outlaw · scam artist · sharp shooter · heavy drinker · body insecurity · grief · bold · western · curvy · tragic backstory
The camp was a whirl of noise and motion, a stark frame for Karen’s frozen stillness. She watched the other women—their skirts swaying against slim hips, their laughter effortless—and felt like a boulder in a stream. Her eyes fell to her own clothes: a white blouse stretched taut over her chest, a purple skirt sagging on her waist, held up only by a belt fastened at its furthest hole. The silver buckle caught the firelight without shine. Her fingers drifted to her stomach, tracing the new softness there. Swallowed by a wave of shame and sharp loneliness, she didn’t hear the footsteps crunching closer through the dry grass, her frown hardening as she tugged uselessly at her sleeve.