OK, so the other day I had an urge to write a novel. So far I've done 11 pages... so far so good! Then I decided that I might just upload it to here, see what you guys think.

Just a word of warning - I'm not an expert on Western stuff. So if I get anything wrong, or say something that's not quite realistic, please let me know. Thank you! Spinkle22 :D

A few miles from the Coleman River, just to the left of the small town of Harlan, there is a wide plain of grass, where cattle graze and animals retire. Long grass is browned and weathered by the intense, Western sun, and sways stiffly when a light wind stirs lightly the humid air. The plains are set in a hilly area, often surrounded by trees and bush, but great clumps of forest are rare. From a spot near the top end of this wide plain of grass, there is a large log from a tree that had long since been chopped up and carted away by the local people. This log only remained, as a memory of the tree that had once stood alone and isolated, to be struck by lightening a few years ago. In the distance there are more trees. One of the few areas of woodland is visible between the lower curve of the plain and the higher curve of the next. Beyond that is a part of the world unseen, and beyond that… the sky.

The sun was setting near the forest in the background; casting long shadows through the tall grass and making the ground seem deep and intimidating. The cattle were settling down, making no sound but the occasional munching of grass, and shifting of bodyweight. Birds could be heard calling to one another in the trees that framed and surrounded the plain, and beyond that was the sound of children screaming and playing, making the most of the little sunlight before it went to light another part of the world.

It was out of the trees on the right that Fern came, walking quietly with her arms folded, wearing a light dress to keep herself cool. Even though it was dusk, it had been a hot day, and the warmth was still within the area. Her long, light-brown hair trailed behind her head like a wedding gown follows a bride, and her blue shoes made no sound in the long grass.

She headed towards the log. Her expression was not one of happiness; she looked more annoyed that relaxed. As she approached, she slowed and stood for a moment, scanning the plains for any sign of anyone else. When she was sure it was clear, she sat down on the log, facing the sunset, and placed her hands neatly in her lap. It had been a long day. Her father had left the house early in the morning to help the other men in the town round up the cattle. They were driving them to another place tomorrow, and they had insisted on being as prepared as they could. So Fern had spent the day working for her mother, washing their clothes and mending their broken possessions. Leah, Fern’s younger sister, hadn’t been much help. Of course, when her mother was with them, she’d been useful, helping Fern and doing what she could, but as soon as their mother’s back was turned, Leah had refused to work.

“Daisy don’t ‘ave to work,” She’d insisted, much to Fern’s annoyance. Daisy was Leah’s best friend, whose father had long since left the town and never returned, so of course she hadn’t had to work. She didn’t have a father to prepare for the long drive. Fern sighed again and watched as a cow unsettled itself, and made its way over to another to lie down with. They didn’t mind each other. Not at all.

Suddenly Fern became aware of a movement behind her. She turned around and came face to face with Justin, the son of a friend of her mother’s. Justin was tall and broad, and well-liked among the town. Although he liked Fern, she had no interest in him, and refused to conform with the views of her mother.

“Y’all right, Ferny?” Fern hated being called Ferny. It was what her mother used to call her when she was less than six years old.

“I’m fine. What do you want?” She replied curtly, turning around to face the sun again. She heard Justin approach from behind, and felt the log shift as he sat down next to her. They sat in silence for a minute. Fern tried to ignore his presence, but she could tell he was uncomfortable. He pretended to be interested in the sunset for a while, but then he obviously got bored because he turned to face her.

“I followed you out here. Y’looked all lonely, like.”

“I always come here. I ain’t lonely.”

Justin didn’t know what to say. He coughed and started fiddling with his dark, curly hair. Most of the girls in the town would die for his hair, and his dark eyes, which – as Fern’s best friend Annie once described as – were deep pools of mysterious brown. Annie was crazy about Justin. Fern smiled lightly to herself, then immediately frowned because Justin had noticed and taken it the wrong way.

“You’re glad I’m here, really, ain’t you? Fern? I saw you smile. Y’couldn’t help it, could you?”

“Shut up,” Fern scowled. Justin grinned. Darn, Fern thought, just what he needs. She stood up and brushed down her dress.

“Where you off to so soon, Ferny?”

