Unshaken

The Great Escape

Liam decided the next day to go scouting around the greater Bayou NWA area. He needed to get out of camp anyway. He only wore a button down shirt and some ranch pants due to the oppressive heat and humidity. He tied a black bandana around his neck. His boots were high quality which he appreciated, and Colter seemed to listen better when he wore spurs, though Liam never really had to use them.

He rode out into the swamps exploring. While he was trailing a road, someone called out to him. "Hello there, mister." He heard. He looked around and saw a worn down shack on the distance. He rode up to the house. A man in a union suit and overalls was sitting on the porch. "Mister." Liam greeted. The man stood up. "You must be real lonely out here, friend." The man said walking to his door. "Not particularly." Liam said. He noticed the man's odd mannerisms. "So... you hungry? Huh? I got food... I got food inside, come along." The man said walking in and holding the door open.

It did seem odd to Liam of how overly-friendly he was being. He thought for a moment. The man didn't seem strong or tough, and wouldn't be a threat to Liam if his intentions were malicious. He also thought it would've been rude to deny the man's offer. Liam shrugged and walked up the porch and through the door. "Now come here." The man said. Liam turned around and was met with a club to his head that knocked him unconscious.

He was in and out of consciousness. "Don't you hate ole Sonny, now, don't hate him." Liam heard. He blacked out again. The next moment he opened his eyes, Sonny was kneeling over him. Liam's hands were tied to the wall. It was now dark out. His shirt was fully unbuttoned. His gun belt was nowhere to be found. Sonny was stroking the side of his head. He could barely think. He groaned in pain. "Oh, you struggled, and you lost. But it was quite a tussle, I tell you. Quite a tussle, my pet." Sonny said following with a laugh. Liam's head pounded. "See, friendship ain't so tough, and neither is you. Let's see just how tough you is." Sonny said reaching towards Liam's pants.

As Sonny was about to unbutton Liam's pants, Liam kneed him in the temple of his skull with all of his strength, using the rope around his hands for leverage. Sonny cried out and fell to the ground. Liam jerked the rope on his wrists and broke it. He groggily stood up, quickly looking for his weapons. He realized they were both standing in the loft of the shack. Sonny grunted and stood up. "Oh, you wanna do this the hard way, handsome? I'd hate to mess up that pretty face!" He yelled, grabbing old bottles. He threw one at Liam's face which he dodged and it busted in the wall behind him. Sonny broke the other bottle and attempted to stab Liam with it. Liam knocked the bottle out of his hands, which fell through the loft onto the floor. The boards they were standing on felt like they could break at any second.

Sonny screamed and charged at him. He tackled Liam, causing the two to break through the loft and fall to the bottom floor of the shack. Dust filled the shack. Liam had landed on his back, knocking the breath out of him. His ears rung. He couldn't see or hear Sonny anywhere. He scooted back to the wall, coughing, and regained some of his strength. "You is just so pretty, I didn't want to kill ya, but you leave me no choice, good-looking." Sonny said, appearing from the dust, coming at him with the club he had knocked him out with in the beginning. Liam pulled himself up, he had to think quick. "Come on!" Liam aggressively yelled, pushing the armoire near him over, hitting Sonny and knocking him down, the club falling to the floor.

Sonny groaned on the ground. Liam picked up the club. He glared at Sonny. He walked up to him. "You sick bastard!" Liam screamed hitting Sonny with the club. He was unconscious now. Liam got angry and hit him again, over and over, until Sonny's face was unrecognizable. He threw the club down. He quickly climbed up into the loft, what was left of it, and found his gun belt near where he was, along with his cash. He buttoned up his shirt and put his gun belt on, putting the cash back into his satchel. He lit a match and threw it on the floor, slowly setting the cabin ablaze. He got out before the flames trapped him in. He knew camp wasn't far from where he was. He decided not to go back until he composed himself, not wanting to add to their stress. He heard the house falling apart as the flames rose.

Liam climbed on Colter and rode west. His eyes welled up and he clenched his jaw in anger. His trust had been battered once more. He choked up many times during the ride. He'd wondered what made people so evil. He rode for a while and decided to go to Ringneck Creek back in Scarlett Meadows. It would be a while, but he knew he needed it. The sun started to rise. He rode through the trees and found the creek as the glistening morning sun shone through them, making the water sparkle. He sighed with relief and climbed off of Colter. He took off his boots and waded in. He fully submerged himself. He laid in tranquil as the water ran over him as he held his breath. All his worry's seemed to wash away with the flow of the water. For a moment, everything seemed alright. He was at one with the world. He came back up and faced reality. He hoped wherever the men were, they were alright.