Prairie Possessions

The cool autumn day was drawing to a close when Jimmy arrived at the station house back from a run. As he approached the bunkhouse he could hear a heated argument coming from inside.

"Now Buck, you know it isn't everyday that I ask favors of this sort…" Teaspoon trailed off.

Buck, who was sitting on one of the bottom bunks with his head in his hands abruptly stood and faced the old man, his eyes burning brightly. "That's more than a favor Teaspoon. You're asking me to go against everything I believe in!"

Quietly observing the scene in front of him Jimmy walked through the door and waited to intervene if need be.

"Buck, " Teaspoon sighed wearily, for obviously this argument had been going for long time. "I wouldn't ask it if it weren't of the utmost importance. As you know, I've been friends with Indians for most of my life, heck I even married a few, and I understand your beliefs. But you are a rider for the Pony Express, and it is their job to deliver the mail, regardless of where it has to go."

Buck started to shake his head but Teaspoon held up his hand in silence. "If you feel that strongly, I can't make you go. But three riders are going and I would like you to be one of them since this is Indian Territory we're talking about here."

It was then that Jimmy decided to make his presence known. "What ride are we talking about Teaspoon?" he asked with a knowing look in his eyes. It was no secret that Jimmy wasn't the biggest fan of Indians, although he seemed to have made an exception when it came to Buck.

Teaspoon turned to Jimmy surprised. "When did you get in son?" Jimmy just shrugged and Teaspoon continued. "I got word that the Express needs to send some extremely important and urgent documents to Fort Kearney. Unfortunately the quickest and most direct route involves crossing through Spirit Canyon."

Jimmy's eyes widened at the name. "Spirit Canyon? Isn't that an Indian burial ground? I've heard some real spooky tales about that place."

Buck nodded. "Yes, it's a sacred burial ground for medicine men and tribal chiefs. It's probably the most sacred of any Indian land, and to cross it is the ultimate desecration. Nothing can constitute going through it. I don't see why we can't just go around it."

"Because son, when you signed up for the Pony Express you made an agreement." Teaspoon looked into Buck's eyes. "Before anything else, the pouch has got to go through. And if it means crossing sacred land, then there's nothing we can say or do about it but cross that land. To go around it would mean an extra day or two of riding, and we ain't got that time"

Jimmy smiled and looked at Teaspoon and Buck. "I'd like to volunteer."

Buck gazed warily at Jimmy. "What reasons do you have for wanting to go?" Buck remembered only all too well Jimmy's reactions to Indians and Indian beliefs in the past.

"It's a job and if you're not going to do it then someone has to. Right Teaspoon?" Jimmy turned sideways towards Teaspoon and smiled again.

"Well son, if you want to go then consider yourself part of the team. Now I've just got to see what other two boys want to accompany you."

"Who says it has to be a boy?"

Everybody jumped as Lou walked out of the shadows and into the bunkhouse.

"Lou! What is it with you all sneaking up on me tonight? First Jimmy, now you." Teaspoon exclaimed. "I swear, I think this Halloween spirit is getting into everyone around here."

"You didn't answer my question Teaspoon." Lou said, her face void of any emotion. It had taken her a long time to get the boys to finally stop treating her like a delicate flower, but she was having a far slower time proving herself to Teaspoon now that he knew the truth about her. And it wasn't getting any easier.

"Well Lou, it's a dangerous run, and not one that I feel particularly comfortable sending you on." Teaspoon answered. Bad move.

"A few months ago you wouldn't have thought twice about sending me!" Lou answered, the anger now VERY visible on her face. "I deserve to be treated the same as the boys. I think I've more than proven myself to the whole lot of you!" The petite woman stood with her feet spread, hands on hips, chin thrust forward, face bright red.

Teaspoon shook his head and sighed. "You're right. If you want to go then go rest up because you're leavin' tomorrow mornin'. Now… lemme see… who else is available because we still need a third…" Teaspoon cocked his head to the side as he scratched the back of it and looked thoughtful. "I think that Mr. Cody is free…. let me go see if I can find him.."

"Forget it" Buck interrupted. "I'll go."

"What?" Jimmy exclaimed. "You were the one who didn't want to go in the first place."

"I said I'll go." And with that Buck pushed past Jimmy and stormed out of the bunkhouse.

"What's gotten into him?" Lou asked Jimmy as Teaspoon just stood back and shook his head.

