The Lucky Ones - Arthur Morgan x Reader

Chapter 23

The swamps of Lemoyne were just as they were described to me. The thick wet mud oozed under Dolly's hooves and the constant sound of cicadas rang in my ears like tinnitus. Along a riverbank lay run down shacks. What a place to make your home.

However there was something about this place that intrigued me, I had heard such stories that I simply had to see for myself. The creepers that hung from the trees were beautiful in a strange way. I passed a shack that had sunk into the sludgy mud, ivy had began to climb the broken walls. It served as a reminder that despite the illusion of human dominion, nature always reclaimed what belonged to it.

The swamps were unsettling but enchanting all that once.

Along a riverbank, I saw an alligator basking in the sun. I could not take my eyes off the beast, it could kill me in one chomp but it looked so peaceful. Careful to keep my distance, I took out my sketchbook and began to draw what I saw while sitting on Dolly. She whinnied and stomped her hooves, agitated by the gators. "It's alright girl, just a minute." I told her, keeping my eyes on the view in front of me.

I did not realise the large bull gator that had crept up behind me until I heard it growl, a deep and spine chilling noise. Dolly reared and bucked me off in fright. I hit the ground with a thud, my eyes widened in fright at the alligator snapping its jaws at me. It's strange how I only realised how large the things mouth was when it was only a few metres from my face.

In fight or flight mode, I quickly withdrew my rifle and shot it between the eyes. The gator fell to the floor dead, it's blood mixing with the murky mud. I caught my breath processing what had just happened and I stood up, looking around for Dolly.

My pure white horse was easy enough to spot but for the life of me I could not see her anywhere. "Dolly!" I called and whistled for her, my heart racing as I frantically looked around.

"Is this horse yours, Miss?" I turned around to see a man holding Dolly by her reigns. He was tall, he had dark hair and brown eyes. His face was strangely familiar but I did not know from where.

"Yes thank you." I nodded and took the reigns. "Nearly got me killed, girl." I muttered while stroking her neck to calm her down.

"It's no problem." He smiled. "Hey I know you!"

I frowned. These days, someone recognising me was not a good thing. "Are you sure?"

"Certain, you lived near me. You and your pa, English folk. I'm Sam." He smiled and held out his hand for me to shake.

I remembered who he was now. It had been years since I'd seen him. Last time I saw him he was a scrawny fifteen year old, all arms and legs. I was probably the same.

Flashback

April 1884

A whole month had passed since mother died. The cupboards were empty. Father sat in his chair, staring into the fire. That was all he had done all week, hopefully he would snap out of it soon. I wanted to give him some time. His eyes were empty, like my mother had took the light from them with her when she went to heaven. It scared me, I'd never seen him like this before. It wouldn't last forever.

"I'm really hungry." I said gently, sitting on the floor next to my fathers chair, I could only try and comfort him.

"There's food in the cupboard." His voice was monotone, he didn't sound like himself.

"There's not." I shook my head. "Have you eaten today?" He said nothing, he clearly needed taking care of at the minute.

"Can you give me some money to head into town? I can make you some dinner, that will help right?" I didn't really know what to do, I was terrified. I was just trying to be a good daughter.