Prizrak

A Life in Salem - A Fallout RP

Sara Weaver
Salem, Massachusetts - Late Morning



Sara had just started finishing up her food when the girl she had seen from before came storming into the diner in a huff. Initially Sara thought that the woman was coming for her, after the remark she made earlier. Fortunately for both parties she had another target, slugging the sassy waitress in the face with a respected but rather pathetic punch. Sara couldn't help but chuckle a little bit to herself during the whole ordeal. She could tell that the girl was obviously flustered and by how she punched she didn't know what she was doing.

Finished with her food and not privy to hanging around with Dutch, Sara got up from her table and grabbed her things. Admiring the girls handiwork on her way out. “Best be careful who you piss off around here. That pussy ass punch could've just as well been a bullet.” Sara left after her snide remark, following Ace with his girlfriend slung over his shoulder. She normally kept to herself but there was something about that girl, it was stupid but Sara wanted to talk to her.

It didn't take Sara long at all to find the two lovebirds by the makeshift wall the townspeople were constructing. She hesitated at first, afraid to say anything. Sara had a reputation to uphold, especially in front of Ace but she had something to say and she couldn't let it eat away at her. Maybe things could change? Maybe she didn't have to be like this all the time. Sara eventually worked up the confidence to speak, striking a concerned tone that was foreign to her. “Are you alright kid? That was a hell of a swing? You need to put your hips into it next time, knock her on her ass.”

A Life in Salem - A Fallout RP

Sara Weaver
Salem, Massachusetts

A young woman approached the table as if she was the one to take Sara's order. Sara didn't recognize her from before, she had thought that Ace worked by himself but apparently she was wrong. Either way this new girl looked like a handful, but Sara liked her.

"Name's Betty, I'll be your waitress today. What'll you have toots, and make it snappy. Ain't got all day."

Sara cracked a smirk at the girls attitude. She missed that kind of fire. “Good because I don't either. A glass of water, two eggs over hard, and a brahmin steak cooked to medium.” She knew what she wanted, she had been thinking about it since she left home so she didn't waste any time ordering.

A Life in Salem - A Fallout RP

Thomas “Dutch” Kater & Sara Weaver
Salem, Massachusetts



“Cowboy?” Tom took a minute to stir the word around in his head before chuckling. “I guess I’ve been called worse. So what do I call you?” Tom wasn’t put off by the woman’s bloody hands. He had seen his fair share of blood and didn’t even bother wiping her’s off on his pant leg. She didn’t seem right though, there was something about her. Tom couldn’t put his finger on it, he felt like there was something connecting the two of them but he couldn’t figure it out. He tried to find something on her person that would connect the dots but nothing clicked. All he could see were scars and tattoos of a woman that seemed to have weathered the wasteland’s worst.

“People don’t call me much of anything anymore. But my name's Sara. I’d say it’s a pleasure to meet you but I don’t quite care for a liar.” Sara picked up her rifle and pack, slinging them over her shoulder again as she prepared to get on her way.

“I can appreciate a woman with that attitude these days. People seem to have forgotten what it means to be honest.” Tom could tell that the woman was trying to remove herself from the conversation, she seemed troubled by something. He could see it in her eyes, they projected an internal pain that Tom was well acquainted with. They must’ve been the connection he felt. There was something Sara was suffering from that Tom wanted to help her with, but he was smart enough to know that approaching her about it would end badly. Still he liked Sara, she had attitude. He didn’t want her to leave. “Where you headed?”

Sara stopped in her tracks to answer Tom. He was starting to get on her nerves, she just wanted to be left alone and a man that didn’t know when to stop asking questions wasn’t helping her any. “North, far away from this place. Salem isn’t my kind of town.”

“Is that right? Something tells me there aren’t too many towns around here that are your kind.” Tom kicked his feet in the dirt like a shy little boy before he continued. “But hey! Before you leave would you want to get breakfast?”

