The Schoolmarm and The Phantom Slingers: A Tale of Justice and Romance

Character Stories Date: Hits: 321

 

 

The Schoolmarm and The Phantom Slingers:

A Tale of Justice and Romance

 

This is a story written by me, StarGirlForever. 

 

I have written it to test out Invideo AI, while carrying on with an idea I had last year to write about my friend’s RDO character, Gat DeZuma

 

Here’s the descriptive text to get Invideo AI going on the video.  Due to using the free account, we are limited to 10 minutes of video a month. So it had to be short.

I did two versions of this and they are are quite different.  The final version I will share here is actually a bit different than my story, but i like it!  

Here's the video:

https://ai.invideo.io/watch/bbWjVTzlmx6 

----- DESCRIPTION -----

Narrated by an older man who has a cheerful voice and lyrical, happy-go-lucky rhythm to his story-telling. 

Create a video movie that starts out in 1895 West Elizabeth, in the town of Strawberry.  The main character is Lily Spriggs, a 20-year-old school teacher who teaches in the one room schoolhouse just outside of town.  She starts her day and teaches the children as per normal. Around lunch time, the children are seen running and playing with an 1895 ball. 

Change scene to Hanging Dog Ranch (or a very similar ranch).

 

A gang of 5 gunslingers called THE PHANTOM SLINGERS, who rob from the rich, and give to the poor. They are led by 28 year old handsome GAT DEZUMA.  He is our 2nd main character.  He is 6 feet tall, black straight long hair worn in a ponytail.  This is what he looks like: 

https://www.star-theater-horse-world.com/main2/index.php/character-stories/gat-dezuma-of-the-infamous-phantom-slinger-gang

 

  He is a single man who comes across as having a good heart, appreciating fairness and justice, but has a Robinhood philosophy.  He does not tolerate his gang members to ever hurt anyone and to always be gentle and kind, looking after the women and children.  Also, to try to avoid killing whenever possible.  They had heard that the new schoolmarm, Lily, is from a wealthy family in the East. Her father owns a bank in Pittsburgh.

 

GAT has a scheme which they discuss before setting out to the schoolhouse. Their scheme is to kidnap Lily and take

her to their hidden remote hideout up north of Strawberry.  It sits in a beautiful river valley surrounded by lush green mountain slopes.  The hideout is called   "Hanging Dog Ranch".  They will then send a ransom letter to Lily's parents, demanding $50,000 ransom.  

 

Gat gave firm instructions not to harm nor mistreat Lily.  And that he would be the one to tie her and put her on the back of his dark grey horse.

 

Switch scene back to the schoolhouse. 

 

As the children are leaving at the end of the day, Lily hears horse riders approaching,    Coming near the school house. There are no other houses that can be seen from the schoolhouse. And the road is a dirt road and there are no people seen in any direction.

 

But, Lily's sister, Alice Spriggs, had come through a hidden path on the forest. She wanted to meet Lily and talk about the pies they would bake for the hoedown celebration next weekend.  As she was just about to leave the forest and enter the meadow at the back of the schoolhouse, she saw 5 riders approach the building.  She ducked down, staying hidden by bushes at the edge of the forest.  Though she was alarmed, she kept quiet for fear of what might happen.

 

 

Lily was erasing the text on the blackboard and had her back to the door of the schoolhouse. As they went in, Gat was friendly and greeted her and asked for a drink of water which she kindly obliged him.  Then he told her that he had come to fulfill a mission. But she should not worry; there would be no harm to come to her. As he held his hand lightly on his holstered pistol on his right hip, he said, “I’d appreciate it if you would come softly and gently, as we don’t want any trouble”

 

Lily knew the best thing was just to be quiet, agree, and be as friendly and cooperative as possible.  So, that is what she did, assuring them that she would give them no trouble.

 

Gat asked her to turn around as he gently tied her hands behind her back and tied ropes around her feet. Then, he lifted her up onto his shoulder as he carried her out and placed her behind his saddle on the rump of his horse.

 

The riders mounted up and galloped quickly down the road headed towards Hanging Ranch.

 

Alice's heart was beating fast as she could not believe her eyes.  Yet she knew she had to remain hidden till the men were out of sight down the road. Then she ran as fast as she could back to Strawberry to the sheriff office.  But no one was there!  So she ran into the general store, and told the man behind the counter everything that happened. 

 

Next the scene goes back to Hanging Dog Ranch, where Lily is untied and shown to her upstairs bedroom.  The gang stands guard in and around the house at all times. 

 

As the next 2 weeks pass, we see how slow Lily grows fond of Gat, and can clearly see his truly kind and gentle heart.  She also observes that his character is very close to that of Robinhood. 

 

Though the gang lives on the ranch, there are 5 additional cowhands who run a cattle operation on the ranch.  Cole, a middle-aged ranch boss, is 2nd in command, but they interact just like partners. 

 

Everyone knows Gat is the leader. Though he is quite young, he shows wisdom and strong leadership abilities.

 

Gat's gunslinger gang runs several missions where they rob from the rich and take the money and goods and give them to the poor. 

 

Lily observes this, hiding these things in her heart. 

 

On the 3rd day after Lily arrived, a sheriff’s posse rode onto the ranch.  Cole stepped out the front door to greet the posse, as Gat swiftly went to Lily and held his hand across her mouth to keep her quiet as he peeked out over the balcony straining to hear the conversation with the posse below.

 

Cole told the sheriff he hadn’t seen any kind of riders with a woman.  The last time a woman had visited the ranch, he said, was 2 months back when a small wagon train passed through on their way to Canada.      Cole did assure them that he would have his men keep a lookout and let the sheriff know if anything suspicious turns up.

 

The posse left than and disappeared farther up the road.