#violetrose

Everyone has memories, good and bad, that they will never forget. And Violet Rose was no exception to that rule, if anything a possible paragon.

She would never forget the day she started running with the gang, it wasn’t something easily forgettable. Violet was born to a Native American mother, and a mixed father, who had a African-American mother and Caucasian father. The relationship wasn’t traditional, therefore many people looked down upon it. Her father was light enough to appear white, but everyone knew the truth, he faced threats everyday because of his “impurity”.

One day, a mob came after an incident at a store. Violet was with her father, apparently he was being disrespectful to the white store owner, something that wasn’t tolerated in the Deep South. Once they had returned home, her father ordered them to gather their things, and leave.

But, Violet’s father didn’t come with them, it was the last time she had seen him. News spread, her father was murdered in their home only about an hour after she and her mother fled.

Violet’s mother did her best to shield her from the violence, moving back into the village and teaching her things to help her in the future.

By age 6, Violet had been without her father for two years, and she had learned and memorized the properties of all the plants within a ten-mile radius. By age 8, Violet had become skilled with a bow and arrow, and would soon become good with a knife.

Sadly, another tradegy would befall her, because one day, soldiers would ravage the community, leaving nothing but blood and fire in its wake.

Violet’s mother told her to run and hide, but she didn’t want to leave her mother behind. Violet rode off on her horse as she was instructed but doubled back to the village after the noise seemed to quiet down.

When she returned, there was nothing but smoke and ashes. Bodies were everywhere, blood was everywhere. It was an image no young child should have to see.

Violet searched for her mother, and when she found her, she cried. It was all she could do, no matter no hard she shook her, or called for her, her mother simply wouldn’t wake up.

There was nothing left for Violet, she took the only thing that she had of her mother that hadn’t burned, a locket her mother had worn, containing a picture of her family. With the locket on her neck, and the satchel and saddle on her horse, Violet climbed onto her horse. She took one last look at her home, and began to ride.

Violet eventually managed to find her way to civilization, claiming to have ran away from home. In the town, she grew up rather quickly, learning lessons that many people couldn’t be trusted, and that a lot of men were bad men. She had to get by with what she had, and most of the time that involved robbing people blind, and getting away before anyone noticed.

Everything changed when the young girl tried to rob an older man, perhaps in his 40s. When she swiped him, she got caught, and she ran as fast as she could.

But she was stopped by two older boys. The one with darker hair had tried to grab her and by miracle she managed to kick him in the groin and continue. However, the older boy was more careful, and when he tackled her down, she stayed down.

When she was allowed to get back up, Violet was in tears. She was scared of what the men might do. Would they take her to the law to be hanged? Would they do something worst?

But no, she was told to return what she stole, a watch belonging to the man. The men looked her up and down, a girl about age 10 of average height, and skinny enough to appear as if she hadn’t eaten in a week.

“When’s the last time you ate?” The man whom she stole the watch asked.

Violet looked up with tears in her eyes, “About a week.”

After that, the man offered Violet a hand. She wasn’t sure if she should trust it, but something about him seemed trustworthy. And he himself didn’t seem to be a lawman of any type. So when he offered his hand, she cautiously took it. The man would later introduce himself as Hosea Matthews.

The boy whom she kicked, as she learned, was named John. And the boy who had tackled her was Arthur. Although she and John were roughly the same age, Arthur was quite older.

They bought her back to camp, and introduced her to a man named Dutch Van der Linde, who she learned was the leader of the group. Together, they all taught her how to survive.

Hosea and Dutch taught her how to smooth talk her way in and out of situations. In this way, she was able to get herself outta trouble and get away with a lot more.

Violet’s father had began teaching her and her mother how to read before he died, but unfortunately his death put a stop to it, as her mother had no knowledge to continue educating her. Hosea and Dutch finished Violet’s lessons, and by the time she was reading, it developed into a passion.

And when Violet saw the boys with their guns, she wanted to learn too. Guns had taken away most of her life, she refused to let that happen again.

By the time she was 13, Violet was learning to use a rifle, and she enjoyed every minute of it, although she still preferred using her bow to hunt. Setting up bottles for target practice, Violet was able to learn how to use a hand gun as well. And Hosea gave her the pleasure of learning to fish.

And although she was learning all of these things, she had never been in any real action, and so on days she wasn’t gathering or hunting for the gang, she did chores, learning from Bessie, Susan Grimshaw, and Annabelle.

And as the gang began to grow, Violet found herself having a family again, a feeling she strongly enjoyed. When Tilly Jackson was found and brought into the gang, she was happy to have another girl her own age.

Violet eventually got to go with Arthur and John, who came to be like brothers, on a job to rob a homestead. She had been begging to go with them for awhile now.

And so, after a few days of begging, pleading, and puppy-dog eyeing, she was allowed to go. Violet had dressed like house maid, offering a discreet way to go into the house to scope everything out.

The job didn’t exactly go as planned that night, and Violet had gotten into her first shootout. (John just couldn’t stay quiet) And to Arthur’s surprise, she did pretty damn well. Violet had understood no hesitation in shooting before getting shot. And although it ended in a shootout, the tale ended up being pretty good.

This is how Violet lived her life for years, a family, a home. Sure it wasn’t traditional, but it was a home where Violet felt loved. But all good things must come to an end.

And at 24-years old, in 1899, Violet Rose would learn this lesson, as her life began to change around her.