Chapter 8
It was later that day, and the sun warmed the land of Paradise up to eighty degrees.
The garden contained broccoli, carrots, green beans, lettuce, potatoes, and zucchini.
Next to the garden was a large cornfield.
Next to the cornfield was some apple and orange trees. Way off in the distance from the fruit trees was the sound of wood being cut from power saws from the sawmill that housed eight workers.
Under a large oak shade tree near the garden, cowboys Nick, Butch, Howard, and Billy relaxed while their horses grazed in the grass. The cowboys took turns drinking whiskey from a bottle while they eyed the garden and cornfield.
In the vegetable garden, Harold Nicholson was a thirty-year-old chubby geek with glasses. He looked exhausted while he picked green beans and placed them in a bushel basket.
In the cornfield, Josh, Sara, and Willard looked exhausted while they picked corn and dropped them in bushel baskets.
When Sara and Josh got to the end of her row, she saw Chief Merijildo and four other Indians while they sat on their horses. Chief Merijildo eyed Sara, and a smile grew on his face.
Sara saw the Chief and leaned over to Josh. “That Indian is here, and he’s giving me the creeps,” she quietly told Josh.
Josh looked over at the Chief and his four Indians. They turned around and rode off toward the forest.
Sara’s eyes well up, and the train whistle was heard while the train rolled down the track near the garden.
Willard walked out of his row in the cornfield, and he carried a bushel basket full of corn to the wagon.
From the shade tree, Butch took a drink from the whiskey bottle and saw Willard while he walked over to the wagon. He smiled at the sight of Willard then passed the bottle onto Nick.
“I got an itch to scratch,” he told his cowboy buddies who grinned, as they knew what Butch meant.
Butch stood up and walked over to his horse and jumped in the saddle.
Willard grabbed an empty bushel basket and walked back into the cornfield.
Willard started picking more corn at the row next to Josh and Sara.
“Willard, I need to see you,” Butch called out from his horse at the edge of the cornfield.
Willard looked nervous while he pretended he didn’t hear Butch’s request.
“Willard! I said I want to see you and you can’t fight it. So let’s get it over with!” Butch yelled out a little pissed.
Willard hesitated on coming out of the cornfield.
“Don’t make me come in there after you,” Butch called out.
Willard hated life while he placed his basket down in the row, reluctantly walked down the row, and headed toward Butch.
Josh and Sara got curious, and they quietly inched down their row to the end.
They both peaked out of the cornfield and saw Butch walk his horse to the forest with Willard walking behind him.
“What the hell is going on?” Josh quietly asked Sara.
“I don’t know, but I can’t wait to get out of this place,” Sara quietly replied while they watched Willard follow Butch on his horse to the forest.
“It’s best if you just ignore some of the things you might see around here,” Gail quietly said while she pushed her way through some corn stalks from the next row with a basket full of corn.
Gail walked past Josh and Sara and walked out of the cornfield and headed toward the wagon.
Josh and Sara looked at each other, and they feared the worse for Willard.
“It’s not break time!” Bo yelled from the wagon when he saw Josh and Sara poking their heads out of the cornfield.
Josh and Sara quickly return to their work, picking corn.
Bo looked and saw Butch while he walked his horse to the forest and saw Willard trailing behind him. He didn’t like it but knew he had to keep his mouth shut.
Butch walked his horse into the forest, then he dismounted. He waited by his horse for Willard to walk over to him.
Butch walked over to a nearby tree and waited.
Willard reluctantly walked over to Butch.
Butch unbuckled his belt and lowered his pants to his ankles. He then dropped his boxer shorts down to his ankles. “You know the routine, Willard,” he said with a horny grin.
“Please, I don’t want to do this anymore,” Willard pleaded.
Butch removed one of his Colt 45 pistols from his holster. “Now, now Willard, don’t make me waste a bullet shooting you in your stupid brain,” he threatened then cocked his pistol.
Willard walked up to Butch, and he dropped to his knees. He wanted to vomit while he started at Butch’s naked crotch.
Fifteen minutes later, Willard walked back into the cornfield, and he looked sick and ashamed of himself. He remained quiet during the rest of the day while he worked in the garden. Sara and Josh felt it was best not to quiz Willard since he looked upset.
It was quiet during the journey to Paradise while Sara, Josh, Gary, Willard, Gail, Dave, and Harold all walked exhausted behind the wagon that Bo drove where the backpacked with bushel baskets of vegetables, fruit, and corn.