Sara raised an eyebrow in astonishment but food didn’t sound bad, especially if it was cooked by someone that actually knew what they were doing. She could only cook food so it wouldn’t kill her when she ate it, and that by no means ever made it taste good. Still she knew what the man was hinting at, even if he didn’t come right out and say it she would. “Are you buying?”

“Well of course! I wouldn’t offer if I wasn’t paying. So, is that a yes?” Tom’s heart beat a little faster as the anticipation rose inside him.

“If you’re paying then I’m on board. But lets clear this up now so we’re all on the same page. This isn’t a date, I’ll never have sex with you, and you shake hands like a pussy. Now I take it we’re going to the diner?” Sara didn’t wait for him to answer she just started heading back towards the diner on her own. Tom was left blushing behind her, he didn’t know what to say but he was a man of his word. No matter what he was going to by Sara breakfast, even if his plans were just thrown in his face. “Don’t take it too hard cowboy. Even if you were my type I’d still make an exception for you.”

“Point taken, you’re a bitch.” Tom mumbled his response to himself, he was coming to regret his decision but Sara still heard him somehow.

“You know it. Now are you going to feed me or what? You being a man of your word and all.” She used the word man lightly. Dutch seemed like he had seen his fair share of shit but from how he acted Sara kind of figured that he wanted everyone to give him sympathy because of it. Sara didn’t sympathize, the wasteland didn’t play by the rules. It could take just as quickly as it could give. Sara learned real quick that the only way you could come out on top was to drop the rules and play to win. Except now she started to question that mentality. After all she didn’t feel like a winner, not anymore she had lost too much to ever feel like a winner again. Now she was just a salty vet that was going to spend the rest of her life aimlessly searching for the remains of her dead sister before she died alone. Ya there was no sympathy, if not for her, than not for him. They headed to the diner, Dutch tied his horse up outside while Sara headed into the diner greeting Ace on the way in. “Sorry that I stepped out Ace. I needed a breather, found this poor thing while I was out.” Sara gestured to Tom as he came in the door behind her. “He’s buying.”

Tom stepped into the diner and removed his hat, gesturing to Ace. “Morning!” He had only started talking to Sara a few minutes ago and her attitude was already starting to wear on him. At first he found it attractive but now he wasn’t sure. Little did he know that was the plan. Sara was messing with him because she had no interest in him. So she was hoping that she could deter him from getting too attached, fortunately for her it seemed to be working. Sara’s heart couldn’t care for someone like that anymore. After she lost Eliza and Eli, she just couldn’t do it anymore. Charlotte was still alive but as far as Sara was concerned she could’ve died in Caliente. She flew off the deep end and went crazy, Sara couldn’t blame her and while it hurt to lose her baby sister like that she had to move on. Loss was just another part of life in the wasteland.

Sara took notice to the elderly woman that was in the entryway to the diner as well. She respected women that made it this far into life. “Good morning Ma’am.” Sara smiled and slightly bowed her head out of respect before heading to her booth tucked away in the corner. Tom didn’t accompany her, he sat in another booth. He couldn’t bring himself to sit with her, not after what she said to him. “I’m still paying don’t worry.” Tom raised his voice just enough so Sara could hear him but he didn’t yell.

“Bitch.” Sara whispered to herself while she removed her gear and placed it on the booth alongside of her. She crossed her legs under the table and leaned back in her booth. She was looking forward to speaking with Ace again, not like she’d let him know that but she enjoyed his company. So she waited for him to come over to her before she said anything, she just wanted to relax while she had the chance.

A Life in Salem - A Fallout RP

Eliza Weaver
Salem, Massachusetts



Eliza was taken aback by the gesture from the man, a teddy bear was probably too childish for a woman her age but she appreciated it regardless. Although part of her still didn’t trust him, she’d grown leery of men and only felt safe because Shelby was with her. Eliza still didn’t want to show weakness even though she was obviously exhausted. So she accepted the man’s gesture and waited for him to leave. “Thank you. This means a lot. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me so far, but I really just need to rest.” Eliza gave the warmest smile she could in her current condition and nestled herself back into bed. “Shelby? I really hate to bother you again with this, but can you please help me get cleaned up? I can’t get comfortable like this.”