The next morning the three riders set out for their journey just as the sun was beginning to rise. As they rode off Teaspoon said a silent prayer for them because he knew what they were up against. He knew only too well….

"If we're lucky we'll make Spirit Canyon by late afternoon" Lou said to Jimmy, who was riding alongside her. Buck, who hadn't spoken a word since leaving, trailed behind them, lost in his own thoughts.

"Yeah," Jimmy replied. "After we cross it we'll find a nice spot to bunk down and finish the rest of this trip tomorrow."

Behind them Buck was thinking about his dear friend Ike. Ever since his death, Buck had always prayed to him and thought about him whenever he needed reassurance. It somehow made him feel like Ike was still around and could still protect him…

Lou was right in her prediction. They reached Spirit Canyon just as the sun was beginning to make it's descent. The three riders stopped at the entrance, which was filled with Indian markings and various artifacts.

"Well," began Jimmy, "I guess this is it. Spirit Canyon…"

"Can we just ride through it and get it over with?" asked an annoyed Buck. "I'd like to get out of here before dark."

"What are you waiting for?" asked Jimmy as he started to enter the grounds. As Lou and Buck began to follow they were startled by the sounds of birds above. As they looked up they saw three eagles swarming above them, flapping their wings rapidly and screeching sounds that made all three riders cover their ears. "Don't worry birdies, we'll be off your land soon enough…" laughed Jimmy as he continued on.

As they passed through the entrance Lou was stunned by the absolute silence that enveloped them. Living in the desert the riders were used to quiet, but this was the quiet sound of death. She shook her head and tried to shrug away the cold feeling that started creeping up the back of her neck. "Okay, according to Teaspoon we a ways to go before we reach any of the graves, so I'd suggest we speed things up a bit. I have a feelin' the sooner we get out of here the better."

"Yeah, I have a feelin' you're right Lou… I certainly don't want to still be here when the ghosts decide to come out and play. Ooooooh!" Jimmy raised his arms and mimicking a ghost laughed and turned to Buck. "Right Buck?"

If Buck heard him he didn't let it be known. He was too busy focusing on the peculiar sensation that he had started feeling the minute they entered the land. It was almost as if a dozen eyes were on him, watching his every move, sensing his every movement before he made it. He even thought for a minute that they could hear his very thoughts. "I'd better stop this or I'll turn myself mad before we reach Fort Kearney." Buck told himself. He reached down into his saddle bag for the bandana he carried everywhere with him - Ike's bandana.

Around them stood various stone piles and markings, showing the graves of many of the medicine men and tribal chiefs buried there. Although it was only a couple of miles more that they had to ride, it seemed like the longest journey they'd ever had to make.

Lou glanced over at her two companions. "Alright, we've reached the graves, we're halfway there. Crossin' through them is going to be the most dangerous part. Once we're through though we'll be pretty much okay."

"This is what you were so afraid of Buck?" asked an amused Jimmy. "A bunch of rocks and feathers?"

"Jimmy don't-" Lou began, but Buck cut her off.

"You may not understand my people and our beliefs, but that's because you choose not to. That doesn't give you the right to mock them." Buck answered and began to ride forward.

At that moment the sky, which had been darkening slowly since they first entered the canyon, suddenly turned to the blackest black that they had ever seen. A sharp bolt of lightening ripped through the darkness and struck and uprooted a tree only a few feet from the riders. Buck's horse, spooked by the sound of the tree crashing to the ground, jumped up in fright and flung Buck to the ground in the process.

"BUCK!" screamed Lou as she and Jimmy both jumped off their horses and ran over to where their friend was lying motionless on the ground, blood streaming from a nasty cut on his head.

"Buck, wake up, open your eyes, do something dammit!" yelled Jimmy, the fear now very visible on his face. He looked up and his eyes met an equally frightened pair of Lou's as she lit a lantern she had grabbed out of her saddle bag. "What are we going to do?"

Lou leaned over and laid her head against Buck's chest. "He's alive. He's breathing, but barely. I think that we have no choice but to bunk down here for the night and try to take care of Buck as best we can." Jimmy's eyes widened.

"Here? Lou are you crazy? We're in the middle of an Indian graveyard!"

"What's the matter Jimmy?" asked a slightly amused Lou. "I thought you weren't 'fraid of no ghosts?"

"I'm not." answered a prideful yet stubborn Jimmy. "It's just like Buck said. It just ain't right to be crossing their land, and now we're going to spend the night and have a slumber party? I say we throw Buck over the back of his horse and wait until we get out of this place before bunking down."

