"BANG!"
The shot echoed off the cliff faces of the mesa and throughout the valley, causing the young girl to flinch. A groan came from the preacher as he collapsed forward onto the dirt where he was pleading for his life only moments before.
"Muere, hijo de puta!" the woman spat towards the man, but he made no sound. Blood trickled from his ears as she approached, inspecting the matted hair and silver dollar sized hole in the back of his head. Three pounds of pressure... That's how heavy the trigger was, and all it took to end the preacher's life. But, it was done, and nobody could be hurt by him again - not Esperanza, and certainly not the young girl who watched from the run-down church.
She inhaled deeply from the hand rolled cigarette, as the smoke wafted under the brim of the hat. There was no satisfaction in what had been done, or at least none could be seen. Instead, there was only a scowl as she kicked at the lifeless body, then cocked her gun.
"Cli-click, BANG!"
The shot landed in the preacher's back as the sound echoed again through the desolation of the mesa. The young girl closed her eyes tightly and turned away - her dress felt heavy as she tried to steady her nerves. A few moments passed and the lass heard footsteps, heavy in the dirt, moving towards her. As she opened her eyes, the woman stopped, standing ten or so paces from her.
"Do you have family?" she asked, to which the young girl silently nodded in response. Looking up, eyes heavy with fear, she summoned the courage to speak. "They arrive tomorrow, by train."
The older woman looked her over carefully, taking in the modest dress and frail features of her young face. Her brow furrowed as her mouth contorted, then she drew the brim down over one eye before speaking again, "You have nothing to fear from me, niña. Bury your preacher, or don't. Wait for your family. Tell them everything."
The woman holstered her revolver as she started to walk away. She didn’t look upon the corpse as she moved, but instead passed silently over to the spotted mare which tamped at the ground with its hoof. Reaching into the saddle bag she pulled out a leather pouch, then tossed it towards the girl, which landed in the reddish dirt with a thud. "Take this niña. Live a good life," she coarsely spoke and turned again. Her final words as she climbed the saddle were, "Adiós"
Minutes passed as the girl watched the older woman ride down the hill and disappear behind a bend. She looked upon the pouch, then cautiously approached it, glancing over at the body which pooled in darkened dusty blood. She leaned down, and untied the string which bound the soft leather together. Inside, there was a small stack of $50 bills. Awash with shock, she fumbled back, dropping the money and covered her mouth. Printed on the side of the pouch it read, "Wells Fargo."
The woman's final words ringed in the girl's head.
"Adiós"
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Thank you all for reading my story (if you made it the whole way). I'd like to go back and write a few short stories about some of the characters I've created, or may create in the future. During the creative process, I often develop stories for my work, which helps drive the image. I'd like to share them, when it befits me, with you all. I hope you enjoyed this one!
If you like the image, be sure to see the original high resolution version and give it a like. You can find it HERE.
This next week I'd also like to put out another prompting guide, which I think folks will find helpful.
Anyways, cheers everyone. Keep staying awesome.
Regards,
Bjorn