Chapter 6
Six Feet Under
Through veils of mist, he weaves his way,
A conductor of souls, where darkness holds sway.
His steps so silent, whispers of despair,
The weight of lost spirits, his burden to bear.
Like tendrils twined, they follow his lead,
The souls of the departed, in his presence freed.
Bound to his will, they glide through the gloom,
An eerie procession, in the realm of doom.
Their eyes aflame with an otherworldly gleam,
He guides them onward, a ghostly dream.
Their voices a murmur, a mournful refrain,
Echoes of anguish, lingering in his domain.
Jack and Lou let their horses go in the thicket of trees just a stone's throw away from the main house. It was a shabby and worn building, but tall. A stable stood off to the side, empty but with signs of use. With the sun setting over the horizon and the light mist that coated the earth, the scene gave Lou an eerie feeling. It didn't help that a ghost hovered like a cold presence over her shoulder while Jack scoped out the area.
"I don't like it," Arthur murmured, scowling.
"Yeah you said that," Lou replied waving a hand as she watched the house. "Hence why I asked Jack to look around."
Arthur's scowl softened a little and he sighed. "Still. I'd had hoped Jack wouldn't ever get into this... life."
"He's a gunslinger, it ain't much better. Besides, this is just one job against a couple of nobody scum bags, after that, it will be all about getting out of the pickle we've found ourselves in." She assured, looking up to smile at him.
"Right... just be careful." He nodded.
She grinned further. "Of course, besides, we've got you watching our backs for us."
"Right, right," He says, finally managing a smile as Jack made his way back over to Lou.
"Looks fine to me, no signs of any tricks as far as I can tell. And it's out of the way enough it wouldn't make sense for them to leave anything worse than a guard dog to watch the chickens in the back." Jack said, dusting his hands off.
"Alright, let's get in and get out before they realize Peter is not as much the woman they hope he is," Lou grinned, making her way quickly and quietly out of the trees towards the house, Jack jogging after her and Arthur drifting along behind.
After testing the doors to find them locked, Lou crouched in front of the door and looked through her bag, pulling out a pair of lock picks and getting to work.
"How long is this going to take?" Jack asked, tense as he glanced around.
"Less than done," The door clicked and she put the picks away, standing and sliding the door open, peering inside.
The house was quiet and dark. The only light coming from the setting Sun through the curtained windows, leaving the house cast in an eery gloom.
"Spooky," Lou whistled.
"Then let's make this fast," Jack snorted.
They made their way through the house, opening cabinets and drawers as they looked for valuables. Lou moved quietly, despite the fact there shouldn't be anyone home. It felt wrong to make noise. Like shouting in a church during service.
"Score," She whispered, opening a box to find a pair of rings. Probably wedding rings, cast from gold and they had a nice set of stones too.
"Leave that," Arthur chastised behind her.
"What? The guys a cheating loser anyways," She muttered, almost pouting.
"Then let it be, you'd be hurtin' the wife too with that grab."
She sighed and closed the box, glancing back at him.
"Shouldn't you be on lookout?" She asked crossing her arms.
Arthur rolled his eyes. "I hear ya, I won't ruin yer fun,"
He chuckled drifting out and phasing through the wall as he stepped outside.
"Say something?" Jack asked, his head poking around a corner.
"Nope," She said simply, finishing her section downstairs and creeping upstairs to look around. There was a bad smell in the air, a familiar odor but she couldn't put her finger on it. Almost like something had gone bad.
She pulled her kerchief over her mouth and nose to help filter the scent as she opened the doors and slipped inside, looking around. She spotted cash and clothes that looked hastily stacked and sorted on the bed, creeping over and pocketing the money.
"Idiot," She murmured. "Who leaves so much just lying around out in the open?"
That's when she noticed a small stain on the floor, scowling a little. Of course, the cheater was a slob too. It would explain the smell, probably rotting food.
She checked the room again and moved back to the hallway, reaching for the next door on the second floor and pausing. The smell was stronger over here. She frowned- not wanting to see something gross, but she couldn't leave a stone unturned. She took a breath and steeled herself as she yanked open the closet door.
And screamed as two bodies fell out and landed on her.
