《The plains of ash and bone》 Treasures from a world abandoned Chapter 1: Treasures from a world abandoned Snow covered the old metal train tracks. They were getting rusty, or maybe they already were rusty to begin with. They didn¡¯t know. They¡¯ve never been on this stretch of track before. ¡®¡¯I don¡¯t much like it here neither, I hope that damn freight depot isn¡¯t too far.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Usually I don¡¯t go this far north. Don¡¯t know what¡¯s beyond it. Could be cannibals, or worse, polar bears. Those bears is real nasty. You don¡¯t see them coming those bears, oh no. Big and white and real nasty. They¡¯ll see you long before you see them. The cannibals are just hungry people from over the mountains. I ain¡¯t never seen one in person, but I¡¯ve heard stories. At least they have the courtesy to shoot a man before eating them, don¡¯t see no bear doing that.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Have you ever even seen a bear, Doc?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯No white bears, just the black and brown ones. Brown ones is nasty too, but they¡¯s got a more diverse diet so they ain¡¯t hunt humans alone. Black ones is no match for guns, ¡®sides, if you just look big they ain¡¯t gunna do you nothing.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯You sure about that?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Yeah I done it before. Stood there like a real man, and that bear ran right off.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Bullshit¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Believe whatever you want to believe kid, it ain¡¯t gonna change nothing.¡¯¡¯ They walked across a big trestle bridge, trying not to slide off the sides. It looked unstable, the creaking of the wood didn¡¯t make them feel much safer. ¡®¡¯Are we almost there? This bridge don¡¯t feel safe¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Come on kid, surely you¡¯re used to something? How long you been in the north, a couple of months now? Next you¡¯re gonna tell me there¡¯s no bridges where you come from.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯You talk too much.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Well you talk too little. Now shut up, we¡¯re almost at the depot, and I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s unkind people in that building.¡¯¡¯ The kid whispered to Doc ¡®¡¯Folk never go out here, there are no trade lines on this part of the tracks. And that¡¯s not too crazy with that raggedy ass bridge.¡¯¡¯ Suddenly a small poof sound landed next to his foot in the snow and a hole appeared. He had little time to react before Doc grabbed his arm and dragged him behind some crates. ¡®¡¯Pay attention son, that was a gunshot.¡¯¡¯ Doc cycled a round in the chamber of his old enfield rifle. ¡®¡¯You got iron right?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Yeah, yeah I do, I do¡¯¡¯ He said, muttering between heavy breaths. ¡®¡¯Damn that was close, bastard almost shot my foot off!¡¯¡¯ The kid grabbed his model 3 and returned 2 shots into the distant wooden building. ¡®¡¯You ain¡¯t gonna hit a barn door from that distance, we oughta get closer¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯You shoot then, you got a rifle that¡¯s better suited for this kinda fight. I¡¯ll run over to them steel beams there, that oughta be better cover. You shoot, I run, got it?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Sure kid, start sprintin¡¯. I¡¯ll shoot some splinters into their eyes.¡¯¡¯ He shot a right shot into one of the windows and the kid took one big sprint out to the beams. A man¡¯s voice came from the building. ¡®¡¯Abandonner! Vous n¡¯atteindrez pas ce batiment!¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯What the hell are you saying!?¡¯¡¯ The kid yelled back. The firing stopped. ¡®¡¯Quoi?¡¯¡¯ Another shot rang out, a faint thud echoed from the building. ¡®¡¯Nice talking kid, we sure ambushed that fucker¡¯¡¯ Doc walked from his cover. ¡®¡¯I couldn¡¯t hear what he was saying. Some kinda foreign speak.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Well, would you believe that? You sure you wasn¡¯t hallucinating? Fear can do some funny things to your noggin.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Sure, but I ain¡¯t never heard a language like that before.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Maybe he was disabled? Lack of nutrients or whatever, I ain¡¯t got a clue. He¡¯s dead now anyways.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Lets just see what was on the body, and then get into the depot alright? ¡®¡¯How in tarnation do you want to get up there? That¡¯s a coal tower. We gotst to go into the depot, then find the maintenance hatch, then climb all up those dirty coal belts just to get to some strange outlander?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯He got a gun tho¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯So do we, ain¡¯t no use getting black lungs over some shoddy scoped rifle.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯I guess that¡¯s true, we got plenty of ammo anyways. Can we just take what we need from that depot and leave, I reckon there ain¡¯t much light left today, and I prefer not to find out if that fella had friends.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯True that, true that.