A Cruel Jest?

5

Mori was supposed to meet Tom later for a date, but she had to come to town to bring the quilts and jams that she had made to be sold. Since her father died it has been easier to pay the bills and she's even managed to save some money, but she still does everything she can to earn money, you never know when things will change.

After taking her items to the stores where they'd be sold, both the quilts and jams are highly sought after, she is on her way back to her cabin when she sees Tom. She smiles brightly and goes to him, but he doesn't see her and moves away with his friends that he's with.

Instead of calling out Mori decides to go after him and surprise him. When she does come up to him it's her that gets the surprise though. 

"Tom, just what the hell are you doing with that Mori whore? Sheleen is all hot and bothered with you and is pissed as hell that you are dating someone else." Tom's best friend Darren asks.

Mori stops in her tracks. Tom and Darren are just around the corner of the building she had just about turned herself to surprise him.

"Mori, well she's just a little bit of fun. After I take her to bed I'll get her to sign over all that lovely land then I'll be able to marry Sheleen. She knows why I'm with Mori and even approves. She thinks that Mori ought to have at least one decent fu..." Mori didn't wait to hear the rest of Tom's words. 

She leaves just as quietly as she had followed and went back home. When Tom comes to collect her she meets him at the gate with a shot gun pointed at him. "I want you to take a message back to the town Tom. From now on my property is off limits. NO more: hunting, berrying, or use of the hot springs. Trespassers will be shot on sight. I will give just one warning shot after that I will aim to kill." She makes sure that Tom sees that she means business.

Tom swallows hard. They all know how good a shot Mori is, she rarely misses. "Mori, what's going on?"

"Two timing assholes like you don't deserve the time of day." Mori narrows her eyes at him. "You will never get in my bed and you will never get my land now get the hell out of here." She'll never forget how Tom's skin paled at her words and he knew that he'd been busted.

For months the towns people were too terrified to come near her land. Finally the sheriff talks to her. "Mori, it is of course your right to restrict access to your land, but would you at least reconsider allowing some limited access?"

Mori looks over at the sheriff, "Now why would I want to do that sheriff? This town has all but shunned me, spread lies and rumors about me and abused my good nature, so why should I do anything to help them out?"

Mori had already regretted her actions towards some of them. However, she would like to hear the sheriff's reasoning why.

"Now Mori it's not like you to hold grudges like this. Yes, this town has treated you badly but it's not you to give  a hoot about them. Your land is important to many in this town in order for them to get meat to eat or have fruits to preserve for winter. Would you really hurt everyone in town for the actions of a few assholes?" Although he wouldn't blame her if she did.

"I'll take it into consideration sheriff, although I just don't see the reason why I should." Mori replies nicely to the sheriff. There are only a small handful of people that she respects in this town and he's one of them.

"Mommy can we go berrying this weekend? Please?" Mori hears the pleading of the child as she waits for the store owner to come back with her money from her last sale.

"The berries are all gone Jane you know that." The mother replies. Mori knows that only in the valley are the berries gone, on her land they're just coming on perfect.

"But that patch we went to last year should just now be coming on..." the child trails off as her mother tells her to stop.

Mori turns to the child, "I'll tell you what if you can get the adults to come to a meeting at my gate tonight you might be allowed to go back to that patch." Mori is facing the child but she says the words to the childs mother.

The woman is silent as she processes Mori's words before replying, "What time?"

Mori smiles, "Seven." Then she turns away from the two and takes her money and leaves. The word spreads like wildfire throughout the town. Mori doesn't doubt that many if not most of the people will be there.

She'd been right, almost the entire town had shown up. Not Tom though, he was smart enough to stay away. She gave the towns people some rules, about the hot springs, where they could go berrying and hunting. She warned that unless they had specific permission from her they were not allowed to access any other parts of her land and she would shoot to kill. Also any infringements or violations would result in the loss of access to everyone.

The people weren't happy about how much more strict things were but they were happy to be allowed back in time for berrying and be able to use the hot springs. They all agreed to the new rules. Mori never even had to fire a warning shot once.