She scrambled out from under them, her heart ramming against her chest as the cold clammy corpses weighed down on her, something slowly oozing from the buckshot wounds on their chests and stomachs. Their empty unseeing eyes clouded as they looked up at her. She didn't know how long they'd been dead but it couldn't be more than a couple days, and her hand went to her mouth as she held back another scream. The last time she stood over a fresh body was the first time she ever saw a ghost.
Pressure slowly built up in her ears and the air tingled like it was charged with lightning. She forgot to breathe. Her legs wouldn't listen to her scrambling mind as it ran in circles around itself, tears pricking her eyes as she pressed her hands tightly against her mouth.
"Lou?? Lou!" Jack shouted, his gun drawn as he ran up the stairs.
The bodies shifted, a green mist escaping their mouths as a hand rose from the corpse's back, glowing with the same shade as the mist and ethereal.
You know how many years I put into you...
An angry voice creaked
Cooking and cleaning and bearing your filthy habits for you to go sleeping around with some woman you paid to love you?!
The spirits rose, towering over Lou as she cowered, paralyzed under their gaze. Their bodies were mangled and their dresses torn as they stared down at her with empty eyes.
Gunshots sounded and Lou jumped, Jack firing at the ghosts, his bullets hitting the wall behind them as they passed harmlessly through their heads.
"Sh*t," He cursed, his eyes wide and his face pale.
Arthur was by Lou's side in an instant and she hardly registered the fact he started dragging her back. His cold hand suddenly solid as he pulled her away.
The spirits screamed and lunged, one reaching out and snatching hold of Lou's ankle, and she shouted in pain as their ice-cold grip started to burn.
Where are you going?? Back to her??? Do you hate me so much you won't even LOOK at me!?
Look at me!!!!!
The other screamed as they lunged forward and grabbed his throat, Jack's shout being cut off as he was slammed into a wall and his air was cut off.
Lou kicks out, her foot slamming into the spirit's face, feeling bone crunch- but she didn't let go, crawling closer to her.
"Let her go!" Arthur shouted, one arm still holding onto Lou as the other drew a pistol and fired, the phantom weapon sparking with blue light as the bullets pierced their skull split open and they released their grip, clawing at their face.
Lou stared wide-eyed, her mind finally catching up to her. What was happening?? This wasn't normal, none of this was normal, she didn't know what happening. As far as she knew only fresh dead could be physical- how was Arthur able to pull her away? And why now and not earlier?
Arthur let her go and moved in on the spirit without hesitation, slamming his fists into her gut and her face as she stumbled away.
Lou looked over to where Jack was struggling, unable to get his hands on the ghost even as it held him down. She stood and rushed over, reaching out as she tackled the spirit. The second she touched it, it became solid and corporeal, screeching as they hit the floor together. Jack gasping and falling to his knees as his hands go to his bruised throat.
Lou screamed as she felt their claws rake into her side, lashing out and feeling her knuckles crack through flesh and bone as she clocked them. They stumbled back and clutched at their broken jaw, screaming.
You hit me- you hit me, you hit me!!!!! You hit me!!!!
Lou's ears rang as their screams seemed to burrow into her mind and tear apart her thoughts. She covered her ears but it didn't stop the wails from filling her head. She couldn't think. Her heart pounded like hoof beats alongside their pain.
The screaming was silenced as someone hit the ghost, slamming their fist into its gut. And they hit them again, and again, and again. She lost track of the fight, the sounds of fists crunching against bone dull in her ears, till she watched the angry spirit dissipate slowly, melting away into oblivion.
Lou's vision blurred and her head swam- at least all the ghosts were gone. Well, all except one.
As her vision faded, she watched Arthur turn from where the spirit used to be and look back at Jack, still staring wide-eyed.
That would be a problem for conscious Lou.
Jack stared at the hazy but solid form of the dead man before him. His throat stung, that monster's fingers had burned like ice- if, ice could burn. He didn't know what to think. One moment everything was fine, quiet- easy. Then the next it was like he was launched into the plot of one of his stories. He'd felt like something was wrong... but... this?
He shuffled back as the remaining entity took a step towards them, drawing his gun and pointing.
"Not another step-" He growled, his eyes flicking to Lou. She wasn't moving. Sh*t- she looked bad. Her side had a nasty gash that was slowly bleeding out on the wood floors. But his eyes returned to the ghosts, holding their gaze.
