Wildest in the West
Chapter 1
By: Lucky Windsor
"Everyone, hands up! I said git your hands up now!" I pointed my gun at an elderly man. "Did you not hear what I said? Hands up!" His wrinkled old face became fearful as he stared into the barrel of my gun, which I fondly call Silver Lightening. He slowly raised his hands to the sky. I laughed maliciously. "That's right. I'se in charge here." My voice sounded oddly hoarse and husky under the dirty, old rag that covered my face. I looked over at the Western Union banker, who was hurriedly stuffing bills into six brown, dingy sacks that lay next to him. "Hurry up!" I yelled, waving Silver Lightening over my head. One of the guards, Stallion, nodded. I knew it was his way of saying it was time to go. Stallion was our leader, and like his namesake, wild and unkempt. I walked over and grabbed the full bags from the red-faced banker.
"Here ya go, Ms." He looked at me questionably.
"Raider. The name's Raider." I placed my brown cowboy hat over my long, wavy blonde hair. "Thank ya folks for doing business with da Rangers!" I yelled and shot Silver Lightening up at the roof. I laughed while a couple women screamed and I hightailed it out of there.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*
"Happy birthday, Jaclyn." One of my older brothers, Trey said to me.
"Thanks." I replied happily. All of the Rangers were seated at the bar at our favorite saloon, Jimmy's. Stallion came over to me and put his muscular arm around me.
"You did real good today, Raider." He said. "Hey Sarah! Give this lady here another drink!" I turned my head away to avoid the stench of his alcoholic breath.
"Thanks Stallion, for letting me lead the raid." I replied, guzzling down the beer that Sarah had placed in front of me. Stallion laughed drunkenly.
"Well, it ain't everyday that the only girl in the Rangers turns sixteen. What is that? Your seventh beer?" I shrugged my shoulders, not knowing myself. "Oh well, you could always hold your liquor better than most of the guys here. Hey, could I talk to you outside for a little bit?" I nodded. "I'll meet you outside in a couple of seconds." I placed some money on the counter and went outside. I stood there for a moment, staring up at the great Texan sky. The stars twinkled and seemed to be singing Happy Birthday to me. The door to the saloon swung open and Stallion joined me.
"I remember when you joined the Rangers when you were ten. It's been six years and you've grown up very nicely." He said, slurring his words together. "Very nicely." He eyed me greedily and stumbled towards me. Confused, I started backing up towards the horses. He caught up to me and grabbed me in his arms, kissing my mouth, my throat, anywhere. His behavior sickened me and I kicked him in man's most painful area. I jumped on my horse, Belle, and started towards home.
I knew my seven brothers would never let another Ranger touch me, but when they're drunk, there's not much they can do. And like Stallion had said, I had grown up nicely. I knew it, Stallion knew it, my family knew it and it was just a matter of time before the other boys noticed it too. I knew what happened to the girls who got knocked-up by boys like the Rangers. They became pregnant, were kicked out of the house and had to take a job at some sleazy place like Jimmy's. I sure as hell did not want that to happen to me. I unsaddled Belle and gave her some carrots to eat before heading inside. I knew what I had to do, I had to leave. Get as far away from the Rangers and Texas as possible. I came to the family room and looked at my dad reading the newspaper. He looked up at me.
"Home so early?" He asked surprised. I nodded.
"I wasn't feeling so good so I decided to take off early." I lied.
"I'll make you some tea if you'd like." He offered, I declined and headed to my room. I got a small carpetbag out of my closet and placed my most precious items in there: my picture of my parents on their wedding day, my picture of my whole family, a picture of the Rangers, Silver Lightening, my whip, all of the money that I had accumulated and three extra sets of clothing. I opened my window and quietly snuck out. Before leaving the farm, I turned and looked back, remembering everything that had happened there. I felt bad for leaving my father, because I knew that he would be the one affected the most. He had always said that I was the only thing he had left of my mother, who had died giving birth to me. All of my seven older brothers had my father's dark, rugged good looks; while I was the only one who inherited my mother's bright and beautiful features. I sighed and blew my father a kiss, which he would unknowingly receive. I walked the few miles to the train yard and jumped the train that left the soonest. I made myself comfortable in a boxcar and fell asleep, exhausted from the day's events.
