"We are two hearts joined together but always remember me. For we will be forever as one. My brother, under the sun."
•
Ellanora Raycroft. A wander of the Arizona desert. Leaving nothing to hold her past. Keeping her mouth shut and head down.
•
Doc...
The group decided that leading to the town was the best option. The rumours were that a small group of cowboys, directly connected to Johnny Ringo, were hanging in a small town. But it was about two days worth of travel, meaning they had a long road ahead of them.
"We should probably stop soon." Texas Jack suggested.
Everyone had been feeling tired, the sleep was glossed over their eyes like dew on the grass, early in the morning. The ride was longer then Elle had thought. She didn't know there were so many cowboys in Arizona.
"Hey there's an old building up here." McMaster's said from the front of the group.
Everyone looked over the hill they reached over and saw the building. It was an old barn, standing tall in an old valley. The barn was a dark faded grey, the sun bleached the colour from its past days. The ceiling had some holes in it, and the wood looked older then everyone there.
Elle looked at the barn, and remembered the bucket being tipped from the cow. The hay soaking the milk. Her heart dropped and she felt sick. She felt all life drain from her face as everyone sat on their horses looking down upon the barn. It was the barn. It was Ellanora's barn.
"This should be a good spot." Texas Jack said as he got off his horse.
As the other men got off the horse Doc pointed behind the barn to a black dust of old wood and a half standing building. "That looks like a house, maybe we could look there."
Elle turned towards the rubble of her old home and saw what was left. The sand had covered the ruins and it left nothing but fragile parts of the house. You could barely call it a house now.
Elle sat there, staring. She didn't want to go down into the valley where the house and barn stood. She wanted to turn back and go elsewhere. Getting off her horse she slowly walked down the hill and walked up to the barn. The other men had entered the barn and inspected it. Doc Holliday on the other hand, wandered down to the old house that lay dead to the world.
Ellanora turned away from the barn and walked up next to Doc as he looked at the house. They said nothing for a moment. Just looking at the mess. Elle felt lost. She was home, but this wasn't home anymore. Doc then turned away from Elle and walked further north of the house. Elle knew what he saw and didn't want to follow him.
Doc Holliday saw something, peaking just on the other side of the burnt house. Turning to his right, he was three small wooden crosses. Upon further inspection he saw small engraved words on each one. The wood was chipped away with a knife, it's fresh cuts now worn and aged. Looking at the words, his mouth hung open and he turned to Elle who was watching him. They locked eyes for a moment and then she gazed at the crosses.
Wyatt Earp had walked around the house with the three other men after looking in the barn. McMaster's started to look through what was left of the house with the help of Texas Jack and Turkey Creek. Wyatt walked over to Doc who turned back to the crosses. Once he too read the words he turned to Ellanora.
The girls heart vested in her ears. She really didn't want to be here. Seeing the gazes of Doc and Wyatt made her eyes well with tears.
"Ellanora." Wyatt whispered.
Not looking at the men, she walked up next to them and looked down at the crosses which she had made and engraved the names.
Calvin J. Peterson
Mary E. Raycroft.
Henry C. Johnson.
Looking down at the names made her remember that day.
"No no no!" She cried.
She returned to the house a few hours later and saw half the house burnt down and the dead bodies of her father, mother, and friend.
"No Henry no!" She cried into his chest. Her hands now stained with his blood as her tears soaked his shirt.
"Calvin and Mary were my parents." Elle spoke finally. "Henry was-" she didn't know what Henry was. A friend? A lover? "Henry was a farm boy who's family died in the war." Her voice seemed to carry in the wind.
"What happened?" Doc Holliday asked softly.
Elle looked up over the horizon as the sun set in front of them, casting a shadow from the crosses.
"Three years ago. A group of Cowboys came through. I was with Henry at the barn. When we reached the house," she stopped and looked back down, trying to hide her emotions, "they had already killed my parents." Sighing she closed her eyes.
"Ellanora." Wyatt said again, almost like he was reaching for her in the void of sadness.
"Henry told me to run. He told me not to come back. But you know me," she chuckled, fading quickly she continued. "I came back to lay them to rest. I haven't been here since."
Now all five men gathered around Ellanora who looked down at her family and friend. She felt so lost, she felt like a child. She had come all this way, and now she felt like she was back at the start.
"My real name isn't even Ellanora Raycroft." Elle laughed to the men, she gave weak smiles back.
McMasters reached forward to the girl and handed her a piece of paper. Looking down at it, it was a picture of her and Henry, back maybe four years ago. She smiled down at the picture and thanked the man for finding it.
Turning away she went back to the barn and stood inside. It was empty and felt like a hallow shell of what was. The last little bit of sunshine peaked through the holes in the roof and the sounds of the night creeped in. She didn't know how long she was standing there until the light glow of a fire just outside made a shadow on the barn floor. She looked at her shadow and out her head down in defeat. Tears now streamed down her cheeks and she felt herself break. Taking off her hat she saw another shadow form next to her.
Quickly brushing her tears away, they stood looking at the barn together in solemn. Her head was racing in many different directions while his was here in one place. That one place was right there, with Ellanora.
"John Henry." He spoke.
"What?" Elle's voice cracked.
"My real name, John Henry Holliday." Doc turned to Elle who's face was relaxed and filled with tears.
She smiled up at him, "Anna Elle Peterson." She said.
Doc smiled down at the girl and they both turned back to the empty barn. The fire cracking behind them and the moonlight shining through the holes, down upon them.
Author's Note
Introducing Dermot Mulroney As Henry Johnson
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
