Drama

This award is for the most dramatic Moment or Scene in Story or Story itself. What scene or which story had you on the edge of your seat or ripping your heart out? The story must be done, unfinished stories will be rewarded next year!

And the nominees are:

Author and story	Scene/Story	Nominator and motivation
Susan Thomas The Chase at Welcome to Sweetwater	The story Excerpt: Lou was awakened when she was dragged roughly by her braids to her feet. Collecting her wits she watched as Buck was pulled to his feet the same way, his handsome face almost unrecognisable after yesterdays beatings. She watched silently as Buck was lashed spreadeagled between two trees. Tears began streaming down her cheeks and she fought like a wildcat when she realised that they intended to whip him. Her struggles stopped when the man holding her hit her so hard across the face that she saw stars. While trying to regather her thoughts, she caught a glimpse of light reflecting in the shrubbery not twenty feet from the Barn. Peering hopefully into the shrubbery she was delighted when she realised that the light had reflected from glass beadwork on Jenny's doeskin dress. Her attention was dragged back to Buck when she heard the lash of the stock whip , closely followed by Buck's cry of pain. Kid watched the repeated lashes, sickened by what desperate men would do to make money. Tapping Cody gently on the shoulder he signed at him to shoot the man holding Lou as he shot the one whipping Buck. Both men took aim with their rifles and fired simultaneously, both men dead before they hit the ground. Released from his grip Lou ran to Buck's side and taking a knife from the boot of the man on the ground she cut the leather thongs lashing him to the trees as the other abductor emerged from the barn. As he emerged from the door, they found the barrel of both Jimmy and Sam's guns pointed at their heads. Cody and Kid were already running towards the clearing, closely followed	Wendy M This was a fast paced story filled with angst as Buck and Lou suffered at the hands of their captors, and their friends fought to find them.
SueEllen Butcher Criminal Justice at Welcome to Sweetwater	The story Excerpt: "Nothing Teaspoon, I didn’t do a thing.’ he spoke looking deeply into Teaspoon’s eyes "I couldn’t sleep so I went for a ride and when I was coming back I heard shots, I drew my gun and came in here to see what was happening.’ His eyes searched those of his new family looking for understanding and maybe even acceptance of his story. Seeing only distrust, he lowered his head, knowing that if these people didn’t believe him, he was truly lost. He knew that they had only been together for a few weeks now, but they had moulded themselves into a family of sorts, and if his new family thought the worst of him, what was the sleepy little town of Sweetwater going to think when they found out about his predicament. Buck struck dumb by the fact that any one of the boys could hurt the gentle caring Ike, moved to the side of his best friend, praying to all the Gods he knew that Ike was still alive. Kneeling, he carefully turned him over, wincing as he saw the large bleeding gash on his forehead. Emma knelt at his side and waving for the other boys, she pressed his bandanna to the side of his head as Kid and Cody lifted him and carried him towards the house. Buck his eyes almost black with his fury, lifted himself slowly to his feet and his back ramrod straight he stalked to stand directly in front of Jimmy. Lou had thought of him as a gentle soul since she had met him, watching him go out of his way to stay out of trouble and avoid fights but the look in his eye now truly frightened her, lo betide anyone who his fury was vented on.	Wendy M This was a very good Jimmy story...it's the beginning of the PX..everyone isn't quite trusting enough of each other and Jimmy is caught up in a situation where Ike is heard and the blame lies on the gunfighter...You could feel the tension mounting between him and the other riders, especially Buck...Feel the loyalty of Kid and Lou to Jimmy and Jimmy's gratefulness for it..
Cindy A Bad Night in Rock Creek at Writers Ranch	*Story*	Joan The suspense in the first half of this story had me on the edge of my seat! And the twist in the second have was brilliant.
Donna Ree Walking Away at Writers Ranch	*Story* He tried. He really tried to stay. Stay and not walk away. Walk away from everything he loved and held dear. But he knew it was for the best. The best for her…not him. He was miserable and slowly drinking his way to the bottom of his bottle. What the hell, he thought. He didn’t work for the Express anymore anyway. Not that he’d never broken the Company’s rule on drinking before. But he had no ties to the Company anymore. No rules. No job. No responsibility. And no Lou. And he’d actually thought of asking her to marry him. Him, James Butler Hickok…no, that wasn’t quite true anymore. He was now Wild Bill Hickok. He’d left Jimmy behind, along with his very existence for being…Louise McCloud.	Wendy M Such a strong characterizaton of Jimmy...you can just feel the pain that he is in at the thought of living his life without Lou in it...yet at the same time afraid to have her in it because of the reputation he had gotten..and the danger it drew to him...and anyone who was close to him.
Helen Returning to Old Roots at Ponnyexpressen	*Story* Sitting in a saloon, somewhere in the middle of the desert, Jimmy sat thinking of his old days in the Express. He needed to return home…HOME…the only place he ever felt he could call home. Home was where ha had a family that loved him, & he could depend on to watch his back. ‘Wild Bill’ had dogged him for too long.	Wendy M Such an angst filled story about Jimmy...the line of his thoughts..