¡¯¡¯ Doc and the kid entered the depot and a dusty light shone through the roof windows. It looked like Jacob¡¯s Ladders came down from the ceiling. Cargo crates with numerous destinations littered the floor of the storage hall. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡®¡¯Doc I can¡¯t read, can you help me with these labels?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Try to read them, you oughta practice it, it¡¯ll help you survive. If you cain¡¯t read warning signs in these here old buildings, you¡¯re gonna be ending up like that fella up in the coal tower. And you don¡¯t want to that do ye¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Got it, got it. I¡¯ll try, but you¡¯ll correct yes?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Yes.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Good¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯S¡­ a¡­ n¡­ F¡­ r¡­ a¡­ n¡­ c¡­ i¡­ s¡­ c¡­ o¡­ San Fransisso? Where the hell is that?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Well you can read fine enough, but your pronunciation is off. You say it like this. San fransisko. The second c is said as an s.¡¯¡¯ The kid tried to read the rest of the label. ¡®¡¯It lies in Salifornia?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯No, that one is with said with a k, so you read it as California, but it¡¯s said as Kalifornia.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯That is hella confusing¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯I can see why you think that. That¡¯s why I¡¯m helping ye with reading, kid. You can be a bit more confident in your reading, you can do it just fine. Now read the rest of the label. Alright?¡¯¡¯ The kid read the rest of the label. ¡®¡¯Export of rice¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯See, you said that word right.¡¯¡¯ Doc realised something. ¡®¡¯Did you say export?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Yeah, that¡¯s what it says on the label, why¡¯s that notable?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Well, back in the day, San Francisco used to export some things up north that could be useful to us. And since that dead man seems not to have broken open too many crates, this could be worth our while. Try to read the rest of the labels.¡¯¡¯ Crates of rice, rotten fruits, canned goods, electronic parts, spark plugs, clothing, textile. All Crates destined for the diamond mines. Doc broke open a crate of spark plugs. ¡®¡¯Jackpot. See this kid? These are spark plugs, they¡¯re used in combustion engines. We can sell these pretty easily in town. They¡¯re worth quite a bit and we can use them to buy some supplies for the next trip here.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯We¡¯re gonna make another trip here?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯We are, there is a lot of good stuff here, so it¡¯s probably going to be multiple trips. We just need to put some spark plugs in our packs and then sell them. With that money we can buy some big saddlebags and maybe a bigger mule. And we might also buy some rope and a hook, so we can see about that dead fella. How¡¯s that sound?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Yeah that sounds good. But I don¡¯t like the idea of crossing that bridge with the horses.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯I know, that¡¯s why we¡¯ll lead them instead of ride them across the bridge.¡¯¡¯ Doc and the kid stuffed their backpacks and coatpockets with spark plugs and then they went on and walked out of that depot with a great and gleeful smile, the both of them. They walked past the place where the altercation with the foreigner happened not too long ago, and they still were a bit cautious. After a while they came across the old wooden bridge again and they treaded carefully across the beams and track. When they arrived at their encampment, the sun was already set, and they used a lantern burning with petroleum to find their beds. Once settled down, Doc stuffed a pipe with some dried and cured virginia tobacco and lit it. He puffed till the leaves were burning well and then he opened his mouth again, but this time to talk. ¡®¡¯This stuff is far from perfect, but it tastes damn good. It burns real hot and it''s hard on the throat, but it works. I cut this stuff up myself ye know. In them days afore you could just buy this in the store. Unfortunately that time¡¯s long passed. It ain¡¯t too bad tho, you know. That stuff was getting real expensive anyhow. I traded some virginia leaves back in¡­ damn¡­ what was that town again?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Firwood?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯No, it was in the south, you ain¡¯t never been theres. Saint Isodore. Yeah, Saint Isodore, that¡¯s the town. Fine town that was. Not as wild as the towns here. Nice and slow it were. The climate was good too¡­ warm. Sure is a long time travelling from here. That place was known for farming, especially tobacco was grown a lot there. Many electric world fellers come down there looking for a smoke. Like myself.¡¯¡¯ Doc lit his pipe again, and puffed on it some more looking very content. He put his hand in his pocket and grabbed some spark plugs and let them fall out of his hand one by one. ¡®¡¯It¡¯s almost as good as looking at gold.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Doc?