Lou McCloud's Intro The
gun was dropped onto the floor, stirring the dust and making a hollow sound that matched
the feeling in her stomach. She collapsed in a heap by the door, shocked by the day's
events. Louise told herself that it was an accident that she had only intended to scare
Wicks off, but she couldn't deny the truth, and she knew that his friends wouldn't either.
She stood up on shaky legs, listening to the people in the hall, there were voices, then
footsteps, then knocking. The men outside started kicking the sturdy door down, while the
women of the bordello looked at each other with wide eyes, whispering her name in the
darkness. The remains of the door crashed on the floor in less than a minute and the men
entered the room. One
body. One gun. One curtain flapping in the wind. Louise
disappeared into the night, clutching her ripped dress together in one hand, and the
contents from her pocket in the other. She ran blindly through the town, knowing there was
nowhere to hide and that she had to get out of there fast. She also knew that there was
only one thing for it. Louise sprinted into the stable and went over to the dark colored
stallion in the corner. She hushed the disturbed horse with her soft voice and started to
prepare it for a long ride. Shivering
in her flimsy ripped dress, Louise urged the horse on. Keeping off the main route they
stumbled blindly down unknown pathways, and picked their way through dense bush. The horse
snorted and stopped, shaking Louise out of her dreaming. She shifted in the saddle and
found she could smell the familiar odor of smoke. She looked around her and silently
stepped onto the ground as she crept towards the smell slowly. Louise
soon found herself looking into a makeshift camp, the dying fire lit the area, bottles lay
strewn around and the flames flickered shadows across the faces of the three men. She
hoped that they all had drunk too much and wouldn't hear her, she cursed herself as she
quietly searched the saddle bags and dug out a black woolen jacket and dark pants, Louise
then picked up a nearby hat and left as quickly as she had come. She shook her head as she
put on the clothes, not believing what she'd just done. The trousers were way too long and
too wide but they were better with the belt hooked on the last notch. The jacket was quite
loose, but she was warm and dry. The brown hat was the best find, she twirled her long
hair into a bun and placed it squarely on her head, already feeling safer and better about
herself, she swung herself back on the horse and continued on. The
afternoon sun blazed down on the small rider and horse as she rode into another dusty
town. Louise wasn't sure what town it was or where it was, but she was nearly falling off
the horse with exhaustion, after riding all night and most of the day. The
hotel clerk was cleaning the counter when Louise stumbled up the steps, he looked up with
interest at the newcomer who looked extremely worse for wear, "Like a room son?"
The hotel clerk flicked through the register and looked up again at her expectantly. Louise
turned around, looking for the man he was addressing in confusion when it dawned on her
that it was her. "Oh,
um yeah, I need a room" she muttered with a smirk as she pulled out the money she had
taken from Wicks' pocket. The clerk gave her change, a key and pointed her in the right
direction. She fumbled with the key in the lock, made it through the door and collapsed on
the bed in a heap. The
sky was beginning to lighten with the promise of the upcoming sun when Louise first
stirred. Her head was foggy and when she opened her eyes she couldn't remember where she
was. She sat up suddenly when the details sank in and put her head in her hands. "God
what am I going to do?" she asked herself as she huddled her knees. Some time later
with a washed face and stolen clothes she stepped out into the fresh air. Louise walked
through the main street. She was looking in windows and trying to figure out where she was
without embarrassing herself when she came across a note taped in one of the windows: WANTED:
Young, skinny, wiry fellows not over eighteen. Must be expert She
quickly dismissed it and continued down the street when a thought suddenly struck her, the
hotel clerk had mistaken her for a boy hadn't he? It would also be a good way to hide from
anyone looking for her. She shook her head again, naw, it was a crazy idea, no one would
be able to fall for it, would they? Louise doubled back and studied the note again, she
shrugged her shoulders and let herself inside the shop. Louise stepped out of the hotel
for the last time and started to make her way to the Sweetwater Express Station, she had
been told to ask for a man named Joseph and was feeling extremely nervous. She untied the
black horse and rubbed the back of her head, her long hair chopped off with rough
scissors, and with it went her identity. She shook her head, "you have to start over
girl" she told herself as she jumped on the horse and headed off. |