“We’re More Ghosts Than People”

Author’s Notes: Arthur finds himself needing a job, and the town he happens upon needs a lawman to bring order. A little ficlet I smashed out just because I’ve been so unmotivated to write. I got this idea purely based on wanting to keep Arthur alive. I’m so sorry about the standard, it’s not very well edited or written!

Warnings: None.

Disclaimer: Please do not repost my writings without my permission. 18+ ONLY

Tagged for: @reddeadromantic @papi-chulo-arthur  If you would like to be tagged, please let me know!

Weakness was better than death. That didn’t mean the crawl to the abandoned shack wasn’t hard. Pulling himself along the ground, grasping at tree roots and the knowledge that he needed to find somewhere enclosed to keep him safe.

Arthur sat in front of the fire, pondering that long, gruesome trek that brought him back to life. Somehow, and Arthur could only perceive it as a miracle, he had managed to get passed what the doctor had said was fatal. By some stroke of redemption, Arthur had been given a second chance. It was all he could do to make a fire, keep himself warm, eat whatever he could forage and hope upon hope that he would make it through.

For the first few days when the pain started to subside, the cough becoming less aggressive, he couldn’t stop thinking that he wasn’t deserving of such a privilege. But the more he improved, the more he was determined to use the opportunity. The last few months under Dutch’s authority had caused a shift in Arthur’s thinking. Outlaw life was over, and he still needed to find a place to live, and earn that living. Be the man he always claimed he wasn’t.

Starting from the bottom leant itself to time. Healing, rebuilding, old habits resurfacing and stealing a horse. Them habits die harder than me.

Arthur’s promise to only slide back into his old ways when necessary spurred him on to find honest work. He’d considered going to Beecher’s Hope. Dashing that idea quickly, he didn’t know whether Dutch was still plotting out there, or if the threat of the Pinkerton’s had finally passed. It was safer for the gang to be dispersed, he couldn’t risk being responsible for anyone following him to John.

Arthur filled out his stomach and his pockets doing odd jobs along the way, as long as people would take him. Physical jobs would take their toll, his body had not yet formed the muscle he’d lost to sickness. But every little bit counted, strength to strength.

A ride through the country brought Arthur to a new town, and as he approached he could hear the chaos before he even saw it. He could see some of the townsfolk walking around, trying their best to ignore the noise sounding from the already energetic saloon. Some stood on the street or out the front of various establishments, watching and waiting. It wasn’t long before the saloon misfits were brought out into the street.

Two young, inexperienced lawmen brought out the men responsible, dragging them as best they could while the noisemakers pulled at them, trying to get at each other. Every word was a drunken slur, but the volume gave no confusion as to their feelings.

“Help me with this one!” One of the lawmen called to the other.

Handcuffs were placed on one of the men, the policeman walking over to assist the other. The handcuffed man made a run for it, legging it up the dirt road out of town.

Arthur’s instincts kicked in, tearing after the man, catching up to him just outside of the town. Pulling up fast, he grabbed his lasso, roping the runaway and pulling him back. Jumping down, Arthur forced the man to the ground, hogtying him and setting him on the horse before walking them back to the saloon.

“Thank you, sir, might good of ya.” One of the policemen said, tipping his hat to Arthur.

“No problem. Just point me to the sheriff’s office.”

Arthur followed the men, helping them wrangle the two men into separate cells.

“Thank you again, uh…”

Arthur thought for a moment, considering the name he wanted to give. “Arthur… Matthews.”

“Mr Matthews. Jed Conner.”

The other man was introduced as Angus Abernathy. Arthur shook their hands, taking a look around the sheriff’s department.

“How is it that you two are the only ones keepin’ people in check? Y’all got no sheriff?”

The two men looked at one another as Arthur stood next to the empty desk, eyeing it’s only occupant; the sheriff’s badge.

“Nah, just us. Sheriff passed a while ago and no one else was appointed, no one stepped up.”

“Didn’t think to appoint one of yeh?”

Angus, who had yet to speak, chuckled.

“No sir. We’re a bit green, you saw how we handled those two.”

Arthur nodded again, running his fingers over the badge, picking it up and rubbing the pad of his thumb over the brass.

“We’re a bit of a forgotten town out here, yeh see.”

Arthur looked up at them, clutching the badge in his large hand.

“Well I’m in need of a job, and you’re in need of a man in charge. I know how to deal with rogues.” The thought of his old life gave a pang in his heart, but the prospect of his new one gave him hope.

