The Land Lost in Time: The First Encounter and The Explorer's Lost Journal

(Hemophobia Warning (Fear of Blood) and Violence warning)

"Where'd you find it?" she asked me, as I held onto the manuscript. "I don't know, my father gave it to me." I walked a few steps away from my horse. "He told me it was a page out of my great grandfather's journal." I looked up at the unending plains, as a storm moved in closer. "He was an explorer?" I turned to face her; she was mounted on a paint horse. Most likely stolen. But who was I to ask a question like that? "Yes, yes he was. You familiar with him?". She dismounted her horse and walked up next to me. "No. Just curious. Why?" she said, moving a strand of her dark hair out of the way of her view. "I don't know." I replied. She chuckled. "What? He wrote about someone who sounded like me?" I smiled. "I've never read it." She just laughed "We should probably get out of here before the storm comes.". She walked back to her horse, as I walked back to mine. "We'll finish this conversation later. But right now, we need to find that journal." She began riding off as I paused and looked back. She was a young Mexican lady, and I mean young, most likely a runaway from the uprising of Yaqui Indians and Mexican revolutionaries. But she was in a very odd place for someone who's practically a child to be in. An odd place for a young lady to be in.

A Saloon...

I should also refer to her as a 'Mexican girl' she's not exactly a lady yet. Oh, boy. Who knows what those women would've gotten her into if I hadn't said anything? "Jacob! C'mon, now!" she shouted at me. I rode to her. "What's the rush? We're far from anyone who'd do any harm." I told her. She stopped her horse and turned her head to face me. "You've been here longer than me and still cannot comprehend that the plains tribes are always on the move, like the Comanche." She commanded her horse to start walking again. I scoffed "And I wonder why the Comanches would be upset with you.". She was not pleased with that at all. "It was a good trade! The only possible reason they'd be mad at us, is because you tried courting one of the girls in the village." I took a deep breath. "And I saved you." She said. I just laughed a bit. "But I also saved you. Back in the saloon. You recall that?" She smiled. "Yup. I appreciated that. Still do. I just returned the favor." I smiled back. It's been one heck of a journey. Never expected to get this far across Texas with a little Mexican girl I saved in a danged saloon. The thunder began to roll across the sky as we neared our destination. A few minutes in she told me "I read a letter you wrote. To somebody." Dang it! "The way you word things is strange." I didn't know what to say.

"I guess so." I replied. I was a foolish man in his twenties. Of course, I wrote stupid and of course I'm writing this while still in my twenties! The real problem was I had no clue as to where we were. But that's when we heard guns being fired. We both quickly turned to see....

The same danged Ranger.

The same one that burned down the Comanche village.

Almost got his entire team killed.

They took my Wild Rose. At least, that's what I call her. "It's him!" she shouted. "Ya think!?" I shouted back bringing my horse into a gallop. He just kept on shooting. We just kept on running. The horses did at least. "Marianne! Shoot 'em! Do something!" I yelled. "I don't have a gun!" she yelled back. We both turned as the ranger yelled to us: "I'LL HAVE YOU BOTH HUNG!! IF IT TAKES ME MY ENTIRE LIFE TOO CATCH YA!!" Marieanne, the little Mexican girl, turned to me in fear. Yes, that's her fake name. "What do we do?". She asked me. That's when I remembered. She might not have gun...

But I sure do!

I shot right back at him! We shot back and forth!

"I'll get you, Jacob Gregory!"

PANG!

"No, you won't! Give up already!"

PANG!

"Not until I watch you be hanged!"

PANG! PANG!

"Well then... Here's this!"

PANG! PANG! PANG!

"You got him Jacob! You got him!" Marieanne cheered as the ranger grabbed his shoulder. "You shot me! Gregory you idiot! I'll get you!". Marieanne laughed. "That's what they all say." She mumbled. Tragedy was yet to strike. As we thought we were getting away one last shot was fired...

PANG!

Marieanne fell from her horse.

Her horse reared at the sight of this. I jumped off mine and calmed him down. "Marieanne! Marieanne!" I shouted kneeling down next to her. I could hear the ranger laughing "I've got the girl now, Gregory!" He laughed. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" I screamed at him. "Marieanne, can you hear me!?" I shouted louder. I began to tremble. Tears began running down my face. "Marieanne!" I tried one last time. "I'll come back for you, Gregory!" The ranger yelled to me before riding off. Once he was gone, I quickly lifted her onto her horse and covered her up with a blanket. The shot isn't what took her out, it was the fall. But her wound still needed to be treated. I knew exactly who to go to. But that meant turning around. That meant... going back into enemy territory. It meant I'd need to look for my 'Wild Rose'. I had no idea how I'd do that without little Marieanne. The horse...

The horse.

The horse...

Her horse!

"That's how I find them!" I let him loose. He only stared at me. "I need your help right now Little Foot. I need you to find me my Wild Rose." I explained to him. He just stared. I thought he just had no clue. But then he began trotting away. I mounted my horse and followed. I was worried she wouldn't make it. Blood dripped from Little Foot's saddle, lots of it. Some of it got all over my hands when I lifted Marieanne onto my saddle. It felt like days. Although, it was only a couple of miles. I could see the trail of blood behind us, but at last. We made it to the village. I quickly picked up Marieanne and ran towards the tipis shouting in their native language "Help me! Help me, please!" and there she was.

My Wild Rose.

She ran to me and quickly took Marieanne. She ran to a tipi that belonged to an older woman and brought Marieanne inside followed by the same woman. I tried following them in, but the woman stopped me. "No. You stay out here. Wash yourself. Eat. Wait.". So, I waited. I waited all day. Wild Rose finally came out of the tent when the moon was high in the sky. "She has lost lots of blood." She began to say. "But she will be fine. She must rest and heal." I nodded with tears in my eyes. "Okay." She began searching for something. "There is a book for you here." she continued. "A man gave it to us." She handed me a journal with my great grandfather's name on it. "This is it..." She looked at me confused. "We've been searching for this." I opened it up. There were sketches of fantastical creatures I'd never seen before. Crystals... During his time, they were not yet discovered. She looked up at me in awe. "How-how did he find this?" I paused. "The lost journal..." someone said weakly. "Marieanne!" I rushed to her. "This is it! The journal!" She read through it. "This it..." I looked up at her.

"This is how we find 'The Land Lost in Time'. This is 'The Lost Journal."

"Land Lo- What?"

"There is much for you to learn Jacob Gregory. Lots to learn. This is your first encounter with such a place. But we did have an explorer visit. Once."

"You knew him, didn't you?"