The greatest power on earth is your enemy. Plus he has allies among others less powerful than he but more powerful than you. You’ve been fighting for six years. He’s wyly. Determined. Unscrupulous. Why would you even try? Because some things are worth the effort – even if you die trying. Even if you’re a kid.
Besides which, people are counting on you. Your Dad, for one, though he doesn’t even know it. Your Mom. Aunt Virginia, Uncle James, and cousins Hetty and Lloyd. Maybe the whole Virginia militia. So whether or not the crabs are biting, you’ve got to get some. Whether or not the tobacco is bringing a good price, you’ve got to get it to market.
Sometimes you have to just DO things, whether you want to or not. Because starvation can’t be cured by magic, and no fantasy creature is going to stop a bullet. And maybe, just maybe, if you do, you will prevail! Maybe things will turn out right.