Out Of Time

Kieran

It was the middle of the night when Arthur woke up to Sam talking in her sleep.  She hadn't done that in a while. 

"Mmm, Arthur..." Sam said while in a deep slumber.

Arthur rested his weight on his arm while draping his other arm across her stomach.  "Yes, sweetheart?"

Sam took a deep, sleepy breath.  "Tell that buck I don't need him anymore..."

Arthur grinned and kissed her cheek.  "Alright.  Listen here, pal.  Sam don't need you no more, so stop comin' around."

Sam frowned in her sleep.  "He's not goin' away."

Arthur chuckled and nuzzled her neck.  "Then ignore him."

"I can't," she whimpered.  "He's coming after me."

Arthur sat up quickly.  Uh oh.  "Sam, run."

Sam started rolling about in her sleep.  "I...he's catching up."

Arthur tried to shake her awake.  "Sam, wake up.  Don't let him get to you."

"He's coming," she whined, thrashing a little as she slept.

Arthur tried waking her up again.  She wasn't waking up.  Suddenly her body disappeared and Arthur's eyes widened from fear. 

"Sam?"  He got up out of bed as a fog came drifting into the room.  A buck walked in from the porch and looked at Arthur as he put on his pants.  "Where did she go?!" he demanded.

"She went home to her time," the buck said in Arthur's voice.

"But why?!  She wanted to stay with me!"

"Because you can't protect her."

"Arthur?" he heard Sam, her voice disembodied and echoing.

"Sam!  Where are you?" he shouted.

"Arthur, I can't find you!"

Arthur ran past the buck and out of the bedroom.  More fog was all over the house.  "Sam!"

"Arthur, where are you?!"

Sam's voice came in a little clearer.  It sounded like it was coming from outside in the back.  He raced around the staircase and down, then went out the back door.  The whole area was thick with fog.  He walked around, calling out her name, until he came across Bronte's mansion.  He heard Sam screaming from inside.  Arthur could also hear Eliza and Isaac screaming.  What the hell?  Arthur kicked at the front door but it wouldn't budge.

"Not again..." he groaned.  He knew he was dreaming but he couldn't help but try to kick the door down.  More screaming came from inside.  "I'm comin'!"

He kept trying to break the door down and finally it crashed open.  Now he was in Eliza and Isaac's house.  He walked forward and saw Eliza, Isaac and Sam clinging to one another as Bronte aimed a gun at them.  Bronte looked back at Arthur, the devil in his smile and eyes.

"You can't save them, and you won't keep Sam from me.  I'll find her and you'll never see her again."

"Over my dead body!" Arthur snapped.

Bronte shrugged and pointed the gun at Arthur.  "Suit yourself."

Bronte fired the gun before Arthur could react.  He looked down and saw blood trickling from his chest.  Shit.  Arthur fell to the floor, looking at Sam, Isaac and Eliza.  They all looked horrified.  Bronte came over and aimed the gun at Arthur's head, then a shot rang out.

Arthur shot up in bed, breathing and sweating heavily.  He looked around for Sam but she wasn't in bed.  He realized it was morning and quickly scrambled out of bed, only shoving on his pants.  He marched out of the bedroom and down the stairs.  When he got to the front doors, he shoved them open and looked around outside.  He immediately saw the gang members crowded in a circle and he walked over to them.  He peeked over to see Sam on the ground, pushing on Charles' chest.