Al woke up slumped over the mane of his horse. It was night and the stars shone brightly in the sky, showing all the details of the milky way galaxy. They appeared brightly. So much so that he reached his hand to the sky, head still resting on his horse and attempted to feel the velvet of the sky and the pearls and sequins that dotted it. His arm fell to his side in exhaustion. He took a moment to lay there and watch one hoof move in front of the other. The familiar rhythmic clomping of liberties hooves lulled him back to sleep.
He was jolted awake by liberty neighing softly, as if to rouse him awake in concern. He sat up and the sun was breaking the horizon. The air was still cold from the night yet the sound of animals quitting let him know the day was going to be hot. He reached for his saddle bags with a sore arm to grab the canteen. He took only a sip. Who knew how long he was going to be in this desert. The stars were now hidden by lavender skies. He couldn't use them to guide his way to water. Civilization was nothing of concern as much as finding an overwhelming spring was.
He moved to look behind him and was nearly blinded by stinging pain. He gently ran fingers behind his neck and felt blood dried. He nervously felt further to yelp with pain. He brought back his hand to see blood. He had only been grazed. He wouldn't be this active if not. Still, though infection could set in. He begrudgingly doused a new handkerchief he had bought and tied it around his head.
He got off his horse. No need in overworking the horse when his legs worked just fine. He stumbled a bit as the hills in front of him blurred with the sky. He caught his balance. One step in front of the other. One by one. Mile by mile. He slowly trudged through the hot desert.
Lifting his eyes from the ground to squint into the distance. The horizon swam and swirled in the heat like the waves upon an ocean. The sky was clear and blue and there was not a cloud in the sky. He felt something drip on his neck and spun looking for rain but slowly realized it was only his sweat falling from his brow. He walked and walked till his feet felt as if they were walking over coals. He looked to the mountains only to see that the horizon moved farther and farther away. He ran and tripped over a rock. Pushing himself up to see liberty a few feet away, refusing to walk into the patch of sand he was on. He looked behind him only to see the desert from which he had come and forwards across this cursed path toward the solitude of the mountains.
How did he ever get here? Wasn't it enough for Audrey to remain by his side? Did Diane or Austin deserve to be caught in the crossfire? Did Jorge ever have a fair hand in all this? The regrets about his decisions piled up. Why couldn't he? Why didn't he? Each question brought scenes of cannons, fire, and uselessness. How did he lose the only life he knew? How did he lose the ones he loved? Greed, corruption, all vile evils that seemed to accompany all that he left behind. Now, all there was left was him. The last man standing. A burden. Of all the promises that he had failed to keep, the one which tore his heart into shreds was the failed promise to keep his family safe.
It was all too much to handle. All the injustice he did made him sick. What was it even for? Running wild and reckless did feel good, no past behind you, only the road ahead. To make himself feel better? That did nothing but make him a criminal, one and everyone considered him lower than a dog and who sees himself lower than dog shit. Come to think of it, he was a bit like a wild animal at this point; focused only on survival, not giving a hoot whose hand he bit to live. How did he ever get so twisted? Was it too late to stop?
He pondered on that one for a while, and came to the hilarious conclusion that, yea, he was in quite the situation. Alfred licked his lips as the sun began to set. He sighed feeling the air cool slightly. What good would it do to sit here and wallow in self pity. He pushed himself from where he lay and stumbled over his own feet till he made it to liberty. No use in laying here waiting to die.
He grabbed the canteen and drank. He dug through his saddlebags finding the bag of dried corn. He fed liberty. He petted her mane as she ate. He smiled slightly and looked up at the sky. California was to the west. California. It had been almost a decade since he had been there. He set a course in his mind towards the warm beaches there.
He and Liberty trekked through the night. It was cool and the stars were above. The desert came to life with the various sounds of the night life. He hummed a song with the night as they pranced through the desert. A sad song was always upon his tongue. The sorrowful words ringed amongst the ravine, and the empty valleys. The words hung heavy in the air as a thunder cloud with his feelings and regrets blew them from his mind with the rain of his tears. Washing him clean of his sorrow.
He lost track of time. Maybe a week had passed, maybe a year. They had made it across many valley's and a set of hills. Now they were at the base of another. Who knew, perhaps the green fields of California were across these. He looked up to look at the stars. He stayed where he was. The constellations were swirling together. He closed his eyes and swallowed, taking a moment to stop his head from spinning. He opened them again to look up, he saw them in all their beauty. Each star where the Lord had placed them. Hung delicately and with care. Each shining. Each cheering him onward. He sat up. The back of his shirt felt wet and he ran a hand to feel sticky blood. He tightened the bandage and moved to stand up. He stood waiting for the world to come to a stop before he began to walk again, a hand on Liberty. She sighed and made a fuss, but he rubbed her nose and she quitted.
The pitch darkness began to fade as the sun rose behind them. He crawled over rocks, slipping more than once. Liberty picked her own path through the rugged terrain. He leaned on liberty and she took a slow pace for him. He was grateful for her company. He had been alone before, while he could tolerate it, he wouldn't choose it. He closed his eyes, leaning on liberty, one shaky foot in front of the other.
The peacefulness of this vast dessert was humbling. All the struggle in cities and towns looked insignificant. They really didn't matter out here. What did it matter if there was ruinous gossip or a war? Nothing. This desert seemed so untouched that it was surreal. Only God, the sky and the mountains.
The smog that had permeated his mind since the war seemed to clear. It was so clear to him. His wild and reckless behavior had never helped him forget or be free. If anything it kept him chained. What he had done wrong, and what he had to do was so clear. There was so much to set right before he could enjoy the peacefulness of his solitude. Perhaps then, when burnt bridges were rebuilt, it would be solitude not loneliness. He was eager, despite being tired, for the new path ahead of him. For the first time in a long time he felt free.
They made it to the top of the rocks and looked at the sunrise. Over the horizon he saw smoke billowing in the morning light. It was a train, heading towards the little group of buildings in the distance. He smiled. He had found his way.
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I will try to not make the next chapter so sappy, but the plot had to have a changing point so...