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Yeah?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯That pipe is made from wood ain¡¯t it?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Yeah¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯So how come it ain¡¯t burning away?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Well, this pipe is made from briarwood. A lot of pipes are made of briarwood. Briarwood don¡¯t burn, that¡¯s why they made pipes out of it.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Does briarwood grow here?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Not that I know of. But I ain¡¯t no arborist.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯I¡¯m tired.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Yeah me too, goodnight.¡¯¡¯ They crawled into their sleeping bags and stared at the sky. Then the sun rose again. It was cold. When the kid woke up a warm fire was already crackling. He yawned and sat cross-legged in his sleeping bag, facing the fire. A metal container lay about a meter away from him and he reached for it, and grabbed it. In it were some army rations. He read the label. It said C-M. He opened the can but did not dare to smell it. Instead he dumped the contents in a saucepan and put the saucepan next to the fire. ¡®¡¯I need a spoon¡¯¡¯ He muttered to himself. ¡®¡¯A spoon, now where did I leave it.¡¯¡¯ He got out of his sleeping bag and looked around for his spoon but he could not find it. A man with a black peacoat and mismatched green army pants walked to the fire carrying a great lot of spruce wood. He put the wood into the fire while whistling some old civil war tune. The kid looked at him with a questioning gaze. ¡®¡¯What?¡¯¡¯ Said Doc. ¡®¡¯Where¡¯s my spoon?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯It¡¯s on your damn belt stupid.¡¯¡¯ The kid looked at his belt, and there was his spoon hanging. He took it off and sat down and started eating his rations from the saucepan. ¡®¡¯I¡¯m still tired¡¯¡¯ he said. ¡®¡¯That¡¯s fine. I just need you to be awake in case there¡¯s a firefight.¡¯¡¯ Doc sat down next to the kid. ¡®¡¯You alright? You look a bit white.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯I feel real warm, Doc. In a bad way.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Fever?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯I think so.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯That¡¯s¡­ not very good.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯I guessed that much.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯It''s a day¡¯s walk to town. But I think I know what we can do.¡¯¡¯ Doc thought for a while by the fire. ¡®¡¯I will build a travois out of my blanket, and you¡¯re gonna lay down on it and then I¡¯ll drag you to town. Can¡¯t stop here, not with fever.¡¯¡¯ Doc set himself to collecting large sticks, checking for any dryness or brittleness in the wood. The kid watched him from his place at the fire. After some time, Doc had found 3 large sticks that worked as the outer frame and bound them together with paracord. Then he used some long thin sticks, that were still flexible, for the inside. He put his own blanket in the construction and secured it to the outer frame. ¡®¡¯That should work for now¡¯¡¯ He said. He hoisted the kid into the travois, and covered him with his blanket. Then he secured the travois to his belt, making sure it wouldn''t snap under pressure. They left the campsite. Doc slowly trod across the snowy landscape. At one point he got so warm from the towing, that he took off his coat and put it over the kid. Then he went on. After a while they could see a town in the distance. Snowstone, Canada Chapter 2: Snowstone, Canada. Doc and the kid arrived at the outskirts of the old town of Snowstone. The suburbs were long abandoned. Rows of cheaply built homes littered the streets, the skeletons of cars lay on the driveways all strapped of steel. ¡®¡¯Shouldn¡¯t be too long now, I think I can already see the watchtowers of that shithole yonder.¡¯¡¯ There was no response. Doc looked back and unhooked the travois from his belt. He held his hand over the kid¡¯s mouth. Breathing. There was breathing. Good, he thought, at least the kid was alive. As they got closer to the crudely crafted gates of the new town, houses got more and more run down next to them, till there was nothing left except the cold concrete foundations. He took the revolver from the kid and counted the bullets that were still left in the chamber. 2 bullets, still looked good. Old world cartridges, factory made. He stuck the revolver in his belt, then he went walking again. When the shady duo appeared, a man in a police vest aimed a gun at them from his place in the watchtower. ¡®¡¯What¡¯s your name fella?¡¯¡¯ Said the man ¡®¡¯Scott, but most residents know me as Doc.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Who is that on your little sled thing?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯My passenger.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Is he cold?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Cold, yes, but not dead.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Alright, what¡¯s his deal then.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Fever as far as I can tell.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Contagious?