A General visit (open)

[Shawn Flanagan]

The door opened to the General Store. A young boy about the age of twelve stood in the door way. He had a black cowboy hat on, a scarf wrapped around his neck. He had a long black coat that came down to his ankles. He had cowboy boots with spurs in them.

The cold wind brought in the big fluffy snow flakes in the store. A long arm came out of nowhere, and a hand landed on the door handle. A tall man came behind the young man. The tall man used his other hand to push the young boy in. The tall man was dressed up like smaller man, except he had a tall hat of the undertaker with the black tail on his hat.

The undertaker closed the door quickly to stop the cold wind blowing in the store.

“James, please do not block the door,” the Undertaker told his son. The Undertaker was wearing black eye glasses. The design is square, and the have sides that are black too.

“Father I am sorry,” he said. The boy removed his scarf around his neck. “I still can buy what I want? Can?” He asked his big blue eyes looked big and bright like his father's.

“Yes, James,” the undertaker said to his son. He held his son, brushing the snow off him with his blacked gloved hands. “After I get the snow off you. There you are done. Now go look. Do not touch anything. Remember the last time you broke something.” His son moved adoring the candy.

Removing his hat, he brushed the snow off his own hat, he wiped the snow off his shoulders and shook off the rest of the snow off his body. His hair was medium long for an undertaker. His long blonde bangs covered his brows. Which made him look like a young boy.

Shawn noticed nobody was in the room. “Hello, is anyone here?” he asked. He turned to look at the bell that was hanging above the entrance door. It was silent for a store. He furrowed his eyebrows. Shawn allowed time to pass by. He was hoping the owner would appear. The store had a history of different owners under short time of periods.

He approached the table where the yards of cloth were laid on. He wanted to see what patterns the store had in stock It was a good selection. He did not see the small mouse that was daring to come up to his right boot. It was nipping on some piece of cheese someone dropped on the floor. The store was clean, but someone had dropped a piece of cheese.

He had to try one more time. Was he and his son alone in the store? Perhaps the owner was helping a customer with something in the back of the store.

[Tully]

Pine nuts and tarnation!

Tully ducked behind a rack of dresses as the pair arrived, watching them suspiciously to see if she had been noticed. She had slipped into the store when the proprietor had left briefly to help a lady customer carry her goods up the street to her shop. While the man saw it as a harmless way to help out, Tully saw it as an opportunity, and in the short time she had been in the shop she had stuffed a good amount of canned foods, crackers and jerky into her pack, as well as new socks and mittens. She was in the process of finding a coat that wasn't patched and threadbare when the man and his son had come in.

Cursing silently under her breath, she glowered at them, urging them in her mind to leave before the shop keeper got back and she got caught.

As she started edging closer to the door, her feet tangled in something and she stumbled, knocking over an apple barrel, causing a loud clatter. The cursing now was loud as she stepped in front of the man, looking past him at the door.

"Ya can't stop me leavin'," she growled, her eyes narrowed, "an' I didn't do nothin' wrong!" Well, one look at her would show the lie, and now that she'd been caught, she'd have to leave town again, provided she could get past the man before it was too late!

[Shawn Flanagan]

The crashing sound made James drop the handful of candy back in the jar he was getting, but he did not drop the top to the candy jar. He saw the woman standing front of his father.

Shawn at first thought the sound was James. His son was always causing trouble. He turned to see a startled woman who was saying she did nothing, and he can't stop her leaving the store. Being a father to James, Shawn knew when his son lied. When he was doing something wrong, James would quickly say he did not do it,

It was not his place to lay the law, or either he was the main minister of the town. However, he was standing in as the minister until the Pastor of the First Church of Del Feugo returned for the spring.

He nodded his head to the young female, a small smile grew on his face. "Ma'am, I did not accuse you of anything. Unless you want me too?" He asked her. He gave her the choice. He had tried not to judge her. He felt she was close to poverty. 

Shawn did not move. He placed his top hat back on his head. Very slowly he chose his words carefully. "Perhaps you can assist me and my son. Do you know where the shop owner is?" He asked. He could let her go, He wanted to see what she would say.

