Chapter 18: the monster ends the bond deepens
Authors note* a wonderfully big thank you to all the reviewers who have stayed and encouraged me throughout this while i wrote this story. it has been amazing and all of you people are amazing. a giant thank you to Nakoosay who helped me when i spelled stuff wrong and was super encouraging and gave great advice. also a giant thank you to NicknHotchfan who came up with came up with some pretty great ideas and was amazing. so thank you to all of you reviewers and readers. this story would not have continued without you. all of you are the reason this story has been completed. i hope you enjoy. a quick big thank you to Laramie Station who helped me out so much in the beginning.
Slim got Mort untied and then Mort helped Slim get unlocked from the iron cuff binding him to the bed. That was when they heard muffled screams and Slim knew in his heart that it was Jess. Mort and Slim devised a plan and put it into action. Mort told Slim that he had been on his way back to town when he had been bushwhacked by the man. Mort had guessed he had been in the closet for about 3 days. The man let him out of the closet once a day to eat then to relieve himself. Slim quickly told Mort what happened to him and Mort almost completely lost it.
His face turned an apples shade of red and the veins in his forehead popped out in vexation. Even though they were short on time Mort being as gentle as holding a newborn baby hugged Slim. It was all they both could do not to, burst out in tears right then. Slim felt as if he had found a father in Mort and Mort loved Slim like a son, which went for Jess too. Whenever he was around Slim and Jess, he felt like he was the proudest Papa in the whole world. He loved them both with all his heart and even though they had never said the word.
Slim knew that Mort loved him like a son and Mort knew that Slim loved him like a father. Slim went out of the house stumbling and leaning on the walls for support as his body tried its best to work right. He had to get to Jess, he just had to. Mort snuck out the back way and spotted the barn in an instant. It was a lot closer to the house than they had originally thought. Mort snuck closer and almost stumbled forward as he slightly tripped over a rather large rock.
Mort smiled and picked up the rock, now he had a weapon. Mort got into the barn and spotted Jess right away. He had to hold himself back when he saw the shadow man come from the other end of the barn and head towards Jess. Mort hid himself and waited until the man got closer. He made his way unknowing right next to Mort. Mort leapt out of the shadows and clobbered the man in the head. The shadow man sank with a groan to the ground then lay still in an unconscious heap of evil monster.
Mort turned his attention to Jess and hurried to the boy. When Mort saw the brand, he wanted to cry. Jess had been branded in the same spot as Slim had been. His boys were marked. Mort's eyes turned to fire as he lifted Jess off of the hook and felt the full weight of Jess collapse into his arms. He lay Jess down slowly on the ground. He went back over to the unconscious monster and searched his pockets coming up with keys.
He went back over to Jess and fitted the keys into the lock of Jess's iron cuffs. It turned and clicked much to Mort's joy. Mort gently removed the cuffs and carried the clanking irons over to the shadow man and locked them onto his wrists harshly. Mort searched the barn quickly and found his, Slim's, and Jess's guns hidden in a remote corner of the barn.
Satisfied Mort went back over to Jess and tried to gently wake him up. Mort couldn't carry Jess and keep the shadow man under guard at the same time. He tenderly stroked Jess's greasy head of coal black hair with one hand and gently slapped his face with anther. Jess awoke groaning in pain but when he opened his eyes and saw Mort the biggest smile erupted upon his face and he whispered, "What took you so long Mort?"
Mort stood Jess up and then he went over to the monster on the floor. He was tempted beyond belief to just shoot the man after everything he had put Slim, Jess and himself through. But Mort was the sheriff and he knew what the law was. He kicked the monster waking him up and ordered him to his feet. He made sure the monster was straight in front of him and Jess and reminded the shadow man that he would be all too happy to blow his head off right then and there.
Jess asked Mort where slim was and when they exited the barn, they found that 4 horses were standing at the ready. All of them were saddled up and ready to ride. Jess smiled and knew that Slim ad done it but was puzzled when he didn't see Slim. Jess gasped and rushed over to Slim who was collapsed on the ground. Jess being mindful of his arms and his side took Slim's head into his alp and started to stroke Slim's hair.
