Blackwater Flower

Chapter One

My last day in my childhood home was spent cleaning, and packing up all my things. Out of everything I had ever owned, I could only take with me enough stuff to fill my two suitcases.

The hardest thing I had ever done, was picking what to take and what to leave behind. I packed my essentials, of course, but when it came down to filling any extra space in the cases I struggled. My main priority was to ensure that my photo of my father and I fit into the bag without breaking the frame.

When it came down to it, I was forced to choose. The photo, or an old stuffed rabbit that my parents had given me as a baby. 

As the sun began to sink down in the sky, I couldn't help but cry as I lugged the two bags down the stairs and set them on the front porch. 

My step mother was already standing on the porch, her arms crossed over her chest and a scowl on her face as she watched me. "You've left him waiting." She growled out. At the sound of her words, my eyes trailed out to the driveway to look at the man.

The youngest brother, Jack, was the one to come and get me from my childhood home. He was the one who would be taking me away from here, and driving me to Blackwater Station. 

Jack walked up to the porch and took the bags from me and quickly carried them over to the truck. My arms instinctively wrapped around my torso as I stepped past my step mother and towards the truck. 

"Good riddance." I heard her mumbled under her breath as I walked away. 

I climbed into the truck from the passenger side, and sat on the very edge of the seat. As close to the door as physically possible. Neither Jack or myself spoke as he drove. The only sounds were the sound of the engine, and the bags shifting around in the back of the truck.

The drive was bumpy and took about twenty minutes. 

When we arrived at our destination, I saw two men sitting outside on the porch that was wrapped around the front of the large building. The other two Bondurant brothers. It seemed that they had been waiting for our arrival. One of the two looked dirty and thrown together, like he had only just rolled out of bed. The other was a bit better dressed, and put together. A hat sat over his short hair, and there was a small amount of scruff on his face. I also noticed the cigar that was burning in his hand. As my eyes connected with his, I felt my breath hitch in my chest  at the bright shade of blue.

I stay in my seat while Jack climbed out of the truck. He moved immediately to unload the bags from the back, while I hesitated to get our of the vehicle. 

Once I did, it all seemed to hit me just how real all of this was. How my life was going to change. I was no longer living in town, but in the middle of nowhere. I knew that my step mother had never really been fond of me, but I never thought she go as far as selling me off. 

No, I wasn't being over dramatic. I had overheard her one night talking to one of the brothers, about how much money she'd be willing to take from them. They paid her and in return, I now live with and work for them. She sold me, like a piece of property. 

"This is her?" The thrown together on asked. Of course, I knew their names were Howard and Forrest, I just didn't know which was which. The youngest brother, Jack, was different though. So much different that it was easy to tell him from the others. Plus, on more than one occasion I had seen him in town pining after Bertha Minnix- who was now Bertha Bondurant. 

Slowly, I stepped up to the stairs that led onto the porch. Jack stepped up behind me, his bags in my hands, and he gave me a small push forwards. "She sure is a pretty little flower, ain't she Forrest?" The thrown together one asked, looking to the brother. So, I guess to say the thrown together looking one was Howard.