1871 - The Territory of Arizona“No one cared about the little town of Twin Arrows. It stood little more than a few run-down buildings on the outskirts of Canyon Diablo. It was a haven for thieves and cutthroats. That’s why all heads turned at the sight of the Mysterious Man entering town. Atop the surrounding hills, the shadowy silhouette of a man and his horse eclipsed the setting sun. Donned with danger and strapped with adventure, he rode into town with a pair of revolvers at each hip. His eyes sparkled righteous fury and his–”.
“Daddy, you told me this one already,” the child-like voice speaks from beneath the sheets.
“I suppose I did, Alex. Do you remember how it ends?”
“The Mysterious Man kills all the bad guys and saves the girl in trouble!”
“Yes… something like that. There's more I haven't shared with you, but that's a story for another time,” you say kissing Alex goodnight.
The rocking chair creaks as you get up to turn off the lights. The old wood floors settle in as you tiptoe away from Alex’s room into the crisp cold night air. Despite the cloudless night, you can barely make out the surrounding treeline.
They’ll never find me here, you first thought when you picked the place to build the cabin.
You squat down to sit, dangling your feet from the porch. Flicking a match from the post beside you, the rush of the first inhale of tobacco assaults your senses and it’s like a weight has been temporarily lifted. As your teeth clamp down on the bone carved pipe, your hand routinely reaches toward your hip towards the place where the .45 called home for most of your life. It’s gone now. You comfortingly pat the knife hanging from the other hip. Reassured and feeling the buzz, your mind drifts off to past events...
