The Unicorn Challenge.
A magical new weekly writing opportunity from her – Jenne Gray – and me.
Visit her blog every Friday to see the photo prompt, and post your amazing story in her comments section.
Or on your own blog, and stick the link down in her comments.
The rules are:
Maximum of 250 words.
Based on photo prompt.
That’s it.
To hear me read my story, just click here:
Whisky
The smashed whisky glass is a good sign and a bad sign.
There’s only one man who can shoot like that, so he’s still alive, but he only does that trick when he has a drink in him.
His relationship with whisky predates even our time as young cowhands, back before the war, before we had the ranch, and it tends to presage death.
I was pretty quick with a gun, but he could eat breakfast first and still beat me to the draw.
My questions are met with closed faces until the locals are convinced I’m not the law, but his partner from the other side of the mountains.
Then they give me the news.
He’s in bad trouble, in conflict with old Campbell himself, having left a son face down in the dirt.
The last of the snow has melted, the river level has dropped, could be navigable by this afternoon.
On this side is Campbelltown, on the other it’s Campbell land, a vast ranch with over a hundred armed, working men.
I sigh.
Looks like it might be a while and some bloodshed before we go home.
I check my pistol, make sure it’s loose in the holster, then slide two shells into the shotgun.
I shoulder my way through anxious men into the street, and head towards the corral.
He greets me with a nod, as though I’m expected.
Then we turn our faces towards the river, and the horsemen gathering on the far bank.
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Jimmy Hendrix sets the mood, and that mood stays tense, and grows. Ready to snap! Something about a broken glass that points to the old west..
I love a Western and this story was quite good. This line especially: “he could eat breakfast first and still beat me to the draw”. I usually don’t like when a story doesn’t end, but this had a nice Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid vibe to it which was perfect.
Smiling at ‘quite good’.
Thanks, Michael, I’m underwhelmed!
Giddy up! Still love my cowboys.
Was expecting Morricone but got Hendrix; good choice.
Almost went for Willie’s Last Cowboy song before I realised that it’s too late, America’s already gone.
ooh — the tension. Do write more of this story!
Bang! Bang!
Ouch! Ouch!
(Is that okay?)
Hahaha
Oh excellent – very exciting, but will he win?(great song, by the way)
The goodies always win, Chris, it’s in his contract!
Yeah, Jimi rocks!
Exciting, intriguing, breathtaking – I need a whisky!
Cheers, pardner!
Different style, different setting, same great writing.
All the detail and not a superfluous word.
I just love how you get the character of the MC to jump out without ever describing him.
And a tense story too.
I think you deserve a stetson.
Tippin muh hat to ya, ma’am.
Such excitement written in!
Thank you, glad it worked for you!
Somehow I get the feeling this is not a bunch to be messed with….
Yeah, but we’re with the fastest gun in the West!
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