A Life in Salem - A Fallout RP

So reading through these posts, is this a slice of life RP? I'm going to wait for @Andronicus23 to reply before doing anything, but there doesn't seem to be a coherent plot.

@Stitches

Agreed, I kind of wish there was at this point.

A Life in Salem - A Fallout RP

Sara Weaver
Salem, Massachusetts



Waiting in her secluded booth Sara was becoming anxious. There were too many people inside the diner and with the arrival of a few more she couldn’t take it. She got up from her booth and fished out the pack of cigarettes she kept in her coat pocket. Unconcerned with what happened to the meat she brought with her Sara grabbed her backpack, and rifle before heading out of the diner. Ace was still busy with his other guests but Sara mumbled something to him while she fumbled to light her cigarette on her way out. “I need to step out for a minute Ace. I’ll be back.” She didn’t slow down to wait for him to answer her heart was racing and she needed to get out of the diner and get some space.

Outside with her cigarette finally lit Sara was able to catch her breath. “Why the fuck does everyone need to come to the diner at the same time!? Don’t these people have anything better to fucking do?” Sara whispered to herself as she paced outside the diner, even outside she couldn’t find solace. There was a woman riding a horse around the square that quickly drew her attention. Sara was initially startled by the site of a horse, and the fact that there was someone that actually knew how to ride it. She was too flustered by the crowd inside the diner to approach the woman though. Even the small amount of people that were outside were enough to keep Sara wound up so she headed further out of town, smoking her cigarette like her life depended on it.

Sara walked along the street leading north out of town coming to a brief rest by a large salmon colored building. She slumped up against the building’s foundation and ran her hands through her matted, greasy hair. In all honesty she was exhausted from the trip down here, she hadn’t been getting the rest that she needed and it was obviously starting to take a toll on her psyche. Maybe she needed to give this whole act up. Stop searching for Eliza, stop coming to this town. Just leave it all behind and keep heading north until she couldn’t go any further. There was no chance at redemption for her. She could never walk with the righteous, not after the things she had done. She was condemned to an inescapable hell either way, best she could do was just accept who she is, and what she’s capable of. There was a time when she would be proud to say that, to spit in the eye of anyone that disagreed with her. Now it just didn’t seem right. Not after she lost Eli. Her world was just not the same without him. She would give everything she ever had, and her own life if it meant that Eli could have a chance to live his. Sara clasped her hands together in one balled fist, her palms were sweaty as she squeezed her hands together trying to knead out the fire that was raging inside her.

She was fooling herself if she actually thought it would go away. It was too late for that, Sara snapped and spun around to face the weathered stone foundation that was supporting her. “FUCK!” She hammered her fists against the foundation as hard as she could, drawing blood that spattered the stone. After a few strikes Sara exhausted herself and she drug her fists down the wall after her final blow, scraping her skin and drawing more blood. Sara’s eyes were watery but she didn’t cry, she didn’t believe that she still could and she was probably right. She couldn’t feel anything anymore, even pain was fleeting. A quick rush, a burst of adrenaline to remind herself that she was still human was all she could get. Her heart had forgotten what it felt like to care, and she couldn’t remember if she ever did. Even in her memories of Eli she could only remember the times she hurt him, the times that she wasn’t the mother he deserved. She knew deep down inside of herself that she loved him more than she’s ever loved anything else, but she couldn’t convince herself to believe it.

“Ma’am, is everything alright?” A man’s hesitant voice came from behind Sara as she turned herself to face him.

“I’m doing alright, and you cowboy” Sara stood up and composed herself, her rifle and backpack had collapsed off of her shoulders and were now laying on the ground. She still had her pistol, but from the looks of the man she could take him. Even with bloodied fists she was confident that if things escalated she would come out on top, although the man’s voice was strangely calming. It was the sincerity in his tone that put Sara off. She wasn’t used to hearing it, that unmistakable kindness that only came from the heart.

