The Thoughts that Count

Chapters

The Hopeless Wanderer
A Light Shining in Darkness
BIG changes: Author's Note

The Hopeless Wanderer

Chapter 2: A Hike Gone Bad

Chapter 2: A Hike gone Bad

***

The night was fairly well by the time I returned to the house. My eyes began to grow heavy with exhaustion as I climbed up the stairs and back to my quarters. Abbie was already ahead of me when I was on the top floor, her bedroom door was closed but the light was still lit on the other side. She and Charlie must've been enjoying the night together, so I didn't bother to say good night.

As for me, I was already in my own room, preparing my slumber as I finally climbed to bed. Even though my day was completely over with, I couldn't help but feel a little upset on the inside. After that little chat with Abbie, reminding us both about my experience with friends has left me thinking.

But by the time I laid my head on that pillow, I thought it was best to forget all about that. After all, I had better things to look forward to.

So I snuggled my face into the pillow, drifting off to sleep. Almost instantly, I was out like a light.

***

I stood in utter blackness. Nothing around me but solid ground below my feet. I tried to wince my eyesight to the darkness, but it did not help at the slightest.

"Hello?" I spoke to the emptiness, only to be responded by my echo.

I waited for an eerie amount of time until the darkness all around me was finally illuminated by a fading light ahead of me. My eyes slowly adjusted to the hazy glow, soon revealing what appeared to be a hallway. I was standing in my old school corridor, with students chit chatting to and fro. They looked to be about seventeen or sixteen based on their young voices.

Then they all looked at me as I walked down the hall. They began whispering to themselves, probably about me when I noticed their gaze was still focused on my presence. One group started to giggle amongst themselves. I felt as if I wanted to chat with them, but attempting to approach made them glance at me with looks of indifference. Eyebrows furrowed with disgust just by the sight of me.

"What do you want, you fag?" a girl snarled at me.

"Yeah, shouldn't you be sitting in a corner like the loner you are?" a man mocked with a sly grin.

Their comments cut at me like a knife. And it would’ve cut deeper when they all gave an echoed laugh as I backed away from them. Soon, the whole school laughed at me as I stood their with stagnation. All that stress that paralyzed me, and all the anger overflowed me at that moment. I felt as though I wanted to slaughter the person guffawing right beside me.

But as I attempted to raise my clenched fist, something tugged on my arm. I soon realized that I was constricted by chains around my arms and legs, restricting my movements. I tried to break free with every bit of strength I could produce, which only seemed to become tighter by the minute. The laughing around me intensified as I heaved against the forceful chains.

“Face it, nerd!” one guy heckled. “You’re nothing but a loner!”

“Yeah!” another one bellowed. “You can’t even hold on to your old friends! Why don’t you just kill yourself? Everyone hates you anyway!”

“That’s a lie!” I shouted. “You’re lying!!”

Just then, the chains started to pull tighter and tighter until I was on my knees. The faces of every guy or girl in that hallway, suddenly turned black as pitch as the night. A horde of tall shadows with red glowing eyes then surrounded me in a circle formation. Closing the distance, they looked down over me as I kept hearing more voices. Some telling me, "You'll die alone," while others were, "Where are your friends now?"

“SHUT UP!!!!!” I was screaming at the top of my lungs.

The experience overwhelmed me. I felt my eyes becoming heavy with tears and my chest starting to tighten, when reflecting on such thoughts.

Every dismal thought of being alone made the shadows appear more menacing. I tried so hard to ignore them as I tightened my eyes, holding back the tears that attempted to gush. But it was no use.

"Do not worry, little one," called out an angelic female voice. At that call, I opened my watery eyes all of a sudden.

The evil spirits then vanished into shredded pieces of ectoplasm as if they were just made out of fog. A brightening light then shined down upon me, melting the chains off my wrists and ankles.

“What the…” I mumbled with astonishment.

“Hello, Isaac.” I quickly turned towards the same loving voice.

At first I assumed it was a woman, but focusing into the light, stepped forward a regally bright white horse. So bright in fact, that half its characteristics were hard to make out. All I could see was a multicolor mane, and… a horn? I was left awestruck.

"I have heard your cries and seen your past." The unicorn soothed in a motherly tone. "Do not doubt yourself. You will be a part of friendship soon enough."

Wait... what?

Before I could open my mouth to ask about this, she interjected.

"And your true talents are more powerful than you could ever imagine."

Talents? What the...

All of sudden, the horse grew brighter and brighter until I was blinded by the light.

***

I opened my eyes quick, and found myself still snuggled in bed. The walls were bright meaning daytime has already arisen. I stood up with the morning cold air touching my bare chest while rubbing my eyes to rid of morning crust that collected within my eyelids. The morning was mildly chilly against the skin, making me want to stay in bed and sleep in a curled up ball in order to stay warm.

