West Virginia, 1874
Election Day

"Ellison! Come down from there, our Pa is sure to see you up there!" I cried, near pitching back onto my rear as I craned my neck back to stair up into the tree my twin brother had scaled. A heavy August breeze rolled through the surrounding forest, picking at the edges of my white pantalets beneath my brown dress.

"Look at me, Abigail!" Ellison shouted, swinging haphazardly from a tree branch, one arm waving wilding at me. I gasped in fright, tiny hands fisting in my pinafore. The wind tore at Ellison's impossibly white hair, throwing it across his brow as he laughed manically.

"Ellison, you better come down right now!" I hollered, throat starting to hurt from the efforts of all my shouting. "Papa and Ms. Staton will leave without us, now hurry up!" At the mention of possibly being made to stay behind and miss the election day festivities, my brother's features darkened visibly, even from this great distance.

"Daddy's gon' leave without me?" he called, small voice no longer booming in laughter. He pulled himself back up onto the branch and I let out a huff of relief, pushing my yellow curls back away from my face.

"He will if you do not hurry!" I lied. Papa would never leave us, especially not Ellison, but he was wasting time. With a nod of his snowy white head, he ran across the branch, reaching the base of the tree before I even had time to shriek. How he'd managed to climb the great oak was a mystery really since it was stripped bare for nearly the first ten feet. He slid down it, the bark tearing at his shirt and trousers. By the time he reached me, he looked a mess and the good Lord only knew where his hat had gone to. I frowned at him, taking his hand in mine as we made a run for the front of the cabin.

"Abi, is you mad at me?" my brother asked, his red rimmed eyes wide in childish fear. I spared him the briefest of glances as we came to the far side of the porch.

"You know I ain't, Elli," I confessed as our Pa caught sight of us from his spot holstering our old mare, Trixie, to the wagon.

"Well, get a wiggle on you two," he called with a laugh as we ran towards his, "We're runnin' late as it is!"

"Sorry, Daddy," we chimed, waiting patiently to be lifted in the wagon one at a time. I was sat in the back with my pa's wife, Sarah Staton. Like always, Ellison got to sit upfront next to Papa. I did not mind it. Elli had always been Papa's favorite because he was the boy. The only boy.

With a light 'yah', my Pa spurred the horse and the wagon jerked into motion. We bumped along to the road, straightening out to head towards the bridge that would carry us over into Kentucky territory.

I settled down in my seat, glancing shyly at Ms. Staton who had her sour face turned to the side. She did not much care for Ellis and myself. Most likely because we were the children of a woman Papa had had an affair with. At seven and a half years old, I did not know what an affair was, but I knew that Ms. Staton was not our Mama. Our Mama had passed on into heaven with the angels after giving birth to me and Ellis. My Uncle Wall even told it that she had died while still in labor with Ellis and that's why he'd come out the way he had. Albino and slow. I did not know if I believed him.

"Daddy, can I hold the reins?" I looked over my shoulder as Ellison spoke, pale eyes fixed on my father's hands which never shook or strayed in their task. The thick bearded man laughed and nodded, motioning Ellison into his lap so that he could help him. Other boys would be considered too old to crawl into their Pa's lap, but Elli was special and Pa never much cared what other people told him to do with his son.

Turning around, I caught Ms. Staton's nasty sneer before she looked away again. She hated Ellison. Even more than she hated me because he was Albino and slow. I'd heard her telling Papa one night when we were already meant to be in bed that he was 'an embarrassment on her'. She had made breakfast the following morning with a powerful dark bruise upon her cheek. I pretended I did not notice her glare now and took to my knees in my seat so that I could see over the front of the carriage.

"Papa, are we near?" I asked, wind whipping through my hair. I was not yet old enough to wear it in fancy ties and such as other girls did. At least that is what Papa told me.

"Nearly to the bridge now, Abi," he said, sparing me a smile before refocusing on the horse. "Sit tight and we won't be long, I promise." With a sigh I settled down again, leaning in and unladylike fashion against the carriage side. Kicking my foot out, I looked down as it caught on something on the carriage floor.

"Ellison, I found your hat," I called over the clamber of our wheels over dirt as I picked up the black cap and dusted it off. Standing now on wobbly legs, I reached around my father's shoulder to place it on Elli's head. It fell over his eyes and his head whipped to the side.

"Careful, Abi," Papa laughed, adjusting both hat and boy. "We don't want him to drive us into the Big Sandy River."

Ellison laugh was like a bell chime as Trixie stepped onto the manmade bridge. The uneven logs caused the cart to tilt slightly and I clutched the back of my father's coat with a tiny yelp. He laughed, reaching back to pat my hand comfortingly as we cleared the short bridge. Now on this side of the river, it was easy to see there was an event going on as many other people in carriages were passing by, all head in the same direction. Some passed on foot, waving up at Ellison as we merged into the crowd.