“With all do respect Ma’am you don’t look alright.” The man was accompanied by another horse, and his clothes were soiled from dirt and grime. It was clear from the streaks on the man’s face and his puffy red eyes that he was recently crying. He didn’t strike Sara as the fighting type but something told her that he had seen his share. His face was younger than her’s but it was just as worn, his eyes were so innocent and stood out from the rest of his face. Almost like another part of him was trapped inside his body. “My names Dutch. I didn’t mean to come up on you like that. I was heading back into town.” He offered his open hand to Sara, hoping she would shake it and lighten the mood.

“Dutch? That’s a good name for a cowboy.” Sara firmly accepted his gesture with her sore blood soaked hand, shaking it firmly and sneering at the pain.

A Life in Salem - A Fallout RP

Sara Weaver
Salem, Massachusetts



Sara awoke early, well before the sun. She had a trip to make today and it would be a good 3 hours south. It was her hope that by leaving as early as she planned to she would miss everyone but the person she intended to meet. Her camp-site was situated well to the north of Salem, she figured it was around 12 miles. Salem was the closest settlement to her campsite but it didn’t matter to her. She had kept to herself up in the woods away from everyone else, only coming back to civilization to trade off excess supplies or look for her sister. Something she had been doing for what felt like forever, and her spirit was starting to waver. Eliza’s trail vanished months ago since then Sara’s been chasing ghosts, she was just hoping they weren’t literal ghosts.

Regardless she was burning precious time. She had accumulated some extra meat and supplies from her hunts. Game was plentiful this far north, away from civilization but life up here came with it’s own sets of dangers. Anyone that lived this far away was on their own, there was no law and definitely no minutemen in this territory. That served Sara just fine, she was left alone and could socialize when she wanted to and she could hunt to her heart's content. With her contact in Salem to sell her excess to she had a pretty good set up, but she couldn’t lose sight of why she was out here. She couldn’t settle down until she knew for sure what happened to her sister, and her housing reflected that attitude. Sara had set up camp in a dilapidated house seemingly dropped from the sky and into the barren forest of skeleton trees. It wasn’t the sturdiest structure but it served it’s purpose.

Finally shaking off the chains of slumber Sara crawled out of her sleeping bag, exposing her lithe nude frame. She wasn’t able to clean herself that often so smears and specks of dirt and grime covered her body. Shambling up and off the couch she was sleeping on Sara grabbed a ragged t-shirt from her makeshift clothes line and pulled it over her bare skin. Her perky breasts clearly silhouetted through the fabric. She wiped what was left of the crust from her eyes and retrieved a pair of worn jeans from her clothes line as well. Clumsily hiking them up without trying to lose her balance. She then tucked her t-shirt into her pants, further accentuating what was underneath. Her pants sagged loosely under her hips, it had been awhile since she could find a pair that fit her. Without a proper fit she used her belt to hold her pants up before she grabbed a flannel button down shirt as well, rolling the sleeves up past her elbows. Her clothes were well worn, some had holes, others had patches were there used to be holes. Either way they were all faded and dirty. Life in the wasteland didn’t leave much time for cleanliness, at least not for Sara who was now comfortably dressed. She plopped back down onto the couch again, grabbing her leather boots and socks that were stuffed inside of them. Her boots had seen better days as well but they still held together, they were built to last and Sara could appreciate that.

With her socks on and her boots laced Sara started gathering her gear for the trip. Her backpack would be doing most of the work but she still had cuts of cured meat wrapped in burlap that would need to be carried. Fortunately she packed everything she needed to take with her the night before so she grabbed her bag, hefting the loaded pack over her shoulder. Her rifle was next, she slung it over her other shoulder. Before she grabbed the meat Sara ran her hands through her greasy hair, unsure if she had everything but she was certain of it. When it came to packing gear Sara was meticulous, all she needed now was her pistol. She ejected the magazine to make sure it was loaded, slid it back inside, pulled the slide back and put on her safety. Everything was in order except for her jacket, which she almost forgot in her rush to leave. She sat her gear down and grabbed her trusty leather jacket, the mornings were getting colder for her so she especially needed the jacket. Now one hundred percent confident that she had everything Sara headed down out of the house and into the forest, she had a long hike ahead of her but she’s walked it a dozen times before.