But how can I stay in bed with Charlie awake after 3 hours of sleep and minimal coffee? Clear ingredients for one cranky SOB, who would definitely not appreciate lazy workers on his ranch.

Aside from slumber, that dream I experienced left me enormously puzzled. But I shook my head to clear those thoughts as I swung my legs over the bed, touching the carpet beneath my toes.

My hazy brain finished to come back to reality. Then I suddenly remembered that today was my day-off, bringing joy to my groggy being. But what to do on an opportunity like this?

Looking out my window, I saw a sublime sunrise out in the distance. Brightening the high desert landscape and the thick patches of trees near the mountain tops.

"Hmm, it's a beautiful day," I mused as I looked outside. "Maybe I should go for a hike. Get my body moving."

It was a great day to go for a hike. The clean air and bright sun was just the thing I needed to help me forget all about that crazy dream.

Without hesitation, I made my way to the bathroom across the hall. Doing my usual routine by showering, brushing, and combing my hair. Then raced back to my bedroom and got dressed, putting on a white long sleeve shirt under a jean jacket. Dark blue jeans, just so I won't look too matched. I was never one for fancy dress codes, for the fact it felt unnecessary.

After slipping on my boots and packing my survival bag, I glanced over to my night stand, opening it for one last item to take with me. Inside, was an old-style cattleman revolver with a glossy-coated walnut grip, and the Colt company stamp on the side. It once belonged to Charlie's grandfather, but he gave it to me as a gift after working decently on his ranch. Sure it was pretty ancient with its useless single action, but I felt as though history needed some respect.

Taking the pistol, I tightened the belt and holster to my waist and slipped the gun inside. I then walked downstairs, to talk to Charlie. Unfortunately, no one was around. The house was completely empty. I came across a note on the coffee table. It was a yellow notebook paper with Charlie's signature on the bottom.

Dear Ike

I need to go into town to get some horse feed and groceries. Be back later.

You don't need to do much, just kick back until I return. If you need to go anywhere, four-wheelers are parked out back. Just remember to lock the house before you leave. Enjoy your day off.

Charlie

Now this was even better, I could just go ahead and go without his permission. It's as if this day was made for me. I crumpled the note and threw it in the trash.

I then helped myself to some breakfast in the fridge. A plain bowl of cereal was all I needed to get moving for the day. Afterwards, I checked for last minute supplies, such as my house keys, iPod, and stetson hat. With all provisions accommodated, I walked out the door and locked it.

***

Later that morning, I drove in the back parts of Gallup in Charlie's ATV, listening to some music on my iPod. The desert was rather subtle. Small tree shrubs were placed here and there, and small patches of plant life layered upon the hills.

I followed a dirt road down to a clearing in the middle of nowhere, but I made sure I could still see civilization five miles out. When I could see the city as small as an ant, I stopped and parked my ATV next to a crooked sign that said, "No Trespassing". I didn't pay attention to the sign's intention. For the fact it’s old and beaten, meaning it has been a long time ago that this sign was placed. So trespassing was no longer relevant.

I then grabbed my pack and brought it to my shoulders. Tightening the straps so it was snug against my back and flushed onto my shoulders.

"Let's get going," I said to myself with a challenging smile.

I walked east of the desert and left the bike unattended with its keys in my pack. There were some landmarks I took note of, to make sure I didn't get lost. My first sight was a tall cliff towering over me, next was a cactus the bent in my opposite direction I was heading, followed by a bunch of prairie dog holes, scattered around the clearing. There were mostly trees everywhere, but these marks were pretty convenient to navigate home.

The walk around the hills felt relaxing to me at the first step. The crisp air comforting my nostrils as I hiked further and further away from all my troubles. Pretty soon, that dream I had, became a thing of the past.

***

My trek felt like an hour according to how the sun was higher in the sky than before. I looked back from how far I hiked. The distant city was reduced to nothing but mountain ranges.

"Whew! Damn that was a long hike!" I sighed to myself.

As I panted with exhaustion, I sat down in a bare spot near some trees to rest my tired legs. The hot air dehydrated me and I took a long quenching gulp from my canteen. From where I sat, I saw the valley miles away with quaint little towns residing on the plains and plateau. Calm clouds floated above my head, with crystal blue skies to compliment the scenery.

I have always been rather fond of the outdoors. Being a cowboy was worth it for all of this. The scene was very surreal to witness, with birds chirping and a cool mountain breeze flowing past me.

It was a beautiful sight to behold. Kind of relaxing too, what with the quiet sounds of nature serenading my ears. And with that, I rested my head on the bark of the tree and without realizing it, my eyes began to slowly close on me, showing my world fading from consciousness.

