddy and James.

“WHAT HAPPENED!” Mr. Key asked Kel and Benji. “TELL ME!” “NOW!”

Kel and Benji told what happened from jumping onto the canoe to the part where James and Teddy got shot.

“Okay, we have to take them to the hospital,” Mr. Key said.

Kel, Benji, and Mr. Key carried James and Teddy to the hospital.

24 Hours Later ...

Teddy opened his eyes. 

“W- where am I?” He said. “Am I dead?”

“Teddy!” Kel said joyfully. 

“Kel?” Teddy asked. “Is that you? Am I alive?”

“Yes, it is and yes you are!” Kel said.

Teddy was about to get up.

“You can't get out of bed yet Teddy.” Kel said. “The nurse said you have to stay in bed for a few days.”

“Oh, all right.” Teddy said. “How James?”

“Oh, he’s fine.” Kel said.

“The bullet went through his leg.” Kel said. “So he can’t walk for a few weeks.”

“Wait weeks?” Teddy asked.

“The nurse said it was a pretty strong bullet.” Kel replied.

“Oh,” Teddy said.

“I’ve only got five more minutes to talk to you.” Kel said. 

The nurse came in. 

“Times up Kelvin!” She said.

“I’ve actually gotta go now.” Kel said. “Bye.”

“Wait!” Teddy said.

“What?”

“How’s Benji?”

“He’s fine, he’s talking with James, okay, gotta leave now, Benji’s gonna come here, bye.”

Kel left the room.

“Theodore, you have two more visitors.” The nurse said.

“Okay,” Teddy said.

“Next!” The nurse shouted.

She left the room and Benji came in.

“You okay Teddy?” Benji asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Teddy replied.

“Do you think we should get a dog?” Benji asked.

“Benji, there’s a war that’ll go on for at least one more year and you’re asking for a dog?” Teddy replied.

“Well, maybe we can get a spy dog, he can bite all the British soldiers to death.” Benji said.

“Ha, ha, in your dreams Benji.” Teddy said. “We’ll get a dog after the war okay?”

“Okay.” Benji replied.

The nurse came in. 

“Next!” She shouted.

Benji left the room. Now Mr. Key came in. 

“I just wrote a poem.” Mr. Key said. “I call it the Star Spangled Banner.” 

He pulled out a sheet of parchment and gave it to Teddy. It said:

Star Spangled Banner

Francis Scott Key

Oh! say, can you see, by the dawn's early light, 

What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? 

Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight, 

O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming? 

And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air, 

Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. 

Oh! say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave 

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

Teddy finished reading. 

“Also the flag-” Mr. Key began.

“Yeah, yeah, I know, Kel told me, twenty-five hours of shooting and yet the flag is still standing.” Teddy interrupted. 

“Yeah and other than that, James can’t-” 

“Yeah, yeah, I know that too, James can’t walk for a few days. Kel told me everything.” 

“Well what did Benji say?” 

“He just asked me if we could get a dog, I said after the war.” 

They laughed, and then the nurse came in.

“Mr. Key, visiting time is over.” The nurse said.

“Okay,” Mr. Key said. “I’ll see you.”

Mr. Key left the room.

February 25, 1815

“I can’t believe we won!” Benji said six months later. The War of 1812 ended a week ago, and America had won the war. 

“The only thing that matters is that we won in Baltimore and our flag is still there Benji.” James said, he was on his feet again.

“I agree with James.” Teddy said. His wound had disappeared. He was now completely fine.

“Besides, Britain’s struggling with Napoleon, win or lose, still no conquering.” Kel said.  

They were all in Mr. Key’s house. After the brutal battle in Baltimore.

“Guys, Mr. Key gave me a list of the top four most major battles in the War of 1812, which is also, as you know, the latest war that happened in America.” James said. “Here’s a list.”

He showed them a piece of parchment, Teddy took it, it said:

Battle of Baltimore and Siege of Fort McHenry

Battle of New Orleans

Battle of the Lake Erie

Battle of Bladensburg and Burning of Washington

They finished. So the battle they were actually in was the most major battle in the war. The Battle of Baltimore and Siege of Fort McHenry. This battle was the bloodiest, and he was one of the few to survive it, everybody was probably wondering how kids got on those ships six months ago.

“Kids!” Mr. Key shouted downstairs. “Time to go!” 

The four brothers sighed. They didn’t want to leave Mr. Key. The man who saved Kel from getting hanged to the death and the one who came just in time to save James, Teddy, Kel, and Benji from getting hit by bullets.

The brothers ran downstairs and they saw Mr. Key waiting for them.

“There you guys are!” Mr. Key said. “I know you guys are sad, but I promise you four we will meet me again.”

Teddy grinned at these words. Well he at least grinned from the word promise. A promise is a promise, and you can never break it.

“And also before you leave, fourteen years ago you’re dad gave me this, I want you to read it, and keep it, be careful with it though.” Mr. Key said. 

He handed them a piece of parchment.

“You may go now,” he said.

They stepped outside and Mr. Key closed the door. Mr. Key had also given them a map to a tent where the american soldiers that survived the war were. Those soldiers were still packing and getting ready to go home.

“Read it,” Benji told Teddy.

Teddy opened the parchment Mr. Key had given him. He read aloud:

Guardian  of  the  Allen  children:  Francis  Scott  Key

Teddy finished, so Mr. Key was their guardian. If anything happened to their parents while the four of them were still young, Mr. Key would be there to protect them. That’s why Mr. Key saved Kelvin’s neck. They probably knew who Mr. Key was before they lost their memories. Who knows? Neither Teddy, Kel, James, and Benji knew. 

101 years later

The boys weren’t alive. Mr. Key wasn’t alive. It was the year 1916. This was one-hundred-one years later. Woodrow Wilson, the 28th president of the United States has adopted The Star Spangled Banner. He had looked at that very parchment Teddy read one-hundred-one years ago. Now Woodrow Wilson has asked a few musicians to make the music for The Star Spangled Banner. Now those musicians are about to perform the official Star Spangled Banner. The audience was ready, the performance was gonna start in a few minutes. Then a few minutes later the performance began. They sang:

Oh! say, can you see, by the dawn's early light, 

What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? 

Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight, 

O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming? 

And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air, 

Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. 

Oh! say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave. 

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

15 years later

Now it’s March 3rd, 1931. Now our 31st president, Herbert Hoover has once again adopted The Star Spangled Banner. He has used it as America’s national anthem. Everybody was once again on a stage. Everybody on stage would be one of the first people to sing the national anthem. Everybody knew about Francis Scott Key, but nobody knew about the story of the four brothers. It was a secret. A secret forever. Well only one person knew about the story. The descendants  of the four brothers. The story passed on and on to the descendants, and it was a secret. None of them know why it was a secret. Anyways, on the stage there about to sing the national anthem again, but there’s Herbert Hoover on the stage. They start singing. Also on the stage were Francis Scott Key’s books. Twelve of his books were there, and the most famous one was Lost Generation. 

The audience was feeling joy. A different type of joy. Joy, bliss, and pride mixed together. Patriotism. Something the four Allen brothers were the form of.