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The Plight of Lantern Light [Closed]

"He seems strong still, especially if he's carried you this far. Hard to believe someone was nearly about to put him out to pasture." She didn't mean it as a way to untangle his story, in fact, she didn't assume he'd be lying to her at all. It was just odd, she thought. Shrugging it off, she finished hitching up Rio and gave his face one last affectionate pat.


Gripping the reigns with a solid familiarity, she lead the horse outside. A thought came to her as she released the horse, so she could close and secure the stables.


"Why, I hate to ask this of you seeing as how it likely wont be the most comfortable thing in the world, but you wouldn't terribly mind riding in the back with the wagon would you? Just to make sure things don't slip around or fall off. We're going to be heading pretty fast so we can get this done before that storm hits." That, and she wasn't sure Rio wouldn't have a tantrum if they tried to ride doubles.
 
Shi Jun wiped his nose with his hand and said, "I've ridden in worse." Before walking around to the back of the wagon and hopping in. He wondered if she thought he was lying, if she had realized what he said. Was she about to try and signal to her father, or another worker?


Or was she just a curious girl? He had to calm himself down, he hadn't rested well in days, and it was starting to show. His paranoia was up and this family was almost too nice, which presented itself as a red flag for him. He settled in, using his legs as a barricade to make sure the equipment and supplies wouldn't fall off, and pulled the brim of his hat low, allowing himself to settle into an uneasy sleep.


Once again, he stood at the brink, watching the world fall to the chaos below him. Once again he backed up as it got closer, only this time, a light began to show around him, and as he turned around, he could see a woman shining. She landed on the ground next to him, and the vortex stopped eating everything around them. He reached out to touch her, but the wagon came to a sudden stop, and he was jolted from his dream.
 
As Shi Jun got settled, Darlene hoisted herself up on to Rio with an easy motion. Quickly checking behind her to make sure everything was in order, she started off. The walk grew into a fast trot as Darlene lead the way into the pasture, following the fence line. While the sun warmed her, the air that pressed against her face was cool enough to be comfortable. The land was long and endless, stretching out for so many miles it was amazing to think there was still more flatland beyond that. No matter how many times she got to see that view, it always awed her just how big the land seemed to be.


Finding the spot the fence had been knocked over, Darlene slowed Rio to a stop that was a little too sudden. Hopping off the horse, she took a moment to stretch her legs before turning her attention the the horizon again. The storm was still coming, looming towards them. The cattle had been herded away from the spot, leaving just her, Shi Jun, and the storm out there in the open.


Darlene made her way back to the wagon, nothing that Shi Jun seemed a little out of sorts.


"You doing okay back here?" She asked, not wasting time as she grabbed one of the heavy tools to get to work.
 
"Yep," He said, jumping out and reaching back for a pickaxe, "Just a little jostled." He walked over and regarded the fallen bits of fence. "What did this?" He asked, twisting the tool in his hands.


It was a large section of fencing that was fallen over, the posts either torn from the ground, or broken. He would have to dig in and remove whatever remained in the holes before replacing the posts. He walked over to the wagon and quickly removed his belt and holster, placing them on the side of the wagon. It simply wasn't conducive to work while wearing them. He grabbed a shovel and walked over to the first broken post. A good foot and a half was still in the dirt, meaning he'd have to pull it out. He brought the pickaxe down into the earth, pulling it away to loosen up the ground, making it easier to dig. He worked in a mindless fervor, ignoring everything around him but the work at hand.


--------------------------


The Sheriff now wished he had made a better decision. The storm was moving faster than he anticipated. He would just barely make it to the ranch before it hit. Such strange weather patterns lately, they were having at least 1-2 of these windstorms every week, and it was getting on his nerves. "Come on," He said to his horse, "You won't want to be out in it either!"


Just ahead, he could make out a pair of figures at the edge of the ranch, and a wagon. Probably old Harlow himself, which would be convenient.
 
Darlene didn't look at him as she dug her own post out, a look of determination settling on her soft features. It wasn't the first time she had ever had to dig out fence posts, or even replace them, but it still wasn't exactly her favorite thing to do.