Maybe you should've had some coffee before you left.

And then my assumption proved right, as I only saw darkness but can still hear the sounds of nature around me.

And then a minute later, I only heard silence.

***

I was once again in the black void just like last night.

"What now?" I said into the emptiness once again.

"Now it is time." said the same angelic woman voice.

"Time for what?"

The blackness instantly shined with a bright light fading to existence in front of me. Revealing the same white, talking unicorn, but this time I could actually describe her features.

There was the same horn and same light rainbow mane, but actually there were more. She had wings this time.

And what I also saw upon her, was something that I could not seem to baffle, for she had a tattoo of a sun on her thigh. Plus, whoever this was, was clearly royalty. For she had a gold like crown with a shimmering breastplate that closely resembled some sort of horse collar and… hoof shoes? And no, I don't mean horseshoes, I mean real shoes covering her whole hoof while glowing brightly with gold.

She then spoke softly after I carefully observed her.

"Yes, Isaac," she said, "it is time to go."

Wait... time to go? Aw shit! Did I die while hiking!? Death from poisonous plants? Death from snake bite while I slept? I scrolled through a list of possible deaths that I missed out as I was hiking. But my mind read blank after I rested in the clearing.

"Your life has not improved since you left, Ike. So I wish to offer you a chance to learn of friendship again. You will travel to the land of Equestria and make new friends, be a part of them, and understand the magic of this wonderful feat." She then leaned her head forward with a calming smile. "Will you accept?"

What!? A trip to another world?

It was worth a question to ask, but she seemed like she wanted to help. However, I was soon well aware that this was just a dream. All I wanted to do from that point was to wake up - plus it was a good idea to make sure no shadow demons came back for me. So, if I wanted to wake up anytime soon, I decided to just play along.

I gave a heavy sigh, before I kneeled on one knee to the royal horse.

"I will... your majesty." I responded as I acted like a gentleman. Like I said, it was just a dream, which surely means this pegasus/unicorn combo hybrid is not sincere when she is clearly an illusion within my subconscious.

But she actually took it seriously when she lowered her head and closed her eyes. Everything grew brighter and brighter once again, but my head was facing the floor so it didn't blind me. But it did however, engulf me. I then felt weightless as if the floor was removed from my feet. The blinding stopped, and I felt like I was suddenly blown away by a jet stream, suspending me high into the air.

Panicked and panicking was the only feeling I began to feel. But that soon subsided when I felt as though the unknown force was actually softening my jittery anxiety. Pacing my breathing, I quickly became tranquilized, while rising calmly and oddly relaxed.

It left me dreary soon after and I started to grow restful. So I slowly closed my eyes and drifted off into a deep sleep. Blissfully driftinging back into consciousness.

A Light Shining in Darkness

Chapter 3: A New Friend

Chapter 3: A New Friend

***

I jolted awake, gasping for air. Feeling like I couldn't breathe, almost as if I was underwater while unconscious the whole time. Thankfully, I was still alive, not to mention awake.

These dreams were something I could not fathom, especially when I encountered this lady horse twice. She still lingered within my brain, and her words I hardly recalled as they became hazy. Though some remained for me to puzzle together. What did she mean by learn friendship again?

Despite loitering on some twisted dream and gasping for oxygen, I then glanced over my surroundings. At first I thought I was just going to wake up back in the valley of New Mexico. Though after I quickly looked around, I noticed something strangely obvious the moment I shocked myself out of slumber.

I wasn't in the desert anymore.

Instead, I found myself in some kind of forest. Barely concealed beams of sunlight stabbed through the leaves above me, reaveling a bright blue sky. But what made it even more strange, was that this forest didn't look anything like a real peaceful landscape, but instead appeared more grim and dark with all sorts of plant life I've never even seen before. Why? Because it was a jungle. A FREAKING JUNGLE!

"What the fuck?" I cursed.

I took a good look around, taking in all the forest’s odd features. I thought that I might have been stung by a scorpion or something, succumbing to one dense dream and then woke up to a hallucination. Though the grass below me felt pretty real and my supplies seemed intact so that possibility was out the window. My gun was still at my side, and my pack was still strapped to my back.

"Okay nothing stolen," I thought. "But I think I should focus on getting back home."

I don't know why I was in the jungle, and not in the desert foothills. Or more importantly: How I even got here in the first place. But I didn't have time to dawdle over the mysterious situation, because getting back home was now my number one objective. So I hoisted myself to my feet, and observed my surroundings to try and find a way out. Taking a look at my compass, to see which way I was going, it showed that I was facing North. As I glanced at the direction of my path, I then saw a small town not too far from my current position.

