April 23rd, 1916

Dear Diary,

It has nearly been 3 months since my brother left to join the war. He has written to me once already talking about his bad experience so far, and how he cannot write to his wife, and daughters due to him wanting to come home more. When I saw the letter and read throughout it I still can't find the words to tell my brother how I feel about the letter, and how I can help him. Everyday it seems harder for me to look in my drawer under my desk and look at the letter. I just can not stop thinking how I should be out there to help him, but in a world full of men a woman can not do a thing but watch her husband, her brother, her friend, or her colleague go off in a war that a woman deserves to choose if she wants to.

I keep reading back to my diary when my brother left, I keep reading back to everything I said, I miss him everyday more and more. But part of me... there is a part of me that wants him to be here with his family, and for me to be out there. Me to see what the men see, me to help the men. Since I finally got finished learning how to be a nurse a few months ago. And women can't become a doctor, women can't be anything a man can be. I'm done ... I'm going to show this world that a woman, any woman could go in a war, they can fight for their rights, along with representing their country. Because a woman can be queen and have no power, but a queen can be intelligent more than a king.

Part of me always sees the world shaping around what a man can do. And not shaping around what both a man and woman can do. I see women everyday taking care of the children, becoming a housewife, raising the children. Some women are made for being a mother, but others want to be creative, want to be brave, and want to go outside of the walls of their countries, or what anyone thinks of them. Because deep down we can do many things if we were given the same rights.

Till my next entry,

Helen Schofield

I finished putting my dark brown hair up and then getting on another pair of my black flats, I looked in my small mirror that went up to my shoulders and stared at my reflection. I looked down at my light cream colored dresses, with the brown belt that I tied in the middle. I walked down my old musty stairs as my parents had again another argument this morning.

"Good Morning, Mother... Father." I said entering the dining room as they looked at me as I grabbed my own plate and sat down as I looked in their eyes. "Helen darling my father and I set you up on another date tonight. And no, but or if's or if your job keeps you late you're going to this dinner." She said as my father nodded. "Fine, but that guarantees nothing." I said putting my plate back before finishing and storming out the door in my father's shouts.

I walked all the way from my parents house to London which wasn't too far. When I saw the building with the Victorian windows and doors I walked in as I saw a man at the door in a suit. One of the finest suits I have seen in London; other than if you're rich.

"Hello Ms." The man said in the suit, "Hello Sir, I'm here regarding Ms.Smiths who told me she would be here." I said as he nodded. "You must be Ms.Schofield." He said as I smiled and nodded. "Yes, Helen Schofield." I said as he nodded. "I am General O'keeffe." The man said as I shook his hand.

We walked down the small halls passing some of the men of the building. As we continued I watched as many of the men looked at me and laughed, some stared, and some just simply walked by like I was a nobody. We ended up in a large warehouse where a woman was taking down a man who punched her moments ago.

"Special Agent Smiths," He said pausing as she took down the guy and then got out of the ring. "General O'keeffe." She said coming up smiling. "You must be Helen Schofield." She said shaking my hand. "Yes," I said as she smiled. "Special Agent Maria Smiths." Maria said as I smiled. "Sorry for making you come in on such short notice. General O'keeffe's isn't believing that I could let the government hire other women to do what I do." She said in a strong accent.

"You two have fun, see you in boot camp on Thursday ladies." He said walking out of the room with some soldiers behind him. "Sorry about General O'keeffe he keeps things to himself. All of us do except me when it comes to having someone with passion similar to me." She said as I nodded. "So Helen Schofield what is it that you want?" She asked as I looked at her. "What I mean deep down is that light that you feel in your chest everyday that is the word.... Fire that burns within you?" She asked as I went back into my thoughts.

"Being a soldier, fighting in the war. Making a difference...Choosing what I want to be, not some woman who has to cook and clean for the man. But be my best person. Be myself and get to explore the world without rules. Fight in the battle for my country." I said as she nodded. "You got a passion. I heard that you wanted to go into war." She said as I nodded. "I would tell you it's dangerous. But that's not why you are here. I'm here to train you to be that person you want to be. Along with showing you a woman can do it. I'm not the most important person here, but I do have a role." She said as I nodded.

"Lucky you, after I graduated medical school my parents didn't want me as much in the nurse role as the wealthy man's wife role. Because they always say the same thing, happiness can be found through marriage. But marriage to them is marrying wealthy would bring me happiness." I said as she laughed, "My parents did the same to my older sister when she married years ago. But she didn't notice until she was married. But when they tried to put me on dates, or marriage I just used my job as an excuse, because I haven't found the man yet. If they're a man." She said as I smiled.

"Well it's never too late." I said as she smiled and laughed. "I'm only twenty five so my parents always think that I'm too old for queening and that I should get a man who makes me have children." She said as I looked at her. "But that's all for the moment I'll share because we need to get working." She said as I smiled.

We walked over to the mats as I looked over to see her take off her necklace, she then walked over and gave me a uniform. "Don't they want us wearing dresses?" I asked as she nodded. "Yes when we're outside, but when we're training we're allowed to have uniforms like we would if we went out onto the field we would have to wear these or men's soldier gear." She said as I then noted that we could.

