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Wrong Place, Wrong Time
Aug. 15th, 2011 12:23 amSince coming back home after Australia, things have been quiet. Mark keeps getting stronger and it feels like they're going to make a profit with the farm this year.
Things in town start to be tenser but no one can decide what's causing it. Some people talk about how the railroad's having problems getting through the mountains, others say it's the Indians and someone else is whispering about outlaws.
William starts making sure that his brother and mother aren't in town too often since he doesn't trust the edge to everything. There aren't that many more guns around, William just doesn't want to take any chances.
One day though he didn't time things right for himself. He got Mark home right after school, but he needs to place an order for some feed at the general store, so stays later. After the errand is done, he starts walking back to his horse while trying to figure out how much they're going to owe when he almost runs into a man, "Pardon me, sir. I didn't look where I was goin'."
"I can tell that, boy," The man he bumped into who looks like he works on the railroad and smells drunk pushes him as two more men are behind him.
"I didn't mean no harm, sir."
One of the men behind him kicks William's knee and he fights to stay upright while the first one punches him in the face and tries to toss him in the space between buildings.
William tries to duck the punch and get a soft landing but it doesn't work and they don't give him time to react as the first man says, "We don't care. This town ain't treatin' us right and you got in our way."
That's the last thing he can focus on hearing as he's fighting to block kicks and punches. He can't seem to stay upright or do anything more than block, he has a few moments of being on the edge of consciousness when there's a hard kick in his ribs as he hears the men again, "Let's get a drink."
"That felt good. I think I could get to like this town."
Then their voices are gone and he tries to move and everything hurts, his knuckles are bloody, it feels like something's broken in his side and he can taste blood in his mouth.
He's not really aware of time as he gets almost upright, not all the way as his knee keeps wobbling and he leans on a wall. The wall helps, but he keeps feeling like he's going to fall over. He can't go home like this, it will just cause trouble and things are going so good. If he can find a door, he can rest in Milliways until he's not hurting as much then ride home. He shifts so his back's against the wall and spots a door to a shed, that might work. Slowly, and using the wall, he moves to the door.
Things in town start to be tenser but no one can decide what's causing it. Some people talk about how the railroad's having problems getting through the mountains, others say it's the Indians and someone else is whispering about outlaws.
William starts making sure that his brother and mother aren't in town too often since he doesn't trust the edge to everything. There aren't that many more guns around, William just doesn't want to take any chances.
One day though he didn't time things right for himself. He got Mark home right after school, but he needs to place an order for some feed at the general store, so stays later. After the errand is done, he starts walking back to his horse while trying to figure out how much they're going to owe when he almost runs into a man, "Pardon me, sir. I didn't look where I was goin'."
"I can tell that, boy," The man he bumped into who looks like he works on the railroad and smells drunk pushes him as two more men are behind him.
"I didn't mean no harm, sir."
One of the men behind him kicks William's knee and he fights to stay upright while the first one punches him in the face and tries to toss him in the space between buildings.
William tries to duck the punch and get a soft landing but it doesn't work and they don't give him time to react as the first man says, "We don't care. This town ain't treatin' us right and you got in our way."
That's the last thing he can focus on hearing as he's fighting to block kicks and punches. He can't seem to stay upright or do anything more than block, he has a few moments of being on the edge of consciousness when there's a hard kick in his ribs as he hears the men again, "Let's get a drink."
"That felt good. I think I could get to like this town."
Then their voices are gone and he tries to move and everything hurts, his knuckles are bloody, it feels like something's broken in his side and he can taste blood in his mouth.
He's not really aware of time as he gets almost upright, not all the way as his knee keeps wobbling and he leans on a wall. The wall helps, but he keeps feeling like he's going to fall over. He can't go home like this, it will just cause trouble and things are going so good. If he can find a door, he can rest in Milliways until he's not hurting as much then ride home. He shifts so his back's against the wall and spots a door to a shed, that might work. Slowly, and using the wall, he moves to the door.
