Taegan's Story

Taegan's story


I walked quickly along the dirt road, the pink morning sky outlined by my silowhette.
My leather boots collected dew, and I risked a glance behind me.
All clear. I gave a sigh of relief, and broke into a jog, swinging my bag into my back.

Prairie surrounded the tiny town of Silver, that I currently resided in, and only one dirt road ran in and out.
Running across the road, I entered Johnson's Mercantile, and breathed in the smell of tanned leather and sugar.
"TAEGAN," Johnson boomed, laying his giant hands on the counter and grinning merrily at me. I smiled back weakly. His loud manner and always cheery appearance always made me slightly wobbly kneed. I wasn't used to such acting. "Johnson." I said back, nodding my head.
"What'll you be needing this fine morning?" He said, straightening.
I pulled a crumpled piece of paper from my bag and smoothing it over the scarred and worn wood.

"I need a bag of flour, four pounds of dried venison, and-"
I was cut off by the Mercantile door slamming open.
Kierne Valvidi, a boy who lived about four miles from my own little shanty on the plains, burst through the door, breathing hard. "Johnson," he gasped, his chest heaving. "They're here."
Johnson's normally warm, laughing eyes turned cold, and he stepped from behind the counter, cocking a shotgun. "Kier, go saddle Sun and Renge. Hurry about it!" He barked, shooting the frozen teen a glare that would've burning a lesser boy.
Kierne whirled around and ran in the direction of Johnson's stables.
I grabbed his arm. "What's going on?"
Johnson went to the window and pulled the curtain back. "A long time ago," he started, going back to the counter and pulling various guns from under it. He loaded them, one by one, resuming his tale. "There was a woman named Anna Colter." He paused, letting me connect the dots. "My . . . Mother." I said slowly.

This was all too weird. First, Kier bursts into the shop and says, "they're here" and Johnson acts all word about that, plus, he pulled out the guns, which is a sign I show be really, really scared, because Johnson once beat five men with just his bare hands.
Then, he starts telling me about my "mother" Anna Colter, apparently.
"Taegan, are you listening?" His tone was irritated, which sent another warning bell ringing in my mind, because Johnson was NEVER anything but happy and angry.  
Kier opened the door again, "Johnson, we need to move fast." He said, withdrawing to peer down the street.
His face blanched, and he darted back into the store, freezing when he saw the guns. "You... You aren't coming with?"
Johnson walked quickly to the teen's side. "No," he said softly.

Now, the sound of thundering hooves and a gunshot or two ripped through the once still morning air. I glanced at Johnson and Kier. "Johnson, if you don't mind, I just let myself out the ba-" I was cut off by Kier, who clamped a hand on my wrist and took off for the back door, dragging me with.
I struggled to get out of his grip, but four years of tossing 70 pound hay bales around will give you killer arm muscles, and Kier was no exception.

He didn't even bat an eye when I dropped, deadweight on the ground.
He just picked me up, all 98 pounds of me and continued running for the stables.
Gunshots shattered from the direction of the shop, and I twisted to see what happened.
I faintly saw Johnson's figure stumble out the back, fists swinging.
The burly man took down two black clothed figures before eight more trapped him down.
One more stepped out of the store, calmly walking towards Johnson's downed body.
He raised something I knew to be a pistol, and a single gunshot ripped it's way through my ears.

I have a violent cry, and twisted, trying to run back to the gentle giant who'd helped me so much, to know he was still alive, and breathing, and I was going to see him every Saturday, just like I usually did-
Sharp stinging pain spread from my face, and I snapped from my daze, staring straight at Kier's tear streaked face. "Get up," he bit out, "and ride. Before his sacrifice was for nothing and they catch you!"
I stumbled to my feet from where Kier had set me, and half ran to Renge.
The chestnut mare snorted nervously, dancing on the tips of her hooves.
I caught the saddle horn in one hand,
and swung up, settling into the supple leather of the saddle.

Abruptly, a bullet buried itself in the ground mere inches from Kier's boots.
He scrambled up Sun's side, the palomino stallion neighing in panic.
Laying the ends of my reins to Renge's flanks and she lit out of town like a wild fire, blazing down the street.
Dust rose in clouds from the mare's hooves, and I panted in fear as we barreled down the street.
I faintly heard Sun's hooves behind me, then a gunshot-

Pain exploded in my cheek, and I nearly fell from the saddle.
Warm liquid dripped from my jawline, and I felt tears following.
The hurt raced from my jaw to my neck, my head, my shoulders, and I wobbled for a moment before straightening and trying to breath regularly.
It appeared that whoever was behind us had shot me.