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Look, can you just let us in, I need to get him to a doctor.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Ain¡¯t you the doctor?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯I am not, I never was a doctor.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Well alright. I¡¯ll let you in, but you got a damn confusing name.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯I¡¯m well aware. But it¡¯s a nickname.¡¯¡¯ The man put the gun against the walls of the tower and climbed down the stairs. A large thud came from behind the gate, and as it opened a large crowd of people revealed itself. They looked at the pair with intrigued looks. Doc walked through that collection of people and they all stepped aside as if he were the messiah of this town. Some disheveled looking feller in a leather jacket walked up to him. Doc recognized him as Jonah, the hotel owner. ¡®¡¯What happened to him?¡¯¡¯ Said Jonah. ¡®¡¯He fell ill, some kinda fever.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Damn¡­ I got some rooms vacant, you can stay for a while, make sure that kid can rest.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯That¡¯ll be greatly appreciated Jonah. Can you help me carry him there, I don¡¯t want to drag him through this here mud. Could be bad for him.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Of course.¡¯¡¯ Jonah pulled the kid up by the shoulders, and Doc grabbed his feet. They carried him down the street and into the hotel. The first room was empty and they laid the kid on a bed in that very room. ¡®¡¯You should open a window here, get him some fresh air.¡¯¡¯ Said Doc. Jonah opened the window next to the bed, the cold wind carried with it a smell of wood-fire smoke. ¡®¡¯There.¡¯¡¯ Said Jonah. ¡®¡¯I¡¯ll put up some coffee. You best collect your little sled before all your precious loot is gone.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Damn, I almost forgot about that¡¯¡¯ Doc rushed outside and the travois was still there. The crowd had already dissipated. When he came closer to his construction, he noticed the bag was missing, as well as his coat. ¡®¡¯Fuck.¡¯¡¯ He whispered. ¡®¡¯If I get that sumbitch that stole my coat. He won¡¯t see supper.¡¯¡¯ He took the blankets and bedrolls and stashed them in an empty ventilation duct that stuck outside some old Deli building. Doc looked about. There were still tracks fresh in the mud, so he started following them. They disappeared into an alleyway. Doc peeked around the corner, and there was a man wearing his coat, and rummaging through his bag. ¡®¡¯What are you doing with that bag!¡¯¡¯ Said Doc. The man jumped and accidently dropped the bag. ¡®¡¯Ain¡¯t nun of your business, boy!¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯It very much is, amigo. That is my bag, and my coat. So if you wanna see tomorrow you best take off that coat.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯And if I don¡¯t?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Then I¡¯ll have to ruin that coat.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯That right?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯That¡¯s right.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Alright, I¡¯ll take it off.¡¯¡¯ The thief took off the coat, and reached for his own gun. Doc already had his hand on the revolver and aimed his gun at the thief. ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t.¡¯¡¯ The thief lowered his hand and threw the coat on the ground. Doc walked towards him with his revolver raised. He put the gun to the head of the thief and spoke. ¡®¡¯Your time here is over friend.¡¯¡¯ He cocked the hammer and pulled the trigger. A loud and booming sound echoed through the town. The thief¡¯s legs gave in and he dropped to the ground and lay there motionless. Doc quickly took his coat and bag and left. He walked back to the hotel. When he entered, Jonah was sitting there at the front desk. ¡®¡¯You recovered your stuff I see?¡¯¡¯ Said Jonah. ¡®¡¯Yes.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯What was the cost?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Some fool¡¯s life. Better off without a thief in the community anyways.¡¯¡¯ Jonah handed him his coffee. He took a sip. ¡®¡¯Anything new in town?¡¯¡¯ Said Doc. ¡®¡¯Hmm, let me think¡­ Yes, yes there is news. Some new refugees from up north arrived yesterday. They had some crazy stories. By the way they were looking I reckoned they¡¯re true. Husks of people they were. They didn¡¯t stay long. Why were you two away for so long by the way? Wasn¡¯t it a 3 day trip?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Well it took a bit longer without horses. The depot was further away than I thought. But tell me about them refugees. What kinda stories they told ye?¡¯¡¯ Jonah gazed into the air in front of him with a serious look, wrinkles appeared on his forehead. ¡®¡¯There was talk of slave camps, Scott¡­ Slave camps. Can you imagine that? I know the north got hit hard, but that is something else. They talked about how they had to dig for gold for 20 hours per day. If they didn''t make that they¡¯d have to strip naked and sit in a cage till they froze to death. Those who got caught attempting to escape would be hung from the headframe for all to see. The gangs running the operation seem pretty well off tho, rumor has it they even have a running train. Hell, those refugees said that¡¯s how they escaped, by jumping off a train somewhere in northern Alberta.