"Oh, thank God," I said in my mind. "Civilization. There's bound to be some folks there."

Closing my compass, I started walking towards my destination.

God give me strength.

***

It was another peaceful day in Ponyville. Where the streets festered with delightful ponies, going on to their daily lives. The skies were clear and the flowers were blossoming in the flower boxes of local shops and residencies. It was considered a routine to breed flowers in most shops to upkeep the number of flourishing customers. While the local florists were the ones most active in fragrant supplies that kept everypony leaving their homes with their noses breezy and attitude cheery.

On the other end of town a little purple unicorn, known as Twilight Sparkle, was dutifully tidying up her home. Piles of books cluttered every single corner in the library, but were handled in no time at all. However cleaning and organizing these books shaved a lot out of her schedule.

It had taken the better part of the morning, but Twilight was finishing dusting the last of her books.

"There! All finished." Twilight cheerily said to herself, happy that her morning tasks were finally done. She then levitated the feather duster away, and floated a rather large book to herself. "Now to get back to my studies."

She trotted over to her couch and lied down, facing the now open book floating in front of her, covered in a transparent purple glow. She was about to read the first sentence when Spike came downstairs.

"Hi, Twilight." he said happily as he descended down the steps.

"Good morning, Spike." Twilight replied with a smile as her scaly little assistant walked past her and into the kitchen. "How was your day off?"

"Best. Sleep. Ever," Spike answered feeling very much energized as he came back with a bowl full of gems. "I haven't had a break in ages. Thanks." He bit into a gem, savoring the tastes.

"Well it's the least I could do for my best assistant." Twilight returned her gaze to her literature.

"Yeah, I bet you– BURP!”

Just then, a scroll with the princess's seal appeared out of Spike's breath of fire. With a hardly noticeable odor of roasted gemstones still lingering near himself. He looked down to examine the piece of parchment on the floor.

"Hey!" He picked up the scroll. "We have another letter from the Princess!" Spike said surprised, which made Twilight perk her head up.

She has always felt this habit to respond immediately to her mentor's messages, so she hastily grabbed the letter from Spike's grasp. Surprising him all of a sudden.

"Rude much?" Spike commented offended at Twilight's swipe.

"I'm sorry, Spike." Twilight replied. "But it's probably important. You know how the princess is when she sends us her letters."

Spike nodded his head.

Twilight then unravelled the scroll to read what Princess Celestia had to say today.

Dear Twilight Sparkle,

I wish to inform you today, of a new resident coming to Ponyville. He has been feeling troubled without the magic of friendship, and I want you and your friends to meet him. So I have decided to bring him here to Equestria, to understand friendship. He should reside within the Everfree forest, just outside Ponyville. Good luck, my faithful student.

Princess Celestia

P.S. He is not from Equestria. So be fair to him.

At that, Twilight raised an eyebrow about a new resident coming to town. And what’s this about him not from Equestria? It caught the wise unicorn’s curiosity for a moment.

"Well, this seems odd," Twilight mused.

“What is it?” Spike asked.

She looked at the dragon boy. “The princess wants us to meet a new pony coming here to Ponyville.”

"A new pony, really? What's their name?"

"Oh," replied Twilight, "well, the Princess didn't tell me what their name is. But I'm sure we'll find out."

At that, she got off the couch and trotted over to her desk. She levitated her saddle bag onto her back and loaded it with some quills, parchment, and extra ink.

"I'm going to tell the others about this. Will you watch the Library for me while I'm gone, Spike?"

Spike saluted, but quickly realized that he wasn't going along.

"Wait, Twilight!" Spike chased after his caretaker to the front door. "Why can't I go? I wanna see this new pony."

Twilight turned to Spike as she opened the door with her magic.

"I'm sorry Spike, but someone has to watch our home, if we ever leave." She then smirked with an idea in mind. "You wouldn't want any thieves to come in and steal your tasty gems now, would you?"

"What!? No way! No one's stealing MY gems!" Spike growled intimidatingly as he dashed for the bowl of gems he left on the table. He held them tight in his arms as if Twilight's warning was for real.

Twilight giggled a little bit.

"Well then, I'll be gone for a while. So just stay here."

Leaving the little purple dragon to manage his belongings, Twilight walked out and closed the door.

***

I trudged through the undergrowth of this creepy forest, keeping my gaze on the town ahead of me. I assumed the distance towards the village would've been shorter, but every step I took felt challenging. Plus many unusual climate changes have occurred over the course of my trek.

The temperature seemed to rise. The cool cross-breeze was gone, replaced by a palpable humidity that made me sweat through my jean jacket. I took it off and wrapped it around my waist, making sure there was an opening to the holster. Just in case I might be ambushed by some leopard or lion. Again, I was in the jungle, so you can't be too careful in the wild.

