Chapter 15
It was 4:00 a.m., on Wednesday, and Josh was buried in another dream, Josh was now forty-seven years old and plowed a field with a horse. He looked older with his weather-worn skin from working the hot sun and freezing weather for the past fifteen years.
A dinner bell was heard coming from his one story farmhouse.
“Dinner!” a female yelled out from the front porch of the house.
Josh slowly walked away, exhausted from the plow, and headed to the farmhouse.
James got inside the farmhouse where was Anita, his wife with their ten kids ranging from one year old to ten years old.
“Daddy!” the kids all called out.
Josh looked at Anita, who was nine months pregnant while she stirred the pot with their beef stew dinner on the wood-burning stove.
Then the door of the farmhouse opened, and Marshall Fisher walked inside with five more kids ranging from two years old to eight years old.
“Daddy!” all five kids yelled out the second they saw Josh.
Josh felt trapped while he looked at Anita and all of his kids.
Then a bell ringing was heard inside the farmhouse.
Josh looked around for the source of the sound, but it wasn’t visible.
The sound of the bell ringing got louder and louder, and Josh looked confused.
“Get your ass out of bed!” a female’s voice filled the farmhouse that only Josh heard.
Back to Josh’s life in Paradise, Josh jumped up, startled to find Maggie standing over his bed ringing her bell.
“Why can’t you wake up?” she yelled at him then left his room with a smirk happy she startled him again.
Josh bit his tongue to avoid another beating by Charlie while he got out of bed and was happy his life with Anita was so far a bad dream.
After Josh took his fifteen-minute bath, he headed to breakfast at the Dining Hall, where he wolfed down his scrambled eggs and bacon and rushed through the table.
While he rushed out of the room, he saw Paul, the waiter, brought Doc Holloway his breakfast plate at his table.
Josh ran down the back alley behind the Dining Hall and headed to the rear of Doc Holloway’s Office building.
He peeked inside the window of the rear door and saw Jenny cleaning the medicine cabinet.
Josh tapped on the door window.
Jenny looked over and saw his head motioning that he needed to talk with her.
She walked over and cracked opened the rear door.
“Doc Holloway could be here any minute,” she replied and looked a little concerned.
“He’s eating his breakfast, so we have a few minutes,” he replied.
“He’ll probably stop off for a few shots at the saloon to wash down those eggs,” Jenny replied then opened the door to let Josh inside.
“Anita’s forcing herself on me,” he told her while he started pacing.
“You could have avoided her,” he replied and looked a little nervous.
“I couldn’t. Marshall Fisher was going to hang James and me for him hitting two of his cowboys. She talked him into letting me out of jail, hence our wedding,” he said.
“Why did James hit those cowboys?” she curiously asked.
“To save my ass from being raped by the cowboy, we saw shooting after Jerry Barrow. The same cowboy that kept on forcing Willard to perform oral sex on him,” he told her while he paced back and forth.
“Oh my! I had no idea what type of stuff was going on around here,” she replied in shock.
“I bet there were a few other guys that tried to escape because of Butch,” Josh said while he paced.
Jenny thought for a few seconds. “There was this young kid named Irvin that was hung for trying to shoot one of the cowboys in the forest,” she recalled.
“The cowboy that tried to rape me had a face full of acne scars,” he told her.
Jenny thought about that description for a few seconds. “That would be Butch,” she said.
“We need to do something,” he told her.”
“It’s no use. We don’t stand a chance against him. We’ll just have to live the rest of our lives in his hell hole or feel a rope around our neck,” she replied and looked worried.
Josh eyed the medicine cabinet with bottles of chemicals while he paced back and forth. “It now sounds like you’ll be my step-mommy,” he said to bring a little humor to their dilemma.
Jenny cracked a smile. “Now, that’s weird.”
“Maybe Fisher has instructions hidden in his mansion on how to use that machine?” he asked.
“We’ll never make it inside the cave,” she replied but wished there was a way to safely escape.
“I won’t give up on finding a way out of this hell hole,” he told her and looked determined.
“Let me get my beautiful bride to be, and we’ll meet later at my place,” Marshall Fisher’s voice was heard outside the front door.