¡¯¡¯ This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡®¡¯They made it across the mountains?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Apparently. Said they walked the highway¡¯s that run through there.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯That must¡¯ve been one hell of a trip.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Fear is a great motivator. They only stayed here for a day. Said they were afraid the slavers would come get them, so they went on south across the border.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯My lord, poor folk.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Yeah.¡¯¡¯ Doc was silent for a moment. Then he suddenly looked up. ¡®¡¯Shit, I think I know what ails the kid.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯What?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯We oughta check him for spots.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Spots?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Yeah, reckon a tick¡¯s got to ¡®im¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯You think he¡¯s got mountain fever?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Sure as hell ain¡¯t cabin fever, the way we been out on the road.¡¯¡¯ They walked to the room the kid was sleeping in. He laid there like a corpse, but he was still alive. Doc turned him around and pulled up his clothes. ¡®¡¯Yeah¡¯¡¯ Said Doc. ¡®¡¯My lord. See all them spots¡­ He¡¯s got mountain fever for sure.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯How bad is it?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Ain¡¯t sure. We had some lessons about ticks when I was a medic, but not too much. You don¡¯t have no antibiotics do ye?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Out here? No. Besides, last antibiotics went bad ages ago.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Has it been that long?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Near to 20 years.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Damn. Time flies.¡¯¡¯ He rolled the kid¡¯s shirt down again. ¡®¡¯I hope he lives to see some order return in this world.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯It could have been a lot worse, Scott.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯I know, it happened so fast. There weren¡¯t even any battles here. Not long after I got conscripted, the power went down and¡­ Well, you know the rest, you ain¡¯t much younger than me.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯At least we didn¡¯t have any bombs fall on us. Can¡¯t imagine Europe is much better off.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯No, I agree.¡¯¡¯ They both sat in silence for a bit. Doc drank his coffee, Jonah didn¡¯t finish his cup. ¡®¡¯So what are we gonna do then?¡¯¡¯ Said Doc. ¡®¡¯Guess we just gonna have to wait, don¡¯t know what else to do. Guess just treat him with whatever we got, painkillers and water.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Yall still got painkillers?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Yeah, they¡¯re made in some lowland settlement near the coast. Traders bring them in sometime. They¡¯re made from the willows that grow down there or something.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯How the hell they do that?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Damned if I know, I¡¯m no medicine man. That¡¯s what you are for.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯I might be a medicine man, but I ain¡¯t no pharmacist or whatever. I know how to apply, but not make that kinda stuff. I know what I need right now tho.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯What¡¯s that?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯A drink. Wanna head to the saloon?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Sounds like a plan.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Great.¡¯¡¯ They stood up and collected their things and walked out of the front door. The main street wasn¡¯t very busy, and it wasn¡¯t much of a street. A paved road with some old clothing stores turned into houses. Jonah¡¯s hotel once was an office for some law firm, and the general store used to be a supermarket. There were no cars anymore. Instead the parking meters were now used as hitching posts for the horses. Paints, and morgans, and even some thoroughbreds were hitched on the posts. Mostly riding horses. Traders often used heavier horses like belgian draught horses or shire horses. Some wealthy traders reportedly still used trucks, but they were rare and unreliable. Wealth could also be seen by one''s horse, the rich folk had thoroughbreds with gold adorned saddles and a nasty temper, while the poor usually had no horse at all. Doc and Jonah arrived at the saloon, an old bar building that had the walls broken down into the clothing store next to it for more space. It was busy, there were plenty of horses hitched outside, and you could hear piano music coming from inside. It sounded pretty jolly, like old ragtime. They walked into the saloon, the music stopped and the patrons looked at the sorry pair. Music resumed playing again and the patrons went back to drinking, one spat a nasty brown spit into a bowl and kept chewing on his tobacco. There were many men playing cards like poker and blackjack. Some men won a little, many lost. They were playing for drinks. A couple tables were still free, and Doc and Jonah took place on a 2 person table. The old wooden seats cracked when they sat down. Jonah started rolling a cigarette, Doc lit up a cigar. ¡®¡¯Need a light, Jonah?