The Inventor and the Bounty Hunter - Jonah Hex

3.

That darn pile of wood wouldn't chop itself.

So despite her sore muscles and stiff body, Ella pushed herself to chop some more, reminder of the night chill her motivation. Soon her grunts and breathing became louder, her swings less assured, but sure enough, a small pile of firewood was amassing at her booted feet. 

 When she paused to take a breather, to swipe her loose strands of hair out of her eyes, that was when she noticed the first crow, perched on the wood pile behind the house she was attempting to add to. It's little beady eyes stared her down.

Where did you come from? It had been silent, so silent.

A flutter of wings turned her attention to the roof of the house, where another crow had appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, just like the first. 

Then another, and another, and yet another. They were everywhere, all staring at her with their intense little eyes and strong gazes. One spread its wings, eyes still on her, and let out a loud squawk. 

And suddenly, they were gone, leaving something else in their place: a dog.

"Oh!" she cried, hand jumping to rest on her chest. "You startled me!" The dog panted while staring at her, tilting his head to the side in a curious fashion. "Well aren't you a handsome boy." She knelt down and reached out towards him, he gladly trotting over and rubbing her hand with his nose. "Well aren't you sweet. Where's your home, huh? Who do you belong to?" Maybe he didn't have a home, maybe he was alone too.

That was when she noticed him, a ways back. A man in a long coat and wide-brimmed hat standing with a horse behind him. Maybe this was who the dog belonged to.

Instinctively, she took a step back, especially as the man slowly approached, long coat's hem swishing with each step. She couldn't see his face, too much of a shadow cast by his hat covered his features. She reached behind herself and her fingers enclosed around the handle of the axe, which was still buried in the log, just in case. Just in case.

"Can I help you?" she spoke first.  "This your dog?"

"It sorta happened that way." His voice was gruff, hoarse. He kept this head down, not looking at her even when addressing her, which only added to the shadow cast over his face.

"Can I help you?" she asked again. 

He stopped approaching, but still didn't look at her. Then he spoke again.  "Ella."

The axe clattered to the ground at her feet.

All at once the world around her began to spin, and spun and spun, until crashing to a stop, leaving her dizzy, dazed, and feeling suddenly sick to her stomach. 

"J-Jo? Jonah?" But no, this couldn't be happening. "What kinda sick joke is this?" was her first thought. Like with the wanted poster, it had to be some bastard playing a trick. Then, "What the hell? Is it really you? No, no it can't be-" Could it? Everything was a blur. 

"Ella," he said again, as though this would clear it all up. 

"Jonah." She was frozen, not sure she wanted to approach him, this random yet familiar man. "I don't understand - you're alive.  You've been alive this whole time?" Still, he wouldn't look at her. The brim of his hat covered his face, bathed it in shadow. Honestly it was starting to frustrate her, that and his lack of words. He could at least help her out a little here, help her to understand what the actual hell was going on. "Why won't you look at me? Look at me when I'm talkin' to you, Jonah Hex-"

The shock of seeing him alive was the biggest shock of her life. What added to the shock were the horrible scars that marred the one side of his face. But it was him, beneath those scars, her Jonah Hex. 

"My God - what happened to you?"

He turned away, ashamed. "Now you see why I couldn't come back."

"What?"

"I couldn't come back. Not like this. I couldn't do that to you."

Suddenly she realized the meaning behind his words. "Are you kidding me? I love your bones and your soul. You think some war injury's gonna change that?!" She was shouting now. "You always have a home here with me, I thought you knew that. "I spent the last several years thinking you were dead, only to have you show up now and say you were alive this whole time and not wanting to face me? Well clearly I cared a lot more about you than you ever did me."

"Ella, I love you. That's why I couldn't come back."

"Because you thought I wouldn't have you," she finished. "Well, that's bullshit and you know it."

"Ella-"

"No." She gave her head a firm shake.  "No. No, no, you were sparing yourself because you thought I wouldn't like you. And that hurts like hell." Now they were arguing like any couple, not just one who had been separated for several years.

"Ella-"

"No. No." With that she stormed into the house and slammed the door.

She didn't know whether to scream or burst into tears or run and hide, or a combination of it all. She went over to the wash basin and splashed some cold water on her face to try and settle some of the shock.

He was alive, Jonah was alive. He had been all this time. He was alive, and he was here, back home with her...

She heard wood splintering and looked out the window, saw he had removed his coat and hat and was chopping the wood she had so hastily left behind. 

She just stood there and watched him a while. Eventually moving back out of the house and into the yard. "Is this a dream?"

"You're right, I was sparing myself. Everyone I come into contact with looks at me like I'm some monster, and it started happening so frequently, I figured you'd feel the same way."

"Those people aren't engaged to you, Jonah." Angry as she was, she meant what she said:  "I love your bones and your soul..."

"I know.  And I know I hurt you, and that's not fair. Hell, I wanted to run home to you, but you deserve more than going through life with-"

"No, stop. I won't have you talking like that. You're here, back home, in one piece. That's all I can ask for."

"At least now you'll know I'm safe."

"You're not leaving are you?" But that was clearly his intention.  "Won't you stay a little while - We've got a lot to catch up on."

"If you'll have me."

She gestured to the open door. "Of course I will."

(Well, there we have it, the big reveal! Thanks so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! :))