A Life Of 'Shine - Lem Fike

9

"Lemuel Fike you are under arrest for the manufacture and distribution of an illegal substance-" His voice was sour, an unwelcomed presence in her mind. She squeezed her eyes tighter as the memory came back to her, the nightmare starting to distort into a hideous scene before her. She was powerless to the erray of images she saw, waves and waves of Revenue Agents appearing from the blackened abyss in her mind. The gunfire would not stop, the darkness drawing closer until she was firing blindly into the black fog.

Nora tossed and turned in the bed, the room's temperature increasing as the nightmare continued until she shot up with a gasp- the sequence coming to an end as she slowly woke from the nightmarish slumber. Lem broke into the bedroom, narrowing his eyes at the girl before him. She looked scared, frantically gasping for air as the memory of the boat began to replay in her mind. This wasn't the first of nightmarish memories the girl had, every encounter with Hixon had left an imprint in poor Nora to which she would always dream about.

Lem slowly approached, sitting on the edge of the bed before gently embracing her, running his hands through her hair which had proved to be an efficient method of calming her down. She still shook but at least now her breathing had stabilised- her lungs no longer burning.

"T-They shot you. I couldn't see them and you died and I couldn't do anything." Lem shushed her, continuing to gently brush through her hair.

"I ain't dying so soon. I-It's all over now and I'm here with you." His voice was gentle, spoken in whispers to not cause anymore fear in the quivering female sat next him. She leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his body while letting out gentle sobs. He kept her close, as if he were a shield protecting her from anymore unwanted danger.

The two sat in an embrace for a little while longer before Lem had to pull away, brushing strands away from her forehead in his best attempts at getting her to settle. She looked up at him with a sweet smile, a silent way to say thank you to her best friend.

"It's late, you should get back to sleep." He was calm in his words, taking a slight authoritative tone yet still being the gentle man she had learned to love.

"Can you stay? I don't want to be alone." She looked up at him, the moon shone down on her face- a soft veil in the harsh night. With the light he could see the fear clearly, knowing she needed to be alongside someone and yet feeling wrong about lying by her side. Yet on impulse he nodded to accept her request, acting without control as he slowly approached the female.

She had led back down, wrapping up in the blanket while leaving plenty of room for Lem to lie next to her. He was still a gentleman afterall and despite wanting to curl up under the sheets with her, he opted to lie on top without a care for the cold that would surely attack him later on.

"Sleep, Nora. I'm right here." His voice was gentle once more, no command or authority in it. He was gently guiding her into sleep. He hesitantly moved his arms to wrap around her, keeping her safe in his embrace, an offer she appreciated. She soon had drifted off into a slumber, snoring lightly against him.

He looked down at her with a smile, staying next to her for a moment longer to make use she truly was asleep. Although he could move now and return to his room, he didn't want to disturb the girl or leave her alone incase she were to startle herself awake once more.

It felt wrong lying next to her and Lem knew it to be just that, yet he couldn't feel any fault in his actions- sure he probably shouldn't have done it but seeing her so frightened awakened something deep within him. When they had first met, Nora was always protecting him and each time there was never any visible fear from the warrior before him. When Hixon finally died the two had a moment to celebrate alone, which they took with a bottle of whiskey between them. Nora's nightmares were a recent addition however, and seeing how she had protected him all those times he couldn't help but feel the urge to reciprocate those actions. Although he was no good in a fire fight, laying next to her proved to be enough at least for the two of them.

He found it difficult to sleep next to her however, their was a sense of stupidity in the situation that he ignored. If there was no sleep then he wasn't going to fight it, instead opting to remain awake until she woke herself, then maybe he could retreat back to his bed for a few hours for a nap.

There would still be a few hours of night left, spring days starting early but yet the nights feeling longer when there was nothing much to do. If sleep was beyond him he would sit at the dining table with a mug of coffee, watching the dancing flames of the fire or read as many chapters of a book he could manage before passing out then and there. Unfortunately, while he lay next to his best friend he had a moment to reflect on the adventures the pair had just that previous year.

He silently cursed his aunt Maggie for roping her into their mess, previous affairs from years back that the female had no part in and here she was having nightmares from these events and asking Lem to stay with here due to fear preventing her from sleeping alone. It was stupid that he was blaming his aunt even though he knew full well that Nora was responsible for joining them, she was given an offer she could have so easily walked away from and yet she remained.

Nora  chose to stay and help, knowing the consequences of shooting these men who worked for the law, knowing she could die and yet she stayed to which Lem was grateful for. Nora was a kind soul, too pure for this land and yet she was as deadly as most bandits in the west. A scary sight, even scarier for those who end up on the wrong of her knife or gun for that matter.

He remained by her side, watching the wall behind her until the soft rays of sunlight broke through the curtains. Washing away that darkness that lurked in the room. It wasn't until the early birds began singing outside did Lem finally find peace, he knew Nora could protect herself and that he was not needed but as her best friend he did not want to leave the poor female. She had saved him from death many times and so saving her from nightmares was the least he could offer at this given time.