[Tully]

He nodded his head to the young female, a small smile grew on his face. "Ma'am, I did not accuse you of anything. Unless you want me too?" He asked her.

Ma'am? Was he addled? She didn't look like no 'Ma'am' no matter how blind you might be. But then, maybe he was just being polite? "Didn't say that," she grumbled, "just..." She shrugged. Maybe he was blind in other ways?

Shawn did not move. He placed his top hat back on his head. Very slowly he chose his words carefully. "Perhaps you can assist me and my son. Do you know where the shop owner is?" He asked. He could let her go, He wanted to see what she would say.

"He...uh, he ain't here," she commented, "I was just helpin' out fer a bit." Maybe if he thought she actually belonged her she could stick around long enough to find Jeremiah? "Um...there somethin' I can help ya with?"

[Shawn Flanagan]

"You are helping the owner. Excellent," Shawn said. It was a good relief that she was helping. It did not explain why she was trying to leave the store. Perhaps he heard her wrong. That does happen. After all, Shawn was human.

"I was hoping to purchase a new order of working clothes. The owner has my receipts from the past orders. I am just want to re-order the same stock," he said as he was looking at the ledger that was on the desk. "I would like to put half the payment down. Can you help me with that?" He asked her.

James pulled a hand ful of candy. "I got two pennies worth of candy I want to buy too!" James exclaimed to the lady. The boy was looking at her waste. She had a strange shape for waste. The lady had can in her waist. That you do not see anything. She could be restocking can goods. "I think one of the cans got caught in your dress," he said pointing to the woman

[Tully]

"I was hoping to purchase a new order of working clothes. The owner has my receipts from the past orders. I am just want to re-order the same stock," he said as he was looking at the ledger that was on the desk. "I would like to put half the payment down. Can you help me with that?" He asked her.

"Um, yeah, sure." Tully shrugged as she toward the counter. "Just...point it out there an' I'll see what I can do."

James pulled a hand ful of candy. "I got two pennies worth of candy I want to buy too!" James exclaimed to the lady. The boy was looking at her waste. She had a strange shape for waste. The lady had can in her waist. That you do not see anything. She could be restocking can goods. "I think one of the cans got caught in your dress," he said pointing to the woman

"Oh, yeah, that." She frowned at the lad as she pulled the can free, then plastered on a smile. "Ya know, today is free candy day, all ya want, right?" She pulled the lid off one of the jars and popped a peppermint into her mouth. "Take some more there...what's yer name?" She glanced toward the door then back to the boy. She'd have to get them out, or herself, soon, or she'd be in a world of trouble!

[Jeremiah Benjamin Atkins]

Jeremiah had a craving for candy. He was on his way back to the canyon, but he had a need for candy. He brought Chestnut up to a post. He stroked the stallion's neck. He slid off the saddle, holding on the reins, he snapped the leather rein on the post, and he tugged to see it was secure.

The General Store was the place where he could get his candy. He marched to the door, pushed it opened, closed behind him, and he saw the place had a few people in it. The customers did not appear to be part of the law. The kid was to young, and an undertaker was indeed not the law. The long back ribbon on the undertaker's hat was the dead give away.

Jeremiah shifted his weight to his left leg to look over the kid. "Tully," he whispered her name as she telling the kid they have free candy. Her name escaped his lips. He thought she was left. Mix emotions hit him. It was happiness, and relief. Feelings he was not accustomed too.

He moved his right hand to his mouth and gave a cough. "I hate to be a pain, but, I need you two to leave the store. I got some grave news for the young lady. You go on take the free candy young man. Thank you," he said eying the man and boy.

[Shawn Flanagan]

"Neat!" James said as he grabbed a small brown paper bag. He put another handful of candy in the brown bag.

"James, greed. Proverb 15:27 He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall live," he warned his boy.

James furrowed his eyebrows. "What I can't take it?" He asked.

Shawn held his index finger up. "No, don't over do it," he told him. James nodded his head.

Shawn turned to look at the man. "Yes, I understand. However, I need to place the order in before the end of this week. I can't afford to have the shipment late," he told them. It was true. He reached in his pocket. "I don't want to be causing trouble, but my schedule is tight. This needs to be done soon." Shawn had money on his hand as he looked at young lady.

