Writings for Got

Home Again\western genre/1942 words/House Martell

Savaged Indians had taken over once again, leaving nothing but smoke, fire and death. People of the small town of Ruby City would be forsaken now that everything was gone.

“Hurry up, we don't have much time. Just grab what we need and get on the wagon. The weather isn't on our side and lord only knows how long it will be before we find somewhere to lay our heads.”

Melissa felt as though she couldn't leave anything behind, so she filled her trunk with every little thing that held a memory. A few things such as candles, a metal cup, a blanket, a book, and ribbons from her mother's collection. The tears flowed out of control. The very thought that her mother was taken away from these savages made her heart sink. She was alive she knew that. They hauled her mother up on the horse with her body limp hanging over the sides.

“Melissa”! Let's go, there is no time.” Reggie was angry, hurt and confused but he had no time to waste. There was no time to grieve for his wife's brutal attack. He had three children to get to safety and little time to do it. He knew they would be back and if it wouldn't be the savages it would be soldiers.

It was well into the next day before the family felt safe enough to camp out. Reggie needed the rest and the children needed to stretch out and eat. Sitting by the fire Melissa was the one to take on her mother's duties. She placed the pot of stew over the fire to warm up. It was the only prepared meal she had; the next one she would have to make. Nobody talked. Silence was not comfortable in this situation. The little ones could only stare at their Pa and wondered if he was angry or sad. His expression was nothing more than a blank sheet of paper.

That night was long and the air was getting cooler. Once Melissa had the other children wrapped up in the wagon for sleep, she sat back with her Pa and put her arm around him, nestling her head on his shoulder.

“Pa, do you think mother is alive?”

Reggie didn't look at her, he stared into the fire longing for the right answer.
“I don't know, I just don't know.”

The following morning was the same. Packing up and little to say but Melissa felt as though her mother was with them in a strange sort of way.
The trails were rough from the elements and the wheels on the wagon were becoming loose. This meant another stop and even if Pa could fix it, he couldn't do it alone.

Hours had gone by before another wagon came up behind them.

A man in plain clothes approached Reggie and offered his help. Melissa noticed his wife sitting in the front coach. She wanted to approach her just for the comfort of another mother figure but the woman didn't seem too friendly.

“Hey there. Everything okay honey?” The stranger's bonnet was a site in itself and her dress was so dirty. Her face was weathered with eyes sunk in her head. “I'm not going to bite you know. Come on and sit beside me. You look like you need someone to talk to.”

Melissa sauntered over unsure if it were the right thing to do. But she couldn't help herself.

Everything after that happened so quickly and the chaos blurred what was happening.

First the yelling then the gun shot, and another.

Melissa was being pulled by the strange woman but she broke free and screamed for her two siblings.

“Grant, Gina! Run!”

There was no time to see to her father who was laying face down in the dusty trail. She had to break away from these people and hide out. Her siblings crying and trying to keep up to the pace of their sister.

“Stay put! Stay quiet. They will leave soon. Bandits I expect. They are taking everything. Oh Pa please be okay.” Her whisper trembled into tears. Watching everything they own be taken away by pathetic heartless strangers.

The three children stayed in the bushes for what seemed an eternity. Thirst graveled their throats from the dusty winds. Grant and Gina stayed as quiet as they could but they were too young to understand any of this hideous act. It wasn't long after, that Melissa felt safe enough to go back to their coach and walked slowly to where her father lay. He was gone. His blood pooled in the dirt, rippling the surface due to the dryness.

Brought to her knees, Melissa said yet another good bye and became stricken with fear as to how she was going to carry on without transportation or supplies. Now left to care for her two siblings. The twins were uncontrollable and tired.

The back of the wagon was emptied, all except for the one box that Melissa packed herself and a few canned goods. She couldn't take the chance in staying in the wagon. Afraid for the strangers to come back, she took the twins and whatever she could grab and walked them off the trail. There would be no fire tonight. Causing attention was the last thing she needed. The twins on either side of her, Melissa wrapped them in petty coats and provided body heat. It was a long night without sleep and the hunger pains in her stomach left her stomach sick.

“Melissa, wake up. Melissa someone is here.” Grant was relentless and kept pulling at Melissa's dress. She rubbed her eyes and opened them but glared by the sun she was squinting. “Grant for Pete sake will you cut it out.”