"James Butler Hickok, are you out of your pistol popping mind?" exclaimed Lou. "Buck's in no shape to travel. We're stuck here til' mornin' so I'd suggest we make the best of it."

"Oh yeah, that's what I've always wanted… to spend Halloween night stuck in the middle of an Indian graveyard with our only protection unconscious on the ground." Jimmy grumbled. "Let's just hope that all those stories Teaspoon told us weren't true…." And with that he took out his gun, cocked it into place, and sat at attention.

"Are you going to sit like that all night?" laughed Lou as she cleaned up the wound on Buck's head.

"If I have to." replied Jimmy, his roaming the darkness looking for any slight movement. The air was still as death, the only noise a coyote howling somewhere in the distance.

CRACK! snapped a twig….

"What in the hell was that?!?" exclaimed Jimmy as he jumped up from the ground. When he didn't receive an answer from Lou he called out again, this time a lot louder. "LOU?"

"Sssh!" whispered Lou as she quickly lit another lantern. "Do you want to wake the dead Jimmy?"

"Bad choice of words considering where we are Lou…." replied Jimmy looking around and trying to see if anything was there. "Is anyone out there?" he called out.

"Relax Jimmy, it was prob'ly just a rabbit or somethin'." answered Lou.

"A rabbit my-"

"James…." warned Lou.

"Foot. I was going to say foot." Jimmy replied. Lou didn't look convinced as she gave him a mockingly stern face. "Really!"

"Uh huh…" laughed Lou, not being able to remain serious. Suddenly a quiet moan caused both riders to look down at where Buck was still lying unconscious.

"I think he's waking up…" said Jimmy.

"Buck? Buck, can you hear me?" asked Lou as she bent down over him wiping at the cut on his head with a piece of cloth soaked in water from the canteen. Buck started mumbling again, but it was not in English.

"What's he sayin'?" asked Jimmy.

"I don't know. It sounds like he's speakin' Indian, but nothin' I can make out."

"He's prob'ly just talkin' in his sleep like he always does. Y'know how he likes to keep us awake at night."

Suddenly Buck spoke again, still in Indian tongue. But what worried the riders was that it wasn't his voice that came from his mouth. It was a much deeper, harsher voice.

"What-" began Jimmy.

"-was that?" finished Lou as her terrified eyes met Jimmy's.

"Your friend is in trouble." came a voice from behind them. It was so unexpected that it caused both riders to jump and turn around, both pulling and cocking their guns at the same time.

"Who's there?" called Jimmy. When he received no answer he called out again. "Answer me or I'll just start shootin' and where these bullets'll end up I can't be so sure of."

"I mean you no harm" the voice spoke again. "I want to help you." Slowly a figure emerged from the shadows, and the riders saw that it was an old Indian. His white hair fell straight to his shoulders, his skin brown and rough, like weathered leather. There was something vaguely familiar about him to Lou. Suddenly she realized who he was.

"White Feather?" asked Lou.

"Yes, but you may call me Bob" smiled the old man.

"Lou? Who is this?" asked a perplexed Jimmy. It wasn't like Lou to go befriending Indians, especially ones who suddenly appeared in burial grounds.

"This is the Indian that helped Buck and Camille when she was possessed. I never met him, but on our way back to town we came across his body and helped Buck bury it…." Lou trailed off.

"Buried his body? Then that means he's dead…?" questioned Jimmy, growing more uncomfortable by the minute.

"Your friend, he catches on quick…" White Feather addressed Lou. Lou just smiled, but Jimmy did not appreciate the sarcastic remark.

"You wanna tell me what you're doin' sneakin' up on us here?" Jimmy threatened.

"Why, this is my land… you my friend, are intruding on me." said White Feather matter-of-factly.

"Look White Feather, Bob, or whatever you call yourself, what do you want from us?" asked Lou.

"It is not what I want from you…. it is what you need from me."

"Listen old man, dead or not, if you don't stop talkin' in riddles I'm gonna be forced to put a coupla bullets in ya, y'hear?" Jimmy said as he slowly approached the old man. Suddenly White Feather's face hardened, and his eyes began to glow. He held up his hands, said something in Indian, pointed towards Jimmy and sent Jimmy flying backwards to the ground.

Lou screamed, as Jimmy too, now lay motionless on the floor.

Lou stared wide-eyed at White Feather. "I thought you were our friend. I thought you were here to help us?"

