This work is copyrighted by the author and may not be reproduced in any form without the specific written permission of the author. The story is one from a time long, long, ago in a land far, far, away. Any resemblance to your experience or those living or dead from those experiences is purely unintentional and completely coincidental. This is meant as fiction. All feedback is appreciated. All feedback is appreciated. Drop a line to: shakes003@hotmail.com or check out all of my work at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/shakes-stories/ and leave a message. I will get back to you ASAP.
His breath was hot and moist against my cheek. His hands felt clammy and sticky as they clutched at me; pulling me closer against him. My face was crushed into his chest. My body racked as I fought the devil to keep control.
"You promised..." I choked, my arms encircling around Montana tighter.
"Shhh...please, Lucky," I could feel his lips behind my ear.
"We've got one chance, Lucky. We gotta split up. We..."
"No! You promised, `Tanna. You promised you'd never leave me. Don't do this...you can't!"
"Goddamit, Lucky!" Montana yelled and broke free.
"Use your goddamned head! That posse is on our heels and we've got one shot or they're gonna hang you for sure. Most likely they'll hang the both of us."
"I don't care..." I sobbed in spite of myself. I knew Montana was right, but the thought of being without him left me terrified.
"They might as well hang me if you leave me here, `Tanna."
"Now you're just talking stupid," Montana edged towards me, his hands cradling the back of my head as he looked down into my eyes.
"Lucky, don't you know that I'd rather live apart from you knowing that you're safe; knowing that you're okay than how things are right now? Having to look over my shoulder every moment, worryin' that somebody's after you."
"You promised..." I began feebly, but I knew Montana had already made up his mind even before a loud shot rang through the air.
Montana's face was grey. "Oh, Christ!"
Montana grabbed me by the arm as he rushed to where our horses were grazing. He spotted Kabaya; head perked up from the gun shot, grass hanging out the side of his mouth. Montana cursed as he noticed Kabaya saddle-less, and then proceeded to shove me roughly towards his own horse.
"Get on," He commanded.
" `Tanna...Kabaya..."
"I said get the fuck on, goddammit. How many times did I tell you to keep him saddled up? They're here, goddammit! Don't you get it? They're here!"
He grabbed my face as his lips mashed against my own, and roughly shoved his tongue in my mouth. His breath was coming out in short gasps as he lingered with me. A blue jay shrieked over head in the sky, breaking the moment. Montana pulled away; his eyes red and wet.
"Take him. Ride north as hard and as fast as you can and don't you dare stop. Don't stop, Lucky, do you understand?" He choked and shoved me towards his horse as I nodded my reply.
I mounted the black steed as quickly as possible and looked down at Montana. I was dumbfounded and shook my head at him wordlessly. This couldn't just be the end of everything. This couldn't mean the end of us...forever. Another gun shot split through the air making the both of us jump. Montana slapped his horse on the hind end, and hard.
"Go!" He ordered and the horse took off before I could protest anymore. I didn't even have time to look back. There was no time to say goodbye.
Montana's horse ran hard trough the trees and brush, not missing a beat; not missing a breath. He soared mightily and I held on desperately as a barrage of gun shots filled my ears. My world blurred before me as my eyes filled like a dam had just collapsed. I knew that he was dead...
...I lurched out of bed in the blackness of the night; gasping for breath as I shivered through another cold sweat. I wandered aimless and lost; my feet cautiously leading me from my room as the rest of me remained blind to the night. I felt haunted by that dream. It was the dream I'd never escape from because it was the dream that was real.
My eyes struggled through the dark to find some shred of light around me. Luckily they found a cast of glowing silver on the floor beside the front door. It was the same spot I searched for every night after that dream. My face was moist with tears and sweat as I searched the light of the moon from out of the window that I had replaced weeks previous. I needed a sign...any sign, but the moon offered none.
"What's in Montana, son?" Dodge's voice was soft, but startled me just the same.
"Wha?" I turned around, my eyes straining to make out his form sitting quietly by himself in the dark at the dinner table.