"Hi!" He waved happily back, dropping one end of the rein, but not having to worry since Papa picked it up immediately.

"How about I drive the rest of the way son?" he suggested. Ellison nodded, standing to full height right on our father's legs and clambering over the carriage side to join me in the back. "Be careful, boy!"

"Abi, you excited?" Elli questioned, not having heard Pa's warning as he still stood in the moving carriage. I sat to set example and he soon followed to be closer to me. "Johnse, Will, and Rob will be there."

At the mention of our older male cousins, my nose scrunched. I never much cared for my Uncle Anderson's boys. Johnse was the oldest at twelve, William was near around ten, and Rob had just turned seven in the spring. They were loud and rambunctious and always wanting to rough house with Elli even though he was far too small for such games. In addition, they enjoyed calling him 'Cotton-Top' on account of his albinism. I did not approve of the name, but Elli beamed whenever they called him by it. I feared it would soon pick up with the other boys.

"That's right, Elli," Papa called, urging Trixie on a bit faster now. "And, Abi, Victoria and Nancy shall be present."

I perked up at this. Victoria was my uncle Wall's daughter of twelve and Nancy was Johnse and Will's sister of five. Three of us always had fun together, though nowadays Victoria was more interested in spending time with Johnse. I did not understand this new behavior.

"Look, look, look!" Elli suddenly shouted, high voice making my ears ring. He was jumping up and down on the carriage floor as he pointed wildly over Papa's shoulder. "There they are!"

Standing up as well, I saw that he was pointing out our kin, gathered to one side of the small clearing that was all done up with red, white, and blue decoration. With a delighted 'woop' Ellison jumped from the carriage and nearly got his arm caught under the wheel. Papa cursed as he jerked Trixie to a stop, the sudden lurch of the carriage sending me tumbling off the side to land on the leafy ground.

"Papa!" I cried indignantly as Elii righted himself and ran to greet our extended family. With a shake of his head, my father climbed out of the carriage to pluck me up from the ground.

"Y'all right there, lil' angel?" he asked, brushing down my front gently. I nodded, still mad at Ellison as he gave me a light pat on the rear. "I'm gonna go situate Trixie, go see your cousins – keep an eye on your brother." With that he turned away from me to help Ms. Staton down from the carriage.

Running a hand through my rumbled curls, I followed Ellison's path straight to our kinship, picking up my skirts needlessly as I approached. Coming up to them, I was greeted by the sight of my aunt Lavicy with two babies in her arms [Elliot and Mary] and Nancy clinging to her skirts, my Uncle Anderson talking with my Uncle Wall, Elli already playing with Will and Rob, and Victoria staring dreamily at Johnse who was calling out teases to Elli.

"Don't let 'em tag you, Cotton," he laughed, voice deeper than it had been when I'd seen him last. Victorie sighed in a funny sort of way and I frowned at her. That girl was an odd one.

"Abigail, why you shot up like a weed," my aunt Lavicy said, smiling warmly at me, dark hair twisted onto the top of her head as she rocked her babies gently. I smiled, going over to stand on tip toe to peer into their blankets. It was easy to tell which was which since Elliot was a year older and already much bigger than his sister.

"Hello," I greeted, rocking back on my heels. I'd just turned to say hello to Nancy when Elli bumped into me, knocking me to the ground.

"Will, stop all that foolishness," Lavicy scolded. I assumed he had pushed Ellison into me. "You've gone and knocked your cousin over with not even a proper greeting, now apologize."

Nancy helped me politely to my feet, thumb in mouth as she glanced over my shoulder at her brother. Turning, I brushed myself off and glared as heatedly as I could at William Anderson Hatfield. He was skinny boy, with a shot of blonde hair just like his older brother and a crooked smile. We'd never gotten on too well.

"Sorry, Abigail," he said, far too sweetly for it to be genuine. He took his riding hat from his head, bowing low at the waist like a proper gentleman. Lord, but I wanted to spit on his boots.

"It's alright, William," I said lowly, glancing out of the corner of my eye at Elli who was doing his best to hide in Victoria's skirts. "It was an accident."

"Truly," Johnse laughed, thumping his rifle butt against the ground, startling Ellison, who scurried around to stand by Nancy. The young girl regarded him pleasantly enough before reaching up to pet his silvery head like a dog. She was not one for words, even at five. Elli sighed contently, leaning into her hand, and the boys laughed.

"Perhaps she should keep him as a pet," Will chuckled, stepping back as I glared at him. Rob laughed unsurely, no doubt missing the joke but wanting to be in with his brothers. Johnse waved it off, returning his attention to Victoria who beamed at the recognition. Strange girl.