In Doc Holloway’s Office, Jenny was alone since the doctor was at the saloon for his afternoon drinking of whiskey. She just finished sweeping the floor, and it was a slow day, as nobody was sick. She looked up at the clock on the wall and saw it was 4:30 p.m.
She smiled while she placed the broom in the closet and walked to the front door.
Jenny stepped out of Doc Holloway’s Office and looked down Paradise Lane and saw Bo’s wagon in front of the Dining Hall. Her eyes lit up the second she saw Josh walk out of the Dining Hall.
While he walked to the wagon, Josh looked down Paradise Lane and saw Jenny standing out in front of the doctor’s office. Josh waved at her, and his eyes lit up when she waved back.
“So I see you fancy someone,” Sara said while she walked up to Josh.
“Yeah, she’s special,” he replied while he eyed Jenny.
“The sooner you get these baskets into the dining hall, the sooner your workday is over,” Bo yelled at the two.
Sara and Josh grabbed a basket of corn and walked back to the Dining Hall.
They passed by Willard, who had his head down and was still in deep thought about today’s forced event with cowboy Butch.
All the baskets of fruit, corn, and vegetables were taken into the kitchen area of the Dining Hall.
Josh, Sara, and Willard waited with all the other folks by the empty wagons.
Bo walked over and checked the back of his wagon.
He looked and was satisfied all the baskets have moved into the Dining Hall.
“Okay, I’ll see you in the morning. Have a great evening,” Bo told his crew, then he climbed up and sat in the wagon seat. He grabbed the reins and drove the wagon away.
Then a wagon driven by Russell drove down Paradise Lane with some slabs of beef from the slaughterhouse barn. The wagon turned down a back alley and headed to the rear of the Dining Hall.
Sara and Josh walked down Paradise Lane, and Willard tagged quietly behind them.
They walked back to their hotel on Fisher’s Lane and went to their rooms and relaxed before dinner.
It was 6:00 p.m., and Josh sat at table twelve with Sara, Willard, and James. Linda’s seat was empty since the whores never leave the Paradise House of Pleasure, and they have their own private dining room.
Dinner was quiet at table twelve while everybody ate their slabs of steak, green beans, baked potato, and a glass of milk.
“Do we get steak every night?” Josh asked James.
“We get ham on Friday and Tuesday nights,” James replied.
Josh didn’t look thrilled with having only steak and ham for dinner.
“We heard they might be stocking the lake with fish in the future,” James said while he cut another piece of steak.
Josh still didn’t look thrilled with the dinner menu.
Sara looked excited about leaving in the morning.
While everybody was in the Dining Hall, eating their dinners, Charlie stepped in the doorway with his four cowboys. He looked the place over and left when everybody seemed to be content with his or her meals.
Then a few minutes later, Josh couldn’t hold it in any longer. “Willard, why did that cowboy take you into the woods?”
Willard looked down at his steak dinner and got embarrassed. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
Willard ate his steak and avoided eye contact with everybody at the table.
Josh shrugged it off then looked at Sara. “What time are you leaving tomorrow?”
“I’m supposed to see the Marshall tonight sometime after dinner,” she replied with a smile thinking about going home.
“You might want to reconsider,” James said with a fatherly tone.
“Why?” Sara asked.
James opened his mouth to answer.
“May I have your attention,” Charlie called out from the doorway of the Dining Hall.
The room got quiet, and all eyes were on Charlie and his four cowboys. “Marshall Fisher needs everybody out by the courthouse right now,” he called out, then turned around and left.
His four cowboys stayed behind and watched while people got up from their tables.
“What’s going on?” Josh curiously asked James.
“You’ll see in a minute,” he replied and didn’t look very happy.
Willard looked pale and sweaty while he got up from the table.
Josh and Sara got up from the table and followed the crowd out of the Dining Hall.
It was a full moon, and the night sky was filled with twinkling stars.
Josh, Sara, Willard, and James followed out of the Dining Hall to where a wooden gallows were previously wheeled out in front of the Court House across the street.
The gallows had a hanging noose to the center of the street. The platform of the gallows was ten feet off the ground. It provided a view for all of the seventy residents of Paradise.
Thirty-four black shirt cowboys walked the edge of the crowd. They had a hand on their Colt 45 pistols in case someone got unruly.
At the Paradise House of Pleasure, Casey, Linda, and the other seven whores stood out in the street and looked at the gallows.