In about 3 hours time Sara was regrettably in Salem. She didn’t mind Ace and Barney, their company was a welcome change from the usual. It was everyone else that suddenly started moving into town that bothered her. Too many people, meant that there were soon going to be too many problems. Sara didn’t mind chatting with Ace, and the man was a pretty good cook but Sara enjoyed living alone. You couldn’t pay her to stay here, Salem was just a place to stop by and treat herself to some food, and maybe make a few caps. She couldn’t make it a home.

Wiping the sweat that had accumulated on her brow from the hike down Sara walked into Ace’s diner ignoring the sign on the roof and especially the people inside. She didn’t want to be bothered, and at first she contemplated just heading back home but she wasn’t going to waste a trip. Ace was inside and that’s all she needed, and it looked like he had a girlfriend now to. Sara wasn’t going to waste the opportunity to subsequently alert Ace of her presence and be a smartass. “You get a new piece of ass Ace!? I thought I was your favourite? Or did you forget about me?” Sara cracked a smile and moved to the booth furthest away from everyone before she sat all of her gear down and waited for Ace to come over to her. She didn’t want to be in the way, plus the further away she was from the others the less likely they would be to talk to her...hopefully.

A Life in Salem - A Fallout RP

Sara Weaver

Sara Weaver

Gender: Female

Real Age: 37

Age Appearance: Appears to be in her late 20’s to early 30’s

Birth-date: July 18th, 2254

Birthplace: Caliente, Nevada

Personal Evaluation

Occupation: Wastelander, Hunter, Survivalist, Raider

Work Ethic: Driven, and highly motivated. Sara’s willing to do what it takes to survive, no matter the cost. She’s ignored her conscience in order to keep herself alive since she was a young woman. Her life experiences have made her into a terrifying opponent, that isn’t easily dissuaded or beaten into submission.

Experience: Like everyone that’s survived in the wasteland Sara has gotten very good at surviving. Having been forced out onto her own she’s learned not to rely on others for support, this coupled with her innate sense of independence make Sara someone who is capable of sustaining herself without any outside support.

Organizations/Affiliations: Independent, Raider

Style: Tends to wear practical clothing, preferring flannel shirts, and jeans. Most of her clothes are worn out and in tatters but she refuses to change them. She only replaces her clothing if it reaches a state of disrepair that renders it unrepairable, or useless. Although one article of clothing that has been with her for years is her leather pilot's jacket.

Preferred Weapons: Carries a hunting knife along with an un-scoped .308 bolt action hunting rifle, and a .45 colt 1911. All of her weapons have certainly seen centuries of conflict and their appearances reflect that. While they’re worn down and clearly used Sara maintains them as well as she can.

Habits and Mannerisms: Occasionally smokes cigarettes to help with her anxiety, chooses to drink soda over alcohol. She never acquired the taste for alcohol and more often than not will turn her nose up at it.

Medical Evaluation

Ethnicity: American/Caucasian

Blood Type: o+

Preferred Hand: Right Handed

Eye Color: Light blue/steel gray

Hair Color: Dark brown/auburn

Hairstyle: Hair is kept either let down, in a bun, or ponytail depending on the situation.

Skin Tone: White with freckling and tanning from prolonged exposure to the sun.

Complexion: Fair, usually burns, then tans.

Body Type: Mesomorph

Build: Strong athletic body type, muscular build, well-developed shoulders, and slim hips.

Height: 5’11” (180cm)

Weight: 136 lbs (61kg)

Cup Size: A

Shoe Size: 9

Birthmarks/scars:

Multiple scars scattered around the body, most of them congregating on her back. They appear to be scars associated with flagellation, but most of them have healed signifying that they were caused years ago.