The spirit paused, their expression conflicted and torn. They seemed... sad, almost. Jack couldn't place it.
"...Jack..." The figure started, their voice making Jack pause. "...You've... gotten big," They chuckled.
Jack's eyes widened, a dot connecting in his mind.
"Arthur?" He breathed.
It had taken him a moment with how long it'd been, but he'd never forget that voice. He'd died so long ago- how- how was this happening?
Arthur took another step forward and then looked at his hands. The haziness was getting worse. It looked like they were fading.
"Looks like I ain't got much time." Arthur frowned and looked back at Jack.
"Time? What do you mean??" He asked, standing quickly, leaving his gun on the floor.
"I don't know- I don't know how I got a chance to be uh- more here, but I'm not going anywhere Jack, I've been here, I've always been here-"
He says quickly. Taking another step towards them.
"I'm sorry about your dad- I'm sorry I couldn't do more. He was- you were all supposed to survive that whole mess we lost ourselves in"
They kept disappearing, and Jack panicked, moving over to them.
"Wait- don't go, please," His voice cracked slightly with confusion and desperation, trying to take their hands but they were already gone.
"Listen- I don't know how but she brought me back, I'm still here, even if you can't see me- I'm still-"
Jack reached out to try and grab hold of them, but Arthur was gone. The air tingled with the dissipating static that had come with the spirit's arrival.
Jack stood, shocked. He was stuck, processing everything for a moment.
She brought him back? Who does he mean she...
He looked down at Lou again, and he snapped out of his confused haze.
"Sh*t-"
He fell to his knees beside her and carefully lifted her head. She was pale and cold, but her breathing seemed fine. He checked her pulse, still beating at a steady pace. He sighed, relief flooding him as he propped her up and shook her shoulder.
"Lou- Lou come on, wake up!" He hissed, watching expectantly for her eyes to open. He had a thousand questions running through his mind, and she was his only chance of putting them to rest.
Lou blinked, her vision slowly returning, and gasped as the pain in her leg and side returned with an insistent intensity. The brief lapse in consciousness only offered a moment of relief.
"There you are- took you long enough girl." Jack sighed, his tone while having some sarcastic bite to it still showing relief.
"Shut up Marston- you didn't get torn into by... b-by a..." Lou's voice faltered, as she remembered how that wasn't a horrible nightmare.
"What the hell was all that?!" Jack blurted, his voice bordering on a shout. He had a reasonably worried expression written across his face.
"I- I don't know I didn't- those things came out of nowhere!" She fumbled, her mind racing.
It had been a long time since she'd had an encounter quite like that, and with Jack being here to go through it- she was still reeling. She couldn't think of a good lie soon enough- and Jack wasn't giving her the time to come up with one.
"Why was Arthur here? What did he mean when he said 'You brought him back'!" He continued, and Lous' mind raced faster as she realized they must've spoken.
How much did Arthur say? Her head rolled slightly to look over at him, he crouched just a little away from them, watching with concern. She looked back to Jack, her mouth dry as she hoped some solution would come to her as she spoke.
"Listen- Jack I don't- I-I can't-"
"Those things nearly killed us- did you have something to do with those too?" He interrupted, his own eyes shooting to the piled corpses in the closet.
"GIVE ME TEN SECONDS TO GET OUT A DAMN I hI BREATH YOU- biscuits!" She cursed a hand going to her side again at the sting of pain her outburst caused.
Jack went quiet and looked back at her, and for a moment she thought she might've seen a crack in his expression as it softened. She inhaled deeply, trying to calm her racing heart before she spoke again.
"I... I just need a little bit of time to get my story straight, ok? It's... this isn't, something I've ever- last time I-"
She growled a little in frustration as her words, who usually did so well for her started to fail, and her eyes stung with threatened tears. The last time anyone had seen this with her- he'd abandoned her.
She didn't see Jack pause as she rubbed at her eyes, then he quietly nodded, and she felt his support as he helped her sit up further.
"Okay, let's get you back to camp. Can you walk?" He asked, his voice gentler.
