A/N: So before you start reading this I just like to warn on a few different thing like the grammar first of all. I am so sorry for it. Please don't let that stop you from reading. I want your honest opinions on the story. Just please if you can just try to ignore any spelling mistakes, or anything else that I have wrong in here. another thing I would like to warn you about is that I may not have the characters personalities down, so it may not even feel like the original characters. If you still decide to read thank you so much. and don't be afraid to tell me what you really thought of this chapter. Thanks!
Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord. The Bible verse his mother always quoted to him kept playing through his mind as he rode down the path towards the gates that led to the Barkley mansion. He tried pushing the Bible verse out of his head; he tried ignoring them, but in the end, his mother's voice kept coming back, repeating those same words as if she were there, riding alongside him, trying her best to stop him from giving Tom Barkley what he deserved. But no matter how many times he heard her voice, heard those same six words, and pictured her face, he kept riding his horse closer, and closer to the Barkley home, only thinking about beating Tom Barkley to a pulp, as he felt he deserved.
Thinking about it though only made his anger grow more with each step his horse took closer to the home that belonged to the man that left his mother, with a child, and no way to properly live in a rotten rat hole of a mining camp that never heard of the words forgiveness, understanding, or sympathy. The only things they knew were hatred, and anger, and disgust.
Especially his Aunt Martha, and Uncle Matt. Ever since he could remember, it seemed like he was just something or them to punch, and kick around when ever things went down hill for them, or when ever they just felt like it which always seemed to happened alot after their late night trips to the saloon.
For the longest time he accepted the beatings as his punishment. Thinking all the pain his mother endured was his fault, and that the beatings he received was the only way for paying for it all. Either by his Aunt and Uncle or by the few town folk who didn't mine hitting, or yelling at him as if he were some wild dog.
As he rode through the front gates he shoved al his thoughts about his past, his mother, and everything else. All except for what he was plotting on doing. Giving Tom Barkley what he deserved, and getting even for what him, and his mother had gone through, through the years because of that horrible man.
He stopped his Modok and just stared up at the place with a mixer of anger, and sadness as bittersweet memories of his mother came flooding back to his mind like a flash flood.
Why? It seemed like every question he had began with that single word that had no answer. Why this? Why that? Why did everything have to be that way? Why did that man have to come to Strawberry? Why didn't he leave his mother alone? He wasn't interested in answers though. Only revenge. And that was what he was planning on getting.
His mother's voice came back and repeated those words again right as he was about to ride on forward making him stop and turn in his saddle to see if she was there. His heart filled with a sense of hope and happiness that soon died when he turned in the saddle and saw no one there behind him. The hatred he held for the man, and the Barkley name came back faster than a bullet as he turned back around.
With one last deep breath he rode on forward.