“If you’ll have me, that is.”

“You’re our best chance of getting this town in order, if that hogtying work is anything to go by.” Jed replied.

Arthur smirked, pinning the badge to his chest.

Arthur discussing future camp plans over a cigar, before some big events happen in Horsemen, Apocalypses.

Blessed Are The Meek? 

Owanjila

I’ve finally finished my super sad RDR2 acrylic painting, I hope people like it <3 There’s a little more to it, if you have a UV light handy...

Author’s Notes: After a successful interview, Kate takes matter into her own hands as she begins to shape the life she longs to live.

Warnings: None

Disclaimer: Please do not repost my writings without my permission. 18+ ONLY

Tagged for: @reddeadromantic @papi-chulo-arthur @redeadepression @anniesburg @countrykatt @arthurs-atonement If you would like to be tagged, please let me know!

CHAPTER TWO 

Driving away from the farm, Kate drummed her hands on the wheel and squealed in delight, completely overcome with joy. She had done exactly what she had set out to do, and she knew for certain that this was going to be the turning point in her life. Her mind flooded with all the different scenarios, all the possibilities.

“Oh, shit. I need a place to live.”

Struck by that sudden realisation, Kate scolded herself for not being more prepared. But what could she have done, short of signing a lease to a place that she may not have needed? She’d kept tabs on places in the area for rent, but what if they had been snapped up? What if it wasn’t enough that she was the only one working in her family? Would anyone consider her? Panic ebbed and flowed as she drove through town, calming herself by deciding to find somewhere to eat before she considered all the options. Having barely eaten anything all day, the suspense had been too much for her. But now there was an empty pit that the panic was feeding off. Once she ate, she’d have a clear mind and access to problem solving brain capacity. There were a few truckstops and diners she had passed on the way in, she would stop there and grab something before she began the long journey home.

The town was different to the inner suburbs and the city, everything there doused in attention seeking lights and signs, people squeezing their way in at every possible opportunity. Here, there was room to breathe. Sure, it was alive with nightlife, people going for dinner, hitting the supermarkets, walking around in groups laughing and talking. The cinema was quaint, the lights humming and pulsing inviting her in like it was a welcoming home. Life was moving, but at an easier pace. A stroll through the park compared to the sprint of the city.

The road out of town was fast approaching. Questioning tugged at her instinct like an anchor, keeping her from driving past the “Come back soon!” request on the back of the town sign. If she stayed, she could start looking right away for a place. Get a feel for the town. Have a few quiet days to herself.

Before she could talk herself out of it, Kate got herself a night in a bed and breakfast. There wasn’t a rush to be home, for more reasons than one. She didn’t have a job to get to, having left her administration position a week before she had found Arthur’s. If she had to sit at a desk and stare at a screen for another day, she would have thrown it out the window. Some people enjoyed that work, and Kate was fine with that. She didn’t have an aversion to technology, and she didn’t hate her job. It just wasn’t what she wanted 40 hours a week to look like.

There was also the matter of never being away from home often and her phone was buzzing constantly. When she wasn’t working, Kate was at home with her boyfriend, claiming any relaxation she longed for at the end of her day. Being at the beck and call of a boss for a job she knew she would love was one thing. Being suffocated by someone was another.

Continuing on in her uncommon streak of rebellion, Kate blocked the number that made her physically recoil at the sight. Her boyfriend would have to wait.

She took a hot shower, scrubbing herself down and washing her hair, even though it had been done the day before. The water pressure was fantastic for the little bed and breakfast, and her mind drifted, entertaining the thought of leaving everything behind and staying in her little room until she found her own place. She’d bought all the paperwork she would need, her personal documents as well. There were few things back at home that she would miss, and she could replace them to an extent.

There flowed a daydream, something so enticing that the hot water lulled Kate deeper into the scenario than she’d delved before. The phone call to her boyfriend of six years, dramatic but as true to life as she knew it would be. Everything she had bought for him, everything he had taken from her, it was all his now, and she’d never miss it for all that she’d gained. Blocking his number, deleting him, and all the photos and memories kept on her phone, she’d start fresh.

She imagined long days, her body working harder than it ever had. Building fences, herding livestock, mucking out stalls - her hands moulded to the life of a farmer, her heart restored.

