Chapter 1
Once Lost
Lou often wondered how she would die. Not in a morbid 'oh everyone dies, what's the point in tryin'?', kind of way, but more like how someone who dug graves would wonder about it. Considering how often they deal with death, she imagined that they'd wonder how the folk they buried died. And then begin to come up with stories, and maybe imagine how they'd go out in the end. She supposed that was still strange. And maybe a little creepy. But she couldn't help but let her mind wander back to those thoughts again, as she ran for her dear life.
"Face me like a man you little rat!" The bounty hunter shouted as another wide shot sparked off the rocks beside her. She felt a little insulted they sent such a bad shot after her. 'Andrew Clemmons' couldn't hit the broad side of a barn.
She glanced over a cliff edge as she scrambled over another boulder, the heavy rain plastering her clothes to her skin and making the stone and earth slick.
She could see it now, Lou Davis, couldn't keep her footing. It would be a painful and embarrassing death for certain. The twins would riot.
She was drawn from her thoughts as another bullet whistled dangerously close to her ear. Either his aim was getting better, or he could read minds and was pissed about her thoughts on his shooting skill. Both were worrying possibilities.
Her lungs burned as she slid down a short slope, scrapping the palms of her hands, but she didn't feel much with the icy rain numbing her limbs.
"Stop running boy! Come quietly, and I might forget the little stunt you pulled earlier and take you to the Don alive, instead of in pieces!" He shouted again, the scrape of his boots slipping across the stones spurring her onwards. It was nearly impossible to see in this weather. If she wasn't so worn, she might've tried jumping him in the darkness and getting this mess over with.
She skidded and pressed her back into the stone walls of the mountain, desperate to catch her breath as thunder cracked overhead, the sounds of the night overtaken by the fury of the storm. The pounding of her heart filled her heart, and she cursed herself.
Calm down Lou, you ain't a little girl anymore. You keep pretending to be ready to run with the boys, it's about time you started acting like it! Breathe, listen, and find your exit.
She repeated, forcing herself to breathe slower as she waited in silence, glancing around. Maybe with all the rain and the darkness, he'd pass her by?
"What's wrong rat? Lost your tongue??" the man cackled, his footsteps sounding closer than before.
suppose her luck hadn't changed.
She bit her tongue, the retort she so desperately wanted to throw being eaten as she slowly inched away from the wall, managing to keep her feet fine enough despite the mud and loose stones that squished and slipped under her feet. Then the image of falling off a cliff flashed through her mind again, and she crouched low, almost crawling away as she felt the earth with her hands.
"You can't hide forever, I'm starting to get really tired of these games!" He shouted.
She could hear the clink of his spurs now. Real gaudy ones too, the kind folks get to intimidate folks with their success. All it did was make them look stupid.
Stupid or not, she scurried a bit faster at the sound of his voice. As bad of a shot as he was, she didn't like the idea of him getting to shoot at her point-blank. So she scrambled fast, scrambling so quickly in fact that she started with a shout as she ran her head into something solid- fearing for a moment that the bounty hunter had somehow appeared in front of her- but as she scrambled back, the actual object managed to strike more unnatural fear in her heart than the idea of a teleporting hunter.
She felt a chill run down her spine as she stared at the grave. A chill that had nothing to do with the rain.
"There you are!" the click of a gun sounded behind her and she spun on the ground, her head whipping around to stare up into the wild eyes of the hunter.
Great. This is just my luck. Dying over someone else's grave? Wonderful idea! At least I'll have some company for when I move on!
She backed up, running into the grave again as she stared down the barrel of his gun.
"Oh hey, you finally caught up! I was just getting worried about ya! Now uh, before you pull that trigger I've just one-" she started, raising her hands.
"Enough words rat, I've had enough of your insults! You've been cracking wise since I caught you out on the train!" He stated coldly, raising the gun a little higher, his expression cold. "And I'm about to end all that bluster for good,"
"If I ever insulted you, sir, I'm mighty sorry," She started, keeping her hands up. "I only thought I was offering constructive criticism?" she offered with a shrug.
