There are eleven chapters in total, which can be accessed at the bottom of each page. I have also provided a list of links to each chapter below.
Chapter 2
LEARNING TO TRUST
CHAPTER ONE
"That sky looks a might ominous son, you'd best put some miles between you and the weather." The old stationmaster advised Buck.
"Thanks, I will, HAAA" Buck kicked his horse and rode off toward Rock Creek.
The sky had taken on a greenish tinge that looked bad. The clouds were in a formation that reminded Buck of the blacksmith's anvil. The sun was gone. Buck rode on for several miles. I don't like the looks of this, Buck thought to himself. It really doesn't feel right. A mile or so later he reached a small stream and stopped to water the horse and fill his canteen. The horse flattened his ears and nickered.
"You don't like the looks of things either huh, boy?" Buck patted the horse's neck in an effort to calm the restless animal. The horse snorted. "Yeah, it don't smell right either." Buck remounted and began looking for shelter from the upcoming storm.
They'd only gone a half mile or so when Buck spotted a cabin in the distance. There was a lean to off to one side and Buck hoped they might offer a bit of shelter. The wind was picking up and it had started to rain. The sky had darkened to twilight even though it was mid afternoon. The cabin was still a half mile or so away. The rain came in sheets, cold icy needles that hurt when they hit. The storm was loud, the wind was screaming. Suddenly a bolt of lightening split the sky and hit the ground near the cabin; the thunder was louder than any Buck had ever heard before. It proved too much for horse and rider and Buck found himself unseated and rolling on the ground as the frightened animal fled. He cursed and began picking himself up when he saw it; a twister. Buck flattened himself down onto the ground and put his hands over his head. Time stood still, the wind screamed and beat his body with everything it picked up. He could hear someone screaming then he realized it was himself. The ditch Buck had landed in served him well and after an eternity the wind moved away. Every muscle in Buck's body hurt. He was covered in mud and blood. He'd been cut hundreds of times from grass and tiny pebbles the wind had thrown at him. His ears hurt. He was alive. The whole ordeal had probably lasted less than five minutes.
He looked in the direction of the cabin and to his horror it was gone. The twister had flattened the structures. Buck rose to his feet and began to run towards the devastated area, if someone was there, they'd need help. He fell several times his own body still shaky from the ordeal.
"Hello, is anybody here?" Buck called when he reached the pile of wood that used to be someone's home.
Buck looked around hoping that whoever lived here wasn't home when the twister hit but his heart sank when he found the first body. The man was older probably in his mid to late forties, his neck had been broken. The next body was another man, a bit younger, probably in his late thirties. He was impaled by a beam; Buck hoped his death had been quick. It was then Buck heard a muffled cry. "Hello, where are you? Can you hear me?" Buck stood still listening hoping to hear the sound again. He began to dig through the rubble where he thought the sound had come from. He was rewarded with another cry; a wail, like a baby.
He found a boot, a man's boot, attached to a horribly twisted leg and another dead body. This man was only a year or so older than himself. Under the man's body was a woman and under the woman was a baby. Buck worked feverishly to free the man's body so he could reach the baby; it was whimpering. Buck prayed as he worked, asking the Spirits to help him save this child's life. He finally succeeded in freeing the man's body and moved him off the woman. He was reaching for her arm to move her when she moaned.
"It's gonna be alright Ma'am, I don't mean to hurt ya but I gotta help your baby." He gently moved her body just enough to free the toddler. He gently picked up the terrified tot and checked him over. He had some cuts and bruises and his arm was broken but other wise he looked ok. The child had a death grip on Buck's neck and Buck rubbed the child's back in an effort to soothe him. "I gotta check on your momma, little buddy. It's gonna be alright." Buck managed to shift the baby to his hip and suddenly realized why women had hips. Using his other hand he moved a bit of debris and was able to roll the woman over.
She was young; younger than him, maybe sixteen or seventeen. Buck wondered if maybe instead of being the baby's mother she was his sister. She moaned again. "Miss, miss, hello, can you hear me?" Buck gently patted her face in an effort to wake her. Her eyes fluttered open and he saw the most beautiful green eyes he'd ever seen. "Hi, I'm Buck Cross, your cabin got hit by a twister but you and your baby are gonna be alright." He caressed her face, she looked horrified. "I won't hurt you. I'm gonna help get you out of here and back to someplace safe."
Her gaze shifted to the child squirming in Buck's arm. She reached up and touched the child. "Matty, Thank God." Her eyes shifted to Buck's face. "You're hurt." She ran the back of her fingers over Buck's cheek, they came away bloody. He winced in pain. She struggled to sit up and Buck helped her. The rain had abated but not stopped, they both shivered.
"We need to find some shelter. It looks like you need to rest up a bit." Buck looked around. The sky was brightening and he could see the surrounding area a bit better. "What's your name?"