"Anderson!" We all turned as my father approached, Sarah Staton in toe, arms wide to be greeted.

"Hey, brother, where you been keepin' yourself?" my uncle laughed, hugging his younger sibling and tipping his hat to his sister-in-law. It was my belief that no one in the family much liked her. The three Hatfield brothers became enveloped in a conversation as I felt a tug on my sleeve. It was Ellison.

"Abi, come play with us," he urged excitedly, smiling brightly at me from beneath his platinum fringe. I glanced around him to see Johnse, Will, and Rob all waiting expectantly, half way to the center of the clearing. Nancy had gone out of sight with her mother and baby siblings, and Victoria was pouting off to the side. With a huff, I realized I had no reason not to play with them.

"Alright," I conceded lowly, regretting it immediately as Elli grabbed my hand and yanked me after our cousins. We ran to where the carriages were settled and Johnse immediately stepped up to play leader.

"I say we play a war game," he declared, proudly holding his gun across his front. His brothers were not yet old enough to carry guns. Rob whined in annoyance.

"It's no fun if the rest of us ain't got no guns, Johnse."

"Yeah, and Abigail can't play no war games, she's a girl." I bristled at Will's statement, ready to defend myself when Ellison spoke up.

"Yeah huh she can!" he affirmed rather loudly, my hand still clutched in his. "She plays 'em with me all the time!"

"That don't count, Cotton-Top,"Johnse huffed, leaning on his rifle, obviously still peeved about having his idea shot down. Again I was prepared to make a statement when a voice came from one of the carriage beds.

"Well, well, well." A boy stepped up onto the seat of the carriage directly behind Johnse. The blonde jumped, back tracking so that he stood with us. "What do we have here?" He had auburn hair and was tall for probably only being a few years older than Johnse. His voice was deep too.

Jeff McCoy.

Another boy came to stand beside him. He was between hay and grass, shorter and stockier than his brother but obviously still of the blood.

Bud McCoy.

"Looks like a couple a Hatfields," Bud sneered, glaring at us all in turn. Rob made a small whimpering sound and grabbed hold of Ellison's hand. Elli, who had not allowed the smile of playtime to leave his face, looked curiously at our cousin.

"Why you holdin' my hand?" he asked innocently, ignoring the fact that he held mine for no good reason all the time, now included.

"Hey look, they've got the retard with 'em." The two boys laughed and I could feel my cheeks grow warm with fury. Nobody on God's green earth was allowed to speak of my brother that way.

Releasing Ellison's hand, I stepped forward and scooped up a hand full of dirt. Standing straight again, I flung it at the still laughing boys. "You shut your traps!" The clump of soil caught Bud square in the face, causing his to flail recklessly before falling backwards into the carriage. Ellison laughed loudly, pink tongue exposed to the world as Jefferson spun around to glare at him.

"You just shut up, you mush-head you!" Elli took pause, confused at his tone. Weren't we all just having fun? "You ain't nothin' but a dumb bastard with no kin! And your sister's a mighty blowhard!"

Elli looked fit to cry and I prepared to grab another wad of dirt when suddenly Will was there between us, grabbing mine and Elli's hands. He raised his chin to the fifteen year old boy as if he were only five.

"That's big talk for a boy with no daddy," he spat out quickly. I was gob smacked. We all knew about what happened to Harmon McCoy. Hell it was why our families were always fighting, but I'd never heard anyone, not even the men, bring it up the way William just had. Turning to look up at Jeff, I saw his ears bleed red with anger as his hands balled into fists.

"Don't you talk ill of my Pa," he growled before jumping down to the ground in front of us. Will jerked us back, looking off to the side. Johnse had gone. Coward.

There was no time to dwell on the fact however as Jeff moved to aim a swing at us. Will faked right before running left, dragging myself, Elli, and Rob behind him. I heard Jefferson curse as he was nearly tossed to the ground by his own momentum before he came tearing after us.

"Get back here, Hatfields!" he yelled. The entire congregation turned at this to see five children lighting out from some hidden location to tear across their pleasant festivities.

"Pa!" William and I called in unison, causing each our fathers to turn curiously. At the sight of a McCoy hot on our heels, my uncle Anderson stepped forward, picking me up and away along with Ellison who he passed to my Papa. Will and Rob hid behind his legs.

"What the devil's goin' on here?" he questioned, taking a firm stance in front of Jefferson who backtracked into his own uncle's chest. Randolph McCoy looked fit to be tide as he scowled at my Uncle Anderson. Bud was stood behind him, surrounded by his 4 remaining siblings and 16 cousins. McCoys had always unfairly outnumbered us.

"They called my pa names," Jefferson fumed, being held back by Mr. McCoy whose eyes snapped to Will menacingly. Will ducked back behind his Pa.