He chuckled darkly, shaking his head, rain streaming from his hat as he flashed an all-too-wide grin.
"I don't say this often but thank you. I am going to enjoy this immensely."
She guessed it was true what people said, about life flashing before your eyes. If she was honest it didn't seem like much. Dead parents, running around with street boys, robbing and stealing to get by. The occasional strangeness found its way into her day-to-day.
She closed her eyes and sighed.
Never mind, falling off a cliff would have been less embarrassing.
A cold chill began to spread from the grave behind her.
She froze, her eyes shooting open as she felt it. Cold enough to cut through the weather and make her shiver in earnest. The hairs on her neck stood on end, a familiar energy filling the air. Terrifying energy, as the mists began to seep up the earth.
"no, not here please no- just let my final moments be of peace-" She whispered, eyes wide.
Clemmons hesitated for a moment, his expression shifting to one of confusion, then he growled "Enough of your games boy! Another word and I blast that tongue of yours clean off!!"
she rolled her eyes, drawn from the moment at that comment. "Oh please, like you'd even be able to hit it."
"I said shut up boy!" He shouted, then gasped and stumbled back, his gun clattering to the ground. His face was pale as a sheet and his eyes wide, reflecting a pale blue light.
"Lord above!!!!" He yelled, scrambling away, disappearing quickly along with his screams as he shot back into the darkness.
She knew what grew behind her, as the blue light illuminated the rain and mud, her shadow growing long and twisted across the ground. She didn't want to turn. She didn't know if she could, her body as worn as it was, couldn't process the gut-wrenching fear she now felt. She couldn't even scream as memories came flooding back.
She slowly turned to face the horror that waited for her.
[~~~~~~~~~~]
"Lou? Lou?? HEY LOU WHERE ARE YA?!"
She started from her sleep, looking down from the roof nook she'd curled into to escape the heat of the day. She wiped her eyes groggily, the remnant whispers of some sweet dream fading and slipping from her memory.
"Lou! I'm not going to go looking for ya, get out here or I ditch ya and hang with Cleet and the others!" Oliver continued, annoyed.
She sighed, shaking her head defeatedly. "Fine fine, don't get yerself in a twist now," Lou said, slipping out from where she'd been comfortably resting and dropping to the ground.
"Finally, I was beginning to wonder if you'd up and died!" He chuckled shaking his head, planting his large hands on his hips. Oliver was built like a cartoon in that way, thin and gangly cept when it came to his hand feet, and head, which might've looked large on an adult.
"Yeah whatever, what's got up your hind Oliver?" she yawned, adjusting her cap.
He clapped his hands, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "ok ok- listen to this, Bob Horner is dead," Oliver said, wiggling his fingers spookily.
"What? No way, that old coot outlived like- three generations!" She snorted. Bob Horner was quite possibly the oldest and meanest man in Saint-Denis. Born into wealth that he hoarded like a squirrel, she fully expected him to last till doomsday.
"Three hateful generations. Honestly, I wouldn't doubt it if some pissed relative did him in," he chuckled.
"I'd take that bet. Now, is it safe to assume that you didn't wake me just to break the oh-so-happy news?" She asked crossing her arms.
"Course not, why would I subject myself to your company for the fun of it?" he grinned.
"Ha ha, very funny."
"Well you see," He continued "I was just doing my rounds ya know, when I just happen to have overheard some of the old crones chattin' up how much money he was going to be buried with- 'parently old man didn't want to let go of his old hoard, even in death."
She held up her hands slightly to stop him "Hold on now- you're not fixing to rob his grave are you?"
"No, I'm fixing for us to rob his grave." He corrected, his grin growing. "think about it- one quick score and we'll never have to sell a bloody paper again!"
"mhm," she nodded skeptically, scuffing her shoe into a patch of dirt as she thought for a moment. "And now why do tell, did you pick me and not Andrew or the others?"
"Well, uh," He squirmed a little "let's just say most folks ain't keen on digging up dead guys these days." He said rubbing his arm.