I walked a good mile, I think, until I came across a clearing that was exposed to the skies, beaming a lot of sunlight into the area. It wasn't too far from my destination, despite my feet barking. Oddly, the clouds above the clearing looked more detailed than normal clouds. And come to think of it, the trees I passed earlier were pretty smooth unlike most trees. Almost like they were drawn.

I then noticed a stump and decided to sit down.

"So... tired... must rest," I panted.

I liked hiking, but from where I started in this jungle, my exhaustion was on the verge of killing me before I could even take another step. In a regular forest hike, at least the journey was worth it due to enchanting scenery. But when my sweat fell from every pore on my body, I soon realized that this became a hike to survive.

"Boy, am I tired." I sighed to myself on the stump.

GROWL

"... and hungry."

GROWL

"Wait a minute."

Those growls didn't sound like my gut, but more like vicious animals. I followed the chilling sound, leading me to a patch of trees close by. All I could make out in the foliage, was glowing yellow eyes staring hungrily at me.

"Oh no, I am not dying today!" I huffed sternly as I boosted from the stump and stood my ground.

Just then, two wolves stepped out into the clearing, all growling with hunger on their minds. Although my survival instincts began to kick in, I thought my exhaustion was messing with my eyesight when I noticed the ravenous hunters were made out of what looked like tree bark. Every muscle and skin upon them resembled strong logs and sticks, from the very trees they lurked in.

But I ignored their appearance when fight overcame flight.

"Fucking beasts, walking in here when I need to get the fuck out of here." I said to myself before yelling at the beasts, "You are not having this body for lunch!!"

With that threat in the air, the wolves started to charge at me. In reaction, I quickly pulled out my gun and fired three shots by fanning the hammer.

One missed, but the other two penetrated their targets. Producing two loud whimpers as the wolves fell dead on the ground. Bleeding sap excessively from my firearm’s bullets.

Approaching closer to the lifeless carcasses, I examined them more thoroughly. They were indeed made of wood, and bleeding from the smoldering pores I created.

"What the... how the hell can these things be made of wood???" I questioned with serious doubt.

I've been here for a couple of hours, hiking past freakish shrubs and abnormal landscapes, and I already come in contact with bizarre wooden predators. I wasn't sure what the hell happening here. A possible conspiracy came to mind, that I thought I was bitten from some sort of snake or something formidably similar before this entire freakshow, and was actually fighting off imaginary wolves in my head.

But that thought was interrupted by another sound. A pack of high pitched screaming, bellowing a lot like little girls.

"Shit! Must be more wolves!" I shouted in my mind. "I can't let some innocent children die in the woods!"

I ignored the wooden wolves that lied dead and bolted towards the screams. Running as fast as my feet could carry me, I zoomed past shrubs and branches and could hear barking coming from the same direction as the shrieks.

After dashing through the foliage, I came upon another clearing, where I saw two more timberwolves, (I've grown to call them that) pointing their snouts menacingly to something behind a rock. That must've be where the kids were hiding.

Without thinking, I charged at the wolves bodily, knocking them on their sides. They squeaked at my stun when I shoved them forcibly to the ground. I then staggered back on my feet and pulled out my gun. But before I could ready the first round, the wolves quickly recovered from my charge. They were furious, those burning yellow eyes pierced through me like daggers. I was quickly lost in those eyes, blurring my ability to aim. I then fired the shot, completely away from my targets.

The bullet missed the wolves entirely, causing them both to bolt towards me. Before I could ready my gun for a second shot, they lunged at me. Fortunately, I stepped out of the way of the first wolf, but that left me vulnerable to the second. From there, the second wolf threw itself at me and bit my right arm, holding the gun.

"AHHH!!! YOU FUCKING ANIMAL!!!" Forgive my cursing, but this was a painful situation I was enduring.

It sunk its short jagged wooden teeth into my forearm. I struggled, only to cause more pain to surge in my forearm. But with my free hand, I punched the beast smack dab in the snout, making it release its grip with a loud whimper. But also leaving my hand slightly sore from its hard wooden surface.

Upon the brief moment, my gun was still in my bloodied hand, dripping blood from two large holes pierced through my arm. The wound stung like lava, causing me to hiss in agony.

But I wasn’t going to let that hinder with my window of opportunity. So I cocked the hammer and fired at the wolf's skull, where it instantly fell dead. But the other wolf wasn't giving up. I could hear it snarl from behind as it launched from its position, but I was ready. In a smooth and fast reflex, I turned around and fanned my third shot directly at the wolf's heart as it flew past me.

It then became shortly quiet all of a sudden, without the portentous barks of wild dogs.

