𝐂𝐫𝐮𝐞𝐥 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 ⋆ 𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘹 𝘰𝘤 ⋆ 𝘳𝘥𝘳2

Chapter XLIII: The Attack

  As my boot stomps down on what was left of the old fire, Mary-Beth's face pokes out of the tent with puffy and red eyes. 

  "Mornin' sleeping beauty." I joke and throw my satchel around my neck, Mary-Beth rubs her eyes and yawns before she speaks.

  "We headin' back so soon?"

  "I kinda wanted to talk to Arthur about a few things, if that's fine with you."

  Mary-Beth smiles softly and nods once. "Of course, Lilah." 

  It takes around twenty minutes to get us fully packed up and ready to head back to Lemoyne. I'm actually going to miss this place, but who knows? Maybe we'll be able to bring camp somewhere up here one of these days, I'm sure we're gonna have to leave anyways ever since the Pinkerton's visit. 

  I lift Mary-Beth up by her waist and help her onto Lakota's backside, she makes sure to clutch her book strap tightly to her chest. I turn around and take one more good look at the scenery around me, since I probably won't be seeing this area for a long time if we end up going west. When I turn back around and mount up onto Lakota's saddle, I make out two silhouettes along the tree line, just watching Mary-Beth and I. 

  I pry my gaze away from them, hoping they didn't catch my stare. They're probably just waiting for us to leave so they can use this spot, it is one of the driest and flattest spots around this area. I click my tongue and command Lakota to move.

  We begin to walk down the dirt pathway back towards Lemoyne. My stomach starts to knot up just thinking about Arthur. I just hope he isn't still angry with me by the time we return. We still haven't even talked about what we're gonna do about our little... situation. 

  "You okay?"

  "Yeah, just lost in thought."

  "So nothing new." Mary-Beth jokes and I roll my eyes playfully.

  "Oh you're one to talk Miss Happily Ever Af-"

  My words are cut off when a sharp pain slices through my shoulder, it causes my right shoulder to completely jerk back. I turn to see an arrow sticking out of my flesh. I hear Mary-Beth begin to scream, it only lasts for a mere second before a loud explosion forms right in front of us. Both Mary-Beth and I are flown off of Lakota's back and crash down onto the hard dirt ground.

  My ears begin to ring as I clench my stomach, trying to catch my breath. I barely have enough time to react to what's happening before I try to push myself up using my forearms. My vision is blurry. I try to blink it away but soon I begin to start seeing two of everything. I look down at my shoulder and see part of an arrow still lodged deep into my flesh. Blood is imbedded into my shirt as it surrounds the wound. I whimper in pain as my hands shakily makes its way to the half broken piece of wood, it must have snapped during the fall. In one swift motion, I let out a groan as I haul the arrow out of my shoulder, the stone arrowhead covered and dripping down the wood with my dark garnet red blood.

  I throw the damned thing to the ground then I press my hand against my wound. I look over and spot Mary-Beth on the ground, not too far from where I lay now.

  I stumble as I make my way off the ground and towards Mary-Beth, she coughing harshly and holding her side. I begin to shake her with my free hand, she turns quickly and looks at me with wide eyes.

"C'mon!"

She nods and begins to lean up, I grab her underarm and pull her to her feet. The sound of gunfire makes Mary-Beth scream, I look up the road to see at least eight men with a different variety of guns and one holding a bow, all pointing directly at us.

I pull Mary-Beth by the arm and deeper into the woods to try and lose the killer men. I hold my arm out in front of my face to avoid small branches whipping me in the face... instead, I feel each individual cut being slit into my arm as we run through the woodlands.

I stop running and look around for anything we could possibly use as cover from the bullets shooting from behind us.

I spot a big enough rock that looks to be able to shield us for a few seconds, just enough time to create a plan. I pull Mary-Beth towards then behind the rock, we both drop to our knees.

"What are we gonna do?" Mary-Beth asks with a sound of dread clear as day in her tone. I try to look around at our surroundings and thankfully see Lakota's dark body up the hill a little ways from us.

"Delilah?" Mary-Beth asks once more, I slowly nod as I pull my gun from my gun belt and check the cylinder to see a full row of bullets.

"Look," I start and point up the hill towards Lakota, "I'll keep 'em busy, you run up to her and get the fuck out of here."

Mary-Beth begins to shake her head vigorously but I turn her head to make her look at me. "We'll both die if we try to leave."

"Your arm..."

I shake my head and look down at the wound for a split second before looking back at Mary-Beth.

"Ain't nothing more than a graze," I lie as the pain of the wound begins to set in, "You gotta go, okay?"

I peer my head around the rock and see at least ten men searching for us, I quickly pull my head back and against the rock.

"You're gonna die..." Mary-Beth's voice cracks, I look over to see tears pouring down her face. Trying to relive her nerves by smiling the best I can to try and hide my fear.

"I'm not... because you're gonna go get help. You're gonna take Lakota, you're gonna ride like hell and go get some help."

My words only seem to upset Mary-Beth more as she drops her head and sobs more. I peer around the rock once more and notice the men are mostly spread out, some even seem to be gone. I take notice that one man is inching closer and closer towards Lakota, I have to do this now. I look back at Mary-Beth and take her in my arms, holding her close to me. I close my eyes as I hold her, enjoying my last moments with one of my truest friends.

"I'll see you in a few hours," I sadly tell her but my voice quivers, "Go... now."

Mary-Beth squeezes me tightly once more before pulling away from my chest, I wipe her tears and some blood from my shoulder off of her forehead. I sigh deeply before standing to my feet and rushing out from behind the rock.

I notice a skinny man holding a double barrel shotgun, unknowing to my presence. I raise my gun and pull the trigger, shooting the man clean in the leg. He drops to his knees so I take this chance to charge him from behind, knocking us both to the ground. I sit down on top of his chest and begin to beat his face in with the handle.

Not long after my attack, I'm tackled down to the ground by a strong force. I look to see a bigger man now on top of me, he begins to land hard and cruel punches on my face with his strong fist. My head turns with force when each punch lands.

"Hold up Cletus! Let's take a look." A man with a higher pitched yet deeply southern accent speaks up. I lean my head back, trying to catch my breath. A deep cough emerges from me, blood spewing out of my mouth and down my chin.

My entire face is numb. I can only slightly feel me raising and lowering my eyebrows along with moving my jaw to try and regain feeling.

"Aw, this one's real purty."

"What about the other one, Ricky?"

"Ah, forget about it... she already gone."

Their words somehow bring comfort to me. She got away, Mary-Beth got away. No matter what happens to me... at least she got away.

"Let's carry 'er back to camp, ain't too far."

I soon feel someone scoop me up off of the ground, most likely the man who had just attacked me, and begin to carry me down the road. I open my eyes and look down at the swaying ground before my eyes become heavy.

Darkness.