1887 - 15 years old
"Enjoy your ride, Helen! Be back before dark!" Helen was too excited to reply to her mother, she merely yelled, "Bye!" before leaving. She brought her fingers to her lips and whistled loudly. A neigh responded to her whistle, and the powerful Belgian horse appeared at her side.
"Hey, Lotus," Helen cooed, stroking the mare's mane. With ease, the young teenager leapt onto the horse's back before racing away down the path.
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She arrived in the small town of Valentine an hour later, keeping her head down. Her mother had brought her into town when she was 14 years old. She explained to Helen the importance of the town to the small family.
"The furs you collect can be sold here for money, that way we can buy our food and supplies," she had said. Since then, her mother had taught her to use a rifle and explained how to properly kill different game.
"You have to aim for its head or its heart, that way it is a quick and clean kill," her mother had instructed. That was the day she had caught her first buck with the rifle. Her mother had proudly hung its antlers above the front door - Helen had never felt happier.
She rode her horse towards the fenced cattle, then stepped down from her mount. "Good afternoon, little lady!" the seller greeted cheerfully. Helen smiled politely, retrieving her coin purse; "I'd like to buy a cow and a goat today, please."
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"Mom! I'm back!" Helen called as she stepped into the house. "I bought the cattle, just like you said!" She hung her jacket on the door before walking deeper into the house. "Mom?"
The kitchen and living room were empty, much to Helen's confusion. Did she go out? Daisy was still in the stable.... A loud, violent coughing fit suddenly sounded from the bathroom, making her flinch. "Are you okay? Mom?" she called nervously, heading for the bathroom.
The door was already opened, and her mother was leaning over the sink. Bile was splashed everywhere and her mother looked sickly pale. "Mom...?" Helen whispered. Her mother glanced up at her and tried for a bile-stained smile. "I'm okay...I'm...okay...."
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Family in Shambles
FanfictionShe had been going it alone for three years, since her mother had passed away. She had been learning to survive and doing what she NEEDED to do to survive, no matter the consequences. She knew how to lie low and hide from the law, and she became a v...