I slipped my revolver back into its holster. The burning sensation in my arm forced me to hold it tightly. I felt blood trickle down my arm and around my hand. Grunts escaped my lips with pure agonizing pain.

That however, didn't leave out the shaking children cowering behind the rock. I turned towards it, already sensing their fear after seeing me battle.

"Hey now..." I stifled, holding my arm in pain as I walked over. "It's ok."

Hobbling closer to the boulder, one of them suddenly spoke.

"Please don't hurt us!" she quivered. "We were just going to earn our Cutie Marks!"

Cutie Marks?

I shook my head to clear that question and concentrated on rescuing.

"Listen, I'm not going to hurt you," I panted. "It's okay, you can come out now. Those wolves won't be bothering you anymore." At this point I felt like I had lost a quart of blood.

With that comforting word out in the air, all I saw appear from behind the rock was...

Three baby horses? Okay, this day just keeps getting stranger and stranger.

They were all very colorful and a bit cartoonish. As if a little kid went nuts with finger painting a coloring book. One of them was bright yellow with a red mane, along with a big red bow tied to its mane. Another was pure white with a curly looking pink and purple mane, with its tail matching, and… had a horn. Obviously, that makes it some sort of baby unicorn. The last one was a winged horse; a pegasus, looking back to school history, colored orange with a rugged purple mane and tail.

What was even weirder, was that they are the ones that spoke.

"Well… um, thank you… m-mister," the yellow foal said in a southern accent as she shook nervously.

But before I could process my brain any further, the blood from my wound drained to the point where I finally fainted.

"You killed him!" shouted the orange pegasus.

"What!? No ah didn't!" the yellow one shot back, "He just fainted, that’s all!"

"What in tarnation is goin' on here!" shouted an older female voice in the same southern accent.

The fillies turned ahead to see a taller, bright orange horse, with a blond mane and cowboy hat, approaching the clearing in shock. To come to witness three scared fillies, two dead timberwolves, and one unconscious creature.

BIG changes: Author's Note

Chapter 1: Prologue

The Thoughts that Count

By Ikemtz16

Chapter 1: Prologue

***

In the dusty plains of the wild west, a man emerged from the horizon. He stood blithe near the top of the hill, for his travel only led him to reflect on his day. He had just rooted from Texas several months ago as an alleged bounty hunter, looking to redeem himself. Though his mind recalled such a story, he couldn't shake away the somber memories of killing nearly hundreds of outlaws, or the many hearts he broke.

The uncouth witness of mangled bodies after every shootout, haunted him as he stumbled through the dunes. Many folk considered him a hero, but the horrible events of his life only vilified his reputation. He had little friends in his time, while some dismissed him as a ruthless man, and everyday he feared of becoming alone, with no partner to befriend or woman to fall in love with.

Do they despise a man for his actions, or do they honor him?

***

I closed the the front cover of my novel I've been reading. Its powerful literature left me astonished as I laid the book on the night stand.

"Wow." I muttered. "Quite the story, I think I'll read more of it later."

I adjusted my recline on the bed frame, and sighed through my nostrils. The back of my head rested on the frame’s wooden surface as I sat there bored. It had been a long day lately of managing various errands throughout the day. Now I plainly lied on my bed thinking about the cowboy's ballad.

Recently, I've been working like a beaver in the back parts of Gallup, in a small property ranch. The days were tough, but the pay was decent. Obviously, not enough to get me out of this hick town, but it was good enough for the essentials.

Several minutes go by that night and I was still bored. Nothing left to do but just rest. Besides, I had more work to do tomorrow and since it was getting late, it would've been best just to sleep for now in order to awake properly.

I was about to go to bed until my boss, Charlie, called for me.

"Ike! Git down here!" he shouted in a slightly strong Texas drawl.

‘What can I say, I'm at a ranch.’

As if by reflex, I hopped off my bed. But before I made haste, I stopped by my mirror on the door to make sure I was presentable. My smooth brown hair wasn't too shaggy, so that was one benefit. My complexion didn't pause me either, all I saw was just flawless skin. The attire I wore was more rugged since I was a ranch hand, just a plain t-shirt with skinny jeans. Though I’ll admit, the pants had the tendency to compress my crotch like there was no tomorrow.

I nodded with approval at my reflection and ran downstairs to meet Charlie, sitting on the sofa in front of the fireplace. He was sitting on a two-seat couch with his eyes glued to the TV on top of the mantle.

I approached the man, who was about an inch shorter compared to my six foot height. He was wearing a black cowboy hat and beige jacket, along with blue skinny jeans and light brown cowboy boots. His facial features were a dark-brown, rugged beard covering the majority of his chin, cheeks and upper lip.

When I appeared in the room, he turned to me with the side of his face glowing against the light of the flames.

