V
09-04-2010, 12:45 PM
A short Tale I wrote tonight :D Hope you like, comments are welcome :)
~
Cactus had his back.
Cactus only had two. And four.
He had two as well; though one was useless now. The barrel destroyed in some incident, he didn't know why he kept it. Sentiment, perhaps. It hung useless in the holster touching dirt. Blood ran parallel to the broken weapon.
Cactus had everything.
Cacti caught the late sun sending great shadows over the bluff and to the earth beyond. Darkness already hid him and Cactus. The other man clicked around his weapons checking for damage. Not long now.
Cactus nodded, everything fine on his half.
He had the working weapon in hand. The other was wrapped around the wound in his side. It wept. Something held the pain off, perhaps he'd taken something earlier? In Cortage? But that was a week away. A week away on a good horse. A horse they didn't have.
Cactus waited.
He nodded.
They had their fingers on the triggers. He closed his eyes muttering a prayer to a god he didn't know. Perhaps he'd meet them soon. He opened and let out a huge breath, body shuddering and unnaturally feeling no pain. Still.
Twins decided to speak up: “oi we gots your partner!” - “got him, dead,” laugher, “c'mon nuthin to live for now!” - “oi shows your pretty face!” - “we's wanna shoot it dead too!” More laughter.
“Debts gotta be paid; youse two gonna pay with blood!” He shouted over the mound, he watched the shadows for any sign of his enemies. But they didn't come yet. He took the time to call again, “we got our guns ready to blast you with holes.”
Cactus had two and four. He had one and two.
“Ain't got non ammo you, we have plenty.” Shot back one of the twins. He tracked the voice over the bluff. There was a shallow rock emerging from the earth, he remembered. The other twin made no response. And none was required. Dead sun caught his hat, joining it with shadow, but it was moving. The other twin was trying to flank them.
Cactus nodded.
He rose dragging the dust and dirt into lowlight. Firing once with a loose aim his bullet surged through the air. Killing the twin an instant later with a shot through the heart. The weapon in his target's hand let off a shot into the air.
He twirled about eyes coming the fading star and the shallow rock. He heard a shout of brother through the pounding in his ears. But the remaining twin held a moment longer and didn't emerge. He waited and took a staggered step to steady. And aim.
One bullet.
Cactus wasn't coming now.
One bullet, one enemy. Two seconds.
He fired.
The twin slumped over the rock stunned; his own bullet flying wide. Dead with a hole through his head.
Dead like Cactus.
He fell back crying. The cactus peeked over the ridge and into his sight from the earth. He rolled his head to the side and saw the two guns and their four bullets unloaded beside.
Cactus was dead.
The twins were dead now.
Blood flowed from the wound underneath his shirt. The wound in his side.
He was dying.
And no one was coming.
~
Cactus had his back.
Cactus only had two. And four.
He had two as well; though one was useless now. The barrel destroyed in some incident, he didn't know why he kept it. Sentiment, perhaps. It hung useless in the holster touching dirt. Blood ran parallel to the broken weapon.
Cactus had everything.
Cacti caught the late sun sending great shadows over the bluff and to the earth beyond. Darkness already hid him and Cactus. The other man clicked around his weapons checking for damage. Not long now.
Cactus nodded, everything fine on his half.
He had the working weapon in hand. The other was wrapped around the wound in his side. It wept. Something held the pain off, perhaps he'd taken something earlier? In Cortage? But that was a week away. A week away on a good horse. A horse they didn't have.
Cactus waited.
He nodded.
They had their fingers on the triggers. He closed his eyes muttering a prayer to a god he didn't know. Perhaps he'd meet them soon. He opened and let out a huge breath, body shuddering and unnaturally feeling no pain. Still.
Twins decided to speak up: “oi we gots your partner!” - “got him, dead,” laugher, “c'mon nuthin to live for now!” - “oi shows your pretty face!” - “we's wanna shoot it dead too!” More laughter.
“Debts gotta be paid; youse two gonna pay with blood!” He shouted over the mound, he watched the shadows for any sign of his enemies. But they didn't come yet. He took the time to call again, “we got our guns ready to blast you with holes.”
Cactus had two and four. He had one and two.
“Ain't got non ammo you, we have plenty.” Shot back one of the twins. He tracked the voice over the bluff. There was a shallow rock emerging from the earth, he remembered. The other twin made no response. And none was required. Dead sun caught his hat, joining it with shadow, but it was moving. The other twin was trying to flank them.
Cactus nodded.
He rose dragging the dust and dirt into lowlight. Firing once with a loose aim his bullet surged through the air. Killing the twin an instant later with a shot through the heart. The weapon in his target's hand let off a shot into the air.
He twirled about eyes coming the fading star and the shallow rock. He heard a shout of brother through the pounding in his ears. But the remaining twin held a moment longer and didn't emerge. He waited and took a staggered step to steady. And aim.
One bullet.
Cactus wasn't coming now.
One bullet, one enemy. Two seconds.
He fired.
The twin slumped over the rock stunned; his own bullet flying wide. Dead with a hole through his head.
Dead like Cactus.
He fell back crying. The cactus peeked over the ridge and into his sight from the earth. He rolled his head to the side and saw the two guns and their four bullets unloaded beside.
Cactus was dead.
The twins were dead now.
Blood flowed from the wound underneath his shirt. The wound in his side.
He was dying.
And no one was coming.