“Where are you kids from? Where is your family?”

Melissa sat right up and grabbed both kids, pulling them in close to her side.

“Who are you?”

Grant was mesmerized by this dark fellow high up on his horse. “Sis he is wearing a cowboy hat, cowboy boots, he even has a bandanna. He's a cowboy silly! I'm Grant Sir. I'm going to be a cowboy one day.”

“Hush Grant. He is no cowboy. An outlaw maybe but no cowboy. What would a cowboy be doing way out here in the middle of nowhere.” Melissa's eyes met with the stranger and she knew better and yet so did he.

“Your sister is right Grant. Never trust a stranger. I have my own reasons for being out this far but now I have new reasons. You little ones can't be out here alone. Now -I have a place I can keep you but you have to trust me.”

“Never trust a stranger right, yet you want us to trust you right here and now? Not a chance. I would rather be food for a coyote than let the likes of you take us away to god knows where.”

“Suit yourself miss. I can't stick around and wait for the bad to get worse.” He lifted his hat quickly and turned his horse around.

Both young ones started to yell and cry. It was to the point that Melissa had no choice. “Wait!” She tried to be strong but she knew without resources there was little chance they would make it alone.

“Change your mind? Listen my name is Jared and I am not out to harm any of you. In fact I want to keep you away from harm. There isn't anything around here close enough to help you. I have everything you need but I can't all of you at once.”

The kids all looked at each other and there was no hesitation when Melissa looked at the twins, “You take the twins. They will both fit on your horse. I can wait, but they need food and water.”

Jared looked at the twins and they didn't argue only stared at him with a plea. “If that is the way you want it then that 's fine with me. It could be dark again before I get back so lay low. I will whistle when I am closer so you know it's me.”

There were no arguments and before Melissa could blink the kids were gone and she was alone. Very alone. She spent the rest of the day crying and going through her crate of belongings. Thinking of her mother was so brutal on her heart. The idea of her father in the dirt and now probably being eaten by scavengers make her heart sick.

It was very late before Jared returned and Melissa couldn't have been more ready. Stranger or not she couldn't be out in the elements for one more minute.

“So where is this place?”

Jared kept the horse in check, barely turning around, “It has no name. It's just a place I call home for now.”

“Don't you have a family?”

“No. I did, once. That was a long time ago.”

Up on a hill in the brush Melissa could see an old porch, weathered from the beating sun. As they got closer she could hear the kids. They sounded very excited and Melissa for sure thought they were well fed since this morning.

“Melissa! Come see, come see! You won't believe it!”

“Believe what?” Melissa couldn't imagine what had the twins so excitable.
“Wait!” Jared grabbed Melissa by the arm. “I don't want you to be alarmed. You are going to see something that I can't explain. This woman, well I found her and she wasn't in very good shape. I have been trying, but let's face it I don't have a woman's touch when it comes to healing.”

Melissa pulled her arm away and couldn't stand it another minute. She ripped up to the porch and into the small cabin. The place was empty but one curtain hanging as a door way. Slowly she made her way and gently pulled the curtain back. She dropped it just as quickly. Her heart was in disbelief. Her mother was alive.

“Mama.. it's me Melissa. Oh Mama I can't believe you are okay.”

Her mother didn't answer her. She remained facing the wall, but Melissa had a glance at what seemed to be bruises all over her back.
“It's okay Ma, I am here and I'm not leaving.”

It was some time before Melissa's mother came around. It wasn't the Indians at all that did this to her. It was the army. A handful of men that shared her mother and left her for dead. Jared explained that he found but the truth was he found her at their campsite. He took it upon himself to get her out of there and not without taking lives. He was already running from the law. The first time was for saving his own family and that didn't pan out as well as he wanted. He was injured and had to leave them behind.

He wouldn't make the same mistake twice. With hope and prayer this new family that fell upon him was like an answered prayer.

Jared was an outlaw but Melissa and her family owed him so much that they never questioned his reasons. They did become a family in more ways than one. Their family was growing. Mama and Jared became very close and fell in love. Mama was having another baby and Jared became a new person. A new spark of life gleamed in his eyes. Pa wouldn't be forgotten and if the baby was a boy he would be named after Pa.

Settlers of a new kind in a new world. They were home again.

1942 words.