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Yeah, thanks¡¯¡¯ Jonah took the match from Doc and lit his strangely shaped cigarette. ¡®¡¯Whiskey?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯I¡¯ll take it, I need something strong to calm the nerves.¡¯¡¯ Jonah stood up and walked to the bar. Doc looked around in the bar. Some shady looking folk were sitting in a corner. They looked at Doc and whispered, for they seemed to recognize him. Jonah came back with two nicely decorated glasses and a bottle of whiskey. Doc spoke. ¡®¡¯What kinda whiskey they serving today?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯The kind with an E in the name.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯The American stuff?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯That¡¯s right.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Fine for me, as long as it¡¯s strong enough.¡¯¡¯ Jonah poured the glasses half full. ¡®¡¯That should work.¡¯¡¯ he said. ¡®¡¯I got bad news Jonah.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯What kind?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Well you know I done got that bag back right?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Yeah, what about it?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Well I shot a feller because he stole it.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Why you do that for?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Can¡¯t have thieves around.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯No, but shooting another fella? In a community? Folk don¡¯t appreciate that..¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯That really ain¡¯t the problem Jonah.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯What¡¯s the problem then?¡¯¡¯ Doc secretly pointed to the men in the corner. ¡®¡¯I think they recognize me.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Alright. One way to find that out, I guess. We just gotta wait and relax, maybe they don¡¯t know who you are.¡¯¡¯ They both drank in silence. The men from the corner table stood up and walked up to them. A man in a black suit and a big moustache spoke. ¡®¡¯You that feller that shot Jakey in the alleyway?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯I don¡¯t know no Jakey¡¯¡¯ Said Doc. ¡®¡¯You don¡¯t? ¡®cause the way we see it, a man fitting your description killed an innocent man.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯He weren¡¯t innocent, he robbed me.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯So you do know him.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Not by name I don¡¯t.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Jakey was part of our group. You¡¯re gonna have to pay for what you did.¡¯¡¯ Doc stood up and drew the revolver and shot the man in black in the stomach. The 2 men that were with him jumped behind a table and started shooting back with pistols. Doc fired at them and Jonah hid behind a staircase. After 3 shots he ran to the staircase. ¡®¡¯Do you still have gun Jonah?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Yeah, yeah but I ain¡¯t shot it in a while.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯What kinda gun you got?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Semi, 17 shots.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Okay, you fire at them, slowly here. Cover me. I¡¯m gonna sneak around and shoot those sons of bitches, alright?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Yeah, got it.¡¯¡¯ Jonah pulled a blocky looking pistol from his belt and fired a few times into one of the tables. A yell of pain came from there and after that a gurgling sound and then came silence. An angry hispanic voice was to be heard from the other table. ¡®¡¯I¡¯ll kill you, you bastards! Emilio! Maldita sea!¡¯¡¯ Doc was already sneaking out the other way of the saloon to the front entrance. When he made it to the door he could see the Mexican ducking behind a table, trying to reach his friend. Doc raised his revolver and fired. The glass door shattered and the Mexican lay dead on the floor, the bullet lodged in his head. He stepped through the glass, walked to the massacre of his own doing on the wooden boards. In his face he tried to look apathetic but deep down it hurt him. He spoke. ¡®¡¯Jonah?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Yes?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯I am going to be arrested. I want you to take care of the boy when I am gone. I don¡¯t know how to cure mountain fever, but I ask you to do what you can.¡¯¡¯ He hands him a handful of old plastic lighters. ¡®¡¯Here''s something to buy goods with. They¡¯ll trade well here in the north.¡¯¡¯ Jonah put the lighters in his coat pocket. ¡®¡¯I¡¯ll do what I can.