Outlaws for Life (Red Dead Redemption 2)

Chapter ThirtyTwo: The Return

It's been two weeks. Two weeks since that mess in Saint Denis. Two weeks since they're gone and now everyone here is losing hope. But I'm not. Maybe it's thanks to Charles and Sadie. With both of them by my side, I feel stronger and I'm not losing the will to fight. I have to. We have to. For Jack, Abigail, Tilly, Mary Beth and everybody else. They all deserve better.

Charles came back and told me a little about the Wapiti Reservation, that's its name. It seems to be an amazing place, but the natives there have a lot of problems, so it's possible that he shall go back, and I will surely go with him next time.

This morning I've been awaken by the rain. This weather surely doesn't help the situation in camp. The ground becomes even more muddy and sticky and we are forced to stay inside. The thing that drives me crazy is that staying inside the house, there is nothing to do, just idle around.

I'm playing with Charles's dream catcher, my back against the floor, my legs up the wall, my mind far away from here. Boooring. Everything is sooo boring. I should take Isabella and go. Where? Who cares. Some place. Everywhere, but in this hole.

I hear the door opening and then gasps and whispers. I turn my head to look towards the entrance and there, soaked, dirty and messy, stands none the less than... Micah.

I think no-one has never been happier to see him. They pat him on the shoulder and give him some water and they ask him where the others are. I stand and reach him as he tells us they left him in Saint Denis last night with Javier and that they split up so not to catch too much attention. He heard some voices about where we could be and followed them.

He looks so different, beaten, devastated, his face his hollow, his eyes not sparkling anymore with that evil light. If he's this bad, I'm afraid to see the others.

Javier shows up almost one hour after and I immediately notice his wounded leg. He says he's been shot and captured and his look is not better than Micah's.

As he walks past me to go rest and clean himself, with his bended figure and bloodless face, we exchange a look.

"It's good to see you again" I murmur.

"Yes, you too."

"You need something?"

"No, no I'm fine. Just a bath and a comfortable bed."
I smile and nod. I'm really happy to see him again. I was worried for him as much as I was for the others. He may not believe it, but I really consider him as my friend, and when my friends are in danger, I'm always worried.

..................

By mid-morning the storm ends and from the sky falls a thin cool rain that, at least, gives us the chance to go outside and prepare some stew. Mr. Pearson, Abigail and I get to work and manage to finish it before noon. Micah and Javier wake up from the sleep they clearly needed and eat something too.

I try to avoid to stay inside, and instead I help Pearson cleaning the kitchen table. Abigail is with us, chatting and complaining about the weather, and she is the first to notice the tall figure walking out of the swamp.

"Arthur!" she exclaims, running in his direction.

I turn around with a big smile and go after her, but my feet soon stop to look at him, the smile slowly fading away as I watch his skinny and weary figure bending over to hold Abigail.

"Hey everybody! Arthur's back!" calls out Pearson.

They don't seem to see the change, or maybe they aren't paying much attention to it, maybe thinking it is due to the long travel on the boat and the strange island Micah and Javier talked about, but there must be something else behind his red and sunken eyes and the sorrowful attitude.