She nodded silently. She felt a sting in her leg where the ghost gripped her- but it was only skin deep. No worse than a mild burn. She leaned on him as he helped her to her feet and they made their way out of the house- satchels clinking with the stolen goods they'd fought so hard to acquire.
Lou knew this conversation wasn't over- she could tell from Jack's expression and the underlying tone in his voice. But at least he was giving her time.
"I saw a wagon out by their barn- we'll take that back and have the horses follow us. If your friends know a place to sell it off we might make a bit more from this whole mess." Jack mentioned as they made their way around the back.
Lou nodded again and gave a half-hearted chuckle.
"The twins would know a place- they always know someone."
"Good- they need to put a little more work into this job. Hope they had fun carousing with murderers," He sighed, sarcasm managing to creep into his tone.
"You shouldn't use big words like that Jack Marston- not all of us got fancy schooling from Italian mob bosses,"
"I wonder if you got any schooling at all." He said with a hint of a grin.
Jack helped her up into the wagon and climbed beside her taking the reins. With a click of his tongue and a flick of his wrists, the cart was off down the road, the horses quickly following along behind. Arthur had taken a seat in the back of the wagon, his head turning on a swivel to watch the horizon.
Silence fell over the trio for a moment. The only sounds the horses and the dirt road under the carts' wheels. Lou struggled to focus with the pain in her side and finally spoke up in an effort to stay awake.
"Are... you ok? You've got quite the mark yourself cowboy-" She asked, glancing over. She saw marks on his neck where the spirit had grabbed him, scowling slightly as guilt churned in her stomach.
"I'm fine. It isn't too bad, compared to everything. It could have been a lot worse..." His eyes shifted to her bloodied side before he spoke again. "Thank you, by the way. For getting that thing off me."
She grinned slowly, poking his shoulder with her free hand.
"Jack Marston- is that genuine care I sense in your voice?"
He smacked her hand away with a snort then shifted, pulling his coat off and passing it over to her.
"Focus on putting pressure on that wound, I can't bring the twins a corpse." He huffed gruffly.
She took the coat with surprise and held it to her wound, chuckling softly.
"I knew you had a heart, gunslinger."
Jack was quiet for a moment again, pretending to ignore her. But Jack didn't seem like the best of actors.
"Don't worry- I won't give you grief about it." She grinned weakly, then went quiet herself. Holding the coat to her slowly bleeding side, her hazy mind wandered over that thought. He was taking care of her, and she was scared to tell him that someone from a family he'd long lost was still here with them.
She felt a cold presence on her shoulder and she glanced back, Arthur's hand hovering there in an attempt of comfort. He offered her a reassuring look, and the attempt worked. She took a breath and looked down at her lap, gathering her words.
"I've been, seeing ghosts since I was little."
Jack tilted his head to look at her, not saying anything yet but making it obvious she had his attention.
"I don't know why. And I've got no clue how what happened tonight... happened, with Arthur at least. But somehow- it feels like I... wake folks up, in a way. If they haven't been up yet- other people can see 'em too. The first time it happened I was grave robbing an old man too greedy to let his gold go in death- the thing kinda, chased off any friends I had. The Porter twins came later and thought the whole thing was a rumor or a prank. But that's why I was so nervous to tell you- or, anyone. I don't know- guess I got too used to not bein' alone."
She took another breath before continuing, all too aware of his eyes on her. She felt that annoying sting of emotion in her own eyes again but continued despite the embarrassing fact.
"A few days ago... I was runnin' from a bounty hunter up a mountain and ended up at a grave. That's, where I met Arthur. He came back- like those girls earlier and scared off the hunter in the process. Most ghosts are angry, or, just sad and scary. Like the ones you saw. But Arthur... He's, still him for some reason, which was strange."
Jack was fully invested now, and hardly focused on the road as they drove. The words were coming easier as she spoke, either through blood loss or the weight easing off her conscience she couldn't tell.
"And stranger still when I went to leave- he followed. Not by choice at first. I... admit, I was pushy to follow you for his sake. And I'm sorry, I didn't have the guts to tell you sooner. I don't know if you would've believed me. Then all this... I don't know how I made 'em show up to fight those girls off us. It felt like- I, don't know how to explain it. But... that's everything. The story as far as I see it laid out for you. I know it's insane- but you saw what happened. Just... please don't be seein' me differently because of this."
