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Chapter 13 Pt. IV
"To Lose One's Bearings..."
("Exit Pursued By A Bruised Ego")

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Ticking and ticking, there was a click and a tick from somewhere.

The monotonous snick and click and tick became louder, Tulip was confused, her eyes only seeing the deep darkness. Tick-tock and Tulip couldn't tell where she was. For some strange reason, she felt like time was running out. She wanted to move, but she felt like...nothing. It didn't feel like Tulip was airborne, underwater, or even on flat ground. As the ticks echoed stronger, she began to wonder if she's just simply existing in the lonely dark.

In the vastness void, (click-tick,) she wanted to yell out, or say anything. Yet, despite all her efforts, nothing came. Tulip didn't feel muffled, she felt as if her mind couldn't process forming out words, the invisible clock running (tick-tock). It felt as if she never learned how to speak, it made her anxious.

Her nervousness churned sickly in her stomach, amazed on how she could even feel. Her throat was sore, it's as if she was holding back tears or any depressing emotion. All she wanted was one word from her mouth. Just one. Just one more. Any word, any letter, any syllable, anything. The more she struggled, the more the clock rang louder. Then as the click-clacks became so loud and unbearable, her eyes cracked open violently, followed by a burn and tiredness.

The clock sounds finally died down compared to her dream, she rubbed her eyes groggily, turned her head, and saw her silver pocket watch on top of her journal next to her. Tulip was relieved, far more relieved than she had expected. Taking a deep sigh, she quietly grabbed them and began reading her last entry, uncertain what she did last night:

" -O' Creagh's Run?- "

"It's late, but I wanted to write regardless. We had to take a trip to Valentine's general store, Uncle had a strange list. The lazy man also had a poor excuse, 'lumbago'? The rest of the ladies tagged along, even Sadie Adler herself - a fun trip it was. Hoped it helped on tearing her mind off of her husband. A man from Blackwater, going by the name Brooks, had recognized the lot of us. We became sloppy on our tracks. We became a bit too entranced by money and reputation.

Some time later, we've managed to grab even more curious eyes when Willow, Arthur, and I stumbled into the bigger bar of Valentine with Javier and Charles. I found it humorous how a drunken Charles Smith tried calling back the offended women. Bill, however, caused chaos - with the rest of us idiots dragged into it. Tommy. I felt sorry for him. He was almost killed in front of the entire town, I couldn't blame Arthur though. All of us were...filled with mixed feelings after that mess. I dread what'd happen if any of us were killed off.

Now I'm here, hunting with Hosea and the others. Just like back in those days when we haven't got the law breathing down our necks, or us anxious about the goddamn gallows. Should I tell them about the corpse? There's no use, they already know."

Tulip swallowed thickly, her dry throat making it hurt. She had crossed out the last few words knowing that Willow or any of them for that matter; would find out by simply reading her entries. They couldn't know about the map, not yet.

She closed her worn journal, her movements feeling a bit sluggish. Tulip was already secretly regretting staying up so late, but it was a feeling she had been used to for years: Tired. For once, she feels like sleeping more, the sky was a dull foggy gray.

"Mm..." She sat up nonetheless, she felt that time should never be wasted on such temporary luxury.

A few moments had passed when she neatly packed up some of her things, Hosea stretched and both prepared themselves for the next morning. "Ah, it's nice to not hear the gang's idiocy in the mornings, or Miss Grimshaw's threats towards everyone." He chuckled, Tulip smiling and agreeing with him. "Coffee?"

She nodded.

The brewing coffee wafted around the camp, the sun sitting high in the sky. As time passes, colors began fading back into the skies, Arthur and Willow were awake. They were offered coffee and Tulip had to search through her saddle bag for any sugar, "So... What's your plan?" Arthur slapped his familiar black hat on and rested on a chair.

"Well, we'll see if we can track him, but we might need to lay bait to draw him out. Bears like fish, obviously - but they also have a sweet tooth." Hosea folded up his chair. "A lot of fellers bait then shoot from the trees, but I prefer to hunt on the ground."

"Dangerous, much?" Willow mumbled.

He continued, "Yes, more dangerous, but we'll have a better chance of getting a good shot in. And if he bolts we can start right off after him." He rummaged through Silver Dollar's saddle (his horse) and handed Willow and Arthur a box along with a can of meat. "Can you both mix up this bait while Tulip and I finish packing us up?"

"Sure."

"Fish, berries. Tie it up in that rag when you're both done."

