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This is a draft which is subject to revisions.

Recommended for ages 13+.

The following is a work of fiction. All names, characters, incidents, and places are either the product of the authors’ imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, business enterprises, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Just when you thought it was safe, a totally unexpected event occurs. Explore this western book to see what happens 


       Prologue
 

Bang! Bang! Bang!

“Good God what’s happening? Excuse me one second so I can take cover.” I dive haphazardly to the ground, with my face smacked against the terrain, and then slither along the ground to safety. “A few shots were fired my way. I’m in a valley where I’ve taken cover in-between some rocks. There, that’s better. Bullets continue ricocheting in every direction. My life is in great peril. I’m not sure if I will make it out alive, but not telling my story would be a great injustice. So as the saying goes, the show must go on.”

It was the era known as the last wild frontier. Any day could’ve easily been one’s last, and even looking at someone the wrong way could’ve had dire consequences. During this period, disputes were settled on the spot, right in the middle of the street, in broad daylight. Two men would face off against each other, both knowing that it could be their last gunfight. It has been said that some notorious gunslingers’ reaction time was faster than the blink of an eye. Astonishingly, they could draw their guns and shoot their opponents dead before they had a chance to draw theirs. Was this justice?

Revenge was a second religion back then. There are accounts of a single gunman intent on evening the score, charging into a saloon with guns blazing and killing several patrons. How frightening some of these ruthless individuals were has become legendary. They felt no guilt or shame after taking someone’s life. Some died quickly, while others suffered slow agonizing deaths. Keep in mind that the medical field wasn’t as advanced as today. How many persons suffered such horrific deaths will probably never be known. Then there were innocent persons who were ambushed by riflemen hidden inconspicuously. These victims were stripped of all their earthly possessions, and left to rot or be eaten by vultures in some remote area. Sounds pretty gruesome, right?

There was no way of knowing which day could be one’s last, with countless armed robberies of banks, trains, and anything else worth looting. Sometimes the witnesses were shot dead, leaving the criminals identities unknown, and therefore unaccountable. It was certainly a dog eat dog world. Unknowingly, someone could’ve been best friends with a ruthless killer, bandit, or both. Just thinking of such lawlessness might make your stomach churn.

Whenever individuals needed to get somewhere, they simply saddled up their horses and were on their way. They were a means of transportation for both people and supplies. Of course, they needed to be watered and fed each day. Imagine if one’s horse got sick or died along the way. This would leave the rider stranded, potentially in the middle of nowhere. What would one do then? There might not be anyone around for miles, assuming that they’d be willing to help. God only knows how many persons faced this tragic occurrence.

I can hazard a guess of what you’re probably thinking. Why am I telling you all this? In modern society, such things aren’t as common. People mostly settle disputes in court, or duke it out with their fists. Rarely, if ever, does anyone in the civilized world have gunfights in the open, especially in the middle of the day.

All this held true until one forsaken day in late winter of 2045. Yes, this one day changed the world forever. It was a bright, sunny day on March 8, 2045, when an unexpected event created utter chaos for everyone. The world would never be the same.

More to follow…