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯I know¡¯¡¯ Doc walked out onto the main street, he dropped the revolver in the mud. Not soon after a man with a badge crafted out of a piece of tin came running. These men, with tin stars were called keepers, for they were keepers of peace. Behind this man followed a posse of gunmen like sheep after a shepherd. Folk watched from their windows. The keeper spoke in a thick accent, somewhere from europe. ¡®¡¯Are you have a gun?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯My gun is in front of your feet sir, I come quietly.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Did you kill those men?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯I reckon. Would be sloppy if I missed their vitals.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Vitals?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Yes, their heart, their head. Deadly places.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Those men were¡­ kriminelle¡­ criminals. Meine G¨¹te, warum habe ich in der Schule kein Englisch gelernt.¡¯¡¯ He muttered, looking distracted. ¡®¡¯What did they do?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Steal, they take Geld, money. From people.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯So, I get a bounty?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯No, you are no man of law. This killing was not allowed. For this crime you have to wander outside of the city walls for 3 weeks. If you survive, you may return.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯3 weeks?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Ja, such is the punishment.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯That is not very long.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Do you want more?¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯No not at all.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯Good.¡¯¡¯ The man walked up to Doc and cuffed him. The keeper and his posse guided him out to the town limit. The keeper whispered to him. ¡®¡¯Danke, you did a good thing, killing those men. I am sorry you have to leave for a bit, but I do not want the citizens angry.¡¯¡¯ ¡®¡¯I understand. I¡¯ll see you in 3 weeks.¡¯¡¯ The man unlocked his cuffs and made waving movements with his hands, as if he was shooing an animal away. Doc walked a few steps as he heard the gate close behind him. He looked in front of him and could see the mountains not far. He knew of an old lake house he could stay in that was not far from Snowstone. Chapter 3: Exile from civilization And thus began the long trek down frozen roads and big mountains of ice and rock in the distance. The old house was not too far, just about a day on foot. Still, dusk was setting in and Doc found shelter in a cave that lay about a mile from town. It was dirty and grimy and graffiti from older times could be seen like cave paintings from even longer ago. He slept, shivering from the cold. Even though he had made a fire, it did not seem to help much. There wasn¡¯t much fuel to put into the fire as all things which could be burned were stripped away years ago. Not only did the frigid temperatures keep him up, but the howling of wolves didn¡¯t make it a lot easier to try and sleep. He clutched the gun in his hand subconsciously. Wolves were common now, more so than they used to be. He knew they were not coming for him, but he still felt uneasy. After some time he finally slept. He dreamt of the old world, of his work in the office. Sounds of colleagues arguing about what they would do for the weekend, others bragging about new stuff they bought. He could hear the sound of the coffee machine''s low rumbling and grinding sounds early in the morning, and the warm earthy smell that emitted from it. The empty documents and hastily finished presentations felt like a stressful distant nightmare. Yet, even in sleep he could tell it was fake. When he woke up he just sat in his blanket of woven deer pelts. The dampness of the cave made him feel colder. He thought of his dream which he could half remember. He thought that, while this world was harsh, there was no satisfaction in the world before, no goal, and no soul. Everyday was the same back then, a numb life with no struggle and no reward. In a way, he was happy that he had some fame in this place. Doc opened his bag and took out of it a carton of old rations, and he ate a small brick of compressed wheat and palm fat. It tasted alright. He stashed the carton away again and rolled up his blanket and secured it to his bag. The fire still had some embers so he kicked some snow over it, and then he walked away. The sun was bright and he found it hard to see. There had fallen no snow that night, and there were no clouds in the pale blue sky. Doc hiked on an old mountain road. It was not asphalted, and although it had frozen, it was still pretty walkable. Logging in the area did not extend far from the snowstone town border, not in these times. The trees formed a thicket through which nothing could be seen. Dark and foreboding borders which split the road from the dangers beyond sight. He walked till he reached the top of a mountain and that mountain was no true mountain at all, for it had no top. A large black gaping hole with decrepit machinery and smoke-blackened buildings. The old coal mine. It was midday by now and he need only to walk around the large pit to get to the house, for it belonged to the foreman in the days when coal was still pulled from the ground. The mine was large, it seemed as if it was made by giants, but