"I hope you know what you're talkin' about."

"I grew up in the mountains, Arthur. I was virtually weaned on bear meat."

"Tulip's 'virtually weaned' on bison meat." Willow retorted while they mixed the gritty fish meat and blackberries, she wasn't particularly wrong with the statement.

"Done."

"Good, let's pack up and get going. We'll try our luck down by the water, that's where I saw him last. So, how's that horse treatin' you, Arthur?"

Brass, Sunny, and Silver Dollar all galloped across the river, kicking up sprays of water. "It ain't so bad. There, there, Brass." He gave a treat to the golden creature.

"You know, I was in this area with Bessie, years ago." Hosea reminisced, as Willow watched them ride along the outskirts of the great blue lake.

"Really? Didn't know that, I imagine you still miss her."

"Every day."

"Did you two ever...think about gettin' out of the life?" Arthur asked curiously, many of the new members may not have realized how common the unspoken question was. Despite Arthur's unwavering loyalty and Tulip's undaunting commitment, even they had imagined (or more so, tried).

"We did briefly, you don't remember? Guess you were still young, didn't last long. I drifted back into it. She understood - she knew who I was." He spoke of it sadly.

"I remember you not being around for a while, but things were looser back then."

The girls silently listened. "Truth is, there's never really any getting out, and staying in...it's hard, you all know that. But Bessie and I made it work." Suddenly Hosea asks, "Why, you thinkin' about getting out?"

"Me? No, of course not."

Tulip rode along side with Hosea, "No." She simply stated.

"I'm with you guys." Willow clung to Tulip's back, yawning but giving a sincere smile.

"Listen, if Dutch's grand plans work, and we can make enough money to go some place new, really new, maybe we can all have a new start." Then he interrupted the topic as they rounded the rocky corner, "Anyway, for now, let's try and chase ourselves a bear, shall we? Let's look by the water here, see if he's been fishing again recently."

"Got it."

They hopped off of their saddles, watching the rocks sit silently and jut out of the water's surface. Their horses all looked as if they were having their own conversation, honestly.

"Look for any tracks, dung, bones...any signs of him."

They scoured around, Tulip checking on the left while Arthur was on the right. "Dear lord I hope I don't step on his crap." Willow looked around, sitting on top of a rock.

"Least of your worries, Willow." Hosea stated.

Arthur leaned in closer to the dirt, seeing indents upon the earth, a huge outline of this monster could be seen. "There's some paw marks here, they sure look big enough." A little too big, in Arthur's opinion. He silently wished for a bigger gun.

"Way?" Tulip spelled.

"Up this way. These tracks go into those trees across the path." They walked around, Willow having Tulip's rifle at the ready. "Wait a minute, there's somethin' on the ground here..." The swarming, hungry flies hovered over a spot.

"Half eaten fish here... must have been left by our friend, I reckon."

"Let's see if there's anything else. Oh, bear shit here, watch your step." There was a pause. "Willow."

"Yeah, calm yer horses. I ain't blind. Look's fresh though, I've got a feelin' this isn't gonna end right." They pushed the vibrant red flowers away as they crouched low, closely following the trail of heavy paw prints judging by how deep the marks were.

"Damn...ends right here."

"So we lost him?"

Tulip looked at her surroundings, a sawed-off shotgun in her hand. Willow doing the same, gripping the Pacencia (Tulip's Lancaster). Tulip cursed herself for forgetting the other rifle for Willow, she had left it on Sunny's saddle.

"For now." Arthur sighed disappointingly. "A little optimism, Arthur."

"Well... What now?"

"I think we should...split up and each look."

"That, Is a terrible idea."

"Either that or - we could place some bait here."

"I'll take the bait option, I'd rather not get turned into dinner for that monster, Hosea." Willow watched her back cautiously.

"Alright, I agree. Let's place the bag over there, by those boulders up ahead. Looks like a good spot for it."

They did as told while the girls headed for a different boulder, Arthur whispered to Hosea as they eagerly waited. "A thousand pounds, you say?"

"More or less. Big scar down his face. Did that bait look okay to you?"

"I think so, you and Tulip are the experts."

"Ready with your gun there?"

"I'm good, you okay? You seem nervous."

"So do you."

"So do they."

Upon the other side, Tulip and Willow didn't look any better than them, Willow had gone with Tulip on many hunting occasions, but taking down a bear? It's basically, her first time.

"Let's just...take a look at that bait."

