Post by Chayton on Mar 6, 2007 21:18:46 GMT -5
This is a short story in progress, currently I have thirteen pages. I am starting you all out with three.
Little Bird, the ninety some year old Lakota woman, limped to the window of her one story small house. Staring out the window Little Bird decided that she would have to fix the fence post that kept the dogs in their inside pen. The weather for the last days had been threatening to snow and she needed to do some work before the snow fell. Most every thing she fixed was fixed with natural materials, logs and rocks, Little Bird could not afford to buy wood and nails from the store. She could barely afford to pay her land tax. There was an out of town developer who was champing at the bit to buy her land. Time and time again she had refused, but her money was running out and she faced losing her land and the animals she cared for. The sound of a muffled grunt broke the silence of the morning and Little Bird’s thoughts. She turned around, long black hair falling over her left shoulder. Her wrinkled mouth stretched into a smile. The cot she had set up the other night was still inhabited by the nineteen year old delinquent. He was brought to her by the local police, there had been no room in the jail and the only other place to drop him was with her. The only Lakota woman in the town, and the only woman who took in stray animals and now a stray boy.
“You slept well?” She asked before turning back to face the window. Worry creased her forehead. It was only a matter of time before she ran out of money.
“Murgle-muff.” Came the reply from the twist of covers.
“You must dress; there is work to be done before Wakan Tanka decides to throw more snow at us.” She limped into the kitchen, grabbing her walking stick to help her walk about.
“Huh?” The inhibiter of the cot rolled off onto the floor. He shook his brown shaggy hair to remove it from his face. Standing up he stretched out the sore spots from the hard cot. Heavy feet dragged into the kitchen where he sat down at the small log made table. As he watched her move about preparing the food he noticed the lack of nourishments.
Little Bird let out a sigh when she discovered that all her eggs were gone. Turning to face the boy she handed him a basket. “Collect some eggs for breakfast.”
The boy stared at her for a moment before taking the basket. “How about a please?” He smirked.
“Pleases only go for those who are worthy of politeness. You are not worthy of politeness since you don’t give anyone else the same respect.” She turned back, leaving him speechless and angered. Grousing, the boy stepped outside to gather the eggs. While he walked to the hen pen he whistled to the fiery stallion he had spent a night with. The horse tossed its head into the air, auburn mane blending with the graying sky.
Back inside the small house Little Bird sat at the table, repeatedly looking over the papers of her property. In one month she would have to make another payment on her land tax, another payment that she couldn’t afford. “I refuse to let that greedy man take my property and turn these animals out to fend for themselves.” She spoke aloud just as the boy returned inside with a few eggs in the basket.
“Let who do what?” He asked, setting the basket down and glancing at the papers on the table.
Little Bird looked up rather startled as she found the boy standing beside her. Folding the paper she stood slowly and took the eggs.
“What is your name?”
“Don’t got one.” The boy responded, still curious as to what she wasn’t going to let happen. “Look lady, you don’t need to know my name.”
“You have bad manners. Bad manners like that horse had.” She put the emphasis on had, hoping the boy would catch on. “I was a very stubborn little girl when I was young.” She broke the eggs into the skillet and lit her clay made stove. The boy walked over to the window and watched the stallion parade around the corral outside. Having only arrived a day ago he had no idea where in Wyoming he was.
“He does that every so often.” Little Bird said, coming to stand beside the boy, hands slightly shaking as they rested on her walking stick.
“How come?”
“Well, he was once wild. Unbridled much like you. He misses that life.”
Realizing how stupid and unlike himself he was becoming. The boy gave a snort. “He’s just a dumb horse.”
“And you’re just a dumb boy.” Little bird smashed the walking stick into his toe.
“Ahh, what the hell!”
“Stray! That is your name. You are exactly like that horse, only you have a horrible attitude. More like a snake actually.” She limped back to the kitchen to check on the eggs, now cooking quickly as the heat built up below them.
“Look lady, I don’t need no stinking stray name. I’m leaving in a couple of days.” He spat and then stomped outside.