White Feather smiled and tilted his head in Jimmy's direction, where he was beginning to come to, looking very confused.

"He's not hurt. I just had to quiet him up for a minute. He was getting on my nerves." Lou smiled. "Is he always this pigheaded?" the Indian asked Lou. She shook her head yes.

"Unfortunately so. Patience is not Jimmy's strong point." Meanwhile Jimmy just sat on the ground, still dazed, scratching his head and watching the interaction between Lou and the old Indian. "Now, you said somethin' before about Buck bein' in trouble. What do you mean?" Lou asked White Feather as she walked over to where Jimmy was sitting and began to help him up.

"Have you noticed any changes in your friend since first entering this land?" White Feather asked.

"Yeah, "replied Jimmy standing up and brushing himself off. "He's been real moody. I mean, Buck's always moody, but today he's been a real snot."

"It's just not like Buck…" Lou said. "He's usually so even tempered, but today he was snappin' at both of us for no reason."

White Feather walked past her and kneeled down on the ground next to Buck. He put his hand on his forehead and chanted something in Indian. Suddenly Buck's eyes opened, a red light glowing from them, a low growl coming from his mouth.

Lou gasped and reached out for Jimmy, who pulled her back a couple of feet and placed himself protectively in front of her.

White Feather turned around and looked at where the two riders were standing. "It is as I thought. Your friend has a spirit trying to take over his soul. It is probably a young spirit, one who was not ready to die and is not to willing to spend eternity here. Not yet, anyway."

Jimmy looked at White Feather questioningly. "I thought this was a burial ground for tribal chiefs and medicine men? Last time I checked, they weren't young."

White Feather chuckled. "So you're calling me an old man, eh?"

"No I'm calling you a crazy old man" muttered Jimmy under his breath, too low for anyone to have heard.

"I may be old, but I'm not crazy…" smiled the Indian, for he had heard Jimmy.

Buck had closed his eyes and quieted down again, so Lou once more moved forward by his side. "So what are we supposed to do?" she asked White Feather and she looked at Buck's face intently.

White Feather suddenly turned serious. "You trespassed on sacred ground. In the eyes of the spirits you are evil. If you want to save your friend, you're going to have to prove yourself to them. You'll be put through tests. Your souls will be visible to all of the spirits, as well as your intentions, whether they are good or bad. If they deem you good enough and worthy enough, they will allow you passage through to the other side safely."

"And Buck?"

"The spirits will offer you their guidance in defeating this spirit that tries to take over his soul."

"So basically what you're sayin' is that we have to become buddy-buddy with the ghosts, right?" Jimmy asked warily.

White Feather nodded. "In the eyes of the spirits, what you have done is unforgivable. But if you can prove yourselves to them and show them that you mean them no harm, they will help you."

"What do we do about Buck until then?" asked Lou, her face filled with worry.

"Try not to wake him…" answered White Feather. "In a few hours the tests will begin. Try to rest up until then. You'll need it…"

And with that he turned and began walking back towards the direction he had come from, before becoming engulfed in flames.

"What do we do now?" Jimmy asked Lou as she started to build a fire.

"Well, first things first. Let's get this fire going and try to get some sleep. I have a feelin' we'll need all the strength we can get."

"Yeah," answered Jimmy as he pulled his blanket off his horse and lay down next to the fire that Lou had gotten started. It seemed like he had just closed his eyes when he felt a tugging at his arm. Forgetting where he was he mumbled "Leave me be Cody… I jus' want a few more minutes…" When the tugging didn't stop he turned over and opened his eyes. He was staring into the most beautiful pair of big, dark brown soulful eyes that he had ever seen.

As Jimmy wiped the sleep from his eyes he thought that he must have been dreaming. This can't be happenin? He asked himself. Can it?

"Well it's about time you opened those gorgeous eyes of yours Mr. Hickok…" drawled a low husky voice. "I feel like I've been waitin' forever for you to wake up…."

"Lou?" asked a disbelieving Jimmy.

"In the flesh…" Lou answered him and he could see that she already had her jacket off and was reaching up to start unbuttoning her shirt.

"LOU! What in the hell are you doin'???" Jimmy exclaimed.

"What does it look like I'm doin?"

"Lou… this ain't right… you an' me…" replied Jimmy as he tried to back up away from her. He didn't understand what was going on. After the one kiss that they had shared together, there had been a mutual understanding between the two that they were just friends.

