Exquisite Genres: Western

Exquisite Genres: Western

25 May 2014


Western

This collaborative story was written by four groups of young writers on  Sunday 25th May, at our Exquisite Genres workshop at the Sydney Writers’ Festival.
PART 1

Virginia, 1862, August 16th.

I awoke from my slumber. I breathed in the fresh air and looked around. I became alert as I smelt smoke and I jumped up, my eyes failed me. All I could see was a white flash which could only mean Midnight, the white horse, had struck again.

I crashed through the window and was confronted by a large, orange, ferocious fire. I drew my new 39 caliber Colts Navy Revolver and shot it just to show I knew it was them.

I ran to the pond with a bucket to put out the fire and as I did, I noticed that there was a magnifying glass and a notice. The magnifying glass said: ‘Property of Flint Westwood’ and the notice was an ad for Flint Westwood’s rodeo show. ‘Hmmm,’ I thought. ‘Time for REVENGE!’

PART 2

I decided that I would ruin his rodeo when I passed a poster saying, “Come to Flint’s rodeo, midday”. I went to my carriage and started to ride. The sun was shining, and flies were buzzing around my ears.

When we were half way there, my two horses suddenly stopped. Annoyance flowed through me, my horses had no water and I was stuck.

All of a sudden Blue Bear appeared with some water and offered it to me. I wasn’t really sure of what to do and I told blue bear that I didn’t want it. Blue Bear insisted but I kept saying “no”, because I didn’t trust him.

“Then would you like to ride on my back?”, said Blue Bear.

“Fine”, I said.

The ride on Blue Bears back was very uncomfortable. I bumped up and down along the road. Finally, we arrived at the rodeo. It was hot and the rodeo was teeming with people. I spotted some of my friends. I walked towards them and then started to talk about my plan. I asked them to spread the news, only to my friends. They walked away, muttering.

The plan was to steal midnight…

Part 3

I saw midnight. I was about to grab midnight when all of a sudden midnight ran out of my sight, but it got worse. He ran to… FLINT AND WESTWOOD! He was muttering something about me, but Flint said, “Not now midnight, I’m busy”.

That was when a thought struck me. I ran to the horse supply station to pull out a ring of fire from the traveling rodeo circus. I set it around the field and concealed Midnight inside of it. But Flint was too smart. He waved a chair into the air. He threw it in the air. When it was half way tot he ground, Blur Bear got in the way! Then, I heard a whaling sound. It was Blue Bear.

I saw Flint’s facial expression change. He felt great because he wasn’t on the same team. But I was about to cry. Now Midnight was gone.

From Midnight’s point of view: 

The dust us blowing into my eyes. I can’t see in front of me. But I only fear what might happen to me if I go back to the rodeo.

I look back. The rodeo is nowhere to be seen. The dust is still blowing in my eyes as I gallop forward. I want to go back, but I don’t know what to do.

This person started talking to me but I had to run to Flint. I hadn’t understood what he was saying but I’m sure it had something to do with Flint!

Part 4

Suddenly, we hear the wailing sirens of a truck. The Fire Brigade. They jump out of the truck and yell, “You are saved!!!” A huge cheer ripples through the stadium. The firemen’s boss yells to one of the other firemen and tells them to ‘unleash the HOSE!’ As a result, the fireman pokes his head out of the truck and reports, “No hose, boss. Don’t think we’ll be saving anyone today!”

So I tell everyone to run down to the river. Suddenly, I realize that we have no buckets, so I run down to the stables in hopes of finding buckets.

Although the stables are madly engulfed in flames, I ran in. Suddenly I see a beam of wood blocking my path and I hear a woman screaming. I look down to see the most corpulent woman I had ever seen writhing under the beam.

I felt love at first sight.
I felt a slight pause in time.
Had I just met my true love?

I regained my focus and pushed away the beam, pulling out the slightly over-sized lady with all my might. After telling her to grab buckets, we ran to the lake.

 

Three Years Later…

|The Wedding|
I see my small car-sized wife glide up the aisle on a dying horse. Ash! “Stop!” I call out. “Don’t squash Ash!” It’s too late. Ash falls lifelessly to the floor. I see Flint at the front and I feel anger boiling inside me. I pick up a cake and throw it on him. “You’re marrying my sister!” I scream.

3 Hours Later…

The wedding is over. A fight broke out and many pieces of roast pig were thrown… and many other foods. I thought back three years and finally thanked Flint Westwood for ruining my flowers because he changed my life.