In the crowd, Josh and Sara stood slack-jawed the second they saw the noose and knew this wasn’t going to be a pretty sight.
Then Josh’s eyes lit up the second he saw Jenny near the edge of the crowd. He tried to get her attention, but she looked bothered by the sight of the noose.
The door of the Marshall’s Office opened, and Marshall Fisher, with another Cuban cigar in his mouth, walked out and headed to the gallows.
Then cowboys Tony and Steve escorted out Jerry Barrow, who was handcuffed out of the Marshall’s Office.
Cowboys Mark and Ray walked out of the Marshall’s Office and followed the other cowboys.
Charlie stepped out of the Marshall’s Office and stood on the front porch, looked at the gallows then eyed the crowd.
Marshall Fisher walked up the steps of the gallows.
Marshall Fisher walked on the platform of the gallows and headed to the noose. He faced the crowd and waited for Jerry to arrive.
Tony and Steve walked Jerry up the steps to the gallows.
Mark and Ray walked up the steps to the gallows.
Jerry dug his heels into the wood while he fought from being escorted over to the noose. “I didn’t do anything wrong!” he screamed out.
Steve punched Jerry in his kidneys, and he dropped to his knees in pain.
Tony and Steve dragged Jerry over to the noose.
Steve pulled Jerry up by his hair and stood him up in front of Marshall Fisher.
Marshall Fisher addressed the crowd, who looked upset with what was about to happen. “It gives me great displeasure to stand before you with another individual who thinks he can just up and leave Paradise without permission,” he told the crowd.
“No!” Jerry cried out while Steve placed a noose around his neck.
Tony struggled to tighten the noose around Jerry’s neck while fought to get free.
“I was raped!” Jerry screamed out in a muffled tone while the noose was tight around his vocal cords.
Marshall Fisher nodded at Mark, who moved a wooden lever.
The trap door opened up under Jerry’s boots, and he dropped into the opening. His neck snapped, and that was a sound that would haunt the minds of most of the town folk of Paradise.
They silently watched in horror while Jerry’s lifeless body dangled from the rope.
Bob Jackson stood in the middle of the crowd and had hatred in his eyes while he watched Marshall Fisher walking over to the steps of the gallows.
Josh and Sara looked in horror at each other, and her eyes welled up.
“I’m never leaving this place,” she said while her lips quivered while she glanced back at Jerry’s lifeless dangling body.
The town folk quietly walked away from the gallows and headed to their respective hotels.
Bob walked down the street and headed to the saloon.
Sara sobbed, and Josh comforted her while they walked down Paradise Lane to their hotel.
While he walked Sara down Paradise Lane, he saw Jenny while she turned down one of the side streets and headed to her hotel.
A little while later, Sara and Josh sat on her bed in her hotel room.
From her opened bedroom window, the sound of horses galloping down the street was heard.
“I can’t believe they hung a man for trying to leave this town. I thought Charlie said we could leave if we didn’t like Paradise,” she said while she wiped tears away from her eyes. “This was a bad idea. A horrible idea,” she added while more tears filled her eyes.
Josh placed an arm around her shoulder to comfort her.
Her hotel room door slammed open, and Charlie entered with cowboys Alfred, Tim, Bart, and Jesse trailing behind him.
“Sara, Marshall Fisher wants to see you about your departure from Paradise,” Charlie said while he walked up to her bed and looked serious.
Sara looked scared to death at the sight of Charlie and the cowboys.
Charlie walked over and grabbed her by the arm.
She tried to fight him off while he lifted her off the bed.
“I’ve changed my mind. I want to stay,” she pleaded while her eyes continued to well up.
Sara dug her heels on the floor while Alfred and Jesse each grabbed one of her arms. They escorted her to the door.
Josh stood to protest, but his eyes widened the second he sat cowboy Tim strut over.
“One move and I’ll repeat what I did the other day,” Tim said while he patted one of the handles of his Colt 45 with a smirk.
Josh sat back down on Sara’s bed and watched while they escorted her out of the room.
Josh peeked out one of her bedroom windows and watched while Charlie and the four cowboys escorted Sara down the street and headed toward Paradise Lane.
He walked out of her room and heard a thud in the hall. He looked and saw Bob on the floor by a room door, and he rushed over to help.
“Are you okay?” he asked while he shook Bob.
“I’m fine,” Bob slurred out his words.
Bob reeked of booze, and Josh immediately knew he was stinking drunk. He helped Bob up on his feet, where he swayed. “I hate the fucking bastard,” Bob slurred out his words.
