Cal
Posts : 333
Join date : 2016-10-21
 | | Subject: Long Road back - Part Six - Kid 1000words Mon Feb 13, 2017 6:18 am | |
| ---oooOOOooo--- The Long Road Back (Haff & Wong seven) By Cal ---oooOOOooo--- Part six Kid ---oooOOOooo--- After sunsetKid woke to find he was trussed up and gagged, sitting on his bed roll. He stared wildly around him till his eyes fell on the small Chinaman on the other side of the fire. He growled menacingly through the gag.“Ah, you’re awake Mr Curry.”Kid glared.“I am sorry for such treatment, but we had to work fast and we knew you would not cooperate. Haff has taken your cousin to a healer, a Shaman, one that may be able to guide Heyes: Help him, find a path back to this World. But his predicament is grave I fear. Of course, there can be no promises …that he will be able to find his way back…” Mr Wong looked down briefly and cleared his throat. “Haff has witnessed such ‘magic’ before, Mr Curry. There is hope. He was taken by a Shaman for a son, and has helped in the necessary rituals. I am unschooled in such ancient craft, but I have faith in Haff. You, Mr Curry, I believe would have been against such a plan…”Kid left Wong in no doubt what he thought of the crackpot idea.“So I had to …incapacitate you… for which you have my sincerest apologies. And now, I have a tiger by the tail …do I not? You are after all, a renowned gunslinger …both younger, stronger and bigger than myself …So now I have to use my own talents …such as they are …and time is against me … I must meet with Wheat and Kyle as we planned.”As Kid watched, fighting at his bonds and chewing at the bandana across his mouth, Wong seemed to be coming towards him across the fire; a bright object dangling above the flames. It twirled on the end of a slender silver chain. “You know that it must be I, that meets our friends Mr Curry. You would be recognised I think …so even if you had cooperated with me …you would have remained here.Kids eyes burned, the lids becoming heavy. He shook his head.“Don’t fight it Mr Curry …You know deep down …it was the only way for Heyes …You could not help this time …Watch his back … Sometimes you can be too close to someone …to see what is in their best interest… Too afraid to let them go, even if it is their only chance. Haff is trying to help a friend Mr Curry…it’s what he does best …It is all he knows of the World …You need to remain calm …and you need to sleep …to conserve your strength …for there is a battle that is sure to come. A clear head is required for battle Mr Curry …is it not? … If you are to clear your name …and that of your cousin Mr Heyes … the charge of murder must be abolished …you must ready yourself …free your mind from worry and hate and vengeance …let your mind rest… see only the way to move forward…---oooOOOooo--- Kid’s eyes flickered open but he immediately shut them again against the glare of the midmorning sun. He groaned. His head thumped and he felt like he could vomit. He did indeed, collapse sideways and vomit. He pulled himself off the ground, realising he was sat in his bed roll, his back against his saddle. His horse …just his …stood close by. He pressed his eyes shut again, trying to focus. ‘Heyes had been bitten by a rattlesnake. Haff had sucked out the venom…’ Curry wretched his empty stomach again. ‘Heyes was alive, still breathing, but his eyes had closed. I’d been trying to decide whether to take Heyes into Yellow Dog Gulch to find a doctor… then …nothing.’ He shook his head, setting the thump off again. ‘That was early evening… yesterday?’ He squinted at the bright sun overhead, ‘Nearly noon… but which noon. Is it the 4th of July yet? How long has it been?’ He put his head in his hands. “And where’s Heyes!?” Something dropped. He picked it up. He held a highly polished bullet in his palm. He stared at the bullet… feeling calmer… …a voice soothed him...…Wong’s calm voice was telling him that, in the event that Kid should wake before he returned. He needed to know, Heyes was seeking the way back to the World with the help of a Shaman. Haff was with him. Haff would return when there was news of Heyes …and Wong himself …was headed into Yellow Dog Gulch to meet with Wheat and Kyle.
Shortly, Wong, Wheat and Kyle would be returning to the camp. Kid should remain calm and wait …and drink plenty of water…Kid found a canteen under his other hand, and he lifted it to his mouth noticing for the first time that there were bloody welts around his wrists. He drank deeply, which did help to clear his head. ‘How long ago did the Bounty Hunter tie me up?’ he thought, bile rising again with worry. ‘That must have been weeks ago. How could my wrists still be bleeding?’He stared down at the bullet …noticing the calmness returning with the words and the thirst… He put the canteen back to his lips. Then seemed to notice what he was doing and looked extremely confused. He blew out a long breath, feeling calm, collecting his thoughts.‘Heyes is looking for a way to return to the World… What?! Heyes was very sick last time I saw him, that’s all I know. Haff has taken him to a Shaman …a witch doctor…somewhere… Where? Wong is sure to know. Wong has gone to Yellow Dog Gulch.” Kid could see his way clearly. ‘I gotta go to Yellow Dog Gulch… Find out where Wong is. Get him to tell me where Haff has taken Heyes. Beat it out of him if necessary.’ Kid screwed up his fist, the anger rising with the bile in his throat. There was something in his hand. He opened his hand and stared at the bullet.He felt calmer. Mr Wong’s words floated towards him again.“NO!” He threw the bullet as far as he could with a feral scream. “Shut up Wong! You’re wrong! Heyes does need me!”---oooOOOooo--- | |
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