"Honestly? We aren't exactly sure." She frowned a little. "It's easy to blame it on the wind, just to keep things kind of quiet, but wind wouldn't do this. If it was one of the cattle they would likely be injured, or had gotten out, but from last count we aren't missing any heads." A quiet huff punctuated the send of her sentence as she yanked a post out of the ground and tossed it to the side. It was then she glanced up, and while she had intended to look at Shi Jun, her attention was drawn away.


She bent down to pick up her forgotten shovel before she stood up straight, leaning on the tool. Someone was coming, their horse kicking up dust in the now not so far off distance. She glanced to Shi Jun before moving to lean her shovel against the wagon. Her brows furrowed.


"Excuse me." She said, her polite words almost absent as she moved away from Shi Jun and towards the fast approaching rider.
 
Shi Jun only barely registered her excusing herself, he was intent on prying what remained of the post from the ground. He had dug down on it's side, and levered in the pickaxe, pressing it up and out with a satisfying pop. He kicked it towards the wagon and looked up, realizing that a rider was heading their way. He narrowed his eyes and wiped the sweat from his brow with his bandana while he walked towards the wagon. He posted himself next to his gun, scanning the horizon to ensure the rider was alone.


The Sheriff reigned in his horse as he approached Darlene, "Well, Ms. Harlow, fancy meetin' you here." He said, spitting over the side of his horse opposite of the young lady. "I was just on my way to see your father, is he around?" His eye drifted as he realized the man out with her was standing next to a pair of revolvers. "And who's your friend?"


The man was covered in dirt, and was sweating profusely, but through it all he could see the tale-tale features of his Chinese parentage. He tweaked his moustache as the wind began to pick up around the trio.
 
Lifting a hand to the brim of her hat, she nodded a polite greeting to the man who was familiar, now that she could see his face. "It's nice to see you again too, Sheriff." With that, her hand dropped back down to her side, her stance easy and casual even as the wind whipped strands of her hair out of its up-do, leaving small curly tendrils to dance from below her hat. "If you're lookin' for my father I think you'll be able to catch him at the main house in a bit. With a storm like this he won't keep anyone out here for long, himself included."


It was the next question that had her head turning, grey eyes landing on Shi Jun and the pistols for a moment before she looked back to the Sheriff. She smiled, the expression as easy and disarming as ever. She moved as though she were simply shifting her weight from one leg to the other, as though putting herself more between the two men was just a happy accident.


"Oh gracious, do excuse me, this is Shi Jun. He's helping out for a little bit until the weather calms down enough to find greener pastures." Her hand went to her hat again, pushing it down more firmly. "Though, if you don't mind my asking, what's brought you all the way out here anyway?"


Darlene wasn't sure if she'd get an answer, but it was worth trying.
 
"There was...an incident," Brumback said, "Back in town. Not for a young lady like yourself to hear about from the mouth of an old sheriff." He dismounted his horse, keeping his eyes on the fellow. "Shi Jun, that's mighty exotic for these parts," He slowly walked towards the newcomer, his spurs jingling with every step. "Tell me, when did you get into town?" With slow, practiced movements, the sheriff reached down and unsnapped his holster, ensuring he would be able to draw the weapon at a moment's notice.


"Last night," Shi Jun said, eyeing the sheriff defiantly. "I got lost in the windstorm, took shelter on the Harlow Ranch, Sheriff." The last word seemed to be mixed with equal parts respect and hatred, though he had never met the man. Most folk Shi Jun met expected him to back down easily, as most others of his race did. It made them mad when he looked a man in the eye, and had lead to more than one conflict.


"Got any witnesses to that?" Brumback placed his hands on his hips as he spoke.


"Only my old horse, Shu."


That gave Brumback a pause, "Wait, you've got a horse named Shoe?" He laughed at the thought.


The tension deescalated as the sheriff laughed, though his eyes never left the smaller man. "Well," He said, wiping his eyes, "You Chinamen never cease to make me laugh. We better head back to the ranch, the storm will be here within the hour, and there's business that needs discussin'." He walked back over and mounted his horse. "By the by, neither of you have seen a big black dog runnin' through these parts today, have you?"