it was made by man. Doc walked along the edge and sometimes kicked out in front of him small pebbles and rubble. He was worried. He was worried about the kid, and about what would become of him if he would survive the disease. He thought that in this world it might be better just to die, for there was little to live toward. Then he thought about why he himself went on travelling through lands he had known before, but could not recognize now. He let his backpack slide to the ground and opened it, and he grabbed a mason jar with a clear, pungent smelling liquid in it. He took a sip, and expressed his opinion of the drink with a sour face. After wiping his beard with the sleeve of his coat, he secured his backpack to his back again. The house was not far, he could see it in the distance. It appeared slightly more overgrown since he last saw it, but in a fine shape still. There was a stash of goods hidden under one of the floorboards, and he hoped that it was not discovered yet, for it would prove beneficial to him if it was there. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. The door creaked as he entered the house, there were no tracks of animal or human nearby and it eased his mind a little. As he stepped further into the building, dust fell from the boards above him and as he looked up it fell into his eyes. He rubbed his eyes with his fingers and blinked a few times. Before him was an almost empty room with only one chair and a table and an old brick fireplace. There was no sound, inside or outside. It was cold and he could see his breath. Light shone through the broken windows. He stepped towards them and looked out to the looming mountains and the dark sky. It was going to snow soon, so he tended to closing the wooden shutters first, and then he focused on getting a fire lit. With a hopeful expression he removed a loose floorboard, and there was a hidden treasure waiting for him. Dried birch, a pistol with a fully loaded magazine, and some cans of pork and beans. There was no water, but this did not bother him. After placing the dried firewood into the dusty fireplace, he lit it on fire and slowly the room warmed up. It was getting dark outside and he could hear the wind howling around the building. Tired from the trek that day he¡¯d lie down on the floor without putting down a bedroll and soon after he was asleep. When he awoke the next morning the fire had long gone out and it was so silent that he could almost hear his own bones. The morning he spent observing the mine for wild game or birds which might have come out to scavenge after the storm. None came. The day he spent collecting dry wood for the fire, and in the evening he ate the pork and beans he found before. Darkness set upon the land again and he slept. That night he awoke to the sound of scraping against the wooden door. Slowly he reached for the nickel plated pistol from the floorboard stash. He cocked the hammer and slowly moved towards the entrance of the house. The door slowly opened and there stood a large gray wolf. He aimed his pistol at the beast. Both stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. Its breath fogged the air and its muscles tensed. The eyes had a burning and hungry gaze to them. The wolf stepped forward but his paw did not touch the ground before Doc pulled the trigger, and the wolf¡¯s legs gave in from under him and he collapsed to the ground instantly in a large muted thud. Doc walked up to the slain beast to see if it was indeed slain, and it was. No breathing, nor heartbeat came from its carcass. He thought there might be more coming, so he locked the door and muttered to himself that it was stupid to forget to lock it in the first place. He went back to sleep. The next few days he spent skinning the wolf, and with thread and needle he made its head into a sort of cap or hat. By the time he was done he looked like a mountain man of old, not altogether out of place in the lands he was residing in. When in the morning he went out to walk around the mine, he noticed large black plumes of smoke in the distance. It worried him as it was in the same direction as snowstone, so he ran back inside to fetch the binoculars he had put in his backpack. Rummaging through the pack quickly he couldn¡¯t find it. He looked through his stuff feverishly multiple times, counting every object in the hope that the next count would be different. It gave him a headache so he reached for his flask of water, and while he tilted his head up to take a swig, he saw his binoculars hanging by the leather straps. Running to grab the thing he almost tripped over his own feet but he stabilised himself on time. He took the binoculars and ran out to climb a tree. A large fir at the edge of the mine was big enough to see over the treeline, and he climbed it fast and recklessly. After climbing up he looked through the dirty lenses of the binoculars to take a good look at the distant town. He focused the binoculars and he saw Snowstone burned down and there were corpses hanging from poles and many bodies littered the streets. Doc looked at the scene with a shocked expression and he felt paralyzed. He shook his body into motion again and almost fell out of the tree on his attempt to climb down as quickly as possible. He ran to the house to fetch his gear and set out hastily to the town to investigate for himself if the kid was still alive.