Little Bird let out a sigh, her wrinkled face creased up again as she thought about the milk she would need to feed the boy. She took the folded paper out of her pocket and looked at it. The developer from out of town was rich; he had made that clear when he had made his first offer to her
Little Bird, the ninety some year old Lakota woman, limped to the window of her one story small house. Staring out the window Little Bird decided that she would have to fix the fence post that kept the dogs in their inside pen. The weather for the last days had been threatening to snow and she needed to do some work before the snow fell. Most every thing she fixed was fixed with natural materials, logs and rocks, Little Bird could not afford to buy wood and nails from the store. She could barely afford to pay her land tax. There was an out of town developer who was champing at the bit to buy her land. Time and time again she had refused, but her money was running out and she faced losing her land and the animals she cared for. The sound of a muffled grunt broke the silence of the morning and Little Bird’s thoughts. She turned around, long black hair falling over her left shoulder. Her wrinkled mouth stretched into a smile. The cot she had set up the other night was still inhabited by the nineteen year old delinquent. He was brought to her by the local police, there had been no room in the jail and the only other place to drop him was with her. The only Lakota woman in the town, and the only woman who took in stray animals and now a stray boy.
“You slept well?” She asked before turning back to face the window. Worry creased her forehead. It was only a matter of time before she ran out of money.
“Murgle-muff.” Came the reply from the twist of covers.
“You must dress; there is work to be done before Wakan Tanka decides to throw more snow at us.” She limped into the kitchen, grabbing her walking stick to help her walk about.
“Huh?” The inhibiter of the cot rolled off onto the floor. He shook his brown shaggy hair to remove it from his face. Standing up he stretched out the sore spots from the hard cot. Heavy feet dragged into the kitchen where he sat down at the small log made table. As he watched her move about preparing the food he noticed the lack of nourishments.
Little Bird let out a sigh when she discovered that all her eggs were gone. Turning to face the boy she handed him a basket. “Collect some eggs for breakfast.”
The boy stared at her for a moment before taking the basket. “How about a please?” He smirked.
“Pleases only go for those who are worthy of politeness. You are not worthy of politeness since you don’t give anyone else the same respect.” She turned back, leaving him speechless and angered. Grousing, the boy stepped outside to gather the eggs. While he walked to the hen pen he whistled to the fiery stallion he had spent a night with. The horse tossed its head into the air, auburn mane blending with the graying sky.
Back inside the small house Little Bird sat at the table, repeatedly looking over the papers of her property. In one month she would have to make another payment on her land tax, another payment that she couldn’t afford. “I refuse to let that greedy man take my property and turn these animals out to fend for themselves.” She spoke aloud just as the boy returned inside with a few eggs in the basket.
“Let who do what?” He asked, setting the basket down and glancing at the papers on the table.
Little Bird looked up rather startled as she found the boy standing beside her. Folding the paper she stood slowly and took the eggs.
“What is your name?”
“Don’t got one.” The boy responded, still curious as to what she wasn’t going to let happen. “Look lady, you don’t need to know my name.”
“You have bad manners. Bad manners like that horse had.” She put the emphasis on had, hoping the boy would catch on. “I was a very stubborn little girl when I was young.” She broke the eggs into the skillet and lit her clay made stove. The boy walked over to the window and watched the stallion parade around the corral outside. Having only arrived a day ago he had no idea where in Wyoming he was.
“He does that every so often.” Little Bird said, coming to stand beside the boy, hands slightly shaking as they rested on her walking stick.
“How come?”
“Well, he was once wild. Unbridled much like you. He misses that life.”
Realizing how stupid and unlike himself he was becoming. The boy gave a snort. “He’s just a dumb horse.”
“And you’re just a dumb boy.” Little bird smashed the walking stick into his toe.
“Ahh, what the hell!”
“Stray! That is your name. You are exactly like that horse, only you have a horrible attitude. More like a snake actually.” She limped back to the kitchen to check on the eggs, now cooking quickly as the heat built up below them.
“Look lady, I don’t need no stinking stray name. I’m leaving in a couple of days.” He spat and then stomped outside.
Little Bird let out a sigh, her wrinkled face creased up again as she thought about the milk she would need to feed the boy. She took the folded paper out of her pocket and looked at it. The developer from out of town was rich; he had made that clear when he had made his first offer to her