Shi Jun considered the question, but decided to keep what he had seen to himself until he found out what was going on.
 
Sheriff Brumback's hand went to his holster and Darlene felt a sense of offense boil in her chest. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she watched the two speak to one another. Part of her was about ready to step in, to remind the Sheriff that he wasn't there to interview the help, or mildly threaten them for that matter. She wasn't upset for Shi Jun, so much as she was irritated that Brumback had felt the need to even pull that stunt like he didn't trust her father's judgement; like he didn't trust hers. Then, as she had been about to open her mouth and likely get herself in trouble once more, the air relaxed as Brumback laughed and clambered back up on to his horse.


"Haven't seen a thing." A sour taste lingered in her mouth as she spoke, leaving her to seem less sunshiny than usual. She gave another nod towards the Sheriff, as though she were dismissing him. "We'll meet you back at the homestead, Sheriff, we still have a few things here to take care of here."


It was with that polite but short response that she turned away from Brumback and made her way towards where she'd been working. She bent down, hoisting up one of the large pieces of broken fence post to load it in to the wagon. Rio stirred, hooves softly beating the ground for a moment. He didn't want to be out there right then more than any of the others did. 
 
The sheriff shrugged his shoulders and left at a trot. If they wanted to get stranded out in the storm, it wasn't any of his business. He was going to have to question that Shi Jun individual a little closer, though. A stranger showing up the night the body was dug up was too coincidental, to be sure, perhaps he could find out where he was storing his stuff and give it a once over.


Shi Jun, though, waited until the Sheriff rode off before he walked away from his weapons. He stood there for a second, wondering what he should do. There was something happening in the town, it would be better not to be there. He was a stranger in a strange town, and fingers always flew in the direction of the stranger when things started happening. He walked back to his tools and began working on the next post, untangling it from the wire so he could properly shore up the hole.


"I lied." He said simply. He trusted Ms. Darlene, she had been good to him when others would've been much, much worse considering the situation in which they had met each other. "I saw a big, black dog on the edge of your ranch, earlier this morning. You should tell him you saw it on our way back. I just didn't say anything because I've been the stranger in town before, and I know what can happen if people believe you know more than you do."
 
Darlene's head turned, watching the Sheriff as he road off. She squinted, eyes looking almost rebellious for a moment before she sighed and went back to loading up the wagon. It wouldn't take more than a minute or two, but it'd be enough to make sure they got to ride back without an extra set of eyes scrutinizing them as they went. Shi Jun's words caught her off guard, making her hesitate. She blinked.


"I'm kind of glad you didn't tell him," she admitted, "he was being unnecessarily rude. The nerve of him, unsnapping his holster like that." There was a beat before she huffed, slim shoulders slowly slumping with the sound. "You're right, I should tell him though."


And then, unable to shake off the aftermath of her irritation, a thought came to her. Dropping the shovel back into the wagon, she looked to Shi Jun.


"You're used to people treating you like that, aren't you? Suspiciously, I mean."
 
Shi Jun pulled out his knife, a large bowie knife he had picked up in a game of cards a few years previous, and began to pry the nails from the post, trying to save as much of the wire as he could for later use. "When I came to this country," He said, not looking up from his work. "I was only 15, I lied and said I was 17 in order to book passage and get away from my father. There was a man on the boat, Chinese like me. He told me we were going to a place that I would never be accepted. I would always have to watch myself and be ready to run at any cost. It was his second trip over to America."


The wind picked up a bit more. He rarely talked this much with strangers, and he had never mentioned his old friend and mentor to anyone. "When I got off the boat, there were dozens of white people waiting for us at the edge of the docks. They threw rotted fruit at us, and screamed at us. At the time I had no idea what they were saying, I hadn't been exposed to much English then, but now I know they hated us, because we were stealing their work, or so they felt. I've had a gun drawn on me more times than I can count, by thieves, sheriffs and preachers, all because I look different. I've spent more than a few nights locked up in a jail cell because I was accused of something that was easier to blame on a Chinaman, rather than think that a white man could do something so horrible." He looked up for the first time and saw how close the storm was.