“I know you do,” Josh replied, not knowing who he meant. “You better get some sleep. Where’s your room?” Josh asked.
Bob looked around the hall then he squinted at the number on the door by him. “There,” he slurred out his words.
Josh held Bob up, and both of them almost fell over while Josh opened up the door for Room 2.
Josh walked Bob into the room and plopped him on the bed.
Bob immediately fell asleep.
Josh walked out of the room and closed the door behind him.
Josh walked down the hall and went inside his bedroom.
An hour had passed, and Josh lay in his bed and couldn’t sleep since tonight’s events filled his head.
His room door opened, and he saw Willard while he rushed inside in a panic. “They’re taking Sara away!” he quietly told Josh the second he got to his bed.
Josh shoot up in bed and looked concerned. “What?”
“Come quick,” Willard called out.
Josh got off his bed and followed Willard to the door.
Josh and Willard ran out of the hotel and down the side street.
They ran down another down the back alley and stopped at the corner of the Paradise Court House.
Josh and Willard peeked around the corner of the building and saw four Indians that stood by their horses.
Then the door to the Marshall’s Office opened and cowboys Tim, and Alfred manhandled Sara outside while she kicked and squirmed to free herself from their grips.
“No!’ she yelled out in a panic and tried to fright from their grips.
They walked her over to the four Indians.
Charlie had a massive smile on his face while he glanced at Sara, being escorted to the Indians.
Sara kicked Alfred in his knee, and he dropped to the ground in pain.
Sara squirmed and almost slipped away until Tim whacked her on her head with the butt of one of his Colt 45s. She dropped down to the ground out cold.
Tim and Jesse picked up Sara and carried her to the four Indians.
Two of the Indians grabbed Sara and threw her over one of the bareback horses.
Charlie walked up to the Indians. “Tell Chief Merijildo, I hope he likes his new bride.”
The Indians smiled and got on their horses with one of the Indians on the horse with Sara.
They rode off down Paradise Lane and headed out of town.
Tim helped Alfred get up out of the dirt. “I need a drink,” he told Alfred, and they walked down the street and headed to the saloon with Alfred walking with a limp.
Josh and Willard moved away from the corner of the Court House and headed back to their hotel.
A little while later, Josh and Willard sat on his bed in Josh’s hotel room.
Willard’s eyes well up, and Josh noticed.
“What happened in the forest today?”
“I really don’t want to talk about it,” Willard replied while he looked upset.
“You can trust me.”
“Please, it’s too embarrassing, and I can’t stand it anymore. So I’m getting out of here,” Willard replied and looked determined.
“How? They hung Jerry and Sara got taken away,” Josh said and looked concerned.
Willard thought for a second. “That’s the risk I’ll be willing to take.”
Josh looked at Willard, and then he realized that it must have been forced sex in the woods when he remembered seeing Jerry Barrow run out of that alley pulling up his pants.
“Did that cowboy rape you?” Josh quietly asked.
Willard hesitated while he looked at Josh’s concerned eyes. “That asshole Butch makes me give him a blowjob a couple times a week. In fact, he forces his way on a few of the young guys here in Paradise,” Willard replied, then he started having the dry heaves while memories of blowing Butch ran through his mind.
Josh felt sorry for Willard and knew why he wanted to leave.
“I’ll rather have a noose around my neck that suck on that bastard’s cock again,” Willard replied and looked determined.
“You don’t know how to activate the machine that transports us back home,” Josh said.
“I’m a genius with computers. I’ll find a way,” Willard replied and looked determined.
“Then why did you choose to live here in Paradise?”
“I needed some easy money, so I became a hacker and almost got caught. I figured I could hide out here in Paradise until things cooled down. But I think it’s safer to go home.”
“Paradise doesn’t sound so safe,” Josh replied.
“Why don’t you come with me?” Willard asked.
Josh thought for a second, but thoughts of Jenny filled his mind. “I’m stuck here, and I don’t want a noose around my neck. So I’ll wait until there’s a guarantee I can get out alive with someone that means a lot to me.”
Willard shook Josh’s hand. “Good luck, my friend, and when I get out, I’ll come back with the police,” he said, then got off the bed.
Josh watched while Willard rushed out of his room and thought that if he succeeded, Paradise could be a beautiful place under honest leadership.
A little while later, Josh got into bed after brushing his teeth. He tried to sleep, but he tossed and turned while thoughts of today’s events were stuck in his mind.