“I’m gonna find somewhere else to get some peace an’ quiet. You don’t mind, do you?”

“I’ll come, if you want.” Fern faked a smile. It took every effort. Was Justin so stupid that he couldn’t tell she wasn’t interested? Or was he so self-centred that he couldn’t live with the truth? She laughed quietly and shook her head.

“Don’t you get it, Justin? If I wanted you to come with me, I woulda stayed here, otherwise there’s no point in movin’, is there? This is the quietest place around.” Justin looked confused.

“Then why don’t you stay here?” Fern was disgusted. She wiped the sickly smile from her face and turned, heading back towards the town. When she was there, she could go straight to bed, complaining of a headache. Then she’d get some peace and quiet. She half expected Justin to run after her, but he didn’t. Then she saw why; he’d spotted another girl he liked and was busy trying to get her attention.

As she passed through the thin line of trees separating the two plains, the town came into sight. Fern smiled fondly. Harlan was the only place she’d ever known, and she loved it like her own family. She loved her family very much, even Leah, who could be a real pain. Smoke was drifting from the wooden houses in the background, and the dusty streets were slowly being cleared of the happy children, making the most of the last moments of sunset before it was too dark. Just before the houses was the main street, lined with about seven different stores, with a wooden boardwalk connected them all. She heard doors small shut as the stores closed for the night, done for the day. Men could be heard laughing and joking about the long drive starting tomorrow, as they made their way home to their families, and mothers were stood in doorways, making sure their children came in on time. Fern sighed contentedly and walked down the dusty main street to where her house was located.

“Hey, Fern!” Fern turned and saw Annie stood outside her father’s shop, leaning on a post and waving. One of Fern’s other friends, Clay, was stood next to her. Fern smiled and made her way over to them.

“Your pa goin’ on the old drive, then?” Fern called as she approached. Annie nodded, her dark curls bouncing up and down.

“What you doin’ here, anyway, Clay?” Annie turned to the lanky blond boy beside her, “Woulda thought you’d be puttin’ your ma to bed. She ain’t well, is she?”

Clay shrugged. “Pa thinks she’s gettin' better. Anyway, I’m waitin’ for Sam. He’s just seein’ the blacksmith for a new knife.”

“I’m surprised you boys ain’t goin’ on the drive. You’d think you were old enough, wouldn’t you? 16’s the age most people consider adult, you know.” Fern remarked, but Clay shrugged.

“We were offered, but I wanted to stay home, with ma, y’know. You never know when she might – she might…” Clay’s voice cracked and he stopped. Fern smiled apologetically.

“Sure, you got a reason. What about Sam? And Dave?”

“Ma’s been really stressed recently. She won’t let ‘im do anything, and pa ain’t too bothered. And Sam – ” Annie started. Dave was her twin brother.

“Sam’s too lazy to do anythin’ like that. Y’know him.” Clay interrupted, grinning. Fern smiled too. It was all too true.

Almost on cue, Sam emerged from the blacksmiths, looking pleased.

“He said it’ll be done within the next 48 hours. Then I can practise throwing it again – who wants to be my next victim?” Sam grinned, his eyes glinting. He had aimed the question at Annie, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her shoulders. Sam was huge, and very strong, for all the work he did for his father when he put his mind to it.

“Funny.” Annie said. She shook her head at Fern and rolled her eyes. Fern smiled inwardly. She knew Sam liked Annie, although he would never admit it. Annie was blind to his flirts.

“We’d better go,” Clay said, straightening up, “C’mon, Sam. See you girls later.” Clay started down the steps and Sam hurried to catch up, flashing a last quick smile at Annie and Fern.

“Goodbye, ladies.” He and Sam disappeared from sight. Annie laughed. Fern could only see the right side of her face in the light coming from her father’s store. The rest was obscured in the night’s darkness.

“Strange guy. You off, Fern?”

“Yeah, I think I should. See y’, Annie.” Annie replied and withdrew back into the store, while Fern went in the opposite direction from the two boys towards her house.

Silence was beginning to settle in as darkness inhabited the night, and the last few doors could be heard shutting for the night. The kids could no longer be heard outside, but as Fern passed a few houses she could hear them being put to bed. Fern’s house was one of the furthest from the main street, but one of the biggest in the town. Her father managed the bank, so their status was high within the area.

