West Virginia, 1880
May

"So McCoy has called Uncle Floyd into court over a pig?" I questioned Victoria incredulously. She nodded gravely, stepping lightly up the hill accompanied by her husband Plyant Mahon. He was a thin man with a graying mustache and not much hair on his head. Next to Victoria, who had only become prettier with age, he was downright grotesque. The two had been married just under a year now and went everywhere together. It was vexing, but I was aware it was not my place to say so. I sighed, mind back on this new issue with the McCoys. I knew the pig being fought over was most likely the McCoys, having been there the day it was found and knowing for certain it was not my uncle's, but I had no intention of saying so. I would be disowned.

"It seems silly to go to court over such a small matter," Plyant stated, helping Victoria to steer clear of an obviously treacherous boulder as we continued along. "It's likely to make McCoy the village idiot."

"I doubt if the matter is actually the pig, Mr. Mahon," I chuckled, amazed at the man's dimness. He was getting in on in years though I supposed. "But you are right, I think this could have been settled at home." There was a tug on my hand. I looked over to Ellison to see he had squatted to look at a rabbit that was not far from us, just off the path we were walking. "Leave it be, Cotton," I advised, pulling on his hand. The rabbit ran off and Cotton returned to my side, smiling innocently at me. I smiled back

At thirteen years old, my twin had shot up some, but was still a great deal shorter than our cousins. His voice cracked when he smoke now and he'd come to me one night complaining of wetting his bed 'but not with pee'. These were all things that were normal for growing boys, but it was odd to see it in Ellison since he was still so innocent, that it was hard to believe that he would one day soon be considered a man. It almost hurt my heart to see it.

I myself had changed also though, I was not sure if it was as noticeable as my brother. I had grown taller, standing level with Ellison, whom was, strictly speaking, a woman's height. I was more shapely than I had been in childhood. I had begun my flow almost immediately after turning thirteen and ashamedly had to ask Ms. Staton for help when such issues arose now. At this age, she seemed to tolerate me a bit more, and even welcomed me to watch her mend and sew so that I may learn how for myself. It was a weird sort of companionship.

She was not with us today however as we trekked through the broken branches surrounding the spot of land where my Uncle Anderson milled timber. All around, about an acre out, members of the Hatfield clan could be found sawing down tree, stripping them, and having them hauled off to town. Uncle Anderson had invited us today to see Johnse and William who now worked here beside their father on a regular basis. I was noticeably excited, seeing as William had held true to his promise of teaching me to shoot and I was now very close to my fourteenth birthday. I had kept my promise as well, and not touched any other man's gun since the day before Will turned fourteen. He would teach me to shoot and no one else.

"The court date is set for the day after tomorrow," Victoria held on with our former topic of conversation, stopping to make a visual scan of the area. I stood by her.

"Are we expected to attend?"

"Of course!" she scoffed, not noticing that her husband had made to deny this claim. "We have to be there to support the family, even aunt Lavicy says so." Had she asked me, I would have said to her that I believed aunt Lavicy was too busy with eight children to be attending court hearings. But she did not ask, so I did not say.

"Mahon! Mounts!"

Looking further down on the hill, we spotted Johnse waving us over with his rifle. At eighteen now, Johnse was tall, muscular, and more handsome than ever. Many girls chased after him and if rumor served true, he let quite a few of them catch him. My cousin had quite the reputation and whenever I recalled my great aunt Jenny suggesting I marry him, I cringed.

"Johnse!" Cotton yelled, waving wildly before shooting off down the hill, heedless of the many workers and broken limbs blocking his path. I clutched at my locket.

"Cotton, stop!" I barked. He halted immediately, turning back to me looking chagrined. I sighed in relief, wiping my fingers across my brow as Mahon made some sort of comment under his breath. I did not hear it, nor my cousin's reply as we made our way down the hill, catching up to Cotton whose hand I immediately grabbed in mine. "Do not run off like that."

"Sorry, Abi," he apologized in a whisper, head lowered and fingers tugging at his ear gently, a nervous habit he had picked up as of late. I accepted his apology, bringing him along as reached the spot where Johnse stood, rifle slung over shoulder, a few yards away from where his father stood, obviously arguing with a man in a suit.

"Who is that man?" Victoria asked, not hiding the lingering gaze that swept over Johnse who looked to bask in the attention. I raised my brow at them both. Strange creatures, the pair of them.

"A lawyer a the McCoy's," he said nonchalantly, shrugging beneath the weight of his rifle. "Tryin' to say that this land belongs to them." Cotton released my hand to squat near a nearby stump. I allowed it.

