The End Before the Beginning
This started rolling around in my head a little while back...until it got loud enough that I had to at least write a short shot.
The sunrise wrapped its warm rays around Heath, who sat a top of his horse and looked down from the hill he'd ridden to. He could see the huge white mansion that he'd called home and thought of the family who would wake soon to find him gone. He knew they wonder where he had went. Inwardly, he sighed. He also knew going away without leaving so much as a note would make it worse in some ways, as they would be clueless to as why he had left. Then again, in time, he was sure at least one of the family members would figure it out. The rider sighed and allowed one single teardrop to fall as he thought about all he was turning his back on. They meant so much to him. Only problem was, he no longer had it in him to stay. Though, he allowed himself to gaze upon the sight and let his mind wander back through time.
He could see him and his half brother on the bridge, neither one budging. He could hear them joshing each other and then going for their guns though, looking back at it, he could see that neither one of them would have actually shot each other. He then chuckled as he heard the bridge crack and saw the two of them dropping into the river below, along with their horses.
Heath sighed as the fight in the barn flashed before his eyes, along with the fight at Sample's farm. It had not been a pleasant time, but a necessary one. He hung his head and sighed as he recalled others talking about 'the blonde haired bastard's fight to get into the family'. Naturally, most of the words spoken had been cruel. But then General Wallant had come and everyone was proven wrong about 'that blonde haired cowboy'; he'd more than earned the right to be a part of the family the day he stood up to Wallant and then led the ranch hands when they finally moved the cows.
He lifted his head though when it came to the memories of the family insisting time and time again that their newest family member think and act their way….especially when it came to forgiving those who had-for whatever reason-wronged him. Why couldn't the family realize that *if you could find in yourself the strength to forgive it would be a blessing. However, that forgiveness can't be forced… not ever by one's family, the ones you love and who love you. And they'd done that to him one too many times.
Heath knew he could not give them what they wanted…and he was tired of trying. "It looks like we're on our own again" he said as he patted Charger's neck. The blonde haired cowboy then turned his horse around and rode away. The moment he did that, Heath Thomson Barkley ceased to exist and Jack Yeary came into being.
A/N 1. Thank you to Dyce20 (another fanfiction writer on another site) for saying she didn't have a problem with me using the name Jack Yeary.
2 Thanks to Momof4 (another Fan fictin writer on another site) or allowing me to use a portion of her reply to me (in private emails) in this short shot.
I MIGHT write a longer story off this short shot later. I am still working on "Family Ties" and I'm back at the high school helping with after school drama rehearsals.