"And your thinkin' I am?" She asked eyes narrowing slightly.
"Well- yeah! You ain't never flinched at that kind of stuff, I mean with back when that gang came through and killed a bunch of folks, you were right up there looting bodies!"
"Well, I wasn't going to pass up easy cash!" She huffed defensively. "but still, dead body aside, you don't get the straightest record on these 'jobs'," She continued crossing her arms.
"Oh c'mon, Lou! Please?" Oliver begged, clasping his hands in front of him. "I don't have anyone left to ask!"
"Ouch, that's one way to make a fella feel wanted." She snorted sarcastically.
"Please?" He repeated, his eyes wide and pleading. "I swear it's worth it!"
She rolled her eyes, then looked back at him, faltering. Thought only dogs could make that kind of face. She thought, sighing to herself.
She threw her hands in the air "Fine! Fine, I'll go, if only to shut you up."
"Yes! Thank you, Lou! I promise you won't be disappointed! I promise on Bob's grave!"
"Alright Oli, better keep true to that, else I'll clock ya you hear?" She stated poking him in the chest. "Now, please tell me you have a plan beyond getting someone dumb enough to go with you?"
"Please, it's me yer talkin' too! I always have a plan!" He grinned, leading the way down the street as he explained.
He spoke in a hush like there was anyone around to eavesdrop but waved his hands about like he was conducting an orchestra. Their ratty shoes made muffle clumping noises on the paved roads of Saint-Denis, the bustle of the main street behind them as Oliver led her through the backways and side streets. She could hardly remember the day she slipped away into the city alone and joined up with the other urchin boys.
Shifting into this kind of life was difficult at first, but she adapted like everyone else had to do. Now the different hideaways and the shortcuts are as easy to navigate as a childhood home. She guessed the city was her childhood if you could call it that.
"So you see- no one really liked the old man," Oliver explained, "so ain't no one coming to his funeral. I heard they aren't even holding no service! So, we, a pair of young strapping lads, walk-in an' offer to do the dirty deed of digging the crook grave."
"You really think they'd let a couple of strangers do their job for them?" She asked dubiously.
"Oh yeah, a couple of the boys do it all the time for some extra coin, you don't make as much as the actual diggers, but that won't matter for our purposes." He chuckled bumping her elbow as they walked. "And considering how hot this day boiling too, I like to think they're itching to pass the chore over to someone else."
She nodded, listening. "Ok, and you're thinking while we're burying him we take a look in the casket?"
He snapped his fingers and pointed at her "That's the plan! Should be easier than taking candy from a vegetable,"
"Isn't it taking candy from a baby?" she asked raising a brow.
"Well yea, but I always thought it wasn't too accurate. Have you ever felt the grip of those things? Let alone the alarm system,"
They made their way into the cemetery, and she wiped her forehead as the sweat started irritating her eyes. It was odd that the old man was getting buried with the lower-class folk, in the dirt instead of those fine stone boxes in town. But then again, she'd heard he didn't even spend money on coal to warm his house. She doubted he'd really care how he was put in the earth.
"Oi! Mister!" Oliver spoke up waving his hand in a friendly manner, walking up to the gravediggers who currently stood over a bare patch of earth, shovels in hand. They looked like they had been procrastinating their first move, the ground untouched and muttering to each other. Sweat already staining their grubby shirts.
The larger of the two looked up at Oliver's shout, a slight smile crossing his face as he nodded.
"Hey, boy! What brings the two of you out here on this horrid day?" He chuckled, as his friend looked up, relief spreading to him too.
"thought we might be able to lighten the load for you fellas, heard it made a decent penny?" Oliver continued, smiling warmly.
The man seemed to think for a moment, glancing over the pair of kids, then nodded holding out his shovel.
"We pay when the old man's buried. Just talk to the undertaker when you're done collecting your cut,"
"Sounds fair to me," Oliver nodded, as he grabbed the offered Shovel.
Lou simply saluted as the men passed by, they were likely headed straight for the bar to cool off from the heat.