Having said her piece she went silent again, waiting for Jack to speak, forgetting to breathe for a bit because of the tension in her gut. He took a moment before finally replying.
"You're right. I would've thought you'd lost your mind- or even that you and the twins were playing some kind of elaborate trick. But... I don't think anyone could've known about Arthur. Pa didn't go speaking about him much because of how much it hurt."
Lou looked up to him, watching his eyes now back on the road. She could see faint flickers of confused emotion cross his face- emotions she couldn't begin to understand.
"Is... is he still here?" He asked slowly, his voice quieter, like he was hesitant to hear the answer.
"Yeah, I'm here," Arthur said behind her, and she watched Jack tense in surprise and look back. But his eyes stared into space- unseeing. Searching.
"You can hear him?" She asked, her brows raising slightly. They'd assumed he might be able to because of past instances- but she didn't know how much.
"I... It's just a whisper, I thought- those other times when I thought it was the wind or a passing conversation? Where those him too?" He asked.
"Yeah, it was me. I've always been here kid." Arthur spoke again, his hard eyes soft now.
"But... I can't see you," Jack said, almost disappointed. All he had was a whisper of the family he lost- but at least it was more than nothing.
"Good," Lou chuckled, "That makes things easier then. Maybe you two could catch up, while I get some rest. I'm feeling a little tired."
More than a little tired. Even after her short blackout, she felt like she'd been awake for days. Her beaten and battered body demanded rest. Fighting to keep her eyes open she felt herself droop a little, and a strong arm moving to support her.
"Oh no, you're not allowed to drop out on me yet- not after all this. You need to keep those eyes open Lucille Davis-" Jack demanded, the cart picking up the pace on the road.
"Don't you dare call me that... If my arms would listen to me I'd beat you for that Jack Marston-" She snorted, quickly losing her struggle to stay awake.
"Another reason not to die on me. You have to make me quit on your own- Lucille" He insisted, some humor in his tone.
"I'm not dyin' on ya gunslinger- you can't be rid of me that easy..."
her eyes closed for a moment, and that's all it took. Soon she was quickly falling into the comfortable darkness that beckoned her.
When she opened her eyes again, she felt soft furs under her back and the warmth of a crackling campfire on her face. Her body was still sore, and as she shifted she could feel bandages tugging against her side. She blinked her eyes open and was met with a familiar campfire, Peter and Polly speaking in quick hushed tones, and Jack nowhere to be seen.
She felt a warm breath and turned to see Rusty leaning over her and sniffing her face, moving to nibble at her hair and she chuckled.
"Hey boy, did I worry you?" She chuckled softly as she patted the horse's nose. She was surprised to find Arthur wasn't with her either- but she could feel that invisible thread and where it led. Maybe he was talking with Jack.
"Lou! You're awake! Hey- what are you doing back here you bloody horse, off with you you might trample her-"
Polly hissed as she made her way over, Peter quickly stepping ahead to more calmly guide the horse back to the hitching post.
"Hey fellas, how long was I out?" She asked, rubbing her face. She could see the sun peeking over the horizon, bathing the world in a twilight gloom before the bright warmth of morning.
"All night. We were real worried- bears aren't any laughing matter. I'm glad Jack managed to fight it off," Polly snorted, crossing her arms.
So that was the story he went with- not bad. She thought, shifting to sit up as Peter and Jack came back to the campfire, Arthur drifting along behind them. They both seemed a little somber, but more put together than they had been before, after the mess of that job.
"And you two got a pretty ok take! All things considered," Peter grinned, taking a seat across the fire.
"We already put your share in your saddle bag. You should take a couple of days to recover, there's no rush to get anywhere,"
"That would be preferable. I've been on the move for a little too long." Jack said taking a spot by the fire as well.
"Happy to hear it Jack- we could use the extra muscle. Especially with how things have been getting. The governments have been getting more and more influence- and now talk about conflicts across the sea?" Polly snorted, shaking her head.
"Living like us is only going to get harder here on in."
"I don't know." Lou yawned grinning over at Arthur and Jack. Everything felt a little easier now than it had before. Having someone else know, and to see them stay. It was almost not real.
"I think things will work out. They always do."