"Oh c'mon Jimmy… we're out here in the middle of nowhere… it's a cold night, we might as well keep each other warm…" she said seductively.

"Warm? You wanna be warm? Okay…. here! Take this!" Jimmy practically hurled his blanket on top of Lou.

"That's not the kinda warmth I was talkin' about…. what's the matta Jimmy? I thought you was a real Lady's Man?"

Jimmy's eyes almost popped out of his head as Lou slid her shirt off, now clad only in her longjohns. He had seen her in them before, that's not what bothered him so much. What bothered him was the fact that he knew she fully intended on taking those longjohns off! And now she was inching her way closer to him reaching out and trying to unbutton his shirt.

"What's the matter? WHAT'S THE MATTER?!?" exclaimed Jimmy as he jumped up off of the ground and stood above Lou. When she touched him it was as if he had been burned by fire. "What about The Kid?"

Lou huffed. "The Kid don't understand me. He don't understand my needs. My womanly needs." Lou stood up and walked over to Jimmy where she pushed a lock of hair out of his face and gently caressed his cheek. She put her lips to his ear and whispered softly, her breath hot on his flesh. "You on the other hand know exactly what I need."

Jimmy closed his eyes. This was the moment he had spent countless nights dreaming about. He deeply wished that Lou would love him the way she loved (or so he thought) Kid. James Butler Hickok had kissed many women in days, but he knew the one kiss he would never forget was the one he'd shared with Lou. His heart ached every time he thought about it and how much he wished that he could tell her how much he loved her. Deep down inside he knew that he would never love a woman the way he loved Louise McCloud.

So what are you waiting for you idiot? He asked himself. This is it! She wants you, not The Kid! But then as Kid's name flashed through his mind, so did his face. First the many good memories of the two of them horsing around, riding together, and saving each others' lives. There was never a time when one wouldn't lay down his life for the other. They were the best of friends. How can I do this? How can I even think about doing this?

Suddenly Jimmy was snapped out of his thoughts by the feel of Lou's hands on his bare chest. Somehow she had managed to unbutton his shirt and longjohns top without him realizing it. Jimmy knew what he had to do and he had to do it quickly before he changed his mind. With one quick sudden movement he pushed Lou away, grabbed the canteen of water, opening the top and splashed Lou with it, drenching her face, hair and longjohns.

"What the hell?!?" screamed Lou. "Just what the hell do you think you're doin' Jimmy?!?"

Jimmy, who now wore a look of total confusion, just stared at her. He was rendered totally speechless.

"Are you going to answer me or not James?" threatened Lou as she grabbed at his shirt collar.

Jimmy ran his fingers through his hair, shook his head and rubbed at his eyes. I'm going crazy. That's it, I must be totally losing my mind. One minute she's all over me, the next she's trying to kill me.

"Well?"

"Uh Lou…. don't you remember what was happening a few minutes ago?" Jimmy slowly asked.

"Yeah of course I remember. I was fast asleep and then suddenly I feel ice cold water being splashed all over me and I'm standing here half naked drenched to the bone!"

Jimmy just looked at her and nodded, waiting for more.

"Oh my God…. half naked…. Jimmy?" cried a terrified Lou. "Why am I not wearing my clothes?" she gasped as she realized that Jimmy was standing there with his shirt and longjohns top wide open.

"You really don't remember anything?" asked Jimmy.

"No…" answered Lou as she slowly sunk towards the ground. "Please tell me we didn't…"

"No, we didn't."

"Oh thank God!" exclaimed an obviously relieved Lou. Jimmy couldn't help but feel a stab of pain in his chest at her reaction. "But then if we didn't, how did we end up like this?"

Jimmy handed her the blanket that he had thrown at her so that she could dry off and try to warm up. As Jimmy told her what happened, her eyes grew as wide as saucers, her pretty face even redder by the second. "I can't believe that. I don't remember anything…."

"Could it be that you were sleepwalking?" Jimmy asked her as she warmed her hands over the fire shrugging.

"No, she wasn't sleepwalking…." whispered a soft feminine voice.

Both riders looked up to see an exceptionally beautiful Indian maiden standing before them. She was petite, had thick dark hair down to her waist, and eyes as black as onyx. As she walked towards them Jimmy began shaking his head. After their encounter with White Feather he'd had enough of Indians. Even beautiful Indians.

"Not again…" said Jimmy, but the maiden held up her hand in silence.

"Congratulations. You have passed the first test."

To Be Continued...Chapter 6