"I'm used to it, but what else am I supposed to do about it? I have to just keep moving on." He stood up and flipped the knife over in his hand, sheathing it in a fluid motion. "As we should be doing now, Miss Darlene. That storm will be upon us any moment now, and your ole' mustang wont like being stuck out in it even more than either of us."
 
She'd stopped working. Gloved hands resting lightly on the wagon, she watched him, absorbing his words. That anger had bled out of her by then, and empathy had replaced it. Her gaze softened. It was true, she hadn't known many Eastern folks, and she'd heard the stories about them too. With each tale they became more like monsters and less like people, men who were there to hurt women and take jobs. But that was what always got her. They were just men, right? Just people. She'd heard of just as many white people doing the same, if not worse.


Either way, the idea that people would throw food at them, scream at them before they'd done anything, it was heartbreaking. 


"I'm sorry," she shouldn't have said anything, and  yet, the words still escaped her, "that you had to suffer through things like that."


Part of her knew it probably wouldn't make a difference, it might even be more annoying to him than anything, but it felt wrong to not at least apologize for the wrongdoings of other people. Straightening up, she nodded and moved towards Rio who was now pacing enough to make the wagon wobble. Retrieving a handkerchief out of her back pocket, she tied it around her face so her nose and mouth were hidden.


"You're right though, we should head on back." Easily lifting herself on to Rio's back, she got a good grip on the reigns. 
 
"Thank you, Miss Darlene," He said halfheartedly. He had heard the apologizes before, and they were just words. Words were like the wind, they could be light and cool, or they could be hot and filled with sand, but either way, they continue on their path and leave you far behind without another thought. He jumped in the back of the wagon, tightening the string on his hat around his chin, ensuring that if the storm caught up with them, it wouldn't go flying. He also tied his bandanna around his chin, and grabbed his gun belt, laying it across his lap without strapping it on.


As they rode, he considered his options. He had barely gotten any work done, the storm had moved in faster than anyone thought. He couldn't leave without fulfilling his agreement, and without giving Shu a chance to rest. He had to stay, or he could steal Rio and make it out of town before the Sheriff knew he ran. That thought unsettled him. The Harlows had been good to him, had fed him and his horse when others would have run him off at gunpoint, and he didn't even know what he was running for. Just as they were within spitting distance of the house, though, the wind shifted, and carried with it the scent of a predator.


The smell of fetid flesh filled the air, a cloying, sickly-sweet smell that made Rio's ears flatten against his skull. Shi Jun was alerted to something being wrong when Rio Screamed and bucked, trying to kick his way clear of the cart so he could run. Shi Jun drew one of his pistols and scanned the area, seeing only the storm approaching. What is that smell? He thought, looking around. He was looking out the back of the wagon, and he couldn't see, about 50 ft away, a massive, black dog stalking the wagon. Clotted blood was clinging to its shoulder, where flies buzzed around the gunshot wound inflicted by the Gravekeeper. It needed to feed, to regain its strength, but the smells weren't right. It loped off, disappearing behind a small rock formation on the Ranch.


--------------------


The Sheriff handed off the horse's reigns to the waiting ranch hand who was stabling his own horse. "Would you mind taking care of him, son?" He asked, "I've got business with Mr. Harlow, if you could tell me where to find him."
 
It was easy to lose herself in the feel of riding, the weight of the reigns on her hands. Lost in thought, Darlene looked pensive, perhaps even serious for once in her life as she hurried Rio along, guiding the way back to the homestead. She could see the cropping of buildings getting closer to them and she'd been about to slow Rio to a walk when something felt wrong. It was in the air, making the fine hairs on the back of her neck stand on edge. Her head was about to swivel back, to look for the cause of the feeling, but Rio's reaction stopped her with a sudden jolt. Panic and fear welled in her chest, clamping down on her heart and lungs with an iron grip as she was suddenly brought back to reality.


Gripping Rio's reigns harder, She held on as he bucked, pulling until her back arched as she tried to gain some form of control over her horse. Now was not the time for her to panic, doing that would very likely only make the situation worse. Getting Rio calm enough so she wouldn't get kicked off, Darlene looked back one last time just soon enough to catch the visage of a black dog vanishing.


