Land of the Unknown

Out

Gouyen was cleaning the dishes that Netty had given her. While cleaning, a tight pang in her heart. "Something is wrong," she told herself. Once finished washing the dishes, she went to the living room to begin cleaning some of the house decorations. Netty was sitting by the fireplace sowing. It was silent between the women until it was disrupted when Charles opened the doors, surprising the women. The young man walked toward the cabinet that contained whiskey bottles; he poured himself a glass.

Netty put down her sowing materials and went to her son. "Charles, what in god blaze has gotten into ya!?"

Charles finished drinking and was breathing heavily. "Did ya know!?"

Netty raised an eyebrow. "Know what?"

"That Pa had another son all along! Remember that bastard from the gun shop? It's him!"

Gouyen was shocked at the sudden news and realized that Luke had told him and Emilinao the truth. She slowly left the living room and hid in the nearby hallway. 

"Looks like Luke finally told them both the truth," said a masculine voice.

"Goodness, Isaac, you scared me."

Isaac stood beside the young woman as he took a glimpse at Mother and Son. "Sorry about that." 

Charles noticed Issac and Gouyen hidden in the hallway. He remembered how Gouyen had Luke's trust; he always defended her when she had made mistakes. "You, savage! Come here this instant!"

Gouyen and Isaac were caught by surprise. "Don't worry, I'll be by yer side and protect ya," Isaac whispered as he walked behind the young woman.

"Y-Yes, Mr. Charles?"

"Ya were close to my Pa. I always found it strange that he allows ya to clean his study. I heard some of the servants that Pa brought ya letters and gifts from his travels." Without warning, Charles walked into the hallway and toward Gouyen's room. Gouyen ran after him; Isaac followed behind while Netty stood silently.

Once inside, Charles opened cabinets and looked through her bags. He grabbed the bed mattress and lifted it; there were letters and trinkets. The young man got some of the letters and read them. Gouyen and Isaac made it and saw what he was doing. "Mr. Charles, please don't; those are special to me."

"These are from that bastard! I knew it! Ya were close to him all this time!" He scrunched the letters and threw them on the floor. Charles slowly walked towards her and lifted his right hand in mid-air. Isaac immediately knew his intention and grabbed the young man's arm. "Are ya mad, boy!?"

"Am I mad!? Am I mad!?" Charles then pushed Gouyen out of her room and grabbed her by the neck. Isaac was about to stop him but was punched across the face, making him hit the wall. Gouyen cried as she was forced back to the living room. "Yes, I'm mad! I'm angry! Everythin' went downhill!" He glared at Gouyen. "Did ya know!?"

"Kn-Know what, sir?" She felt the grip of her neck tighten.

"Don't play stupid, ya savage! You know what I'm askin' about! Did ya know that the bastard was my Pa's son!?"

Gouyen was about to respond but saw Luke entering the house. However, he was not alone; some of his cowboys were outside. Isaac walked back to the living room as blood dripped from his nose. "S-Sir, I tried stoppin' him, but-"

Luke slowly walked inside his home and inspected everyone present. He glared at Charles as he went to him and violently pushed him away, making him lose his grip on Gouyen.  "Isaac, please take Gouyen back to her room; I will handle this."

Isaac nodded as he gently motioned Gouyen away from the living room, leaving the family of three alone in the living room. Netty got out of her trance-like state. "So, is it true what Charles said?"

"That I have a son? Yes. I didn't know he existed until months ago."

Netty was outraged as she stomped on the floor. "How can that be!? How do ya know that he ain't lyin'!? He wants yer land!"

"My son isn't greedy like you and your son. You lied to my Father, saying that your bastard was my son even though you were probably pregnant before I hired for your services."

"Wha-!?" Netty tried to find the words to say but looked at her son's shocked state. She never told her son about her previous profession as a prostitute. No one else in the county knew, or her reputation would be ruined. "Charles is yer son!"

Luke began to laugh. His laughs echoed throughout the house; his cowboys saw and listened to everything unfold but held their tongues. "He doesn't look like me; we have no connection. Tell your son that you were a prostitute when we first met. You pinned him on me because word got back that I owned land. You used the opportunity to pin your son on me." His laughs lessened as he shook his head. "Because of you, I lost my one chance to be with the woman I loved."

The older woman went to her son. "Charles, my boy. Yer Pa is lyin'! He-!"

Charles walked away from his Mother. "Ya were a bedwarmer, Ma? He ain' my Pa?"

The cowboys outside were motioned to enter the house. "Get these two out."

"G-Get out!? Ya lost yer mind!? Ya can't just do this!"

"I can and I will, Netty. The only reason why I still let you and Charles stay is because that was what Laureana wanted. Now she's dead; I already kept my word. I helped raise your son; I'm tired of living a lie."

Netty watched Charles being led out of the house; fear consumed her. Two cowboys got a grip on her; Netty managed to escape their grasp and knelt before her husband. "L-L-L-Luke! Pl-Please, don't do this! I am sorry for all the things I did! Ya can throw me out, but not Charles!"

Slowly, Luke walked towards a cabinet, opened one of the doors, and took out a middle-sized bag. He then knelt in front of her and gave her the bag. "This money will help you for a while. It's enough to buy food for a few months." He nodded at his cowboys.

The cowboys grabbed Netty and dragged her out of the house; she screamed and begged. Luke watched as everything unfolded. His house was quiet, and he slowly went to the living room and sat on one of the lavish sofas; he smiled. For the first time in his life, Luke felt free.

Meanwhile, Mother and son stood outside the ranch gates. Netty screamed to the cowboys to let them back inside, but her orders went through deaf ears. She turned, noticed her son was walking away from the ranch, and followed him. Once caught up, she stood before him. "Charles, we need to go to Dolan to get support!

Charles merely looked at his Mother, the woman he once respected. He held no such feelings anymore. "So what he said was true; I ain't his true son? That ya were a prostitute?"

"D-Don't listen to your Pa; he's cracked! He doin' this to get back at me!"

"Is he cracked, or are ya?" Charles asked while walking on forward.

Netty couldn't believe that her son believed Luke. Everything was going to shambles; she ran toward her son. "Charles, hun! Ya don't believe yer pa, do ya? I would never lie to ya!" She pointed back to the ranch that was now out of reach. "That is yers! Ya can't just walk away from it!

"Ours? No, ma." Charles began to tremble as he grabbed a large rock; tears formed. Everything had become too much; he felt his entire life was a lie. His anger consumed him as he used the large rock and attacked his Mother in the head. "All of ya think I'm a joke! Y'all lie! Y'all laugh at me!" The beating continued as her blood spilled on him. He stopped when he heard a cracking sound. Netty's head was slightly cracked open as her blood poured from the opening. Once his anger subsided, Charles realized that he killed his Mother. "What did I do? What in God's name did I do?" 

He looked around to ensure no one saw what he had done. Charles didn't know what to do with the body, and he ran around to find something or somewhere to put his Mother in. A ditch filled was eventually found. Netty's body was dragged toward the ditch and dumped into it. Charles covered her with tumbleweeds and large rocks on top until the body was no longer noticeable. The young man slightly pulled his hair and wondered what he would do next while walking back to the road. The money bag was found, and Charles got a hold of it; an idea came to him. "I gotta go to Dolan and Murphey to get their help get this ranch and kill Luke and his bastard son!"