Arthur Morgan ☆ ONE-SHOTS ☆ RDR2

◇ Lost in The Swamp ◇

♤♡♧

Hey, y'all!

Just a heads up, I'll probably add the Strange Man here too just to mix things up every now and then. If anything at all, the Strange Man chapters will be after every 5 Arthur chapters.

If you're not wanting the Strange man stories, don't worry. This is mainly an Arthur Morgan one-shot collection. Arthur stories have a "☆" and the Strange Man will have a "◇" (just by the look at the table of contents, it's evident that this is a focused Arthur Morgan book).

Anyways, thanks for reading, saving, voting, and commenting. Now, please, enjoy the read!

♤♡♧

(Y/n) passed through the boggy swamp with a cautious eye. The area was known for the terrifying nightfolk that roamed the land. They were heartless and blood-thirsty beings that enjoyed the kill and took pleasure in prolonging thier victim's pain.

No matter how quiet it was, (Y/n) could not help but feel the looming presence of prying eyes, watching every move she made. She shuddered at the thought, checking around the brush and trees for any lurking threats. Yet, evidently, there were none.

"I just want to get back home," she sighed. The cicadas and frogs clicking and croaking in the background kept her company on her journey. At first it was comforting; but now, it became so insidiously ominous. The cacophony of creatures of the night soon nauseated her,  causing her pulse to quicken and slow and irratically change its pace.

Soon enough, the night and shaded trees with their hanging canopies blocked away the moon light, making the path difficult to see. As the horse began to slow, its neighing and whining gre louder.

"Oh no, please, you got this, girl!" Cried (Y/n), patting the horse to soothe its mind. "That's it; no need to fuss --" just then, the horse stood back on its hind legs, whipping its mane from side to side.

A hiss from the ground erupted as the horse bucked in the air and took off, sending (Y/n) hurling down to the dirt. The air escaped from her lungs, causing  a ringing sensation to drawn-out her senses. All she felt was pain, but she had to move.

Propping herself onto her elbows, she came face-to-face with an alligator, hissing and growling with its mouth open wide. Quickly in a panic, (Y/n) scooted backwards to widen the space between herself and the creature.

Her breathing quickened and her eyes became wide with fright. She could see nor hear anything but the alligator's sharp teeth and its monstrous sound. All was quiet, until a gunshot cracked through the air.

Startled, the alligator turned around to flee the area, whipping its tail and all, shivering into the swamp's plant life.

"You shouldn't be out here so late at night, ma'am," said the gunman. He calmly stepped forward into of of the cracks of moonlight that managed to slip past the canopy trees. (Y/n) saw the strange man; he wore a black top hat, a neat suit and tie, and a handlebar-like mustache. "Thought you could use a hand," he then stopped in front of her, offering his hand to pull her up.

(Y/n) accepted it. With such ease, the man lifted her back onto her feet. "Th-thank you," said (Y/n), still bewildered by the experience. "You really saved me there, thank you!"

"Yes, well, you must be on your way then," said the man. He kept his neutral tone as he spoke. "I  wouldn't like to keep such a lady as yourself from getting home."

Her smile faltered. She had not forgotten that her horse abandoned her. "Actually, mister," she sqeaked, stumbling over to halt the man in place. "I need your help, if you don't mind of course."

The man turned to see her pathetic state. "Hm... don't they all," he said. (Y/n) wondered what he had meant, but ignored the thought. She was too desperate to consider what he meant. "Well, what is it?"

(Y/n) opened her mouth to speak, but stopped herself from doing so. She had wanted to ask for a ride home, but it appeared that the man had not come on horseback since there was no horse in sight.

The man waited in silence.

"Um, It's just, how did you get here exactly...?" Aksed (Yn). She continued to look around, clearly confused and growing weary of the man before her. When she stopped her looking, she returned her gaze to him.

The man smiled just before letting out a crisp whistle into the air. Seconds later, galloping and neighing were heard. "You need a ride home, dear?" He asked. Within the next moment before (Y/n) could even reply, a pale white horse came into view, standing beside the man in the black suit.

"... yes, I would like one very much, please..." said (Y/n), not keeping her eyes of him for a second. She could not help but have an eerie feeling for the man but, at the same time, there was a hint of curiosity in her mind.

The man chuckled. "Very well, come with me." He took (Y/n) by the hand and hoisted her up to mount the horse. "To San Denis, then?" Asked the man, already riding in the direction.

(Y/n) shook her head in disbelief. "Erm, yes actually...how did you know that?" She was conscious of her heart's beating against her chest and the lump forming in her throat that she suppressed from blocking her airways.

"I figured. You seem like a lady from that city; full of life and curiosity, I bet you like a good mystery, too. That's just what a big city like San Denis has: a hidden secret."

She scoffed. "I mean, It's a big city, but there's nothing out of the ordinary in it that's not in other cities like itself."

The man slightly turned his head. "(Y/n), there's always more than what's at the surface, always." He faced forward again, not saying a word more.

At the mention of her name, (Y/n)'s heart stopped. 'How did you know? I hadn't told him my name,' she thought. 'And the way he talks, he seems to know things... things that he shouldn't and- and, why was he here out of all places?'

With here mind in a disarray, (Y/n) spent the rest of the ride in silence. As suspected, the man knew what street she lived on, as well.

"Here we are," he said, getting off the horse to assist (Y/n) with dismounting.

She weakly smiled at him with a brief nod. "Thank you, I'm glad to be home finally."

"It was no trouble at all," he tipped his hat with a thin smile. "You'd do the same, wouldn't you?" His expression when flat.

(Y/n) let go of the man's hand and made her way down the street. "Of course... thank you again, have a good night."

"Thank you, sleep well," said the man, staring at her as she quickened her step. Once farther away, she turned around to still see his figure. Then, after a passing coach drove by, the man was gone.

'Impossible!' Thought (Y/n). 'He- he couldn't have... just vanished like that... no man can unless --'

She banished the thought after reaching her door step. (Y/n) opened the door and took one last glance outside and said, "... what a strange man," before shutting the door.