KiwiKink

The sun was hanging low in the sky over the Big Valley region of West Elizabeth, a crisp breeze blowing over Owanjila, a dammed lake a couple of miles west of the settlement of Strawberry. It was a pristine body of water, feeding the Upper Montana River, and was a great spot for catching a host of large fish, from bright red sockeye salmon to large predatory muskellunges. It was the fishing that had lured Rhea Del Rey out to Owanjila that afternoon, with the intention of catching a couple decent sized salmon for that night's dinner. Lean of build with a dark complexion, Rhea was a handsome woman of twenty-six, with a shaved head, a broad nose and cunning amber eyes. She was dressed in a black leather Valdez-styled high collar vest over a dark grey cotton blouse that she wore with the sleeves rolled to her elbows, scuffed up black pants and a sturdy pair of steel capped boots. Riding along the rocky shoreline upon a black Arabian mare named Umbra, the young outlaw breathed in the

The sun rose in the morning, banishing away the rain if not the chilly wind of the Big Valley air. Rhea groaned as the sunlight streamed through the ending her slumber, which was surprisingly refreshing despite being tied up and gagged. To be sure, it was not a style of sleep she wanted to make a habit, but at the same time she had had worse nights over the years. Stretching as best she could with her limbs tightly bound, struggled up into a sitting position, and wondered what the day would bring. “Hola,” came a voice from the cabin's small kitchen, and Juanita Moreno appeared with a tin cup filled with freshly brewed coffee. She was now dressed in a long blue skirt and a grey cotton blouse that she wore with the sleeves rolled and the collar unbuttoned low enough to accentuate her cleavage. “Sleep well, Miss Del Rey?” she asked, sipping at her beverage as she looked down at her guest. Rhea's response was not the most articulate, due to her tight gag, but she kept her tone

It was a poor night for a daring escape, all things considered. The northern wind of the Big Valley region gave the night an icy chill, and the torrential rain was turning the earth in a thick sludge. It was going to be hard to shake off the bounty hunters on her tail, but Rhea Del Rey was never one to shy away from a challenge, especially after said bounty hunters had cornered her as she was journeying the train from Rift Station to the alpine logging town of Strawberry. And that was why she had thrown herself from the moving train and had scampered through the woods towards freedom. “Well, this is turnout out well,” Rhea quipped to herself, as she took cover behind a tree, looking back to see if the bounty hunters were in pursuit. If she was lucky, they would need to stop the train to follow her, and perhaps even wait to get to Strawberry to acquire some horses. And a head start is what she needed until she could find a steed of her own. Wiping the rain from her shaved head,

INTERLUDE He sits in the dark, alone, only the glow of the computer monitor providing any illumination. He stares at the blank white document page on the screen, his lips pressed tight as he decides his way forward. His brow furrows. His jaw sets. Slowly, his fingers begin to dance across the keyboard, summoning forth the words that will introduce the story he hopes to tell. And so the tale begins. ACT I The Dunia Theatre had seen better days. Once a the centre of Alysa's cultural renaissance, attended by royals and rogues alike, the historic auditorium had fallen out of favour as newer entertainments had arrived, such as the revolutionary moving picture show. There had been a call from the populace for the Dunia to be preserved, so its history could always be on display, but alas the local government had just not been able to find room in its budget to pay for the upkeep of the building. And so the theatre prepared for its final performance, a travelling