"Does it?" I asked, squinting as my uncle took a threatening step towards the man. He retreated and went on his way, clearly not receiving what he had come for. Johnse laughed.

"Not at all," he scoffed, stretching his back until there was a crack. His skin had grown dark out in this sun. "Just those nasty McCoy's tryin' to cheat us again. They think everythin' on God's green earth belongs to them."

"Timber and pigs." Plyant laughed at his own joke and we all turned to him, noses scrunched. Under the starch of our gazes, he cleared his throat and smoothed a hand through his hair casually. I did not like this man.

As Uncle Anderson began to make his way up to us, I glanced at the stump Cotton had been crouching by. He was not there. Eyes wide, I scanned the immediate area for him, but did not see any sign of his snowy white head. Johnse called something down to his father but I did not hear it as I began backtracking up the hill from the way we had come. He could not have gone far. I passed working men on my left and right, quickly glancing around their bodies to see if I could spot the smaller one of my brother. No luck.

"Cotton?" I called out worriedly, reaching the top of the hill. I did another scan of the area below me, seeing all the people I had just passed. I saw my kin talking at the base of the hill, Victoria gesturing wildly up to me while the others glanced between us. The workers that had paused in what they were doing to shoot me curious looks. I even saw the McCoy lawyer approaching his horse. But I did not see my twin. "Cotton!"

"Abi!" I spun around, hurrying further up the hill at my brother's call. "Abi, come quick!" I picked up my skirts, running in a fashion that Sarah would fume at, but not caring as I rushed to Cotton's aid. Clearing the second hill in a sweat, I saw him crouched on the ground, smiling wildly at me, a small brown rabbit clutched in his hands. He was fine.

I let out a breath so great it could have blown a house down. Hand over heart, I slowed my pace to a tired walk as I approached him. So preoccupied was he with the struggling bunny that he did not notice my stony gaze. "Cotton," I said acidly just a few feet in front of him now, "I have told you not to run off like that a million-"

"ABIGAIL, MOVE!" I started at this hollered order, spinning around in confusion, not knowing where it had come from.

"William?"

Suddenly I heard Victoria's girlish scream and saw her standing where I had just been, pointing behind me like a mad woman. Turning, I gave a girlish gasp as I saw the large tree falling in my direction. Without thinking, I rushed forward to grab Cotton, who was beginning to look frightened what with all these loud noises, knowing there was no way I could get to him and escape the tree. As my hands fisted in his shirt, I was suddenly shoved roughly to the side, crying out as I dragged Cotton with me. We rolled to the side, just missing being impaled by the trees thicker branches as it crashed to the ground with a noise like thunder. Everything shook. Still, some of the kindling splintered off and rained down on us. Cotton was screaming. I pulled my body over his.

"ABIGAIL! COTTON! WILLIAM!" I heard Victoria scream. She was obviously calling to us. My mind reeled when I heard her say William. Suddenly she was talking to someone else. "Do not just stand there, you fool! Fetch my uncle, quick! ABIGAIL!"

"I am here," I said breathlessly, knowing there was no way she had heard me. Opening my eyes, I was met by the brilliant shock of Cotton-Top's cotton top. I moved off of him shakily, arms feeling like they had no bones. "Are you alright?" I questioned, voice quivering as I tried to sit up. Cotton nodded, face streaked with tears as he moved to his knees. The rabbit was still in his arms, but was completely motionless. I feared it had suffered a heart attack of some sort, or perhaps bashed its head and died.

"AHH!" The scream that followed my discovery of the dead bunny shook me to my core and set Cotton to crying again. "PAPI!"

"That sounds like William," Cotton mumbled, eyes still leaking salt water as he sat up. The branches around us were all snapped and broken, creating a sort of roof of sharp edges. Leaves still rained down on us yet.

"Will?" I repeated worriedly. I had heard him call out to me before the tree had fallen and Victoria had called out to the three of us once it had settled. Had Will been hurt? "William?"

The crying went on.

Reaching out, I steadied myself on one of the jagged branches and took to my feet. As soon as my head popped up from the wreckage, Victoria spotted me and cried in relief. "Stay there!" she informed, fitfully. "Do not move!" I paid her no heed as I turned in the direction the crying was coming from and began picking my way through the hazardous branches. "Abigail!" William was hurt.

"William?" I called, not knowing if I'd be able to spot him beneath all the wrecked foliage. My heart was hammering in my chest fit to burst.

"I can't see! I can't see!" I heard his pitiful wail and dropped to my hands and knees. Continuing at a crawl through the branches, I heard men approaching from somewhere behind me. I hoped they would get Cotton out without incident. I pushed aside a particularly nasty looking branched and was met with the bloody sight of my cousin. "Abigail!"

