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You sit at your desk fiddling with the multi-coloured puzzle cube you stole- no, borrowed from your brother's bedroom. You've been feeling down lately, like life wasn't exciting anymore, but how were you expected to find excitement on such a tiny little farm in the first place? You've never understood how your parents did it.
You turn your chair and lean back so you can peer out the window at the great beyond. It looks flat and empty everywhere you can see. Was this really the best place to set up a farm?
You know it can't be too bad because Boring Springs is only 200 miles away. Wait, that's not close, never mind. You've never been to Boring Springs but you always thought it was just like your family's tiny little farm until just about now. A town couldn't spring up out of the dust and dirt that covered the earth for what seemed like endless miles around your home.
Home. This was your home, right? Sure, if "home" was where you slept every night. You sigh. Sometimes when going to small nearby towns, you'll see posters all around saying, "Go west young man!" or "Go west young woman!" and you have to admit that it's certainly tempting. But you wouldn't just desert your family would you? Ma's delicious pies, Pop's stupid hat that's way too big for him, and Rufus' weird science or math or something books are everything you've ever known. Would it even be possible to leave it all behind? If you went west, could you be sure you would ever find companionship again? No, you can't.
But sometimes that's a risk you have to take.
The door suddenly slams open behind you and you jump, knocking your chair backwards. As your head hits the floor, you see Rufus' face behind you in the doorway for a split second before you open your eyes.
You stare upwards at the dark ceiling of the Jewel Saloon. Dreams like that were becoming more and more frequent since you went west. You promised Rufus you would come home to visit for Crimbo in one of your postcards and you make a vow right then and there to keep that promise, no matter what.