Azure [Finished]

2. Rose

I wake up with a bottle of rum in my left hand, sitting in a chair with a cowboy hat on my burning head that would've not mistaken in an old western movie. I yawn, look to the bottle of rum and realize I'm not in the library. On my left there is a small bed pushed in the corner, on the right an old wooden desk with a salamander creeping under the desk. I feel something itchy in my hand and realize it's a yellow star with Sherriff in black curly letters. You got to be kidding me. I expect a cameraman screaming ''Gotcha!'' walking through the doors, but no matter how long I wait, ten minutes later I'm still sitting on the chair. With rum in my hands. I have drunk alcohol before, but not rum. Rum and whisky is the heavy stuff. The stuff parents-will-never-allow-me-to-drink. This is crazy. This is pure madness. This can't be happening. But it ís happening an annoying voice in my head whispers. Come on, this is not real! Then why does the air smell like horse poo and are you still sitting here? I try to ignore the annoying voice in my head and stand up. Immediately I fall back onto the chair. A hangover. I've read about it, but never had one. A hammer tries to break my skull, while my stomach tries to do a barrel roll. Great. I look down, see two brown-yellow western boots on my feet, and man-pants. What. I'm a man. Seriously. If this is happening, just please let me stay woman! For god's sake, please, please, please. I beg and I'm about to cry when a young man, with brown hair and green eyes in fully western-outfit opens the creaky rotten door and runs in. ''Sherriff! Quickly! McGannick is about to shoot Rose!'' he screams. ''Rose....'' I whisper softly. My brain won't cooperate with my ears. Shoot? Rose? McGannick? I can't think properly anymore. Shoot... ''With a gun?'' I ask the young boy. ''YES! Sherriff, you have to come quickly, NOW!'' some saliva flies around while he is screaming the last word to me. ''Yeah, yeah sure...'' I answer the screaming voice. I notice a belt with two guns and a knife, and grab one gun. Revolver is the best word. While my mind is still not focusing I walk outside. The heat grabs me, and I almost fall back. On my left there is a small old-western saloon on my left where I hear fighting coming out. I start to run, ignore the pounding in my head and open the door of the saloon. I grab my gun, smell the heavy aroma of whiskey and alcohol when I enter but continue running. While still running, I jump and land on a man with blond-brown hair, about 6 feet tall with the most idiotic mustache I've ever seen. When I land, the whole room starts to clap. ''Eh...no problem.'' I tell to the people sitting and standing in the saloon. ''You're the new sheriff?'' A woman asks with a high voice and a cigarette in her left hand, wearing a cowboy hat and long boots. ''Yeah. Basically.'' I reply. ''So, what's going on in this town?'' I ask the people. The man, who appears to be called McGannick moans while I'm still sitting on him. Now everyone is silent. Gone are the amazed, surprised and thankful looks. ''What?'' I ask nervously, afraid of what's coming. ''Well'' a man starts, but is interrupted by a small man with blond hair.

''She can't know. She's too young.'' As soon asI realize I'm a girl and still have my old face I want to cheer, but somethingin the eyes of the man with the blond hair stops me from doing it. ''Why not?She just knocked down McGannick. Of course she can know.'' The man replies. Hehas short black hair and a small beard. ''James..'' the blond man starts. ''No.I'm telling her. She can know.'' The black-beard man replies, confident now.''There is a man. Azure. We don't know him. He has black long hair, and he'slike the devil himself. He uses magic to kill everyone who comes to near hisbase.'' Before I want to ask what magic he uses, James continues. ''Azure ispure evil. Tons, and tons of sheriffs have died of him.'' He stops with talkingand falters before he continues. ''Eh...well...You're the next sheriff...Good luck.''Now the whole room is silent. ''Well that was short'' I say, as an answer toJames. I try to keep my screaming thoughts and my feel of fear silent, and Igrab my gun. ''Where does he live?'' I ask James. ''Near the rock with the doghead. Can't miss it.'' I leave the astonished crowd alone, walk outside theheat accommodate. James runs after me. ''Wait! You can't go after him!'' hesays desperately. ''Of course I can!'' The sooner this madness stops, thebetter. I remember a description saying in the book. 'You only know your trueself, if you can get out. Find evil. Destroy it-Azure'. Azure was the writer ofthe book. I think that I have to kill him then..? ''No wait! Hold on! Don'tgo!'' He almost screams to me, still walking behind me while I'm walking fastand confident to the right. ''Why not?'' I ask him.