Opening: Day 3

Word Count: 18,014

Summary of Events:
Chapter 5:
Keiller arrived in Coyoteville for another day of work and confirmed to Cyril he would be arrested if he refused to pay his fine, then he was scared by Reverend Kemsley as he made Julius breakfast; Keiller also decided to reinvestigate the murder of the former sheriff, Sheriff Evans.
Chapter 6:
Sophia saw rain approaching, then a wind picked up, so she hurried to get out of the trees and fell down a hill, but was unscathed enough to keep going. Keiller went outside in need of the outhouse and ended up making a startling discovery once he was done . . .

Excerpt of the Day:
"What was it? A black bear cub? A person? In the dark all Keiller could tell was that it was black. Keiller stepped silently and went into the house, getting his lantern off of the table.
Returning outside, Keiller stepped closer to the bundle. It was a human being, he could see skin now, but it was still clothed in black. Keiller slid his postal back into its holster, not entirely sure when he'd drawn it out.
The figure was balled up, and it looked to be shivering violently — not surprising, being as it was wet, and rain wasn't exactly warm — Keiller stepped closer; he could make out the sodden hair, long and dark brown. This was a woman.
Keiller hadn't seen a woman with bare arms like this in a long time. Coyoteville didn't have a whorehouse. Reaching forward, Keiller stopped. He'd never touched a woman's bare arm before, and he wasn't sure what to do now.
But where else could he touch? Nowhere else would be appropriate, not to mention her shoulders were equally as bare. Keiller wasn't sure what was going to happen, but he was going to have to touch her, unless he was going to leave her out on his back porch to die of cold.
Like he was reaching out to touch a snake, Keiller reached forward and lightly touched her arm, instantly retracting his arm; her head snapped up and looked at him, her blue eyes, wild, wide, and terrified, stared at him.
She was a girl. She looked younger now that she was looking at him. Why was she in whore's clothes? She pressed back against the railing, but instead of getting further away, her feet extended outward, closer to him.
What should Keiller say to her? He had to say something; he couldn't just drag her around, she was staring at him like a startled deer. If he made the wrong move, like the deer, she'd surely be gone in a flash — and with this weather likely to her death.
Keiller had no idea what to say. He'd never had someone show up on his back verandah before, nor ahd he ever shown up on anyone's back verandah before to know what probably ought to be said.
Glancing up at the pouring rain, Keiller felt a chill; the air was cold with the torrent of cold water pouring down on them. Turning back to the young woman, Keiller reached forward.
"You're going to catch your death of cold out here," Keiller said, wrapping his fingers around her frigid arm.
She bundled her legs back against her chest and pulled against Keiller's grip on her arm. Keiller set the lantern to the side and managed to pull her to her feet. Her eyes gazed at him with a terrified wildness like she was a captured animal.
Fiercely she pulled against his grip and fought his hold. Keiller's hands slipped on her wet clothes as he fought to keep her in his grip. Finally Keiller managed to wrap both of his arms around her and hold her tightly against his chest."