Sept 19 - Sunrise Sunset

The boys are on their thank you cuddle round - and both boys were hurt, so please give them extra gentle stroking with a little witch hazel and soft cotton wool.

Now - the feline decree after last month's close call was that everyone, even the bandanny wearers, would poll.

So every one of the perfect half dozen stories this month is up for your vote - thank you one, thank you all.

Vote early vote often before the Challenge is peroged…

1 ) Maz McCoy

A short section of their dangerous life...a dark, moving story.
How much time lies between sunrise and sunset? Time for Heyes to recover from his (again left) hurt shoulder?
Regardless of how many hours there are it has to be enough...too dangerous to stay longer.
I like the way you make the Kid support Heyes that he doesn`t have to admit it`s him who needs to rest. Furthermore he confirms that he himself can use the rest..
Very interesting how you put emphasis on the time factor in your story. Sometimes time runs fast and sometimes slow...
Time flies if you sleep and you usually need more of it to recover of such a bad injury.
But according to the inner perception time is only slowly running if you have to stitch up and hurt your best friend while seeing him writhing and hearing him yelling, very realistic description. And if you have to wait for him to wake up. First in bed, then at the wood stove, then waiting at the window...to endure pain and to be patient, each requires a lot of bravery.
As always I love your dialogues, their banter keeps them alive and survive one or another crisis. One more time you prove your talent by writing a short story which is very close and believable to the series. Great.

2) WichitaRed

Relating to the plot you always received my comment. Now let`s take a look how you implemented the prompt.
Your story starts with sunset, usually the end of the day but Heyes is in his element playing poker while Kid wants to call it a night. "I can take care of myself.". Heyes wants to do without his "back up" who lets him do as he likes; not without giving him a good warning not to push things or win too much money...
Sunrise stands for the beginning of a day and sunset for the end of a day. Sometimes the one can be red as well as the other. And red is usually the colour of attention or danger. Sunset was hours ago and in this case given the way things are developing, there`s trouble ahead. Heyes is careless and without noticing he crosses the line.
I like the way you visualize the morning scene with the rising sun even if it`s not a red sunrise, the light shines through painted windows and underlines the red blood on the table...very fitting, your description. Heyes failed to be alert and his chances aren`t too good that he will see the following sunset....But in the nick of time and with his correct sense of occasion Kid appears. I love the way you make Heyes not being able to give in. And "about sunset we will be in a new place", where he can prove his ability to take care of himself.

3) Nebraska Wildfire

This isn`t only a beautiful but rather profound short story.
Nebraska Wildfire implements the prompt as a kind of enclosure of a day off. It starts with sunrise and Heyes` and Kid`s families spending the whole day outside with the children playing and all of them having a picnic. Obviously they are in Kansas in the near of their former homestead where they grew up.
Sunset isn`t mentioned specifically but is described in the last sentence.
I`m very impressed how much you put into the story.
The meaning of sunset could be seen in different ways: at the end of a day you get the rest you deserve or: dark thoughts or nightmares can occur after sunset.
After all this time, remarkable how you make the Kid still feeling guilty that they survived the massacre. At the same time negative feelings overwhelm him like his parents certainly wouldn`t have approved of his former life. Or, whether the name his children inherited from him is a disadvantage for their further lives....
But, miraculously, the sun rises every morning again and with it there are their wonderful wives and children and everything else they have accomplished since they left the outlaw trail.. and can be proud of . Sunrise; a ray of hope...thanks Nebraska.

4) Kid4ever

I think Kid`s estimation is completely right: there`s an old adage in my country which says something like "the best illness is not worth a damn" and means if you`re ill it`s not worth anything if you`re not feeling well...And a bruised tailbone hurts!
It`s very interesting, your story resembles Nebraska Wildfire`s story concerning the deeper meaning of sunrise/sunset.
Right at the beginning you implement the prompt with Kid being disoriented after he was knocked out from a deep-hanging branch. Very good your description when he`s wakening up slowly, just being able to see the light shimmering through the leaves but not knowing which exactly time of the day it is, morning or evening. All over sore and confused about the circumstances, Heyes not being at his side, he has only one wish: " to let me live long enough to see another sunset."
I think this is a very believable request for one of them, regarding the fact how dangerous their lives are. To experience the next day, to see the next "sunrise" , not necessarily a normal thing...To slide back into unconsciousness at the same time as sunset could connote never to wake up again...
What a shame we will never know what a promise he would have made if his wish would come true...
Lovely your comparison of our two boys with the pair of brothers.
Kid`s dialogues are fitting and in character, as well as your using of Heyes` typical body posture with his wrists crossed on the saddlehorn.
Sweet how Heyes convinces him to reveal his wish, not an easy thing for a supposed to be strong courageous ex-outlaw.
Great last sentence: " Maybe wishes do come true sometimes..." that leads us to hope for their amnesty.
Congratulations, an improvement to your last story!

5) MoulinP

King Arthur and the legend of the sword...I`m afraid I don`t know too much about it, all I know is that he was the only one able to pull the sword out of a stone. Merlin, the wizard, of course, and there were knights, too, I remember.
But your story is amazing. It gives priority to the time factor and therefore resembles MazMcCoy`story. King Arthur waiting from sunrise to sunset for his friends to return...So many hours, again and again! Lovely, it doesn`t bother him. He`s full of confidence that they all will rejoin. He`s without any fear because of his wonderful weapon...Besides, I would have loved to see Heyes`face when he examines his hand...
I very much like the fact that you create Heyes as to be the one who immediately feels at unease with the man but is curious and polite enough to question him. And Kid, always to be the one who`s more suspicious, doesn`t believe a word he hears and thinks he`s insane...
Fitting your description how Heyes tries to approach the man, to make him feel comfortable in order to disclose the secret. He adapts his body posture and language..and then he can`t keep a straight face and his common speech returns...Funny!

6) Penski

A different approach of the prompt which resembles in its making Kids4ever story.
Very good your introduction. A colourful description of a sunrise and the early beginning of a new day. A very vivid, beautiful graphic narration which would do marvellously on screen with a matching music...But despite of the gorgeous surrounding circumstances it isn`t one of their best days. There are their biggest problems again: no job because they look too threatening, no supplies left, no possibility to settle down and in addition they have to suffer for their former sins to present themselves in person being "notorious outlaws". Not a chance to earn money in a poker game and getting away from a posse seems to become a routine...So, all together a vain attempt to achieve something useful.
"A fault confessed is half redressed." And with the mutual decision to stick to their goal, even if it`s a hard and troublesome way, sunset creeps in...a round story!

Did all you writing ladies enjoy your cuddles???

You did?
Good.

Make the most of them Kidettes, because the blue-eyed one is heading back to the cellar!!!

He - and a yella bandanna has been won by ….

His captor and nemesis

She of the crocodile infested moated dungeon

Mother of Manacles

It's

Mizz Mazz

Congratulations, Mistress Maz!

MINE!! He's all mine!!!

If I'd known hurting Heyes was the way to get to you ladies I'd have done it sooner.

Thank you to all who voted for my little tale.
I shall look after Kid I promise. The rest of you can fight over the dark haired fella.

Each story was interesting and I'm always wondering where you all get the ideas from.

Awesome Job MAZ....enjoy the visit. You earned it.