Make My World Go Black

Chapter Four

The next morning, a small train of wagons and horses load up and take up a chunk of town as people started piling up their things and leaving Rose Creek behind in search of safety. About half the town has already given up hope and was leaving the rest to fend for themselves.

"These bodies don't get buried in the church graveyard. You take 'em to Boot Hill."

"I expect we'll make ten miles by sundown."

"I suppose that undertaker's gonna get some business out of this deal," Faraday mutters to himself and his new compadres watch the train leave from the porch of the saloon. Laying back against the wall, Faraday noticed the man Gavin trying to persuade his ladies that work at the hotel to stay, while the girls pile into one wagon.

"I guarantee you, there ain't no reason to be running off scared. Hate to see y'all go like this. Now, now won't you reconsider?"

One woman was staring up at the saloon, a distant, heavy look on her face when her eyes land on Faraday. He winks, but her expression drops and covers the wagon's window with a blind.

"Who'd have thought we'd travel these many miles just to have the good people of Rose Creek turn tail and leave us to die?" Goodnight talks mostly to himself, but his new friends heard him.

"Some people have died for much less," Horne states.

This makes Sam turn his head to look at Jack, a grave look on his face while his posture changes as the bounty hunter turn around and walk back into the saloon. Matilda was leaning against one of the posts across from Vasquez, exchanging her cup of coffee for one of his smokes. Looking out and watching the train of cowards disappear, a new crowd takes their place as a group of farmers with Emma at the lead starts walking towards them.

"Behold. Our army approaches." Goodnight announces while standing up and crossing the porch, leaning onto a rail.

Upon inspecting the weapons they had, Faraday makes the sarcastic remark of, "Oh good, they brought their pitchforks. We may stand a chance after all."

This does not please Horne as he stares up at the sky, "Lord, keep me from judgment."

Matilda snickered.

~~~~~~~~~

"Gun on your shoulder. Right shoulder."

That night, with the sun barely above the horizon anymore, Faraday had men line up out in the fields, teaching them how to hold a rifle. He had a bunch of them look ridiculous and so corrects them of their foolishness, flipping guns over if they were holding it wrong and getting rid of the farm equipment if they were still holding any.

For a group of teenaged boys and younger men, Billy decided to teach them his specialty. "Knives. There's nothing to it."

He flips one in his hand before tossing both knives into the straw dummy, making the men look a little unsteady.

"Oh, boy," Faraday grumbles as he grabs Gavin's gun, who was even holding it upside down! Even as Faraday moved on, Gavin still dropped it.

"Who here fought in the War of Northern Aggression?" Faraday spoke while flipping over Turner's gun.

"Not me." Some muttered, as Faraday makes it to the Barber, who didn't hold a gun, but his shears.

"What is this? Come on." Faraday deadpanned.

"Now, I know not all of you need no explanation on how to ride a horse, as you all are in fact farmers." Matilda stood among a line of men just outside the small ranch of horses one afternoon, her hands on her hips, "But if you're getting shot at, stabbed, or need to hold a gun while holding the reins, then I hate to tell you darlings but you're gonna need all the help that you can get."