She paled, stomach churning uncomfortably. One hand on Rio's neck to sooth him, Darlene regained her control and kept moving forward. She called back one simple question to Shi Jun.


"Did you see that?"
 


--------


The ranch hand, not expecting to see the sheriff, hesitated before accepting the reigns. With his free hand he tipped his hat in a silent greeting. "Not a problem, sir. If you're lookin' for the boss you'll likely find him in the main home. He just came back in with the rest of us. Nearly got swallowed up in that storm out there."
 
Shi Jun leaped free of the carriage, carrying his belt in one hand, and his revolver in the other. "What was it?" He scanned the surrounding area for whatever she had seen. He tried to keep his eyes from watering, but the smell was so overpowering he couldn't even see straight. Even through the bandanna it was choking him. "Head on back, I'll be right behind you Miss Darlene!" He didn't like this one bit. First the Sheriff shows up, asking questions, and now there's something out here, spooking a horse like Rio.


The sand around him began to swirl. The storm was literal minutes away, and they were about to be swallowed whole. He flipped his belt around his back, and catching the other end with his forearm, and quick as he could, buckled it. He struggled with it for a second, trying to keep his attention on the area around him, whilst holding his revolver. He was exposed and his skin was crawling. He needed to end this.


--------------------------


Sheriff Brumback nodded and walked away, heading towards the main house. He walked up the steps to the porch, familiar with the layout of the ranch, and hollered out, "Mr. Harlow, it's Sheriff Brumback a'callin. Mind if I come in, I've got some questions for you, sir."
 
He told her to go. Every fiber in her being wanted to listen to him, her skin screaming at her to run and hide. What good would she even be? It wasn't like she had been expecting trouble, so she had left her own set of pistols safe and secure under her bed. And yet, she was conflicted. How could she leave Shi Jun to deal with a dog that looked like that, so disgusting that it made her feel more like it was a monster than an actual animal. The air around her felt sick and heavy, sticking to her skin. Just as she was about to tell Shi Jun she was staying, Rio twisted again, threatening to send her flying to the ground.


"Be safe!"


It was all she could manage before she had to turn. As soon as she seemed to give up the idea of staying Rio had taken off in a near dead sprint back to the homestead, the wagon jostling and catching air behind them. Rio felt wild under her hands, fearful, only lending to the growing unease that threatened to strangle her along with that scent that she just couldn't get out of her nose.


[COLOR= rgb(152, 157, 160)]--------------------------[/COLOR]


Lawrence wiped his face clean with a handkerchief and shoved it in his pocket. Heavy foot steps brought him to the door and he pulled it open, holding it firmly. The house sounded busy, with faint footsteps echoing from farther rooms and soft conversation coming from the kitchen in back.


"Be ashamed if you didn't come in, Sheriff. Come in," he motioned with a hand, beckoning him to step forward, "before the wife gets on to us for lettin' too much dirt in the house."
 
Shi Jun cocked the hammer of his pistol back and inhaled, gagging at the smell. He couldn't see whatever it was she had, but perhaps he could track it down by scent. He moved with his gun outstretched, ready to shoot anything that jumped out. She bad been looking in a specific direction when she had seen what spooked Rio, so he began to inch towards the rock. If there was something hiding behind the rock, he needed to know. He approached in a wide circle, trying to peek around the rock, and he could see something shuffling around the rock, one step ahead of him to stay out of sight.


Sand suddenly flew up in his eyes, and the wind began to roar around him. The storm had arrived. He coughed, and looked up just in time to see a massive, black mutt perching on the rock, with its nose to the air, sniffing. Shi Jun raised up his pistol and fired, the shot going wide and hitting the rock beneath the dog. He heard a growl, and the beast's hackles began to raise. He pulled back the hammer again and fired, but the storm threw his aim off, and he hit the rock once again. This time the monster jumped into the air and twisted, headed in the direction of the farm at a run.


Shi Jun shouted, but the storm swallowed the sound of his voice. He took off at a run, pressing his bandanna to his face as his hat flopped in the wind. He needed shelter, and he needed to warn the Harlows.


