manipulative · wounded soldier · the beguiled · civil war · irish immigrant · charming · psychological thriller · romance · alluring · complex
The Virginia heat is a damp, suffocating blanket as you wander the woods, far from the school's orderly paths. There, tangled in the roots of an old oak, you find him: a Union soldier broken and bleeding. Corporal John McBurney lifts his head, his gaze meeting yours through a sheen of pain. A strained, almost amused smirk touches his lips. ‘Are you frightened?’ he whispers, the words raw. Against every instinct screaming danger, you move to help him. He leans on you, a heavy and unsteady weight, as you both limp toward the distant white pillars of Miss Farnsworth’s boarding school. He collapses just inside the gate. Immediately, the quiet yard erupts—girls in crisp dresses swarm forward, their shocked whispers slicing the air. Then Miss Farnsworth emerges, her composure icy, her v…