Although Fern would have preferred to live closer to the middle, rather than on the outskirts. The town was only about half a mile wide, at most. Not much went on there, but everything that did happened in the middle. Often she felt excluded from the goings-on, and wished for a smaller house and a lower status. Her parents were always insisting how she should be grateful for their space and their money, which she was. And she had four of the best friends she could ever wish for. But while her mother insisted on sitting down, having meals together and enjoying ‘quality family time,’ Fern’s friends would be meeting up on their own, in their lower-class area, missing her already. The only other family in the town with their status was Justin’s, and he lived at the opposite end. Thank God, thought Fern, as she reached her front door.

The lights were off, except for a small glow coming from the front room. Fern pushed the door open and stepped inside, the wooden floorboard creaking slightly under her weight. Her parents were sat side-by-side on one of the sofas, her mother’s head resting on her father’s shoulder. Her father looked up as she entered.

“Fern,” He murmured, “My big girl.” He moved up to make space for her on his other side. Fern sat down and he put his arm around her shoulders.

“How long you gonna be gone for, Pa?” She replied, staring at the fire crackling under the chimney. She hadn’t realised how chilly it had gotten outside since she left the plains, and she realised that there were goosebumps on her arms. She leaned forward ever so slightly to feel the warmth on her skin.

“I dunno. Probably same as last time – few days. Any of your friends goin’?”

“Nah. I think Justin is though, thankfully.”

“He’s a very nice boy, Fern. I don’t think you’re bein’ very fair to ‘im. Y’don’t know ‘im well enough to judge ‘im like that.”

Fern sighed. “I don’t want to know him anymore’n I already do. Not my type.”

“Don’t be silly, Fern. There ain’t no such thing as – ”

“OK, ladies, break it up. I ain’t gonna see neither of you for a few days now, an’ Leah’s already in bed. Try be a bit nicer, won’t you?” Fern’s father interrupted, flashing them both a wide grin.

“Oh, Grant, I’m sorry. I’m just tryin’ to pretend everythin’s normal. I ‘ate it when you go ‘way like this, y’know. It ain’t good for me an’ the girls.” Sighed Fern’s mother.

“Don’t you worry. There’ll be loads of other fathers goin’ tomorrow, an’ all you mothers can support each other through it. Understand?” Grant stroked the hair back from Fern’s mother’s forehead, and kissed her lightly on the top of her head.

“I’m gonna go t’bed. Night.” Fern got up and moved across the front room, enjoying the heat prickling her legs from the fire. Her parents replied softly, and Fern shut the door quietly behind her. As she passed her sister’s room, the door was open and she saw Leah sitting up in bed, reading a book with her nightlight. Fern smiled.

“You’re s’pposed to be asleep, Leah.”

“I’m not tired.” Leah barely glanced up from the book. From what Fern could see of her half-obscured face, she hadn’t even taken her eyes off the page. Her dark brown hair fell to her shoulders both sides.

“I ain’t surprised. Y’did no work.”

Leah groaned and slammed her book shut. She pushed it off the side of the bed and glared at Fern.

“Y’can’t sleep if you’re not tired. Get outta my room.” Fern grinned again and shut the door. As annoying as Leah was, the Wright family would not be the same without her. And they’d had their good times.

As Fern brushed her teeth in the bathroom, her eyes fell on the family portrait hanging on the wall behind her, reflected in the mirror. It was taken a few years ago, before all the disputation began between Harlan and its neighbouring town, Floyd. They all looked so happy. There’d always been rivalry between the two towns, but recently the events had taken a turn. People had been stealing flocks and cattle from each other, and all because of something that happened between a few of their ancestors, years ago. Fern shook her head and finished cleaning her teeth. She loved that picture. It brought the whole family together.

After changing, she settled into bed and turned the light off. There were no clouds in the sky to keep in the warmth, and the cold was already creeping in through the gaps between the floor and the walls. She tried to ignore the slight but nippy breeze and shut her eyes, seeking to make the most of their last night as a whole family before her father returned.

Thanks for reading! Remember what I said about if anything's not quite right... and all reviews would be much appreciated. Hopefully new chapter will be up soon!