"William!" I cried, rushing forward on my knees, dirt smearing my dress. I did not care. Will had a hand pressed over his left eye, and blood was gushing from between his fingers. I cringed, putting my own hand up to cover his. "You are hurt!"

"I can't see, Abi," he told me painfully, his one good eye looking about frantically, never focusing on me for more than a moment. He was shaking all over, air rushing from his lips in gusts. I grabbed his other hand in mine. "I'm dyin'!"

"No!" I protested, just as the sound of undergrowth being torn away sounded behind me. William jumped, seizing my shoulder since he could not see who or what was coming. It was only workers and I told him as such as they prepared to move him. "I'm here William," I comforted as they lifted him from the ground gently. "I'm here and your Pa's comin' right now." He looked so scared, it made my eyes water.

They moved him to the base of another tree that had been cut and made to head back to fetch my uncle. When I asked after my brother, one man informed me that Victoria had taken him out of harm's way. I breathed easier, reclaiming my spot at William's side. More men surrounded us, but they kept their disance as I leaned over my cousin.

"I can't see, I can't see," he repeated over and over, blood beginning to spill down his neck. He lay now with his hands away from his face, palms up to the heavens. Looking at his left eyes, I saw nothing but a bloody pool surrounding his dark lashes. I cried, shushing him gently, and putting my hand to his hair. He couldn't see.

"William!" I turned at the sound of my Uncle Anderson's voice. He came skidding to a halt on his knees beside his son, Johnse right behind him, pale with fright. Will jumped and struggled to protect his eye as his father touched him, having not been able to see him approach. "I know it hurts bad, son."

"Daddy, Johnse, I can't see!" he ground out, chest heaving as he seemed to get worked up again. My uncle put his hand over the one Will already had on his eyes and pressed down on it, all the while trying to comfort my hysterical cousin.

"We're gonna get you to a doctor straight away," my uncle insisted, bringing his face down close to Will's so that his good eye may see him. "Listen, William, listen…you're not gonna die…" William's good eye circled his head, looking glassy as he nodded. "But I won't lie to you…this is a serious wound."

Any joy I may have felt at hearing William would survive was lost to me as the sixteen year old boy began to cry in earnest. My heart cringed for him and I wanted to cry too. He flung his arms around his father's neck like a child and I watched in shock as my uncle picked him up like one and carried him away. Johnse followed, all act of showing off for Victoria forgotten at his little brother's injury. I watched until they disappeared down the far side of the hill, William's cries no longer reaching my ears. They were probably going to fetch a doctor.

Looking down at my hands, I saw that one was smeared with William's blood and blinked, wiping it casually on my dress front. If felt as if my mind and body were shutting down as I adjusted my position there on the ground. William, my favorite cousin, may lose his eye and it was our fault. It was my fault. I should have been paying closer attention to Cotton.

"Abigail!" when I heard Victoria call to me, it sounded like it could have been the second or third time she had done so. Snapping my head up, I saw her standing over me, Cotton in toe, giving my bloodied dress an unhappy frown. "Come on now, we have to go into town with them to find a doctor."

"William may go blind," I stated numbly, not moving from my spot besides where William had lain. Victoria nodded. She informed me that it was possible. "H-He may never be able to shoot again." Also possible. She looked concerned now as she reached down and grabbed my unsoiled hand, tugging me to my feet like an infant.

"Do not think of that now," she said wispily, not meeting my eye as she dragged us down the hill. Plyant had gone for their house and cart and was waiting for us at the base where our uncle and the lawyer had spoken. "We have to hurry to drop you with them now so that Plyant and I can go tell Aunt Lavicy."

Aunt Lavicy.

William's mother.

She was going to be so upset.

The frantic cart ride into town was silent except for Cotton's incessant questioning which I ignored for Victoria to answer. She shot me a look that was as worried as it was annoyed every time I did not reply to my brother. I kept the hand caked with William's blood clutched into a fist on my lap with the other touching my locket lightly.

William may go blind.

The thought would not leave me as we finally arrived in town. We had followed my uncle's path and crossed the river into Kentucky in order to reach the nearest doctor. We spotted their cart hitched outside of a small walk up building and I immediately was pulled from my dazed state, pointing it out to Plyant. He drew us to a stop and I did not wait for his hand to jump down from my seat, landing heavily on the balls of my feet and nearly tumbling into the dirt.

"Abigail?"