She waited till the pair was gone and sighed. "Alright, that's that. C'mon, let's get the money and go-"
Oliver shook a finger, clicking his tongue chidingly. "Not so fast Lou. If we want this to be smooth, we have to take the cash as we finish the hole. Don't want them looking for us later calling grave robber, with a pack of copper tops behind em yeah?"
She groaned slouching and running a hand under her cap and through her red hair. "so that's why you needed more folks- you telling me we actually have to dig through this heat?"
"You didn't think it'd be as easy as picking a pocket did ya?" He grinned wryly.
"No, but-" She crouched and picked up the shovel, stabbing it into the earth. Or trying to at least, the ground was so hard it only chipped up some dust. She let out a long forlorn sigh.
"Robing folks is usually a bit more fun."
"Don't worry Lou, you'll have my fine company to get us through!" He chuckled dryly, a little put down himself at the prospect of their work.
"Remind me never to do a job with you again? Then again- we might die from the heat before you ever have the chance to remind me." She said halfheartedly. Raising the shovel again, and driving it as hard as she could into the dry earth.
They dug throughout the heat of the evening. The stony dirt was unforgiving for some time, she kept expecting the shovels to break and they'd have to continue with their hands. The heat was bad enough that she ended up removing her leather coat.
But as the sun began to dip back over the horizon, with the coat back comfortably over her shoulders, they finally went to the casket and dragged it into the grave. Oliver hopped out for a moment, searching around before coming back with a crowbar. Whether he'd brought it before coming here or just found it, she was too worn to ask.
"Here," he said passing the tool down to Lou, who still stood in the grave on the wooden casket. "As thanks for the help, how 'bout you do the honors?"
She took the crowbar and hefted it, sighing. "Oli, Your just saying that 'cause you're scared to see the old man."
He scoffed. "Am not! Can a guy do a good thing without bein' called yellow?"
"You are yellow, yellow as they come!" She chuckled but didn't comment any further as she set the crowbar into the coffin and got to work prying at the lid.
It was cumbersome at first, but as she worked, she felt this odd chilly breeze pass over her shoulders. She paused for a moment, glancing around.
"Eh? Something up Lou?" Oliver asked
She shook her head and set back to work. "N-no just the wind."
It was just a stray cool breeze she reminded herself, it was late now, and there wasn't a sun to warm the wind. but she slowed again as she placed her hands on the lid to pull it away. It felt like the air was electric, the charge building slowly, about to snap and making the hair on her neck stand on end.
"You feel that?" She asked, hesitating.
Oliver sighed. "Feel what?"
"That!" she hissed, taking her hands off the lid, the chill now crawling up her back.
Oliver shifted slightly, "Lou, stop messing around it's not funny! Just grab the cash and let's go!"
She bit her lip, unable to make a retort with the sheer unease that was rising in her gut. This didn't feel right- nothing about this felt right. But she couldn't back out now. She reached out and yanked off the lid in one quick movement, revealing the cold still corpse of Bob Horner. Cash tucked in his hand, coins over his eyes, laying in a bed of money.
Oliver laughed and clapped his hands, hissing in a whisper. "See! Didn't I tell you? We're rich Lou! Rich as kings!"
But she wasn't listening. She watched as pale mist spilled from beneath the corpse and seeped from his mouth. Her heart pounded in her ears, her blood running cold as she stumbled back into the dirt walls of the grave.
"Oliver! Don't you see that?!" She shouted, trying to come up with an explanation.
"See what Lou? I told ya to stop messing around!" Oliver growled leaning over the grave.
"That! That, the freaking-"
A rotted ghostlike hand snapped out and grabbed her arm, yanking her over the corpse. Its grip was ice cold, so cold it burned-
She screamed and struggled against it, the stink of death filling her nose and sticking to the roof of her mouth as she tried to pull away.
"Oliver!!! Oliver pull me out!!!" She screamed, clawing at the hand gripping her as she watched a smokey skull rising from the corpse alongside the arm, phantasmic flesh growing and stitching over the skull. Bob's skull.