"Now show me how you would defend yourself against a man or a soldier." She said as I was about to strike her and she moved and I fell on the mat. "The soldiers don't train like this." I said as she nodded. "Yet some have more training. We're not fully soldiers, we work with Generals, but we also work for the government as agents." She said as she flipped me over and I couldn't catch my breath. "While you're doing this job you should be able to be like or more than me." She said as I nodded and got back up.

"So other than being an agent, what else can you do?" She asked. "I also can be a nurse. But my parents didn't want me to have a job as a nurse because I need to marry and stay like my brother's wife raising children. But I don't want that I want a man I choose, a man who can see that I'm more than just a pretty face." I said as I brushed my light brown hair out of my face.

We continued to strike at another, as I kept losing to Maria Smith. As she hit me on the mat once again my arm felt numb for a few moments. "You look like you've been hit by a train. I think this is all we shall do for the day." She said as I nodded. Before I knew it I heard the clock continue dinging finally ending at half past four. "I must hurry, but thank you." I said going back running and changing. "You alright." Maria said as she looked at me with a concerned face.

"Yes, Yes...It's just my parents want me to go out to dinner tonight with another guy." I said getting my black flats on and straightening my dress, hair, then makeup. "I might be late." I said as she smiled. "I can help you. I know someone in this government section who can help us." She said, "Give me a moment." She said walking out in a small sprint.

As I was standing there looking at my small aged mirror I saw my makeup still being a bit off, as I fixed it I heard the door open. I heard footsteps enter. "Why did I do this for you again Maria?" The loud voice asked.

"You owe me after the whole cover up." She said as I turned at them. "Alright." Alex said approaching me.

As we arrived soon enough I straightened my hair and makeup making it look nice as I walked in the door seeing the guy that I have met before in highschool.

"Helen Schofield." Fred said as I looked at him as he hugged me, "Fred Howard it's nice to see you after highschool I never thought I would." I said as we got seated at a table. As I looked around the place seeing the fancy drinks, and clothing.

"Then it's a pleasure to see you." He says picking up my hand and kissing my knuckles as I nodded. I just want to get out of this place and do anything else. But a promise is a promise to my parents.

"Shall we order something?" He asked as I nodded as he ordered my food. And I sat there one hand on the table another on my bag on my lap.

"How have you been Helen?" He asked me as my eyes looked back at him. "I have been doing alright ever since my brother left to be on the frontline in Germany," I said as he studied my face as tears almost wanted to come out of my eyes.

"I have heard about the war, and soon enough I might be deployed after I heal from breaking a few bones." He said as I looked at him, "How have your mother and father reacted to that?" I asked him as he was thinking about it.

"They are taking it as well as they could. They just hope I can serve the country, and help out as best as I can." He said as the food arrived along with the water I ordered.

"Well said," I said as he grabbed my hand and man did it feel uncomfortable for me, but he was nice in away. But let me test him to see if he really is.

"So what have you done since high school?" He asked me as I smiled, "I have become a licensed nurse, and I have gotten me a job since then working for the government thanks to an old friend of my brothers." I said as he looked at me shocked.

"I never heard a woman paying with her own job." He said as I sighed, "I only get enough for food at the moment. And besides a woman is allowed to do something with her life other than serving a man." I said pulling my hand back as he stared at me thinking.

"But men usually support the woman and children." He said as that pushed me over the limit. "Wait a moment this is the first "date", not an engagement," I said as he looked at me with the look of want and that's what it gives

"You're just like every man, but instead of caring for a woman, you're randy. Thank you for the evening, but I'm leaving." I said loudly walking out and catching a carriage ride back home before Fred Howard could catch up to me.

What does he think of me? I have always been a woman who doesn't take a man who tries to flirt and be only randy for a woman. Making us wives, when some of us could be more. This job I have been given is like a gift from god to me.

It's giving me a chance to see I can become the woman that I want to be, slowly but someday I might be more than just some woman made to be a wife. And be a woman that changes the society I am in. If society won't change for you, change your society.

Before I knew it I was back home, and it was good to be. Picking up my small bag and paying the man at the carriage I enter my house ignoring my parents and going up the old wooden stairs to my room shutting the wooden door.

I went over to my desk setting down my bag and then quickly went to change into my white silk evening gown. As I headed back to my desk sitting in my chair.

I lit my candle, and picked up a piece of paper and my pencil and started writing a letter to my brother this time.

Dear William,

I have read your letter multiple times in these past few weeks. It has been hard for everyone, including your wife and children as they are praying every night that you are safe. I know you may not receive this letter anytime soon as it took about a month for your letter to arrive originally, I am sure this will take about a month to get to you my brother. It's been hard here without you as mother and father keep pressuring me to see men my age and to date them so I could marry them eventually. But that's not the point of my writing to you. I wanted to say your daughters and wife are doing alright and they are safe at home. I haven't seen them for about three days now and last time I did they missed you as much as I did. Mother and Father both have been busy again setting me up on more dates, along with reading the news once again. And I, of course, have gotten myself a job brother, and one that is tough and I enjoy working instead of sitting all day writing in my diary, or writing stories. I will soon enough get to do something as a woman and I know you would be proud. I don't know what else to say to you other than I wish you the best out in the fields William.

Sincerely your sister,

Helen Schofield