Tulip watched as Hosea approached the potent bait, Willow looking wide-eyed at what he's about to be doing. Tulip tapped her arm, "Aghim." Her blonde companion nodded and obediently aimed down the Lancaster, her fingers were cold. "Trigger." Tulip reminded about her finger on the trigger as she crept closer, and away from the rock with her shotgun prepared.

"Goddamnit, whatyer doin'?!" Willow harshly whispered.

Meanwhile, on their side, Arthur stated. "We've only just set it, Hosea."

"I know, but we need to do this right. Got a knife?"

Arthur was busily cutting the bag, exposing the raw meat and sweet blackberries. Willow saw another figure emerging from the hill, and that was the moment Hosea looked up. He was wondering what the sound was, and then he stumbled back: "Shit..."

"Fire?!"

"No!..."

Willow wanted to shoot first, because all four of them saw that Hosea wasn't exaggerating. The enormous killing machine was bigger than a Shire horse, much bigger! Just like Hosea's description, it had a gnarly, rugged scar running down its growling face. The scar also had a story to tell, seeing that it took the bear's eye out. It stood on its own two hind legs, a looming tower of terrifying power, making itself twice its size.

"It's too close..." The men slowly stood up, staring down at the huge, hungry beast. Arthur sheathed his knife, his fingers tracing over a familiar handle.

Within an instant, a booming bang rang out into the crisp air! Tulip had pulled the trigger of her shotgun, but the ferocious beast took all the pellets on its face like it was nothing! It began charging, crushing the ground, and roaring! Arthur pulled out his Cattleman Revolver, putting all six of his rounds into the bear's scarred out eye. Due to panic, his shots were all over its face, he was aiming for the monster's other eye.

With Willow firing the Lancaster, it tore into the head of the bear! It shook and flailed its head around, snarling and growling. It immediately turned and fled off, its poundings on the ground could even be felt from where Willow was. It knew it was outnumbered.

They all watched as it bolted away on all fours, Tulip stumbling and almost tripping on a couple of pebbles as she made her way back to regroup. "You fine, old man?" Arthur breathed heavily, adrenaline was coursing all over.

Hosea was sitting, his eyes wide. "Course, I'm fine, it's nothing, nothing at all." They helped him up and he was straightening his back.

"Thank you, I think." They whistled for their horses over, Tulip using her wooden little pipe, of course. "That was fun." Tulip handed over the Rolling Block.

"You know what, all of you? I'm a little old and beaten up - to be after the biggest game. You can have this."

He handed the map to Arthur Morgan, Willow snatched it. "What is it?" Then Arthur took it back, cursing while they all were a little too awake from that bear. "A man in a bar gave it to me...well, I stole it from him. But that's another story." They smiled and a chuckle was thrown into that remark. "He said that it- it told him where to find some real big animals."

"Thank you."

"It's a pleasure. You saved my life." Arthur was grinning the entire time, being nearest to the bear just suddenly made his entire life flash before his eyes. He had that feeling of immense relief and found it ridiculous in a sense. "I think I'm going back to camp to...lick my wounds. You all commin' or, you gonna track that monster?"

Both Willow and Tulip glanced at each other, chuckling and having a silent agreement. "We're hightailing outta here, at the moment, I'm believin' miracles ain't gon' happen twice."

"After all this way, goddamn that was one hell of a bear."

"Our weapons ain't scratchin' that thing."

"We prepare."

"Yeah, I'm with you on that, I think I need a rest after this."

"Let's go."

"Mhm."

With that mess decided, they took their time returning back to Horseshoe Overlook. Resting at a little makeshift tent again like last time gave Arthur and Tulip a chance to write, the campfire was filled with laughter, Willow's teasings, and resulting both men to laugh at themselves at how terrified they were.

" -The Heartlands- "

"I've only been scared right down to my very core a few times in my sad life. This bear, it was larger than Shire horses, larger than even buildings! When thinking about it, it was thanks to the map Hosea had stolen, guess Karma works in really funny ways it seems. Whatever that beast was made of, it withstood our gunshots with no effort. Poor old man - he might have given himself a slight heart attack."

A drawing of a scarred bear's face was drawn with many details, even down to it's saliva.

"By the Great Spirits, it was a true monster."

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A/N: They crapped their pants, who wouldn't when they see a huge killing machine like that bear with underpowered weapons? Haha!

Anyway, Tulip's dream, then her worries on the piece of map, and now she had to deal with this, I feel bad lol.

That concludes this mission!

Published: Fri, Dec. 6th, 2019