--------------------------------------


"I appreciate that," The Sheriff said, "This storm looks like it's going to be worse than last night's." He took off his hat and placed it on a peg next to the door. "I'm afraid, Mr. Harlow, this isn't a social visit. I come with grave news." His lips curled into a smirk as he realized the accidental pun he had just said. "Patrick Freeman, the Gravekeeper, discovered Mrs. Stockmen was dug up last night. They busted open her coffin and made away with the jewels she was laid to rest with. When Patrick found her like that this morning, he said a massive, black dog had been feeding on her. The dog got away, I was thinkin', maybe the beast belonged to someone, and I followed its tracks out to your farm. Have you seen the beast, or any strange fellows around today, Mr. Harlow?"
 
Her hands were shaking as she struggled to get the gear off Rio. The wagon had already been unhitched and Rio was pacing, making it difficult for her to set him free of the saddle and bridle. She swore as her hands faltered again, blinking away the sand that had gotten into her eyes. Finally, she threw the saddle unceremoniously down on the ground and managed to get Rio into his stable. Locking him up, she hesitated. There was fear in his big dark eyes. Touching the horses face with both hands, she held him for a moment.


"It's alright." She wasn't sure if she was telling Rio this, or herself, but he seemed to calm slightly.


Feeling a little more at ease herself, Darlene hustled back outside. Shi Jun wasn't there. The wind was howling, whipping against her face hard enough that even through the bandanna it burned. She stood there for a long moment, arm lifted to block the wind so she could try and see with more clarity, looking for his figure in the distance. She saw nothing. If she had her pistols maybe she would have gone out there herself, but with that dog on the loose not even Darlene was impulsive enough to chance it.


The door to the main house slammed open with enough force to make Lawrence jump, the wind having caught the wood. Darlene struggled for a moment before managing to shut it behind her. Lawrence, having been about to answer Brumback's question, hesitated for just a beat.


"No stranger than any of the normal fellows that end up at this piece of paradise." He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, hand lifting to rub at his prickly chin. "I haven't seen any dogs either."


He had barely finished speaking when Darlene started, yanking the bandanna from her face. She seemed frazzled, her cheeks rubbed pink and raw from the storm, her eyes unsettled. "I did. On the way back Shi Jun and I saw a dog. A big black one. Shi Jun stayed back to-" she shook her head, trying to organize her thoughts, "keep it from attackin' me and Rio I suppose, or to investigate but I- something was wrong with that dog Brumback, you gotta believe me. It's not like the normal animals that end up wanderin' in. It's...wrong. Just wrong."
 
Shi Jun could feel scratches on his face and eyes as they accumulated as he ran through the storm. He coughed and gasped, having lost the dog in the storm. He could see the house, a great outline in the storm. There were several other buildings nearby he could take shelter in, but he had to warn them. Placing one foot in front of the other, he concentrated only on getting there.


He didn't even see the attack coming, something suddenly slammed into him from his right side, knocking his revolver out of his hand, and throwing him to the ground. His bandanna slipped off his face, and he felt himself inhale a lungful of sand and dust. As he coughed, he flipped to his back, his horror adorning his face. Standing before him was a naked old woman, emaciated with crooked teeth sharpened to a point. She screamed at him, though the sound was stolen from the storm that didn't seem to bother her at all. He could count the ribs under her sagging skin, not that he wanted to look to long.


He reached down and grabbed his second revolver, cocking and firing again, but the woman moved faster than he thought possible, lunging at him and grabbing his wrist. He gasped in pain as she wrenched his arm to the side, knocking his gun from his grasp with a strength that betrayed her frail form. Another lungful of sand entered his mouth, causing him to cough and panic. Without thought he slammed his free fist into her cheek, once...twice...three times. He felt something crack under his fist, and wasn't sure if it was his hand bones, or her teeth. She screamed in his fist, and with one hand picked him up and tossed him several feet away. He scrambled, trying to find his pistol in the storm, and in a stroke of luck, caught a glimpse of one of the colts reflecting an bit of light. He sprawled forward and gripped the wooden handle and emptied all of the remaining chambers into the empty air in front of him. 