"Everyone, hands up! I said git your hands up now!" I pointed my gun at an elderly man. "Did you not hear what I said? Hands up!" His wrinkled old face became fearful as he stared into the barrel of my gun, which I fondly call Silver Lightening. He slowly raised his hands to the sky. I laughed maliciously. "That's right. I'se in charge here." My voice sounded oddly hoarse and husky under the dirty, old rag that covered my face. I looked over at the Western Union banker, who was hurriedly stuffing bills into six brown, dingy sacks that lay next to him. "Hurry up!" I yelled, waving Silver Lightening over my head. One of the guards, Stallion, nodded. I knew it was his way of saying it was time to go. Stallion was our leader, and like his namesake, wild and unkempt. I walked over and grabbed the full bags from the red-faced banker.
"Here ya go, Ms." He looked at me questionably.
"Raider. The name's Raider." I placed my brown cowboy hat over my long, wavy blonde hair. "Thank ya folks for doing business with da Rangers!" I yelled and shot Silver Lightening up at the roof. I laughed while a couple women screamed and I hightailed it out of there.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*
"Happy birthday, Jaclyn." One of my older brothers, Trey said to me.
"Thanks." I replied happily. All of the Rangers were seated at the bar at our favorite saloon, Jimmy's. Stallion came over to me and put his muscular arm around me.
"You did real good today, Raider." He said. "Hey Sarah! Give this lady here another drink!" I turned my head away to avoid the stench of his alcoholic breath.
"Thanks Stallion, for letting me lead the raid." I replied, guzzling down the beer that Sarah had placed in front of me. Stallion laughed drunkenly.
"Well, it ain't everyday that the only girl in the Rangers turns sixteen. What is that? Your seventh beer?" I shrugged my shoulders, not knowing myself. "Oh well, you could always hold your liquor better than most of the guys here. Hey, could I talk to you outside for a little bit?" I nodded. "I'll meet you outside in a couple of seconds." I placed some money on the counter and went outside. I stood there for a moment, staring up at the great Texan sky. The stars twinkled and seemed to be singing Happy Birthday to me. The door to the saloon swung open and Stallion joined me.
"I remember when you joined the Rangers when you were ten. It's been six years and you've grown up very nicely." He said, slurring his words together. "Very nicely." He eyed me greedily and stumbled towards me. Confused, I started backing up towards the horses. He caught up to me and grabbed me in his arms, kissing my mouth, my throat, anywhere. His behavior sickened me and I kicked him in man's most painful area. I jumped on my horse, Belle, and started towards home.
I knew my seven brothers would never let another Ranger touch me, but when they're drunk, there's not much they can do. And like Stallion had said, I had grown up nicely. I knew it, Stallion knew it, my family knew it and it was just a matter of time before the other boys noticed it too. I knew what happened to the girls who got knocked-up by boys like the Rangers. They became pregnant, were kicked out of the house and had to take a job at some sleazy place like Jimmy's. I sure as hell did not want that to happen to me. I unsaddled Belle and gave her some carrots to eat before heading inside. I knew what I had to do, I had to leave. Get as far away from the Rangers and Texas as possible. I came to the family room and looked at my dad reading the newspaper. He looked up at me.
"Home so early?" He asked surprised. I nodded.
"I wasn't feeling so good so I decided to take off early." I lied.
"I'll make you some tea if you'd like." He offered, I declined and headed to my room. I got a small carpetbag out of my closet and placed my most precious items in there: my picture of my parents on their wedding day, my picture of my whole family, a picture of the Rangers, Silver Lightening, my whip, all of the money that I had accumulated and three extra sets of clothing. I opened my window and quietly snuck out. Before leaving the farm, I turned and looked back, remembering everything that had happened there. I felt bad for leaving my father, because I knew that he would be the one affected the most. He had always said that I was the only thing he had left of my mother, who had died giving birth to me. All of my seven older brothers had my father's dark, rugged good looks; while I was the only one who inherited my mother's bright and beautiful features. I sighed and blew my father a kiss, which he would unknowingly receive. I walked the few miles to the train yard and jumped the train that left the soonest. I made myself comfortable in a boxcar and fell asleep, exhausted from the day's events.