"I'm Sandra; please there are some men here that will kill you if they find you talking to me. Give me Matty and get out of here….. PLEASE!" Her voice was desperate, she was ready to cry.
"Sandra, how many men are there? I've found three." Buck shifted Matty to the other hip in case he needed to get to his gun. "Can you stand?" He reached an arm around her almost lifting her as she struggled to stand. She was painfully thin.
"Three? You've found three, what does found mean?" Sandra started looking around her and really seeing the devastation for the first time. "Oh My God" she leaned heavily on Buck as she spotted the man Buck had pushed off of her.
"I'm sorry but they're all dead. That one was on top of you and Matty." Buck pointed to the man closest to them.
"Are you sure? Are you sure they're dead?" Sandra took Matty from Buck and began checking the toddler for herself.
"I'm sorry, Sandra, but yes, I'm sure." Buck led them away from the debris that had been their home.
"Don't be, they were mean, hateful men. If it weren't for Matty here I probably would have killed myself long ago." Sandra stated flatly. Buck looked shocked. "Buck, is that right?" Buck nodded. "They made my life a living hell. They didn't deserve to die so quickly"
He reached for her arm to help her walk, she pulled away. "Please, No. Not yet."
"I won't hurt you…." Buck didn't know how to respond. "Are you hurt; I think Matty has a broken arm." The child wailed as if on cue.
"There's a heavy strand of pines over in that direction, we can find some shelter there. Have you seen our horses? How did you find this place anyway?" Sandra looked at him quizzically.
Buck set up a small camp using pine boughs then went back to the cabin to see if he could salvage anything useful. While he was there scavenging, two horses, followed by the one he'd been riding, showed up. All three had scratches and were bleeding in spots but otherwise were fine. Buck found another saddle and saddle bags. He saddled one of the horses and filled the saddle bags with the items he took from the debris.
By the time he arrived back at the campsite, Sandra had found some water and had cleaned up both Matty and herself. Buck looked at her; she was beautiful, and tiny. He tended to the horses and joined her. They spread the blankets he'd retrieved out to dry by the fire and heated some coffee. Buck caught a rabbit and Sandra roasted it, Matty was happily attempting to remove the splint they had tied the arm up with, cooing to himself. "Is that your son?" Buck finally asked.
"Oh, no, He's my nephew, and the son of the man you pulled off me. You're a mess, what happened to you? Let me clean up some of those cuts for you." Sandra gently brushed back the matted hair from Buck's face. "You're gonna have a black eye, its already almost swollen shut. Hold still its just water….." She washed the cuts on Buck's face and neck.
"The lightening spooked my horse and he threw me. I landed in a ditch but then I got caught in the twister. It felt like it was trying to rip me apart." Buck looked down at himself for the first time since the storm broke. His clothing was ripped to shreds in some places. He was covered in mud and blood. His back felt like it was scraped raw. He touched his back; his fingers were bloody "Where did you get the water? I guess I should wash up a bit."
"There's a small pond just past those trees. If you rinse out your clothes I'll hang them up to dry." She looked at Buck with an expression on her face he couldn't read.
"Ok, be right back." Buck made his way to the pond and attempted to scrape off some of the mud and blood from both himself and his clothes. He finally gave up and dunked his head under water to get the mud out of his hair.
"You could use a clean change of clothes and a bath!" she laughed as he reentered the little camp. She had hung his coat up to dry near the fire.
"Well, I guess that will have to wait. Can you ride?" Buck checked the blankets and found some had dried.
"I haven't ridden a horse in ages, not since I was a little girl, but I guess I'll learn!" She checked the rabbit and proclaimed it done. "Come on Buck, leave those for a bit, eat while it's hot."
"Rock Creek is about a day's ride from here. That's where I'm from, I used to ride for the pony express but now I just do some special runs and help out as a deputy. The Marshall, he's a friend of mine, he'll help you get in touch with your family." Buck loved looking at her green eyes.
"I don't have any family, they're all dead. I guess it's just me and Matty now." Her eyes drifted to the far edge of the clearing, Buck could barely make out something that might have been two grave mounds. One was recent.
"I'm sorry, Sandra. I'll take care of the other bodies in the morning." Buck touched her arm and she flinched. "Are you hurt? Did I hurt you?" His voice full of concern.
Sandra looked away, and then turned her attention to Matty. "I'm fine; just leave the bodies to rot."
Later that night Buck woke to hear the soft sounds of someone crying. "Sandra? Are you OK?" He could see her, her face buried in the blankets, her body shaking with each sob. He got up and gently drew her into his arms. She stiffened up at first then melted bonelessly into his chest. "It's gonna be alright, you'll see"
Sandra cried herself to sleep in his arms and Buck spent a sleepless night wondering what had gone on in that cabin.
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