A Stolen Heart (TomTord)

Chapter 8

(Before I start-
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    Thompson kept a close eye on everyone in the small town, looking for anything. Horned hair, red eyes, flashing too many grins, but couldn't find a single person that came close to fitting the bill. He ranted about this frequently to his bartender friend, who seemed to be the only one willing to listen to his non-stop sentences. That's something he admired about him, and it actually helped him feel bad about whatever was on his mind.
The sheriff eventually gave up on watching everyone's movements and just went back to what he would normally do when bored. Throw homemade darts at a Red Bandit wanted poster on his wall. Well, until night hit. He didn't get any sleep, so he just slumped out of his office, eye half lidded and a tired scowl on his face.

This time, when the sun sank behind the horizon, Red was waiting for him in the center of town. He was sitting cross legged in the desert sand, hands on his knees as he stared up at the darkening sky. He had a normal smile on his face and, once Thompson walked up to him, he looked at the sheriff and his smile widened.
"Hey there." He greeted simply. Thompson sat near him, against a sign post. He yawned.
"Hey..." he mumbled, obviously tired. This, for some reason, made Red frown a bit.
"Did you even get a minute of sleep?"
"Nah. Too busy trying to find you." Thompson explained with a yawn.
"Wow. I'm surprised you haven't. I saw you."
"You did? You have a good disguise."
"Guess I do. Because you looked straight at me more than once and didn't even suspect a thing." Red chuckled. Thompson just looked so confused, which made him bite back more snickers. He couldn't tell him just yet, he wanted to have a bit of fun. So, Red decided to switch the subject for now.

"Hey, Thompson? Want to know why I stay in the desert?"
"Why? Because you're too lazy to leave California?"
"Nope." Red looked back up at the sky and fell backwards into the dirt. "I like how there ain't any trees to block the sky. Ya know? It's nice and cool at night, and if you know what to do, you don't overheat in the sun. And, at night, you can see the stars." Red explained. Thompson nodded a bit and switched his eyes to the sky. Red smiled a bit and closed his eyes, putting his hands behind his head after tipping his hat a bit over his eyes.
    "That's why, when I travel, I sleep on the round. The rocks and sand don't matter to me. I just like sleeping under the stars."
    "Why?" Thompson looked at him. Red shrugged a bit, keeping his eyes closed.
    "Dunno. I guess it's because my dads got me to believe in fate. And that it rests among the stars. So, I feel protected. I guess you could say."