Miles Apart, but so close

Submitted into Contest #24 in response to: Write a magical realism story that takes place in the Wild West.... view prompt

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Fantasy

It started on that very day. The day the world was starting to change and everything around me seemed to go full throttle without any remorse for what was happening. It couldn't have been something so simple like horses going extinct or new ways of transport being found.

No.

It started with a headache that came to me out of no where. People around me whispering. It was shortly after that I realized that things around me were floating around the ground was shaking. The wood buildings around were starting to shift and fall apart. I didn't know what was happening to me or why it was happening to me.

The dress that was on me began to tear to pieces, then a loud ringing noise and people screaming bloody murder. I could hear the cracking noise of the buildings around me then silence. I was on the ground waking up. There was blood, ripped bodies and fallen buildings around me.

Looking around there was a small crater around my body. My dress was nearly showing the undergarments I was wearing. I began to cry at that point.

What have I done? I think to myself crawling from the crater.

"Hands up little lady!" I strong voice called out to me.

I looked up feeling the dry tears on my cheeks as I try to speak to the man holding a gun to my head.

"I... I!" I stop again as he clicks the hammer on the back pushing it against my forehead.

"You best be telling me what happened here. I heard the explosion a few yards out." He says to me pushing the barrel further into my head. "Or take this bullet."

"I'm...I... I don't know sir! I had a headache!" I tell him feeling more tears fall. "I woke up to this! I'm telling the truth!"

I close my eyes as I see him put his finger on the trigger. This was the end of me. I must have looked terrible to him. My dress was in rags covered in dirt and what splatters of blood made its way to it caking on the dirt.

I hear a sigh, "You better come with me. The Calvary isn't so far behind."

"Where are you taking me?" I ask slowly standing up as he jumps up on a black and white horse.

I'd heard of an outlaw with the same horse but by the life of me I couldn't think of a name. I slowly walk over to him as he holds his hand out to me. Before I speak again, I hear horse and think that it was probably best we got out of there. A rush of horses meant that the next town had heard what happened.

I grab his hand. He pulls me up like I'm a feather sitting me in between his arms.

"Yaw!" He commands the horse. "Get!"

The horse revs into action taking off. I held on tightly burying my face into his button up white shirt the Bolo tie brushing on my nose.

As we slow down, I realize how much my butt hurt. My ears picking up a river. I look up the sun was going down. It was a beauty to see such a thing.

"Get down." He says pushing me before I could reply.

It wasn’t until I was face on the ground that I came to my senses. “That was rude for a gentleman! You should know how to care for a woman!”

He gets off the horse ignoring me. I puff my face up turning to the river. I should get this stuff washed up. Taking my clothes off I sit with my feet in the water.

“What the hell are you doing?! Put your garment back on!” he groans toward me. “Don’t you know an unmarried woman should be showing anything until their married?”

He mumbles a few choice words before I could reply.

Talk about sensitive much. I wasn’t even showing anything. Besides, I needed to get these off me to wash them. I’d have to pinch in a few spots, but they would make do until I could get myself some new ones.

“You never answered me about where we are going.” I tell him getting a little agitated.

I glance at him as he takes his brown jacket off setting it on the horse in front of him. I hear him laugh and had to turn completely toward him.

“There isn’t no ‘we’ darling. You’re getting dropped at the next town and I’m hopping back to where I belong before anyone comes looking.” He laughs at the stupid question.

I set the torn dress on the ground letting it dry out as I make my way into the freezing water. The same headache was coming back. I wasn’t sure what was triggering it. Nothing triggered the last one. It just came on like a train hitting its breaks. I groan out loud holding my head. I could feel the water moving around me. Slowly rising to my hips.

“Little lady is you alright?” I hear the man say from behind me.

The water stops dropping back down as I look to him falling face first into the river. His hands are around me pulling me out. This wasn’t how I pictured today at all. I looked up at him finally able to see his face. It had a rough growing beard on it and his cheekbones were at the perfect height for a young man his age. I’d say he was in his mid-thirties if I had to guess. That would make him the perfect age. My mother would say snatch him up before he goes.

This headache though was the worse. It was giving me double vision. It was making his voice sound miles away when he wasn’t. He was holding me right here trying to keep me calm as I went through the same motion I did back in town, though instead of bringing the area down everything was silent. Still even.

It was when his screams filled the air that I finally opened my eyes again. His skin was being ripped apart his blood splattering all over the place. His screams would be the last thing I heard as unconsciousness takes over me. That was the last time I saw the light of day. I’d heard magic was real but not having control over it was even worse than one would think. It takes your mind until not even your humanity is left.

January 16, 2020 03:47

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