[Tully]

"Oh, well, yeah, a'course." Tully nodded, holding out her hand. "Just give me th' money an' I'll get it taken care of." She smiled sweetly as she quickly glanced at the door again, then back to the man. "What did ya say yer name was?" The man looked nice enough, but he was awfully gullible. Of course, that wasn't her problem. With winter coming, she had to take care of herself. "So, did ya want th' things delivered, or ya gonna come in an' pick 'em up?"

[Shawn Flanagan]

"Misses my name is Shawn Flannagan," he told her as he was handing her the money. "Will you give me a receipt," he asked as he laid his eyes on the ledger that was sitting on to of the wooden desk.

James was watching the lady. The boy was suspicious of the lady. "Pa, I remember seeing her somewhere...I don't remember," he sounded disappointed. She looked familiar. "Where you in a newspaper?" He asked her. He was remembering seeing her picture from a news article of her possible helping to a man escape a prison.

James noticed the man who came in. "You look like the man who was in the poster. A man showed me a poster and you where on it. He said your dangerous. You are worth a few thousand dollars. Hey, Pa, he's that man who escaped from the law!"

Shawn turned to see the man his son was talking about. He recognized the man. He recognized him from the newspaper, but he missed the poster. "Son, behind me," Shawn said as he pulled his son behind him.

"We are not going to cause trouble, and I hope you are not," Shawn told the ma

[Jeremiah Benjamin Atkins]

Jeremiah saw how close the son was to the undertaker. The young criminal was jealous of the boy. Jeremiah believed that his father was shot. That's what he grew up. The truth was he did not know the real truth.

The deep truth Jeremiah longed for a father figure in his life. He grew up surviving the world he lived in. It was the only thing he had to do. He had a rough life, and he showed the world he was tough.

He pulled out both of his pistols, pointed it at the Undertaker. "Your boy is right," he said looking at Tully. "Misses put your hands up. Everyone hands up!" He shouted. He wanted Tully to go with it. "I want you all leave the store now. And leave your charity money here sir. Do as I say, nobody will be hurt," he told them.

[Lewis Payne]

Lewis had gone unnoticed at the back of the store. Actually he had planned on robbing it until he heard a voice shouting up towards the front.

"Misses put your hands up. Everyone hands up! I want you all leave the store now. And leave your charity money here sir. Do as I say, nobody will be hurt,"

"For cryin' out loud!" he grumbled softly to himself as he squatted down, hiding behind a new saddle they had for sale. Watching closely he could tell the fella with the gun was inexperienced at robbing places. The last thing you want to do is let people see your face while you're robbing. Makes it too easy for witnesses to identify you.

Now whether or not the young woman he kept looking at was in on it or not he couldn't be sure. She might be an accomplice but, then again looking at her expression, he was thinking she was either surprised at what he was doing or just as inexperienced.

[Tully]

"Misses my name is Shawn Flannagan," he told her as he was handing her the money. "Will you give me a receipt," he asked as he laid his eyes on the ledger that was sitting on to of the wooden desk.

"A receipt?" Well, the gig was up now, that was sure, since Tully couldn't read or write. Still determined to bluff, she reached for a pencil, then hesitated as the lad spoke up.

James was watching the lady. The boy was suspicious of the lady. "Pa, I remember seeing her somewhere...I don't remember," he sounded disappointed. She looked familiar.

"Don't think as I've never seen you before," she declared, shaking her head. How could the kid possibly know her?

"Where you in a newspaper?" He asked her. He was remembering seeing her picture from a news article of her possible helping to a man escape a prison.

"No...why'd I be in th'..." She glanced past them as the door opened and someone -- notably, Jeremiah -- came in. Frowning, she tensed.

James noticed the man who came in. "You look like the man who was in the poster. A man showed me a poster and you where on it. He said your dangerous. You are worth a few thousand dollars. Hey, Pa, he's that man who escaped from the law!"

Shawn turned to see the man his son was talking about. He recognized the man. He recognized him from the newspaper, but he missed the poster. "Son, behind me," Shawn said as he pulled his son behind him.

