Eliza Bloom stepped wearily into her small, cozy house after a long day at work. The weight of exhaustion clung to her like a shroud, making each step feel heavier than the last. She couldn't help but remember the strange tin box that Arthur had given their son, Isaac. It had been a peculiar find in the woods, and now it sat on the coffee table, its contents a mystery waiting to be unraveled.
Gently, Eliza settled Isaac down on the couch. He had a long, fun day with his grandparents and he slept most of the way back. It was time for the final round of treatment for the night, and Isaac knew it was coming.
"Let me go get your vitamin shots."
"Oh, Mom, do we have to?"
"Isaac, it is helping you feel so much better. Do you want to quit now?"
"Well, no, but I hate the shots."
Eliza sits down next to her son and wipes some dirt from his face. Maybe he had too much fun at Hosea and Bessie's. She chuckles briefly.
"I'll tell you what. We do the shots real quick, and then I will help you open that tin box your daddy gave you."
She noticed a glimmer of anticipation in his eyes. His excitement was bittersweet, reminding her of the simple joys that were hard to find anymore.
"Okay, Mommy."
Eliza then left the room to collect the kit. He watched her as she prepped the needle and his body tensed. Pulling up his shorts to expose his thigh, she quickly inserts the needle. Isaac grimaces but makes no sound. She pulls it out and then puts on a bandaid to stop the little bead of blood that's forming.
"Mom," Isaac said, his voice rising in hope, "can we open it now? Please?"
Eliza's heart ached at her son's plea. With a sigh, she rose from the couch and went to the kitchen table. Collecting the box, she brings it back to the family room and sits down beside him, her weariness momentarily forgotten. With trembling hands, Isaac manipulated the rotary lock, the soft clicks filling the air with a sense of anticipation. Finally, the lock gave way, and Isaac carefully lifted the lid.
"Well! That was quick! Let's see what's inside," Eliza says encouragingly.
Inside, a folded map rests within the box. There wasn't anything else inside. Isaac looks at it, almost disappointed.
"This isn't a geocache," he grumbles.
"Well, this map might have something interesting on it. A treasure map?"
"Treasure maps are old, Mom."
"Not all," she smiles.
Eliza takes the map and unfolds it, her heart lurching as her eyes scanned the surface. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw the marked locations. The same locations mirrored the places where the two bodies had been found. The markings stood out, clear as day, reading
MEETING
"What...? What is this box?" Eliza tries to hide the panic in her voice. She rises to her feet.
"What's wrong, Mom?"
"Just...just give me a moment, baby."
Suddenly, her phone vibrates in her pocket. She quickly pulls it out, hoping it is Arthur.
It isn't. It's Edith.
She answers it.
"Hello? Edith?"
YOU ARE READING
High Sierra: A Red Dead Redemption Story
FanfictionSet in an alternate universe, the story begins in a different time. In the 21st Century, Arthur Morgan works diligently as a game warden but seems to be having trouble in his personal life. Trying to find a balance and learn how to be honest with hi...