Energy: Extremely active metabolism, doesn’t tend to stay inactive. Enjoys exercise and is constantly doing something.

Senses: Like all people in the wasteland Sara keeps her wits about her. She’s a very alert and very suspicious person that doesn’t trust people very easily. Years of hunting and living in the wilderness have honed her awareness of her surroundings. Making it much easier for her to detect even the slightest disturbances around her.

Addictions: N/A

Expressiveness: Very quiet and reserved, she chooses not to speak with too many people. Although when approached she’ll talk but she isn’t very forthcoming, and is extremely sceptical of others. Sara also tends to bottle up her emotions in an attempt to move past them. This has led to her having sudden emotional outbursts although she tends to keep them private. Although compared to her sisters Sara is a firebrand, she was the hell raiser and the one that didn't back down from a fight. Except now she's learned to temper herself and tries her best to stay out of trouble.

Biographical Summary

Sold into slavery by her parents at a young age Sara was robbed of the chance at a normal life. She felt betrayed and abandoned by the only people in the whole wasteland that were supposed to protect her. When her parents were killed she didn’t find out about it until much later, and the state of her sisters were unknown. Sara regretted not being there for them, and over the years her heart continued to burn with an unbridled hatred for her parents and the situation she was in. Once she reached a suitable age she became the “personal” slave for a raider warlord. Having endured his abuse and violation for too long Sara strangled him in his sleep, sawed off his head and claimed herself as the new warlord of the gang. Fuelled by her hatred and discontent Sara lead the raiders across the wasteland slaughtering and pillaging where they could. Eventually this drew the attention of Caesar’s Legion and her gang was all but eradicated. Once again Sara was cast out into the wasteland, abandoned and alone. It was during this time that she suffered from a mental break, after finally realizing all of the horrible things she allowed herself to do out of spite.

Staying on her own and keeping contact with others to a minimum Sara decided that she needed to look for her sisters. Her youngest sister Charlotte was the one she found first, she was delusional and had clearly endured some sort of trauma since they had last seen each other. Charlotte didn’t even remember her, and refused to admit that they were sisters. It was here that Charlotte told Sara that Eliza had fled out east and been killed, blaming her for the loss of their parents. As much as Sara wanted too she had a hard time believing Charlotte, and headed out in search of Eliza following her trail east. Her sisters were her only motivation now, her parents had long since been forgotten to her, and her life as a raider was something she struggled to move past. With Charlotte seemingly incapable of realizing the situation they were in Lori hoped that she was wrong and that Eliza was still alive. She could barely remember what Eliza looked like after all of the time they spent apart but her heart ached to see her sister again. The two of them were inseparable as girls, and Sara hoped that if they reunited that they would never be separated again. For once in her life Sara was filled with anxiety. She was afraid that Eliza may actually be dead, or that she would be as far gone as Charlotte was. Sara wasn’t even sure if they would recognize each other but she needed to find her, she needed to reconcile all the time they spent apart.

A Life in Salem - A Fallout RP

Eliza Weaver
Salem, Massachusetts



When Eliza came to she had a hard time making sense of where she was at. Her head was still filled with an obnoxious haze that prevented her from getting a clear focus on anything. All of the events from the night before seemed like nothing but a lucid dream to her. With the only thing being certain was Shelby’s return, and that was only because she awoke to Shelby curled up alongside of her. Eliza was slow to rise seeing as how her body was still totally exhausted but she tried her best to shake off the shackles of her slumber. When Shelby and the doctor spoke to her she could hear what they were saying but it took her a moment to truly take it in. Unsure if she could form a coherent sentence in her current state of post sleep delirium Eliza found another way to signal to Shelby that she was still with her. She interlaced their fingers together and firmly gripped Shelby’s hand in hers. Eliza felt much warmer today than she remembered feeling the night before, but her pain still haunted her. It was not nearly as severe as it was before. Instead it transformed into a dull, lingering pain that didn’t seem to go away. Eliza figured that if she tried to move it would make the pain worse so instead of trying to re-position herself in bed she took a moment to wipe the crust from her eyes.

