Unsinkable

A New World

February 17, 1912
Liverpool

Arthur Morgan was once a gunslinger in the wild west, before it was tamed. He was quite young when it happened, but he remembered it so clearly; everyone that lived that non-existent life of murder, thievery and deceit, were hunted down in cold blood. The rest that lived all scattered like rats, essentially leaving the West a ghost town.

Most folks went North, some went East and others, like himself, went abroad. But it wasn't his idea, it was all Dutch - his final, God willing, master plan.

He claimed they could live a better life where no one would ever know of their past. However, their past caught up to them rather quickly; robbery and arson in England went about as far as it did in America.

And like in America, they were imprisoned. Only the prisons in England were far worse than back home. They were cold and desolate, dirty and infested with bugs and rats. A few of the older prisons were underground and flooded when it rained. 

Arthur was faced with the decision to either rot in prison as he was, doing what he always did or find a job busting his ass for poor mans wages. Neither suited him very well, but the latter had to be better than this.

As he laid there on the flimsy cot, using a knife he stowed away in his boot, shaving a piece of wood, he couldn't help but think of his life before this mess.

It wasn't the greatest but it was something. He had a few friends, family and a girl who he loved. He wasn't sure that she loved him, but then again, he couldn't be too sure of anything anymore. He did think Dutch was a decent man, after all.

Arthur and John were certain after a day or two, Dutch or Hosea would come to bail them out, but they were criminals too.

"Hey." Arthur whispered across the dimly lit hall.

"Yeah?"

"When we get out of here, we should go back home."

John let out a raspy laugh."I was thinkin' the same thing."

Arthur rested his arm behind his head, as he stared up at the ceiling, counting the cracks and mold blotches. He was glad that John wanted to go back home too - more than glad, he was elated!

"How we gonna get there? We ain't got no money."

"We'll find a way," Arthur sighed."If we don't, we'll stow away like we did when we was headed to Tahiti."

"Yeah and landed somewhere in England." John scoffed.

Arthur shook his head."Don't think about it too much, ya wear yourself out."

"Aside from rubbin' one out, ain't got much else to do but think."

"...Thanks for the visual."

"Well...sorry."

Arthur draped an arm over his eyes, praying for sleep to come before the rain did.

Killing that man wasn't something he planned on doing and he was certain Dutch hadn't planned on it either. He didn't plan on anything.

What he really didn't expect to happen, was John helping him. The man Mr. Applewood, had his guards ambush them. They were nothing one on one, but coming in droves as they were, it was hard to keep up.

In the end, Arthur was stabbed in the side and John was slashed in the face - nearly dying from the blood loss.

When it was all said and done, they killed Mr. Applewood and four of his guards - the others got away. They got off on a lighter sentence, because with the way things looked, it seemed as if it were simply self defense. But since they killed Mr. Applewood, a wealthy banker, it was at least a two year sentence. Dutch on the other hand, got away before the law could come.