"SWEET MERCY!" Oliver shouted, a thud sounding as he fell on his rear, finally seeing what she now witnessed.
"Let me GO!!!" She yelled, pounding her fist into the dead man's body.
The spirit cracked its jaw, grinding his teeth as he awoke, his eyes finally snapping open. Like twin lanterns from Hell, he stared into her, his eyes boring through hers and straight to her soul.
His mouth cracked open, the smell of rotting flesh coming off his breath, and he breathed out a few whispered words.
Don't….. Touch… My….. MONEY RAT!!!!!!!
[~~~~~~~~~~]
She didn't know by what force these things started happening to her, but she'd never forget that day, even though she wanted to. The scars still hadn't fully faded from where Bob had grabbed her. And since that day she saw more ghosts. But no one else saw. Not even Oliver, who didn't speak to her much after that day. She'd be haunted by the things for the rest of her life she thought.
The fact that she was seeing one that night simply seemed to add fact to her belief.
She twisted slowly to face the apparition, her body and clothes soaked through as the rain pelted her relentlessly, and the shimmering spirit hovering over her.
Lou looked up at the man, waiting for something. It was a tall, broad-shouldered man. His hat tipped low over his eyes. He was strangely… normal, looking. Most of them seemed rotten or corrupted or had nasty expressions, but this one just looked like the reflection of a man in blue glass.
He looked down at her and seemed to take a moment to think. She narrowed her eyes slightly. He seemed…. Confused?
"What on…" he patted himself down and glanced around, "you uh, know how I got here?" He asked his voice deep and grave.
She blinked. She balked, trying to gather herself, but she was at a loss for words for once. He was awfully polite for a damned soul.
"W-well- uh, I-I mean…." She gestured to his translucent form as words failed her. "What do you think is going on?"
"I'll be honest, I don't have a dang clue," He muttered, rubbing his face. The rain had about let up at this point, and his form was even clearer to see now. He stood there like any other man would. If it wasn't for the fact he was constructed of blue light and not flesh and bone, she'd feel like she was just having a conversation with a normal stranger.
"Last thing I remember I was somewhere else, thinking I'd breathed my last- and the next I'm here," he patted himself again and took a long breath, glancing down at himself for a moment, then shook his head. "You better start explaining kid, I don't have the patience for this nonsense!"
"Ok ok relax friend!" she said, shuffling to stand and holding her hands up in a calming manner. She picked her words carefully, afraid to set something off and ruin this moment. She tapped her fingers together and then pressed them to her lips as she pondered.
"Ok…. So, I don't got a better way to say this 'cept your dead, and have now returned to the world as a lost soul. One among many actually, spirits seem to be in no short supply." Lou said flatly.
He was silent for a moment, blinking at her. Then he chuckled, "C'mon kid get your head on straight- do I look like I'm in the mood for some game?"
"Ain't no game sir, it's the straight truth. Your dead, dead as a doornail. Deader than the family dog." She nodded, crossing her arms.
He chuckled "Right, of course. I suggest you start being straight with me kid, and I mean it,"
She blinked, flabbergasted. Did he not realize he was translucent as a lake? She couldn't think of a better way to prove he was deceased. She chewed her cheek for a moment then simply stepped over to him and stuck her hand through his chest, waving her arm around to annunciate her point. The space where he was was colder than the rest of the air.
"Then how do you explain that?" She asked.
"What the Hell!?" The man shouted, stepping back and swatting at her arm, but they too just passed through harmlessly. She took her arm back, shaking out the pins and needles feeling that followed.
"there. Believe me now?" She asked sighing.
He was quiet, and put a hand up to touch the spot she'd stuck her arm through, his eyes wide.
"No... but then... Micah, Dutch- it's all..." he stalled, going quiet.
Lou gestured to the grave marker behind him, the first streaks of dawn illuminating the words that were carved there. "that your name?" she asked, her tone a little gentler than before.