"You've been here how long now, Lucky? Weeks? Months? Every night I hear you talking in your sleep about Montana. Every night you holler out. Every night I see you looking out that damned window. What's in Montana?"
I knew that my nightmares caused somewhat of a ruckus, but I never realized the old guy had paid much attention.
"Nothing's in Montana..." I answered simply before turning back to the window. The night was bleak and empty. The winter had passed into spring, but it all felt cold and the same to me.
"Well..." Dodge slowly got up from his chair; the floor creaking softly as it gave into his weight as he neared me.
"You're not talking about that goddam horse of yours. That damn ass nearly knocked Mr. Johnson's head clean off the other day when he was changin' his shoes. I thought he was gonna grab his rifle and give him one between the eyes."
I chuckled silently to myself. That horse had definitely paid too much attention to Kabaya. He was becoming more and more like him everyday. I supposed that I wasn't the only one to miss that ornery pony.
"Who's Montana?"
"Nobody." I answered a little too quickly.
"It doesn't sound like nobody to me, son. Definitely doesn't sound like nobody if you're still haunted by the same dream, night after night for months on end."
It had been months. Some days it felt like years had past and I was growing as old and wiry as Dodge, but the ache was there as fresh as if `Tanna had left the day before. Some days I wondered if the ache was strong enough to will Montana back to me.
"Is he a friend of yours?"
"Was..." I began but my voice trailed off. My eyes began to shift; scanning the moonlight outside the window.
I heard Dodge move around the room again, and soon the room was covered in a soft warm glow as he lit the lantern at the dinner table, and quietly took a seat.
"You're not friends anymore?"
"He's gone."
"He leave you hangin', or somethin'?"
"He's dead."
I could feel the hard l ump forming in my throat as I stared even more intently out the window. I tried not to think about Montana. I didn't want to remember anything about him anymore, it only hurt.
"Is that how you came to be here?"
I turned from the window to look at Dodge. He was studying his hands in the soft light; worn and calloused from years of hard labor. Although old and wrinkled, they resembled strong and familiar hands that held me and touched me not long ago.
The room began to blur as I watched Dodge rub his hands.
"Well, boy?"
"I'm not meanin' to bring you any trouble, Dodge." My voice cracked.
"What kinda trouble are we talkin' here, son?"
"The kind that could get me hung." I whispered and felt hot tears slide down my face.
"Is that what happened to your friend, Lucky?"
I shook my head as visions of Montana flooded my mind. "He told me to come here. He was protecting me and they got him."
Dodge was silent for a time and I was left alone with my thoughts. Where would I go if he decided that taking me in was more trouble than what it was worth? I guessed that to keep moving north like Montana had instructed would be my best option. His horse was in great condition; well fed and kept from our time spent with Dodge. We could run fast and far, but I would be sad to go. I decided that I would really miss the old man.
"I'm sorry, Dodge." I whispered.
"For what, son?"
"I didn't come to bring trouble, honest. I didn't even think I'd be here this long. I..."
Dodge shook his head and stood up from the table; stopping me in my tracks as he approached me.
"I know that, kid." He spoke softly.
"The truth is I've really enjoyed you being here. You're a good kid, Lucky. I don't know what happened back then. I'm not gonna ask `cause I don't care. You're safe here."
I felt his hand steady and firm on my shoulder and I shook my head at him in disbelief.
"I can move on, Dodge. Really, it's okay. I understand if..."
"Nonsense," he interrupted. "You best get on back to bed if we're gonna plant that seed tomorrow. It's gonna be a long day for you and me."
I couldn't move. I stared at him blankly while my eyes continued to water. Dodge gave me a funny look before he brought his hand up from my shoulder to cup the side of my face; his thumb stretching out to wipe away a few tears.
"The first hundred years are the worst, boy."
I grinned in spite of myself, and Dodge seemed satisfied with that.
"There we go. Now git!"
He spun me around and directed me to my room where I was suddenly overcome with fatigue. I worried I'd have more nightmares, but knew now that I would be okay. Dodge would have my back and I knew he'd never let me down.