Feeling much more alert than she initially did Eliza was able to work up a response to the doctor. “I’m still feeling a little out of it doctor, so I don’t think a few more hours will hurt.” Eliza paused for a brief moment as she tried to regain her focus, before she continued. “No offense to you doctor but I don’t want to stay in this clinic any longer than I have to. I’m not really sure of who I can trust in this town and I’d feel safer at home.” Eliza started to sweat from the warmth of Shelby against her so she removed the blanket from her body, leaving Shelby covered. With the covers removed Eliza could finally realize just how much of a toll the last few months had taken on her body. In comparison to Shelby’s healthy and fit physique Eliza looked weak, and frail. She had tried to keep herself healthy but the months of constant stress and anxiety had clearly ravaged Eliza’s body. Eliza was ashamed of herself, she was always the one that took care of herself and now who was she? Her body was covered in dried grime and blood, she felt horrible. Fortunately for her Shelby was there and just her presence alone helped Eliza maintain her composure. “As long as Shelby stays I’ll be more comfortable here. Nothing against you doctor. I’m thankful for what you’ve done for me so far…..I’m just a little anxious around strangers.”

Eliza took a moment to work up the courage for what she was about to say. Just the fact that she had to ask made her feel like a child. “Do you think I would be able to get cleaned up?” I look like I just crawled out of a grave, and judging by how I feel. I think I might have.” Eliza’s spunk was slowly coming back to her but her strength was not nearly as resilient, and it tore her apart. It wasn’t in her nature to let someone else take care of her, but now she didn’t have a choice. She couldn’t bring herself back to the woman she was before…..she needed Shelby now more than ever.

A Life in Salem - A Fallout RP

Thomas Kater
Salem, Massachusetts



Tom looked at the ground for a moment before looking at Shelby again. He understood where her emotions were taking her but he was still caught off guard by the outburst. He placed his hat back on his head. Shelby was obviously a woman Tom didn’t want to cross, she reminded him a lot of Eliza when he first met her. Now he didn’t fear Eliza like he used to, he was worried for her instead. It had been so long since he had seen her but from what he had gathered over the last few months she had gone over the edge. Even her physical appearance was drastically different from what Tom remembered. She obviously lost a lot of weight, and she was not nearly as well kept as she used to be. The Eliza he remembered would be the cleanest person in the unit. Even if they were on campaign for months on end. Now he could see she hadn’t been maintaining herself nearly as well. He just hoped that when she came to that she would be able to cope with what had happened. Shelby appeared to be strong but Tom couldn’t help but contemplate her ability to help Eliza. He doubted himself and he had known Eliza for far longer. Tom contemplated saying something to Shelby about it but he held his tongue on the issue.

“I understand. I’ve hurt her enough already. I just wanted to make sure she was okay. I’ve already buried one friend today…..I don’t think I could bury another.” Tom made his way out of the room, he was defeated. Shelby obviously cared for Eliza more than he did, he had to trust that she would take care of her. He had come all of this way for something he’d never get. Eliza could never forgive him for leaving, the damage was done. All he could do now was move on and let Eliza do the same, he was just another reminder of how horrible things had been for her. She had the chance at a new life now and Tom didn’t want to deny her that. He opened the door and started to leave but he stopped and said something to Shelby. “Take good care of her alright? She’s not nearly as strong as she used to be.” Before Shelby could respond Tom was out the door.

He made his way to his horse and untied it before heading out of town and back to Bragg’s grave. Tom fished a musty bottle of whiskey from his saddle bag and collapsed into the dirt alongside Bragg’s grave. He popped the cork out of the bottle and took a long swig. “All of this way….and for what? I should have just stayed out west. All I’ve managed to do since I left was let everyone down.” Tom couldn’t help but see the images of all of the people he fought with. He couldn’t remember what they looked like before they died, all he could remember was their horrifying faces….their mangled corpses. Taking another swig Tom tossed the bottle and collapsed onto his back into the dirt. “She’s better off without me.”