Juniper’s Daughter: Frontier Town by Nick Armbrister

Sandra finished her artwork that she had been commissioned to do; it was a piece in oils of a landscape under turbulent grey clouds measuring four by three feet. Six weeks of solid painstaking work and delicate detail, a real work of passion that she loved doing. She looked at the painting that was now complete taking in the wild scene it portrayed remembering so long ago when she had walked over that very spot with her husband on a stormy day. It was so long ago; she sighed and shut her eyes remembering. Why was it that her dead husband’s face was becoming more indistinct as time went on? She struggled to remember his face; opening her eyes she withdrew a small purple velvet wallet and hurriedly took out his photo. Sandra smiled as she looked at his happy features; his was a face of youthful invigoration at the beginning of life that was wickedly stolen by this evil disease. She hated cancer. Putting the photo away Sandra left her completed artwork and started to get ready, she didn’t know what to wear. This thought had played in the back of her mind since the morning, niggling away and annoying her. She went to her antique ornate oak wardrobe and opened it and looked at her stunning gothic outfits. Fuck it! She would wear her wedding dress that she had married her young precious husband in not two years ago; she gently ran her fingers through the delicate white fabric remembering. She smiled, she had been so happy and now? Now she was all alone, a widow at twenty-four years of age. So young and still grieving over her indescribable loss but she promised herself she wouldn’t cry, no not on this gothic music day. She would weep twice as much tomorrow, as she did every other day of her young wounded life, this thought made her speak aloud, “I miss you my love. My pain is so much. It’s so unfair Juniper’s Daughter: Frontier Town by Nick Armbristerhow you were taken away from me, I know that you’re around me but my longing to be with you is immense. If I didn’t have your love in my heart and my art I’d kill myself right now. But you wouldn’t want that. I remember your last words to me before cancer stole you from me…”
   The first band was due to come on stage in ten minutes; the club was filling up with people wanting to get a good seat. Jason and Craig got bought three drinks each and sat at a small round table, they quietly discussed business of trading coins and music. Jason wore an old All About Eve 1989 tour t-shirt that was in surprisingly good condition, he only wore it to gigs and on special occasions. It matched his black Levi jeans and custom made cowboy boots. Craig had a long black leather jacket on, black combat trousers; a black denim shirt and old German combat boots on, backed up with lots of silver and amber jewellery. They both looked up and saw Rolo and Denise walk into the bar, waving greetings that they returned and then continued their conversation.
   Time ticked by, more people entered the club and bought drinks, those inside got more drunk on a variety of wicked cocktails made of dubious dark ingredients. With names like Mary’s Nipple, God’s Armpit, Satan’s Testicle and Up the Army, these drinks were both alcoholically strong and wickedly controversial but the Goths didn’t care, they loved it.
   Sandra was in one of the pubs having a quick drink before she hurried to the club to join the other Goths and sprinkling of metal heads and tattooed people who made up the crowd. Later Sandra walked into the club wearing her wedding dress, she looked amazing and people stopped and stared at her stopping their conversations in mid sentence to gawp. She acted demurely strolling to the bar to order a Satan’s Testicle, catching peoples’ eyes and nodding in return.
   Craig and Jason saw Sandra from a few yards away and made their way over, “Wow! Sandy looks a zillion dollars. I’d love to make love to her, what a picture she is,” Craig whispered to Jason. He nodded in reply.
   “Nice to see you guys, how are you?” Sandra greeted them as the first band started playing. The noise increased rapidly making normal talking impossible.
   Jason shouted, “Yeah, we’re okay. Nice to meet you Sandra, I must say you do look stunning. You’re the hottest in here!”
   “Yes you are,” Craig backed his mate up nodding his head over the screeching music. He winked at Sandra, who winked back.
   “Well thanks a lot guys, you know I do my best to look the part. Hey, what’s this first band called?” she replied, changing the subject not wanting the conversation to go downhill this early in the night.
   “Erm… I think they’re from out of town. I’m not sure on the name,” Jason commented shaking his head.
   “They’re called Purple Tomatoes or something silly. Why do you like them?” Craig shouted. Really he meant would you like to fuck the singer Sandra? But he didn’t dare say that aloud.