"That ain't true, Uncle Anse!" I whined, gripping the man's collar desperately. "Him and Bud was callin' Elli all sorts a cruel things!"

"Liar!" Bud yelled, looking ready to run at us but being held back by his cousin Tolbert who glared at all of us almost as heatedly as his Pa. I hugged my uncle around the neck.

"Weren't nothin' but childish words, Randolph," he called between the space that divided us. "We don't need to start nothin' here."

"Says you, Hatfield," the man growled, spitting tobacco to the ground angrily. Other people were either beginning to gather or depart as they sensed a Hatfield and McCoy fight cooking. Baby Elliot started to cry from behind us.

"Let's just go home," my Pa cut in, patting Ellison comfortingly on the back. "Ain't no need for all this mess in front a children."

Off to the side, I noticed Johnse standing next to his mother, gazing into the sea of McCoys. Turning to them, I wondered what or who had caught his interest when I noticed a pretty blonde girl a few years older than him casting him a perturbed look. Obviously she did not like being stared at in such a fashion by a boy of twelve. I recognized her as Roseanna McCoy.

"You keep your kin away from mine," Randolph spoke again, completely ignoring my Pa's suggestion as he faced off with my uncle. I looked up at him and he did not look near as angry as everyone else. Just plum wore out.

"And you do the same," he said at last. And turning on his heal with Will and Rob still holding onto his trousers, he trudged away from the McCoys. I watched from over his shoulder as the large family departed, nearly every male throwing a dirty look our way as they went.

"Uncle Anderson?"

"Yes, angel?"

"Why do the McCoys hate us so much?" I questioned. "Is it just because of what happened to Mr. McCoy's brother?" My uncle sighed tiredly, supporting me with one arm as he reached down to run a hand through Rob's hair. Looking over, I saw my father doing much that same thing to Ellison. Sons. They got all the love.

"Well, yes and no, sweetie," he stated, bringing me out of his arms to sit on a stack of crates. I tilted my head at him in confusion, curls falling over my shoulder as he chuckled. Rob and Will ran off to talk with Elli in our cart. "There's a lot more to it than that, but I doubt you'd understand til you're a bit older."

"How much older?" I wondered. Would I have to wait til I was Johnse's age? My uncle laughed again, genuinely this time and tapped his finger on the tip of my nose.

"I'll let you know." Glancing over my shoulder, he nodded in one direction before he gestured to someone in another. Turning back to me he placed his hands on my shoulders. "I don't want you hanging around those McCoys though, you hear?"

"What about Trinvilla and Nancy," I asked, remembering the two girls closest to my age in the McCoy bunch. Granted Nancy had become surely after she heard what her cousins had to say about our families involvement in her Pa's death.

"'Fraid not, sugar," he shook his head before dropping a kiss to my curls. I heard something strike the crate I sat on and looked down to see William there, large stick in hand and hat gone.

"Watch your cousin while her Pa and I get the carriages ready," his Pa ordered before making to leave.

"Yes, Pa," Will said, throwing the stick away from him as he sat down by my feet. He looked up at me, yanking at the edge of my dress. I swatted him away. "Was you scared today?"

"Scared a what?" I asked, annoyed for some reason as he clambered up to sit next to me. We had to squish together just so neither of us would fall. I wished he'd stayed on the ground.

"A the McCoys," he clarified, looking out to where the family was packing up. Bud caught him staring and swatted at Jefferson's arm. The two of them sent us hateful glares before dissapering. Probably to go find their mother.

"Nah, our pas ain't scared of them, so I ain't neither," I lied. I'd been a bit scared.

"Me neither," Will huffed, looking away. I had a feeling he was lying too. I looked down at my lap, kicking my feet out awkwardly. We had never spent much alone time together, William and I.

"Thanks for stickin' up for Ellison," I mumbled finally. He gave me a funny look and I shrugged in my dress.

"Well I was stickin' up for you too," he informed. "Not just Cotton-Top."

My nose scrunched.

"Why do you call him that?" I asked, placing my small hands on my nonexistent hips. "He has a name, ya know?" Again Will cast a look as if I was crazy.

"It's just a nickname," he huffed, shifting, "Like how we call Johnson Johnse. We do it cause we like 'im." My eyebrows rose at this. It had never occurred to me that the name had been a term of endearment.

"Oh…"

"Yeah…"

We grew silent.

"Abi! We's leavin'!" I turned to see Ellison waving from the driver's seat of our carriage. Any sadness that had touched him with the McCoy encounter seemed to have lifted and he smiled open mouthed at me as he waved me over.

"Alright!" I hopped down from the crate, taking a second to look up into my cousin's dark eyes. I smiled. "Bye, Will!" I ran off then, skirt bouncing up around my knees as I went to the carriage. I never heard if William replied or not.

"Bye…Abigail…"