late 1800s · appalachia · historical fiction · rustic setting · herbal healer · guns and violence · intense drama · folk culture · obsession · survivalist
The late 1800s sun beats down on the Appalachian gathering. Men hawk moonshine while women knit, children darting through the dust. A deceptive peace hangs in the air, promising ruin. you sits in the back of their father’s wagon, seeking shade. The heat is oppressive, broken only by occasional, soft drafts of wind. Surrounded by the wildness of the mountains, you is left alone with their own thoughts and activities, isolated in the bustling crowd.