By Kirsten Page
Copyright 1999
“Jimmy, we’ve got to be just about there,” Kid said for the zillionth time that day. They just felt as if they were going in circles and couldn’t figure out how to break free of the pattern. The land was beginning to look the same everywhere they turned.
“If we don’t see any sign of the station, I think we’re going to have to turn back, Kid.” Jimmy said reluctantly.
Kid looked at him, knowing that would be the last option he would choose to take. He refused to go back to Rock Creek until he had found some proof that she was either dead or alive.
But then, as if it were a distant oil painting, a fairly large cabin appeared on the horizon. There was smoke rising from the chimney, which kept the small amount of snow melted off the tip of the roof.
“I hope that’s what I think it is,” Kid said as they drew closer.
“Yeah, me too,” Jimmy added.
Johnny found great comfort in the fact that at least if Wayne found out that he hadn’t carried out his orders, he couldn’t lay a hand on Lou. She was tucked safely away where nobody would be able to find her.
Trudging through the slush that dampened his already wet feet, he made his way back to the cabin. Peaking in the window, he saw that Wayne was contentedly inside smoking his cigar and looking just as disgusting as he always did.
Carrying the jacket that he had taken from Lou, he began to look for the rest of the materials that he would need. One of the first items was a shovel that he pulled out from the rickety old storage shed at the back of the cabin.
Digging a nice long plot of ground, he took the clothing that he had borrowed and began stuffing it with the dirt that he had been digging up. If someone should try and dig up the grave site that he was creating, hopefully they’d stop once they found the ‘body’ that he was sculpting.
After putting the final touches on his entire plan, Johnny took two sticks together and made a cross to be placed in the ground. He stepped back to admire his work. It looked very good, and there was no reason that Wayne should ever suspect that the rider they had planned to kill wasn’t buried underground.
Lou awoke to a gentle, warm, and dampened cloth on her forehead. She wasn’t sure who was putting it there, she just knew that it felt wonderful. With a moan, she tried to turn on her side, but felt a hand pushing back down on her shoulder. Whoever it was that was there didn’t want her to get up. “Rachel?” She groaned.
“Easy there sweetheart,” the soothing voice stated.
It must have been the pitch of the lady’s voice that caused Lou to force herself to awaken completely. She found that she had a bit more energy, and figured that she owed it to the soup that had been fed to her. Her lips tasted salty when she licked them, and very much like beef stew.
“Welcome to the world,” the woman said with a smile that Louise could barely make out in her blurry vision.
She tried to sit up, but was met with the same powerful hand that had pushed her back down before. “Who are you?” Lou asked weakly.
The woman laughed and in spite of her bad situation, Lou couldn’t help liking her already. It was a welcoming and comforting laugh. In fact, it reminded her very much of her grandmother. “I’m Eliza Woods, but you might as well go calling me Ellie, everyone else does.”
Then, ever so gently, the older woman helped Lou prop herself up with a pillow. “There now, don’t you feel better?” Ellie asked, carefully pulling her blanket up to her chin.
Lou looked at the woman, her vision now becoming more focused. She had tender features, and a lovely face with blue eyes that sparkled with her smile.
Ellie had a sixth sense that allowed her to realize what questioning thoughts might be lingering in people’s mind. In fact, the young woman’s face before her spelled of one particular question. “Actually, Johnny is no relation to me at all. His mother and I were good friends for a very long time. Today was the first time I’d seen him in a while,” she shook her head in sadness, “I told him that hanging around with that Wayne fellow would turn out to cause trouble.”
Feeling nearly drugged, and quite confused, Lou wasn’t sure if she was really here, or if this was some sort of a strange dream. Trying to clear her thoughts, blinked hard as if that would somehow change what she was seeing before her.
Ellie didn’t seem to notice the young Lou’s confusion because her back was turned and she was reaching for more hot water on the stove, “And here you are, a poor victim of his bad choices. But you know, I always did want Johnny to find a nice girl.”
Who’s Johnny!? Lou was asking herself. She honestly didn’t have a clue where she was. It sure wasn’t the bunkhouse though!
“You are his girl, aren’t you?” The woman questioned as she turned back around with another warm rag in hand.
“Huh?” Even to herself, her voice sounded scratchy and weak. “Uh, no.”
“Oh,” Ellie paused and rubbed her ear before shrugging, “I guess I just assumed. But, that’s alright, you still seem sweet enough,” she added with a wink.
Lou desperately wanted to go back to sleep. Her body was so stiff and exhausted. She closed her eyes, and quite unfortunately found herself hit with another question before she was able to have a chance at reaching ‘dream land’ at all.
“So, are you from around here?”
Am I? She had to question herself. “No, I’m not.” Lou massaged her forehead, hoping that it would release the memories of the past two days. It wasn’t as if she didn’t know who she was, or where she was from, it was just that she couldn’t remember anything after she said good-bye to Kid. Kid.....how will he ever find me now?
“Oh, well, these parts can be scary to anyone that doesn’t know them. I’ve lived here all my life, so I supposed that I’m used to the silence. Some people find that really hard, you know,” Ellie scarcely stopped to take a breath, “I remember this time when we got a bunch of fur trappers up here. Why, they were so lost that one of them nearly sat down and started crying.”
Wait, it’s coming back to me! I was delivering a message, I thought I’d found the station.....I walked up the steps, and saw someone. Wait, no, I didn’t see anyone. Or did I?
Ellie still continued, “In fact I was just about to take them down the mountain myself when....”
Lou, in spite of the great pain that seared through her body, managed to sit upright with her eyes widened. “I’ve got to get a horse!” She exclaimed, remembering what it was that had happened. In fact, she now remembered one of the conversations that she had overheard from her attackers.
Pushing her back gently, Ellie spoke calmly to the girl, “Sweetie, relax. You’ll be riding again soon enough.”
Forcing herself back up, Lou argued, “No, you don’t understand, this is a matter of life and death!”
On to Chapter Six
