This short story is fictional. It is the story of a young girl whose life from its premier held an obvious purpose. Her destiny is to stand guard over and to protect her family. Her duties climax at age twelve when she stands like David against Goliath by taking on a force immensely greater, to protect her mother and her young siblings. This is a story of courage and faith resulting from many trials and vast tribulations. Its narrator is the twelve year-old protagonist, who takes the reader through her first dozen years, which cumulates her travels as a military brat. Sentry brings the reader into her real and imagined world down South, where she learns strong affection through southern family values. Weaving past and present events, she builds on the plot with intriguing elements of character. Her story demonstrates how the power of prayer and abundant love wins over evil.

August Flowers is a graduate of San Francisco State University, receiving both a Master degree in Humanities and a Bachelor degree in Black Studies. Currently, a professor of Humanities, she has taught at various community colleges in the Bay Area. Prior to teaching Flowers was a journalist. She was selected by base administrators to co-edit a newsletter for the Alameda Naval Air Station, during her community college undergraduate years. Upon completion of her Bachelor degree, she worked with the Black Press in print publications. She has edited and submitted articles to various publications, and is most proud of her accomplishments with a major New York based magazine as a researcher. Raising Sentry is the first part of a story that has nagged at her for many years. She felt forced to see it through to completion. And now is compelled to see the many other stories she has created in print. All the personal names in this fictional biographical account have been changed to protect the security of the author, her family, and her friends. So if any characters appear similar in name to anyone living or dead it is coincidental. It will be up to you the reader to answer the; who, what, and where of the story. Enjoy this first story and watch for the next edition of Raising Sentry.