Bounties, Buddies, and Bandits Part 1

We only stayed in the town of Marshall just barely for a day, as we left it pretty early this morning. What a funny coincidence that he has the same name.

But then again, there is a city named Alexandria which is also a person's name. Then I remembered that he named it after himself, what an eccentric guy.

We continued to ride north, deep into the forest. This place feels like uncharted territory as there’s no man-made stuffs were seen since we entered it up until now.

However, Marsh navigated through this lush terrain with little to no struggle. My only guess is that he might use this route as a shortcut before. It is noon now, and yet the forest hasn’t clear yet. It feels like it’s getting denser almost.

“Marsh, can we rest for a bit around here?”

“Ah sure, no problem,” he replied.

We took a rest under a big oak tree. Not a lot of sunlight came through as the forest rooftops are covered by the dense tree branches and leaves. Marsh let Betsy to graze the surrounding grasses, meanwhile I sat against the tree and dozed off.

When I was asleep, my dreams displayed bitter memories from the past.

“You insolence child...!”

Resulting in me to wake up in a cold sweat. It’s been so long since I had that nightmares. I don’t know how long I fell asleep. But the sun is still out, and it appears to be in the afternoon.

I immediately stood up and looked around to find Marsh.  Even though Betsy is here, he’s nowhere to be found. I searched for a bit until I found a river.

There’s nothing amiss about it except for the foreign reflective objects scattered around the ground behind a boulder that’s by the riverside.

I walked closer and inspected them. No doubt, these are bullet casings, six of them in total. How in the hell did I not wake up when there were gunshots fired?

I jumped over the river as I saw there are more bullet casings on the ground. I continued to walk ahead and into the forest as it appears that the gunfight continue to took place there.

And I was right. Beside a tree, two revolvers were on the ground and it is Marsh’s. One of them has the cylinder opened with all chambers empty. I checked the other one and all chambers are filled but one shot were fired.

With that, I know he was caught trying to reload. If he’s forced to use two guns and with more than twelve bullets fired, it probably means that there are more than one pursuer.

“They really got him. Damn it!”

I took the guns with me and sprinted back to get Betsy. I’m no expert at riding horses, but I get the rough idea on how after observing Marsh when we rode together.

Betsy neighed gruntingly as I spurred him to speed up. I haven’t use my vampire senses for a while as I don't want to. But this time I have to do it, I just hope that I still got it.

I then took a really deep breath. I picked up his scent along other foreign ones that I don’t recognize. They’re definitely heading this way.

My mind is going all over the place, as I imagined that the worst has just happened. I just hope that I’m not too late and can make it in time.

Meanwhile, further on the east, still deep in the forest. A small camp is being set up by the bounty hunters.

“Wouldn’t it be best if we keep going? We can arrive in two days!”

“Chris, I know you’re worried,” I said as I cleaned my rifle. “But we gotta rest for a bit.”

“Also, we didn’t see or find the vampire. What if she attacked us in the night?”

“That’s what I’m kinda hoping for. We camp here and use him as a bait, I want to see a vampire for the first time and kill it.”

“Is that just to prove a point to the odd woman back then?”

“We can make fun of them if we do their job better than them. Two birds one stone.”

With my rifle cleaned, I put the cloth back in my pocket.

“Boss, I’ve tied him against a tree just like you asked.”

“Thank you Rick. Also, stop calling me boss, you can call me Leon. Because I’m retiring after this,” I replied.

“So you were serious?” asked Chris.

I then stood up, slinged my rifle back, and walked towards the man that’s tied to the tree.

“Of course. The whole reason I become a bounty hunter and gathered you two to form Mud Boys is to catch this guy right here.”

The outlaw that’s tied up then opened his mouth grinning.

“So you guys are the Mud Boys huh? Thought y’all would be more scary, but you are just a bunch of morons, just like the name.”

“As if the Scorched Folks is any better,” I retorted.

“I’m not the one who came up with that.”

“Doesn’t matter. Speaking of Scorched, I had a bunch of fun hunting it’s members one by one.”

I then unsheathed my knife and started to juggle and fidget it with my hands.

“Starting with Clark. The guy sure talks a lot, but he’s no big deal. However he was really quiet when they brought him to the gallow. Then there’s Jean, she sure was tough and put up a good fight. But she was no match for me. Tony ran away like a coward while big Timmy squealed like a pig.

“And I enjoyed seeing all of them in desperation and despair. The fear in their eyes, and their true color that showed when they're in their final moment.”

He then spat at me, his spit landed on my shirt.

“You are sick and twisted you know that?”

“Me? I’m the one? I’M THE ONE WHO’S SICK AND TWISTED‽”

As I kicked him square in the face with my right foot.

“Just think for a second and look back at all of the atrocious acts you’ve done.”

He didn’t respond, all he did just silently hold the pain in.

“I wish I could say that this is not personal. But unfortunately, this is quite personal buddy.”

“Buddy?”

“You probably overheard that my name is Leon. Let me be more clear, my full name is Leon Mitch. Does that ring any bells?”

“...”

There was silence at first, with the burning campfire in the back and the setting sun caused the forest to get darker.

After thinking for a bit he then replied while smirking.

“I think I do, but I don’t know where. It must’ve been so insignificant, that’s why I forgot.”

With this way of speaking, I know that he’s trying to get under my skin. And it’s currently working.

“Unless you want to help me remember wh—”

Without waiting for him to finish, I threw the knife that I’ve been fidgeting at his head. Landed to the right of it, as I purposely missed.

He was aghast by it as he doesn’t expect that to happen. I then lowered my bandana, stared him dead in the eye, and took of my hat as I spoke to him sternly.

“Don’t you worry, I will help you remember!”