"Howdy Ike," he said. "Can y'all do me a favor and check on the horses out back? Just wanna make sure they're fed before ya hit the hay."

I sighed with discouragement, then nodded my head.

"Sure," I replied.

"Much appreciated."

It did annoy me slightly that I had to do a last minute job before bed, but if it meant a bonus I had to listen.

So I grabbed my jacket on the coat rack and made my way to the front door. Outside it was still dark. I could hear crickets chirping and wolves howling in the distance soothed my ears. The air was still warm due to the summer heat, but it was reasonably manageable.

I was still tired from my desperation for sleep, but my senses were rejuvenated by the summer night’s warm, clean air, encouraging me to commence with my chore.

I made my way to the barn doors. I opened them slightly before peeking my head into the wooden building. It may have been just a quiet little barn, but a stowaway with a weapon crossed my mind at the moment. Sure enough those thoughts vanished when the coast was clear.

As I walked inside, I studied each trough I passed. All were filled with enough hay and water to make it through the night. Except for a quarter horse lurking in the back. So I grabbed a bucket and filled it with clean water from the water pump, then pouring it all into the trough. As well as a bale of hay to ease the horse's appetite.

"There you go, Cletus," I said to the horse, who just stood there as I just kept talking. "Now eat slowly this time, I don't want you all hungry again tonight." I chuckled at those words.

But stopped when I realized how lame that sounded.

Though my duty was finally done, I was much too lazy to leave. That and the clean air from outside was getting to me. So I took advantage of this opportunity by climbing up to the loft of the barn and resting on a shredded blanket I left there on my previous night. Sitting on a snug spot crossed legged in front of an open window, revealing a beautiful night sky over the vast New Mexico high desert. Usually every night before crawling into bed, I would ease my overworked nerves with subtle scenery. It always helped me relax a little before bed and the sight was truly remarkable to take in every night.

"Beautiful," I admitted softly.

"It is, isn't it?" asked a woman's voice from behind me.

I turned around to see a woman; roughly in her thirties. She was standing on the ladder, near the edge of the loft. I was not sure how I failed to notice her presence or the creaking sound of the barn doors when she came in.

"Hey, Ike," she said with a smile, of which I responded with my own.

"Evening, Mrs. Williamson," I replied, "what are you doing here?"

Mrs. Williamson, or Abbie as I've grown to call her, was Charlie's wife and assistant to the ranch. But unlike my boss, she was more friendly and well-spirited. Ever since I came to the farm, she welcomed me with content hospitality.

"I was just about to feed the horses,” she said, “but I can already say that's taken care of." She referred to the occupied troughs.

"Your husband told me to feed them, so I just helped out."

Her perky smile conveyed her gratefulness.

"That's very nice of you Ike. Might I ask how your day's been?"

"It was great. I'm just tired right now, so I was planning to head to bed real soon."

Abbie climbed onto the loft and sat right next to me.

"Well, you seem more interested in the view," she noted, gesturing her head to the window.

I smiled. "It helps me relax before I go to bed. This is what I call 'my warm milk before bed'."

She chuckled at that comment. At least someone finally laughed tonight.

"So Ike," she said with her signature smile, "you've been working here for two months, right?"

"Yeah, about two months." I replied, reminiscing on the many memories on this ranch, "Why?"

Abbie shrugged her shoulders. "Well my husband is always so busy with you, that we've never properly met. I've never got to ask what school you came from."

"I was at UNM just last year."

"Ah, the university." Abbie mused, "How was it?"

I started to recall my time at college. It was okay in terms of education, but most of the time it was pretty lonesome. Being a social butterfly was not exactly my specialty as a freshman to a senior. At that reminder, I brushed off my loneliness with a sigh as I looked out the window to hopefully instigate my sadness. Abbie's grin began to shrink at the sight of my slowly growing frown.

"To be honest, Mrs. Williamson," I mumbled aloud, "it wasn't all that great."

"Well why not?" she asked concernedly.

"I... don't want to talk about it."

She cocked her head at me and gave me a confused look. I assumed she was going to interrogate without rest, but her expression was filled with regret as she remained silent for a moment.

“I'm sorry, Ike,” she eventually spoke, “I didn't mean to-”

“It's fine,” I interrupted. “You didn't know. If it's all the same to you, I don't want to look back on that.” I looked her in the eye. “All I can say is that I wasn’t a social type of guy. You know, doesn’t play well with others?”

She understood my metaphor and nodded earnestly. Then she rested a comforting hand on my shoulder.

“If it's that personal, Ike. Then I completely respect it.”

I smiled heartily at her. She then offered a hug, of which I happily accepted. But upon movement, caused something to fall out of my pocket. Abbie seemed to notice the parcel that fell.

