The Gunslinger

Chapter 5

EXPECTATION

Morgan was thirteen when she disappeared; she was barely a teenager, practically still a child. She didn't know what to expect from life. She wasn't concerned with thoughts about getting married or having kids, she didn't even know whether she liked girls or boys. She knew her family loved her, that her older brother looked out for her, and she was learning that whatever she had with her boyfriend wasn't love. Morgan died not knowing who she was or what she wanted, but she was happy with what she had. She knew that one day she wanted to go to college, maybe she would get married, and she always liked the idea of being a doctor; but in seventh grade, the only thing she really wanted out of life was to have fun.

REALITY

Her older brother had told her a story growing up, he told her about a malevolent thing called a wendigo, a murderous creature that feasted on the flesh of humans. She had been told that this monstrosity had stood over seven feet tall, wearing the skull of a moose with large antlers, and hooves instead of feet. Her brother used to tell her that if she went out into the woods behind their house alone, the wendigo would find her and eat her, bones and all. The first time she heard it, she had nightmares for the next two days. But as Morgan grew older, she began to see the caution in the story, and on her tenth birthday, her brother and his friends gathered her in the backyard. She wasn't quite sure what they were doing, but they pointed out a path that they had taken more times than they could count.

"Okay Morgan, it's your birthday and I think you're ready for this."

"Ready for what Harvey? What are we doing?"

"We're not doing anything; this is what you're doing."

"Okay, well what am I doing?"

"You know that hideout we built two summers ago?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Well, you have to go out there to find your birthday gift."

"No, I'm not going out there by myself!" Morgan felt a panic overtake her.

"You'll be okay, it's not that far!" He wasn't sure how to convince her without being mean.

"No, I don't want to!" She stormed back inside, visibly upset.

Harvey didn't know what the big deal was, she always seems to be terrified of everything; he decided to just let it go, mostly out of fear of his mother's retaliation. Morgan was okay being the baby, the scaredy-cat, she knew one day it wouldn't matter that much, and until then she would just have to deal with it. If only she knew how right, and how wrong, she would be.

It was a few years later, just two days before Valentine's day, and Morgan was putting on the clothes that her parents, less than twenty-four hours later, would be describing to a detective. She was looking forward to spending tonight with her boyfriend and the rest of her friends, it was her first real party, and she was excited. It was only five-thirty when her dad dropped her off, telling her to call when she needed a ride home. She said goodbye to him, told him she loved him, and that she would see him later tonight. He watched as she made her way up the walkway and rang the doorbell, soon a friend of hers answered and she disappeared inside. He wasn't worried, they were thirteen, it wasn't like they could cause that much trouble. Scott showed up about thirty minutes later, but Morgan couldn't help but notice that he didn't seem too interested in her at first. She tried to ignore it and have fun but after a couple of hours she noticed that he had disappeared, and when she went to find him, she found him on the porch swing kissing Trisha. She was hurt and angry, she stormed out of the house thinking that she might call her dad to come pick her up. He chased after her, following her outside hoping to calm her down. He called her name, but Morgan ignored him; he kept at it, slowly getting closer to her.