"We are not going to cause trouble, and I hope you are not," Shawn told the man.

"Hey, now, don't go causin' no trouble..." Tully moved around the counter so that she could stand in front of the man and boy, hoping that Jeremiah wouldn't shoot her, and hoping to keep the small family safe...she wanted food and a warm coat, but not at the expense of anyone getting killed.

Jeremiah pulled out both of his pistols, pointed it at the Undertaker. "Your boy is right," he said looking at Tully. "Misses put your hands up. Everyone hands up!" He shouted. He wanted Tully to go with it.

"Yeah, sure, just take it easy." Tully glared at him, but he didn't seem to recognize her, or maybe care, not that she really expected him to.

"I want you all leave the store now. And leave your charity money here sir. Do as I say, nobody will be hurt," he told them.

Tully took a breath, then nodded. "All right, just take it easy." She started edging toward the door, only then realizing that it was a way out for her. Problem was, her pack, with what little she owned, and what the had stolen, as well as the coat she'd been counting on to keep her warm during the winter, were still behind the counter. "An' that ain't no charity money, neither, I'm thinkin'," she grumbled as she started for the door, "was hard-earned, I'm thinkin', an' most'a what he had." She glanced at Shawn and shrugged, then looked back at Jeremiah. "Let th' man have his things an' let me get mine..."

She sure hoped she wasn't working on getting herself shot..!

[Emeline Blakesley]

So, this was Del Fuego, the 'real West', in the Badlands, Emeline thought to herself as she crossed the street toward the store. It was so far from the farm in Ohio where she had grown up and lived all of her life until just two years ago when she had gone to college in Columbus, the 'big city'. But that had been 'civilized', with offices and schools and libraries and even an opera house.

This place was...well, exactly as she'd envisioned it from the things she had read in novels that she had kept hidden away under her mattress, lest her mother have a fit that she was reading such tripe! Still, Emeline thought that this was about the most exciting place she'd ever been and she was looking forward to settling in.

Hired as a teacher by a Mr. Duke Andrews, she had finally convinced her parents that this was a good move, a place that needed a teacher badly enough that the wouldn't care that she was new, young or female.

She had only just arrived the night before and had stayed in the hotel. Later, she was to meet with Mr. Andrews to make her living arrangements and such, but for now she needed to do a bit of shopping.

Pulling her coat more tightly around her shoulders against the chill in the air, she crossed the street, then stepped onto the boardwalk. As she opened the door to the store, a little bell tinkled, announcing her arrival. Smiling, she stepped into the warmth of the building, the froze in her steps.

It was unmistakable, regardless of her naivete -- the place was being robbed! Too startled and frightened to move, she just stayed where she was, inside the door, rooted to the spot!

[Jeremiah Benjamin Atkins]

The mirror that was hanging on the wall caught the reflection of Lewis ducking behind the saddle. Jeremiah stepped back, he pointed his gun to the mirror. It was a moment he realized he was aiming at a mirror. The window was out of place. He realized the window was the reflection of the window on the opposite wall.

He repositioned himself keeping one gun on the three people. Jeremiah turned his body to look more at the area of the window. He waited. He sworn he saw something moved.


The bell ranged as a young lady walked in. The gun that was pointing at the three people was moved to the lady. The robbery was going wrong, which was not a robbery in the beginning. “Hands up!” he yelled. Sweat came down his forehead. The kid was nervous, and he felt the heat building in from his nerves.


“I should have robbed the bank. It would have been easy,” he mumbled under his breath. The teeth grinding together as he had brought his other gun at the three people. He had one girl at gun point and the other gun on three.

“Possible bad luck trying to rob a man who will bury my corpse,” he added. He had an evil grin. “Today is not the day Mister Undertaker,” he winked at the man. He was trying to stay calm. He had two women, a child and undertaker in his robbery. A black cat jumped on the counter. “You are kidding me. Toss in black cat,” he sighed.

“Everyone stay still, don't move. I will shoot you,” he told them. Honest, he was not wanting to shoot. He wanted to run, leap through the window and run for it. This was bad decision.