Slim had been through so much more than Jess had and all Jess wanted to do was to comfort his brother, so he did. Mort had Jess hold the gun on the man as Mort cautiously put the unconscious Slim on a horse. Jess gave the gun back to Mort then climbed up behind Slim on the same horse. Jess wasn't going to leave Slim's side ever again. He had gotten his brother back and he wasn't ever going to let him go. They all got back to Laramie safely and Mort put the shadow man in jail. When Slim woke up Jess told both him and Mort what the shadow man had told him about Cole his baby brother.
Slim denied ever being in that town and both Jess and Mort knew it was the truth. Slim felt sorry for the man for a second before all the memories and pain from his time with the shadow man came flooding back into his brain. A few weeks later the shadow man had a trial and he was sent to jail for life. Another week went by and then Mort got the information he had requested from the army.
There had been only one other Slim in the Army during that time and in that same age range. The man who had actually shot Cole had died about 2 years go and that is why the shadow man had never found him. Mort had the information sent to the shadow man whose real name was Jeff. The shadow man or Jeff had tortured Slim for two weeks, then took Jess, tortured him, took Mort, and locked him in a closet. The man was a monster.
Slim felt a little guilty about being relieved when he heard 2 days later that Jeff had been killed in prison. The monster who had made his life a living hell was gone and could never hurt him again. Slim almost never cried for his parents anymore. He still missed them something awful but the recent events in his life that he had time to reflect on while his numerous injuries healed. They had shown him what and who he had here with him now.
Not to think about what he had lost but what he had. He had a brother, a partner who loved him so much and he had a father figure who was always there for hm when he needed him. Jess felt the exact same way that Slim did and so did Mort. Slim and Jess thanked the town who had taken care of the Sherman ranch and the stagecoaches while both Slim and Jess had been gone. They went back to their home and walked into their house breathing in the familiarity and the comfort that it gave them.
They had stayed in town until then resting and healing. Slim walked quietly to their bedroom and their separate beds and Jess followed. They were always together now. Slim never went anywhere without Jess and vice versa. Of course, it would have to change somewhat what with all the work they had to do on the ranch but Jess and Slim had grown so much closer because they had been apart for so long that they never wanted to leave each other's sides.
They both took off their shirts and got ready for bed. Slim sucked in a deep breath and turned toward the mirror in their room to look at himself. Jess had turned around at the sound and stood nervously waiting to see how Slim would react. Jess had already looked at his own branding mar and had gotten a little used to it. Slim however had never asked to look in a mirror and Jess thought that Slim was very afraid of what he would see.
Slim stood in front of the mirror and looked at his torso. All the different marks in different stages of healing made his torso look like someone had splashed red, purple, and black all over his body. It wasn't too bad thought Slim considering but when he twisted to show his side to the mirror tears slipped out of his eyes and a gasp out of his mouth. The branding mark was pretty bad and just seeing it brought a flood of memories of the 2 weeks that he had been through right back to the surface.
Jess immediately walked quickly over to his brother and put a hand on his shoulder and whispered that It would heal but would need more time. Slim turned around and hugged Jess with Jess hugging him to let him know that he would always be there for him. Slim stopped and looked into the mirror once again. Jess turned to Slim's burn mark and twisted his own shirtless body to show his own branding mark. There they stood two brothers both marked by the same beast but stronger than ever in their brotherly love for each other and their bond had now become unbreakable.
Yes, they both had been marked. But the marks were not a condonement or something that wouldn't let them forget all the horrible stuff that happened. No, it was a reminder of what they had survived together by their sheer willpower to get back to each other. Even though they had been apart their hearts had always been together. That is what true brotherhood looks like.
Authors note*
The hurt will heal, the love will live, brother for brother, father for sons, forever in our hearts is Laramie and the boys. Slim, tall, strong, kind, patient, loving, and a brotherly bond with Jess as deep as the prairie is wide. Jess, impatient, gentle, quick, practical, and loves Slim like a brother even more than Slim could ever hope or dream. And Mort, wise, kind, a good listener and loves Slim and Jess as if they were his own sons. They all have their faults, as do you and me. I truly hope you all have liked my story and apologies if anything offended anyone. that was not my intention ever. True brotherly love never gives up. Love will always win in the end always, but the road is filled with horrible, awful things that can happen. But the awful horrific things can also make deep bonds unbreakable. That is what happened to Slim and Jess in The Forgotten Shadow. These 3 boys are what make Laramie great and they are Laramie.