"What's that?" She pointed at the floor.

Looking down, I saw a folded piece of paper.

I chuckled slightly. "I forgot about this!" I replied as I picked up the paper.

"What is it?" Abbie asked.

"Just an old picture I drew earlier."

I unfolded it into the lantern above us to show a black and white drawing of four cowboys. They were set in the middle of the picture aligned to face me and Abbie with challenging grins.

"Wow, Ike!" Abbie awed. "You certainly have skills other than breaking horses."

I smiled at her. “A guy can have more than one hobby, can’t he?”

We chortled at that comment. I was beginning to speculate that my comical quotes were brightening up the moment, unlike my previous attempts.

After showing her the drawing, I explained to Abbie about these fictional fellows. Talking about their names, their personalities, and their lives. Already planned out as if they were legitimate characters to a story. I did so by naming each character individually.

"That's Vince Gonzales." I pointed to a big mexican man with a bloated chin and sombrero on the left side of the paper.

He wore a long-sleeved, button-up shirt with a bandolier wrapped over his shoulder. A shiny belt buckle with a cow skull glistened on his waist.

I moved on to the next person standing by the first. He was also big, but more buff looking, wearing a poncho over a black shirt. The sleeves were folded to expose his broad arms, and was also wearing a bandolier, just like Vince. A flat brimmed hat sat on top of his head. She might not know it, but his skin was supposed to be pink.

"Rufus Wells," I presented.

The next person resided on the far right of the picture. He was pretty skinny for a cowboy, and had black, spiky hair underneath a gambler's hat. A vest and handkerchief complimented his build as he stood their with a smug expression.

"Bobby Blackjack." Abbie giggled a little at the funny last name.

Finally, I point out the gentleman in the middle of the group. He too was skinny, but was rather slim compared to Bobby. A black hat, white shirt, and black suspenders were etched on his body. Glasses surrounded his large cartoon eyes, that gazed right at me as I scrutinized the design.

"And finally, John Everett."

"He looks just like you," Abbie commented.

The resemblance was meant to be, for when I drew these characters I wanted to portray myself as a western hero. Something I’ve wanted to imagine since I was a little kid.

"I call these guys Wild West Tech," I spoke with pride.

I further explained the premise of these frontiersmen. In my imagination, they were basically a gang of cowboys, with an arsenal of superior technology that no other pioneer has ever seen before. Living their lives in the Wild West and battling zombies to protect their world.

Abbie looked deep into the picture and smiled with glee at my talents.

“Again, Wow!” she exclaimed surprisedly. “This is actually amazing, Ike. How come you don’t do this as a career?

I shook my head. "Naw, these are just rough sketches. It would be a great idea, but I'm alright with just working here." I look at her with a smile, of which she happily returned with her own.

"Well," Abbie said as she stood up and began to climb down the ladder, "I better go to bed. You should probably do the same. Remember that tomorrow is your day off, so don't worry about going to work.”

I had completely forgotten I had a day off every weekend. Charlie wanted me to take it easy after working hard with him every day, which surprised me a little considering he does nothing but put me to work without ever taking a break. Probably because of some economical dilemma he's succumbing to every now and then, and he had to perform his best in maintaining his farm for profit. And every weekend when a day off commenced, I wanted to make it worthwhile.

"And Ike? I'm sorry for bringing up that conversation.” She blushed. “You know, about…” She trailed off, but I already got it from there.

I waved my hand at her. “It’s okay, Abbie,” I replied, “it’s nothing important anyway.”

Her smile widened. “I hope you'll be alright."

Her sympathy was warming to hear. We then exchanged last minute good-nights as she climbed down the ladder and walked out of the barn.

I was about to do the same, but after Abbie asked about my past, I started to think about it. I wasn't sure why I thought of it now, but trying to forget turned out to be a problem. I don't even want to bring it up in this story.

Despite wanting to investigate, a yawn unexpectedly escaped my mouth. My bed was calling my name, and I was born to answer that call. Besides, ignoring those memories was probably best, for slumber was a top priority to focus on. So I followed Abbie's advice and followed suit out the barn doors.

But before I left, I halted under the doorway. A weird sensation overcame me for a second. As if someone was watching me. I looked behind, only to see dimly lit stalls and a couple of horses eyeing me walk out the door.

“Ike!” I turned to Abbie from outside. “You coming to bed?”

“Uh, be right there!” I replied.

Completely brushing off whatever I felt was inside that barn, I followed Abbie back inside the house.

Unbeknownst to me, someone was inside. A horse in the corner of the barn, was standing about with a pure white coat that glistened in the moonlight, and had a multicolor mane with streaks of light rainbow colors.

With a tattoo of a sun on its flank.