She’d not met her coworkers yet, but she created a little area for them already, a potential for friendship. Drinks around a bonfire after a hard day’s work, like she’d done before in her old farming jobs. People she found common ground with, who enriched her life. Learning and growing, making the most of the opportunities they had together.

A home of her own, she envisioned her own horse, perhaps a dog that would follow her on her jobs, if Arthur let her. Finding a quiet place in her downtime, laying in a field, the soles of her feet dug into the grass, the soil. The sun finding a resting place on her skin, enriching the freckles that flecked across her nose, her shoulders, chest. Time spent at town events, markets, finding a good river to swim in when summer rolled around, the autumn sun setting as she sat on the front porch of a place that wasn’t yet hers. Bundled up in front of the fireplace on crisp winter evenings. Bunches of fresh wildflowers in vases on her dining table in spring.

It was a daydream steeped in fantasy of romance novel proportions, but it wasn’t entirely out of reach. She was going to let herself enjoy those few moments of fiction before she emerged back into the real world. It almost encompassed her, and there was a moment of pure adrenalin where Kate shut off the taps and stepped out of the shower, reaching for her phone and unblocking the number she would call, running head on into complete freedom. Freezing, she shook her head, sinking that idea. It was too much, too soon. She’d completed step one in the task. She couldn’t rush it. It wasn’t about giving up on what she wanted most. The best things took the hardest work, and change rarely happened in a moment.

She did unblock the number, however, and groaned at the notifications on the screen. The number of missed calls and texts that she had ignored before her shower was only going to grow if she didn’t respond.

Giving herself a few more minutes, Kate wrapped a towel around herself, and one around her hair, moving into the bedroom. She dried, dressed, and eased herself onto the bed, stretching out before moving on to task number two.

“Hey, sorry I missed all your calls.”

“What the hell? You never leave me hanging, what has gotten into you?”

“I had the interview and I was driving. I got the job.”

There was quiet on the other end. There would be no congratulations, no positive thoughts, Kate knew.

“Yay!” Kate squeaked, prompting him to get as close to her level of excitement as he could. Jacob broke the long silence.

“I don’t see why you needed a new job to begin with. And on a farm? Again? I thought you were done with all that!”

There it was.

“What are we supposed to do, just uproot ourselves from our home? And what, pay for two places?”

Kate tried to step in. It was the family home, passed down to her from her parents. They’d had Kate when they were older, passing away some years back. No mortgage, only the yearly rates, which she could cover, and they could rent it out to generate more income. But Jacob continued on in his barrage of disappointment, something Kate was well seasoned in hearing.

“I suppose you’ll want to pay for a removalist, such a waste of money.”

“I have the money saved, it’s cov-“

“And it’s such a long way away from our friends! A whole different state! What are we supposed to do while you’re off playing John Deere?”

Your friends, Kate thought to herself. Kate banged her head against the mattress, taking a few moments to fake an aneurysm before trying to get another word in.

“I dunno, maybe you could get a job!”

“Kate, you know I can’t.”

Jacob was irresponsible and immature. He hadn’t always been that way, he had dreams, was working towards a career.

“You want me to be your girlfriend, your secretary and your sugar daddy all in one. The least you could do is support me in my dream.”

“Not this again. Why can’t we stay here, you can get your office job back.” Jacob whined down the phone.

“Because this is what I want to do. I’m making the same money but I will actually enjoy it and be happy. You can either support me or stay there, no one is forcing you to come!”

The words left her mouth before she could hold them back. Usually she was so good at keeping herself composed. Even though she knew what he would say, the naive part of her hoped that this time it would have been different.

“That’s not what I’m saying,” Jacob said, his tone softer but sharp. “It’s just a lot for me to process, and you have to understand that this doesn’t just affect you.”

Those sharp words, little knives penetrating the thick skin Kate had grown in an instant. It all faded away under the attack of guilt. Kate deserved this job, this life, she told herself over and over. But the little pangs telling her she was being selfish surfaced in her, aided by Jacob’s pacifying apology.

“I’m sorry. It’s just a big change, we’ll do it. How long until we move?” “I start a week from Monday, I’m going looking for places tomorrow. Do you wanna drive over and we can go together?”

“No, it’s fine. Just tell me when you find a place and I’ll set up the movers.”

It was quiet again, and there was a sense of finality to the conversation. Kate couldn’t help herself.

“Why did you say ‘okay’ to me taking the interview if you didn’t want to go?”

google: elevate and apply pressure

~Arthur Bum~