He turned to look where she was pointing, his head tilting down to stare at the headstone. There was a moment as he processed what was written, then his shoulders slumped, his demeanor shifting to a more somber tone.
"...Oh…. Well... that's... the way it is..." he muttered to himself.
Lou carefully crept around to stand beside him, glancing at him and then back to the grave.
"Well, folks must have liked you. They picked a real nice spot here, has an amazing view, and put in the effort to get you up here-" She offered, shrugging her shoulders.
The man nodded and turned his head to watch the sun break over the horizon, filling the sky with gold and orange, and violet. It was enough to make an artist swoon.
"Yeah… they sure did."
She shifted slightly; the situation was difficult to properly navigate. Ok one hand, she wanted to just leave. The bounty hunter could be back any moment, and now that the spirit had settled he wouldn't be able to see him. On the other, she felt oddly responsible for the ghost, like she was at fault for his awakening.
"Hey, I'm sorry about you... being dead, and all. You want to talk about it?" She offered.
"What? Oh- don't apologize, it's my own fault I'm here." The man sighed, shaking his head. "Ain't nothing more to it."
"Ah... ok." She shuffled her feet. "Well, you are more self-aware than the other ghosts I've met. Usually, folks got someone to blame for their problems. So good on ya." Lou said, offering a thumbs up.
"Other ghosts? This isn't unusual for you- uh- "
"Lou," She offered, "And unfortunately, yes, this ain't that unusual. I've had an issue with dead folks for a long time- no offense to you, but as stated, you're not like the rest of em. And your name is?" She asked.
"What do you think? It's right there, immortalized for eternity." He huffed gesturing to the grave marker.
She looked down at the grave for a moment, then back to the man, clearing her throat.
"Right, uh, I can't read so, you'll have to pardon my ignorance on that front." She muttered rubbing her neck.
"Oh- no, that's on me kid, I'm just-" he shook his head cutting himself off. "Arthur, Arthur Morgan."
"welp, a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Morgan." She chuckled.
he tipped his head in a slight nod. "Pleasures mine."
an uncomfortable silence filled the air for a moment and she cleared her throat. "Anyways uh, I should be thanking you. If you hadn't shown up, I'd probably be dead right now."
"Is that so?" He said raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah. That idiot you spooked off was a bounty hunter, finally had me cornered and seemed mighty excited to put an extra hole in my head." She said, glancing back to where the hunter used to be and finding his gun remained where he'd dropped it.
He chuckled, "Well I'm glad to be of some help. What did you do to get a bounty hunter on your tail? Your what, 16?" He asked, eyebrow raised.
"19," she corrected holding up a finger. "And well you know, robbed the wrong guy folks got mighty upset about it." She shrugged, answering vaguely as she crouched to scoop up the gun gingerly and place it in her satchel.
"Hey I won't judge, I've had more than my fair share of trouble with the law," he said raising a hand in an assuring manner.
"Really? Well, that does bring some comfort then. Although I admit, I'd thought you'd be a rancher or something. You're just too…." She paused, straightening as she tried to think of the word. "Relaxed, to be an outlaw,"
"Oh no," he laughed. "I robbed folk, killed folk, beat folk that I didn't like. I was a pretty awful person while I was alive. But uh, I got sick. Learning exactly when you're going to die really changes a man."
"huh, that's, pretty profound actually." She admitted.
He chuckled again shaking his head. "I don't try to be."
"I will say, this is the most pleasant experience I've ever had with a spirit Mr.Morgan." She said nodding.
"oh really?" He laughed "That's not a very high bar to set. From what I've heard so far, sounds like I don't want to meet other 'spirits'."
"Oh, you have no idea," she grinned, feeling lighter than she had in quite a while. It felt easier talking to a dead man for some reason. Maybe it was because she knew he wouldn't go telling other folks about what she'd say. She frowned slightly, suddenly sad she might have to say goodbye at some point.
"So, how exactly are you feeling right now?" She asked a little hesitantly.
Arthur raised a brow and shrugged. "I uh, I don't know. I feel just fine, in fact, I don't feel a darn thing. It's odd now that I notice but uh, why you ask?"
