How It All Goes Down
- Rachel goes out to the barn and notices no eggs. Again.
- She figures a raccoon or possum has been stealing them and wants to sort it out.
- She crosses the pasture with Jacob in tow and thinks about how the barbed wire isn't necessary any more since she's sold all her animals. Her cattle, horse, and even her saddle are now gone since she needs the money.
- Since getting knocked up, most people shun her. Folks have conservative values around these parts and don't want to be seen with a teenage mother.
- Her friend Joel is one of the only people who stuck around, she thinks to herself.
- With Jacob in her arms, Rachel goes out to the fields where she picks berries; she delivers a bunch to Widow Jenkins for watching Jacob for her sometimes.
- Widow Jenkins suggests that Rachel sell some of the fruits and vegetables to locals to make some money. Even with that cash, though, Rachel is worried how she'll make it through the winter.
- Rachel announces that she's going back to work at the camp (ahem, Pemberton's camp) just as soon as Jacob is weaned.
- Widow Jenkins isn't so sure that's the best idea—she has this wild idea that Pemberton and his people won't want his baby mama hanging around. There's no way they'll give her any money.
- Rachel isn't worried, though. She's a hard worker and that's the only place she can work.
- She is hoping that Widow Jenkins can look after Jacob while she's at work—she'll pay of course—and the Widow is happy to help out. She doesn't care about the money and figures she'll pitch in when she can.
- Rachel thinks about the bowie knife her dad used in his fatal fight with Pemberton. That day, Serena instructed her to sell the knife to get some cash, and she's sure she could.
- Here's the thing, though: Then she'd be doing exactly what Serena told her to do. Rachel doesn't want to be anybody's puppet.
- The next morning, Rachel finds a raccoon in her barn, trying to steal more eggs.
- She doesn't want to hurt him but she knows she doesn't have a choice—if she lets him be, he'll be back and steal more of her eggs.
- So she grabs the axe and finishes him off.