The creature was gone, disappearing into thin air. He quickly grabbed up his other revolver, stashing the other into his holster. He could feel it, his right wrist was either broken or sprained, and the slightest movement that jostled it sent fresh lances of pain up his arm. Holding out the revolver in his left hand he backed himself up until his foot found and tripped over the steps up the porch.


--------------------------------------


Sheriff Brumback looks to Mr. Harlow and says, "Lawrence, if you've got yourself a gun, I'd go fetch it." He looked Darlene in the eyes and asked, "Where did you leave him, Darlene?" Just then, several gunshots, muffled by the wind and distance break his concentration. He twists, and looking out the window, sees two figures in the storm, one he could tell was the Chinese fellow from before, but the second was a wraith-like white figure moving like a demon.


"Hell's Bells." He said under his breath, "What is that?" He reached down and locked the door, "There's something out there, and it just picked up your farmhand and threw it like he was a doll." He pointed to one of the younger Harlow's in the house, "Lets get something to board up these windows. I don't like this Lawrence."


[Sorry it took me all day to respond. Crazy day at work and I had a Webinar I had to attend that took longer than I thought it would.]
 
Darlene was about to answer, but her words choked and died in her throat. Gunshots. She was staring out of the window, only vaguely aware of her father's hand on his shoulder, the other one holding his trusty rifle. His touch was firm, solid. By then everyone had gathered, the sons watching nervously but easing closer so they could see. 


"You heard the man, go get some wood from the back." Lawrence instructed, his voice shockingly calm and level for the situation.


Daniel still hesitated before he nodded. Grabbing his younger brother's arm, he and James hustled off. Their heavy footfalls vanished deep within the house, leaving more anxiety to fill the spaces they had left. Darlene's blood  ran cold as she stepped back from the door, nearly bumping in to her mother and the youngest of them all as she did so. Without hesitation she reached out, putting an arm around Viola to keep her close to her side. The girl was silent, stiff.


As she did this Lawrence noticed Shi Jun. The man had found his way to the steps, to the door. He didn't hesitate as he opened the door in question, hot sand blasting in as he reached out for the man, stepping out of the door way and in to the storm.


"Come on." He was almost yelling to let himself be heard over the wind that seemed to shake the home. His eyes didn't linger on Shi Jun long though. He was scanning the area, his hand gripping his gun as though it were part of him.
 
Shi Jun felt an arm grab him, and heard Mr. Harlow's voice, and allowed himself to be guided into the house. They crossed the door, and he collapsed onto the floor, gritting his teeth in pain. His couldn't believe how badly the woman had hurt him, but he didn't allow himself to be distracted. Even as the door was closing, he kept his revolver pointed out the door. "It...was...a...woman." He said, his voice thick and dry, "An...old...woman." He tried to get up, but fell back down, his back and side felt bruised from landing on them so hard.


Sheriff Brumback looked at the Chinese worker, disgust plain on his face, "You mean to tell me, some old woman picked you up and threw you in the middle of a storm?" He knelt down by Shi Jun and said, "Now tell me, Shi Jun, is this some ruse you're trying to pull off on the Harlows? Because I won't stand for it, boy!" 


Shi Jun only shook his head, the terror obvious on his features. Once the boys returned with the supplies, Sheriff Brumback would them to board up any and all windows around the house, using furniture to help block them up until the storm abated.


[[Sorry I took so long, I've been having trouble getting back into the swing of things with all that's been happening]]
 
The door slammed shut. Lawrence scrubbed his forearm against his eyes, getting the grit out before he looked to Shi Jun.  He was hurt. He had gone to instruct Darlene but she was already off, quietly making her way to the kitchen with Viola tucked safely at her side. His head whipped to look at the Sheriff. It was understandable that he was upset, Christ everyone was on edge, but Shi Jun was the only one who had any sort of idea what was going on.


"Lay off him, Sheriff. Won't do us any good to be turnin' on one another will it? Besides, runnin' into a home filled with nervous gun owners wouldn't be his best idea if he was wantin' to pull off some kinda trick." With a pointed look, he gave Shi Jun his attention once more.