"Well, it's just, ghosts are a bit different spirit to spirit, some pop up then vanish, some linger for like, forever, and some seem to be stuck to certain things, I was just wondering what you'd do. You have any gold buried down there with you?" She asked hopefully.
Arthur snorted and shook his head. "No, I didn't have anything left to be buried with. Is there a way to tell what'll happen to me?"
Lou shrugged. "I don't know, as I said, most ghosts just scream at me, so I don't really get many opportunities to ask."
"Ah… ok…" He nodded rubbing the scruff on his jaw. "I don't feel like I'm going anywhere. Although, I would like to try and get a look around you know, see what the world is like. See if some old friends are ok.
"That's a pretty good idea. Any particularly special friends?" She asked smirking a little.
Arthur laughed. "Maybe, just one. But that gossip ain't none of your business kid."
"Alright alright I won't pry," she chuckles raising her hands.
She took a deep breath, the sun warming her. Maybe she'd have a chance at drying off after all.
"Alright, Arthur. It was really nice meeting you. And uh, thanks, again. I wish there was more I could do for you." She said, shrugging her shoulders helplessly. "But I really ought to get going, before the halfwit grows a spine and comes after me again."
He shook his head. "Aint much left to do now really. I'll be heading out too then if I can. But it was nice talkin' to ya kid. Stay safe out there, and Lou?" He seemed to pause for a moment, then let out a breath. "If you ever get the chance to leave that kind of life behind… take it. Coming from someone who gave their whole life to it, it ain't worth it."
She nodded to him, his somber tone making her think about the comment for a second, but she shook her head, offering a smile.
"Got it, have a great after-life mister Morgan," She grinned saluting him, then heading down the slope, the opposite direction the bounty hunter had fled.
Her mind kept playing the conversation with Arthur over and over in her head. To meet someone who'd lived through it… and despite his warmth seem so sad, and regretful. Lou shook her head. She didn't really have much choice in what she did. It was survival, and that's the long and short of it.
She was cut from her thoughts as she heard a startled shout, and she whipped around to see Arthur, despite struggling to move another few steps, being steadily dragged towards her, finally stopping about nine feet away.
"Arthur? What's happening now??" Lou asked.
"I don't know! I just- I can't get away from you!" He paused for a moment in his struggles and held up his hands. "Not what I meant-"
"I know what you meant!" She said cutting him off. "But, how? I swear this has never happened before,"
she took a few steps back, and he was dragged a few steps with her. It wasn't sudden, but as she moved, he slowly started sliding after her.
She took a few steps towards him, and like an animal on a lead given slack, he managed to back away quickly, once reaching a certain radius he was pulled to a stop.
"Now I know that ain't normal," She said pointing.
Arthur gave up trying to walk away and threw his hands in the air. "It's like I'm on a gosh dang leash!"
She felt like joining him in throwing her hands in the air.
What do I do? Lou thought, biting the inside of her cheek. She looked over at Arthur and thought about just continuing on her way, but as she considered it, guilt began to gnaw at her insides.
No Lou, don't do it- you've got a lot more to worry about right now. She almost growled to herself.
She let out a long sigh.
"well, if I'm honest, I don't have the slightest clue where I am right now and nothing better to do. Ill, help you check in on your folks, if there's any around."
"No no you don't have to, I don't want to be an inconvenience I've already lived-"
she cut him off again, marching back down the slope "Nope! I've made up my dang mind! Don't say anything more about it deals done I'm doing it!"
He picked up the pace following after her.
"This is a bit odd," he chuckled.
"What?" She retorted.
He shook his head "Well, usually I'm the one helping folk with their dirty work, not the one being helped."
"we'll get used to it. I wasn't joking when I said I don't have any plans or current affiliations."
"in any case, thanks, kid." He said, smiling.
"don't mention it. Except maybe some details on exactly who I'm looking for because ima need that." She said, starting the long journey back down the mountainside, and into an uncertain future.