Town of Gold

Chapter One: Grouse Creek

             Hi, My name is Charolette Gold. I live in a small town in Utah Called Grouse Creek. There are just about  242 residents of Grouse Creek. We are a little farming town that is just about nothing. And thats why No one ever thought that anything bad would ever happen to the residents of Grouse Creek.  It all started at the beginning of the summer of 2015. It was always hot in the summer and on June 15th, it was just about 101 degrees outside. My Family was all sitting in our little living room with all the windows open and nearly dreading the work that shadowed over us. we all knew we would have to go outside and muck out the horse stalls at some point, and we were just prolonging the dread.  My younger siblings  Charleigh, Carson, and I were all crowded on the couch beneath the window. My older Brothers Dallas and Derek were sitting cross legged around the coffee table (or as we like to call it, the hot chocolate table) playing flap jack. Eden and Sasha my twin older sisters were in the corner polishing some riding boots from the trail ride they took early this morning. The moment we were all dreading finally came. Mother woke up. 

             "kids." she started "why aren't the stalls mucked out? and Eden, Sasha, are Jasmine and Storm brushed? The trail you took this morning always has briars and sticker weeds on the ground. why aren't you all up yet?" there were many groans and slumping to show that we were not enthusiastic about doing the chores this morning. We all marched out the door and onward  to the stables. Charleigh and Carson's only jobs were to check the chickens and help clean the house and occasionally help with moms garden. Eden and Sasha led Jasmine and Storm out to give them a once over while Dallas and Derek went to muck out the stalls. The barn was relatively small compared to other barns in the town. There was a capacity for twenty horses but only 10 of the stalls were filled. Eden and Sasha quietly talked while brushing their horses. I walked to the stairs on the far side of the barn and climbed up to the loft above.  When I reached the top, I walked over to the one of the two beds in the small loft. I prodded a lump of blankets and pillows with my palm.

                "Michael, wake up, mom wants you to get up and help!" the lump moaned "what do we pay you for?" I said under my breath. The covers on the bed came off and the wild mess of black hair came into view.  Michael, our summer farm hand, sat up. He was wearing plaid, flannel pajamas that had been cut to the knee, and a loose grey t-shirt. 

             "I'm up, I'm up!" he moaned. I rolled my eyes. Though Michael had only been on the farm for a few weeks, my mother expects him to be up with the sun with us, and judging by his recent actions, I was assuming he wasn't adjusted to the early mornings yet. It was only seven O'clock and we had already been up for three hours. Michael threw a small pillow at me,

                "Get out you looney bird!" he screeched. I grabbed a bottle of water from the dresser and dumped it over his head. He yelled and rolled off the bed.  

"Get. Up." I growled and dropped the empty bottle on his head, and stomped off. as I walked down the  wooden stairs I heard Michael grumble profanities and stomp around the loft. I rolled my eyes.  What a loser, I thought, to end up working on a farm and not even enjoy it. 

Since I had grew up on the farm and barely ever left it, I never could have imagined leaving it. As I walked to my horse sandys stall, all I could think about is what was to come this summer.