"Stay here, Cotton," I said firmly, briefly glancing to him over my shoulder. I did not want him in the doctor's office in case the man had needed to remove William's eye all together and the scene was bloody. The thought alone gave me pause right outside the door and for a moment I thought I may faint. Shaking my head, I called for Victoria to take Cotton with her to Aunt Lavicy's and leave him there as I entered the office.

It was dark and musty on the inside, an unpleasant metallic smell assaulting my nose as I shut the door behind me. Glancing to the side, I noticed Johnse's rifle leaned against a waiting chair. I heard voices in the backroom and charged toward it without thought. The door leading there had a glass window cut into it, but I did not look through it before pushing my way in. At the sound of it creaking open, everyone in the room turned to me except William who lay motionless atop a long flat table in the center of the room. My heart stopped.

"Is he dead?" I sobbed, moving to go to him but being held back by my uncle who caught me in a hug, face hidden in his chest. "Is he dead, Uncle Anse?"

"No, angel, no," my uncle soothed, patting my heaving back comfortingly. Tears had overcome me now. "He's just sleepin'."

"Did he lose his eye?" I whimpered, having seen the bandage wrapped around the left side of his face as he'd lain there.

"No," informed a heavy set man that was closest to William. My uncle released me from the hug to wrap his arm around my shoulders and pull me further into the room. The man that had spoken had a smearing of blood on his shirt that he did not appear to notice and I realized he must be the doctor. "No, he will keep the eye, but it will be useless to him now, see."

I had reached the other side of the table by the time he finished explaining William's condition. Reaching out to rest his thick hand on my cousin's sleeping brow, he pushed the bandaging aside and used his thumb to pull Will's left lid back away from his eye. I gasped, hands flying up to my mouth as whiteness and nothing else was seen. His eye had gone milky. When Will did not stir at this assault, I again wondered if perhaps he had passed on with the angels, but when his eye was released and bandage replaced, he shifted slightly and I realized the doctor must have used something strong to help him sleep through any pain he may be in.

"When will he wake up?" I asked, trying not to think of the colorless eye that had replaced the one my cousin had. The doctor shrugged, grabbing a towel from the edge of the table to wipe his hands. The towel was stained with blood. I cringed.

"Hard to say, lil' sis," he huffed, turning his back now to handle something out of my eye sight. Looking up at my uncle with a tear stained face, I saw that he was looking grimly at his second son.

"Can I sit with him?" I asked lowly, voice scratchy from tears at this point. My uncle looked about to protest until he looked at my stricken face. With a sigh, he nodded, motioning Johnse to bring over a chair that was placed under the only window in the room. I sat. "Victoria has gone with her husband and Cotton to get your wife," I told him, not taking my eyes off William. I grabbed his hand.

"That'll be fine," my uncle said, reaching out to pull Lord knew what from my hair. I imagined I looked a right mess after what had happened, but I was not so worried about my appearance to stray from my cousin's side to right myself. My uncle kept up with the picking until I guessed my hair was free of any foliage. With a light pat to my shoulder, he asked the doctor and Johnse in the hall to speak.

When the door closed behind them, I let out a breath through my lips and scooted my chair closer to the table. "I'm so sorry, William," I whispered wearily, reaching up to wipe my cheeks quickly. "It's my entire fault you were hurt." I glanced over my shoulder to make sure no one was coming through the window. Standing then, I leaned over my cousin, tears from my face falling to his. I wiped them away gently.

"Please be alright." Bringing my face down near his, I sniffled lightly. "Please." Closing the distance between us, I pressed my lips to his in a short, sweet kiss. The first kiss I had ever lain on a boy. He did not move. I sat again, cheeks feeling warm as they had not felt in some time. I touched my face just as William began to stir and the door opened again.

"He's wakin' up!" Johnse said excitedly hurrying to the opposite side of the table. He took an elbow next to his brother, staring him hard in the face. "Will? Can you hear me?"

"That's a strong sedative he's under," the doctor informed, still standing in the doorway with Will and Johnse's pa. "Bromides. He'll be out for a while yet." Still, William stirred and Johnse and I leaned in close as he began to mumble under his breath.

"What's he sayin'?" Uncle Anderson questioned curiously. I brought my ear right down to Will's lips so that our skin nearly brushed.

"Abigail," he breathed right into my ear. I pulled away, cheeks hot to the touch only to catch Johnse's look. He had somehow heard his brother's breathy plea and was giving me the queerest expression. Touching my hot face, I took to my seat again, not taking Will's hand in mine as I had before.

"He's just mumblin' nonsense," I told my cousin, not meeting anyone's eye as I began picking at the crusted blood on my hand. I would sit there all night until my Pa came and carried my tired body home. He would tell me later that William had been awake and watching over me when he came.