Prologue
Thunderous cracks pierced the air followed by the cries of the living. The crowd like cattle stampeded into what they deemed to be the safety of buildings. Children and Women cowered in the back while the men defended with their rifles and pistols at the doors and windows ready for the infiltrating forces. Most prayed under their breaths as they continued to hear the continuous turmoil coming from outside, as a gang of ruffians were taking the innocent lives of the town.
"Daddy?" A little girl called out from the embrace of the arms of her mother.
"Rosaline." The mother scorned in a whisper to their daughter.
Rosaline ignored her mother and began to wiggle from her mother's grasp.
Feeling her mother ever so tightened her grip on Rosaline. Her mother pleaded, "Stop Rosaline.
"I want Daddy." Rosaline began to cry out in frustration.
The father turned from the window. His piercing blue eyes rested on his daughters. He smiled and said, "Not right now princess."
"Hush your child woman." Another man sneered as he aimed down his gun. A crack was followed by the shattering of glass as the man dropped onto the ground. Dark blood pooled slowly underneath him. Shouts from the woman ensued as they held their children closer to them.
Like a wild frenzy, the men began to start shooting their aggressors. The metallic smell of blood and gunpowder began to permeate Rosaline's nostrils. She stared at the body on the ground motionless. She couldn't understand what was going on, she just wanted the arms of her father.
Rosaline's mother covered the child's eyes, "You don't need to be looking at this Rosaline."
The sounds were deafening as the onslaught continued. Men shouting, guns popping, thudding of the fallen. Children began to scream and cry in horror as the woman tried to hush them over the overbearing sounds.
Rosaline's father turned to his loving wife, "Put Rosaline with the others I need you to pick up that gun and help me."
The mother nodded setting down her child in the arms of another woman. Rosaline began to protest but then her mother quickly turned to her and grabbed her daughter's face harshly, "Rosaline you will not throw a tantrum like some mad cow now you are going to be a proper lady. Do you understand?"
Rosaline's eyebrows knitted as her blue eyes hardened onto her mothers refusing to answer her.
The mother glowered and ever so slowly applied more pressure on her daughter's cheeks pressing them up against her teeth.
Rosaline finally whined, "Yes mama." Finally tearing her face from the vice grip of her mother's hand.
"Good stay with Mrs.Thornburge Rosaline mama will be back." The mother said before smashing her lips to Rosaline's forehead. Her mother tore herself from Rosaline picking up the rifle of the dead man on the floor and joined in the firing.
Rosaline's mother's eyes were dark and fierce as she kept reloading her Lancaster aim at those who were outside. Her mother was of many things and Rosaline was proud to have her. As a 10-year-old Rosaline wanted to be like her mother; like a wildfire in a dry forest raging against the storm. Her mother helped her father build their homestead in the Territory of Wyoming while she carried Rosaline to term. She had foraged, sewed, cooked, and helped around the ranch, she had jumped into brawls to protect her husband and wrangled calves for branding. She was a woman of her word and had a heart of gold. A cowgirl at its finest.
Rosaline's father grunted and fell as blood spurted from his upper chest.
"Daddy!"Rosaline shouted slipping from Mrs.Thornburge's grasp and onto the ground running to her father. Her heart pounding in her chest as it threatened to stop beating. Her vision filled with nothing but her father and he was coughing blood.
"Rosaline, get back." Her mother shouted. Boom! Her mother's head exploded spraying matter onto the ground as her body collapsed along with her father's.
"Mama!" Rosaline looked between her two parents. The choice was in her hands of who she was going to check first. Tears began to sting her eyes threatening to overflow into streams. Rosaline collapsed where she stood and fell onto her hands and knees wailing for the loss of her parents.
The woman and children joined in as they cried for their loss but it was cut short as the door slammed open.
"Kill everyone you see and don't let anyone survive we have enough mouths as is." A man ordered as he entered the building his eyes were of charcoal cold and hard. The man was a tall fellow with thick skin and darkened by the sun. He wore his wide-brim tall hat with a buttoned cotton brown shirt along with jeans and thick leather chaps. He allowed himself to look among the women, his thoughts unmoving. He held his gun aiming it at the closest to him not noticing the small girl next to him.
Rosaline scrambled pulling her daddy's gun from his hands aiming it at the man and pulled the trigger. The firearm kicked back slamming into the child's head and cutting her cheek. The bullet zipped and ringed hitting the man's hat right off.
The cowboy flinched and turned to Rosaline who was holding the gun once more at the male. The cowboy smirked holding his hand up to stop his gang from blowing the girl away. Rosaline felt her breath heave as she glared at her assailant.
"Who taught you how to shoot that gun?" The cowboy asked in a gruff voice.
"My daddy taught me," Rosaline said her voice shaking. She could feel the blood drip from her cheek down her face onto to her pretty satin blue dress. Rosaline's blue eyes were dark and stormy, with a hint of sadness. Her brown hair was loose in waves and frizzed from the running. Her hands were barely big enough to even hold the gun.
"Your daddy did a good job." With speed he snatched the gun from Rosaline's hand and began to unload the revolver picking each and every bullet from its place and pocketing the ammunition before handing it back to Rosaline, "You keep that, I am sure your pa was a good man, this was nothing personal just business." He turned to his crew, "Grab her we are taking her with us. Rest finish clearing out." He waved at the huddled mothers and children.
"No!" Rosaline screamed as one of the younger cowboys grabbed the gun back from Rosaline and picked her up over his shoulder. If he thought Rosaline wasn't going to fight he was wrong. She began to kick and scream bloody murder as they dragged her out of the shop building. Gun fire proceeded to fill the air drowning out the screams of the people left living. There were twenty people of an armed posse out of the building. They were all saddled and ready to move on.
The man sat Rosaline down and began to tie her up, she gnashed her teeth and spat at him. But in return, they slapped her as hard as they could, "Now I ain't gonna put up with a spoiled brat like you shape up or I will make sure you got a permanent hand print on that rear of yours."
Rosaline glared at the man and began biting her cheek. She was used to being disciplined but her thoughts were conflicted, she wanted to fight and scream but she was terrified at what they were going to do to her. The cowboy who seemed to be the leader of the posse walked with determination towards the man and punched him square in the jaw. The man fell onto the dirt ground. The leader picked him up by the collar of his shirt, "Smalls, I ain't just catch you slappin' the child, she ain't yours to discipline now, she is mine. That goes for all of you!" He shouted.
"Yes, boss." They said unanimously.
Smalls stuttered, "Sorry boss she just got rowdy and I let my temper get the best of me."
"That's okay smalls, she is part of the family now ain't no one gonna touch her without my say so." The boss said looking at me, "What's your name kid?"
"Rosaline Sage Vanicci."
Hello, Thank you for starting your journey with me into the wild west. Please Enjoy. Don't forget to subscribe and follow.