There was caution in his gaze as he bent down to speak to the man on the ground. He offered his hand once more, ready to hoist him up and help him into a chair. "You're being honest, aren't ya?"


It was then the two sets of Harlows returned, the boys with the wood and the two girls with a glass of water and a damp cloth for his face. Viola kept her distance, letting Darlene move forward to set the items down for Shi Jun's use. She wanted to ask if he was hurt, if there was anything she could do to help, but she refrained. Her eyes lingered on the windows as her brothers worked on boarding them up.


((nah friend it's chill))
 
The swirling sandstorm outside blotted out all the light, making it as black as night outside. Shi Jun eagerly took the glass of water and drank it greedily, clearing his mouth and throat from the sand and dust. He nodded to Lawrence, and said, "Yes, Mr. Harlow," His voice was rough and scratchy, but he continued anyways. "I was chasing the dog, it was running after Miss Darlene and Rio, and I was tryin' to put a bullet in it, and the next thing I knew, some crazed woman was pickin' me up and tossin' me around." He looked at the sheriff, who hurried over to the window and looked outside.


"I don't see her anymore. I doubt anything could survive long out in this storm." The sheriff had lived in Lantern Light for most of his life and never seen a wind storm this bad. Visibility was non-existent, and the whole house was shaking. The Sheriff grabbed up a few planks of wood and some nails and started helping the boys, using the butt of his pistol to drive the nails home. As he worked he tossed a few unsavory glances towards Shi Jun, it was obvious that no matter what the others said, he didn't trust the newcomer, nor did he appreciate being talked down to by Lawrence.


Just as the final boards were being put up on the downstairs windows, a scratching sound could be heard through out the house, different from the sounds of the storms outside. Like someone was dragging something along the outside of the walls, and the sound slowly moved up towards the second story. Shi Jun jumped to his feet, sucking in a breath of pain as it jostled his wrist. He had his gun in his left hand and was listening intently with the rest.


It seemed like an eternity, the sounds outside growing more exaggerated as the seconds crawled by. Skritt....skritt....skritttttt. Just as Shi Jun asked, "Are there any windows on the second story?" The sound of breaking glass filled the house and the house was filled with the sound of wind whooshing about, coming from the direction of Viola's room.


Shi Jun jumped at the sound, heading for the stairs, only to get blocked by the Sheriff, who took the stairs two at a time to get to the top. He had his own gun out, and cocked, moving towards the sound with Shi Jun right behind him.


[[I couldn't remember how many stories were on the house, so if you only intended it to be a 1 story house, ignore everything about stairs and just know the creature specifically broke in Viola's sleeping quarters.]]
 
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There was a sound. Silence filled the room as they all listened. Something was moving. The horror that had been building in Darlene dropped like a weight when the sound of shattering glass could be heard. The boys jumped and Viola let out a half cry of surprise, hands going to her mouth to cover it. It was then their mother, who had been standing back to watch, moved forward. Like a hen, she gathered the children, ushering them close to her as Shi Jun made a line for the stairs, only to get cut off by the Sheriff. Lawrence, checking on his kin one last time, lifted a finger.


"Stay here."


With that he was off, heading up right on Shi Jun's heels.


"I'm gonna' to go with the-." Daniel started, only to be cut off by a sharp glare leveled at him by Eva.


"You're going to stay down here and mind your father is what you're going to do." 


"But what if someone's breaking in? What if that Chinese up there has partners and they get a leg up on the Sheriff and dad?" He argued.


It was during this little exchange that Darlene slipped away from the half circle that had been formed. It was the fear and the focus that allowed her to ease away and towards the stairs where she silently crept forward, one hand resting on the wall almost delicately. She was unarmed, but compelled. More than curiosity, the need to make sure everyone would be okay pushed her forward. She couldn't believe that Daniel was right in blaming Shi Jun, but what if he was right about them getting hurt? Surely one more person couldn't make the situation any worse.


In front of her, she could hear her father's footsteps, his words low and rich.


"Now what in the hell-" He spoke more to himself than anyone in particular, his gun hoisted up rather than left hanging loosely at his side.
 
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