Josh’s eyes widen with fear at the sound of his voice.
“I need to get to work,” he said, then rushed over, gave Jenny a quick kiss, and bolted to the rear door.
He quietly opened up the rear door and left.
Jenny rushed into the nearby bedroom.
Marshall Fisher entered through the front door. “Hey, darling,” he called out when he didn’t see her in the room.
Jenny came out of the bedroom. “Hi, sweetie,” she said while she played the game.
Marshall Fisher walked up and planted a kiss on her lips.
“We’re having breakfast in my mansion,” he instructed her and held out his hand.
Marshall Fisher escorted Jenny out of the doctor’s office.
Josh ran down Paradise Lane, where everybody still waited for the wagons at the General Store, which was fortunately late this morning.
Bo and the convoy of wagons drove down the street and stopped by the General Store.
Josh got in the back of the wagon with Ernie, Gail, Dave, Harold, and Gary.
“Wait for Josh,” Anita called out while she rushed over to the wagons from the mansion.
“Good morning, ma’am,” Bo said while he tipped his cowboy hat.
“I’m taking Josh with me. I’m going to have daddy give him another job,” she told Bo.
“Yes, ma’am,” Bo replied.
Josh got out of the wagon, where Anita immediately placed her arm around his arm.
Bo snapped his reins, and his wagon pulled away.
While Anita walked Josh away, he noticed a wagon being driven by Charlie with cowboys Chester and Bubba sitting on top of four boxes of Jack Daniels whiskey bottles in the back of the wagon.
Josh saw Charlie stop the wagon at the General Store, and a light bulb went off inside Josh’s head. He had an idea!
“Hey baby, could you get me a job in the General Store?” he asked her and gave her a kiss on his cheek then watched while the cowboys unloaded the boxes and stacked them on the front porch of the General Store.
“Sure, sweetie,” she replied with a smile.
Josh looked hesitant, then placed his arm around Anita’s arms.
She loved it and snuggled closer to him.
Josh saw Marshall Fisher and Jenny standing outside the saloon, chatting with a couple. “This place is beautiful,” he said then gave him a kiss on her cheek. “I can imagine your father had to write down instructions for operating the device to transport supplies.”
“I wrote to them for him. I have a copy, and daddy keeps a copy here in his mansion. Why are you asking?” she curiously asked.
“Oh, I’m just curious,” he replied, then gave her a kiss on her lips, which melted her heart, and she immediately forgot about his question.
“Well, well, there’s our two love birds,” Marshall Fisher said while he walked up with Jenny.
Jenny looked jealous, with Anita and Josh being so loving.
“Daddy, can my fiancé work at the General Store instead of the garden?” she asked him with pleading eyes.
“Sure, darling,” Marshall Fisher replied. “Now, do a good job for me,” he added while he patted Josh’s shoulder and gave him a stern look that he still didn’t care for Josh.
“He will daddy,” Anita replied with a gleam in her eyes.
“Come, baby, we’re going to breakfast,” Marshall Fisher told Anita.
“Okay, daddy,” she said, then gave Josh a quick kiss on his lips that Jenny hated. “I’ll see you later, my love,” she said then walked away with Jenny and Marshall Fisher.
Josh had a smirk while he pondered a scheme during his walk over to the General Store.
Josh walked inside the General Store, where Melvin waited on Wilma, an older lady.
“I’m James’ replacement, according to my fiancé, Anita Fisher,” he told Melvin.
Melvin looked at Josh for a few seconds then remembered the announcement of Anita’s wedding. “Okay, move those whiskey boxes off the front porch and stack them by the rear door,” Melvin instructed.
Josh walked outside to the porch, grabbed a whiskey box, walked it back inside the store, and placed it by the rear door.
A few minutes later, Josh had all the boxes of whiskey stacked by the rear door. He then started sweeping the dirt off the floor that people tracked inside from the street.
“I’m heading out. Watch the store for me,” Melvin said, then walked out from behind the counter and left the store.
“This sure beats picking corn and carrying buckets of crap,” Josh said to himself while he walked over to the cash register.
While he minded the cash register and waited on customers, Anita was seen while she occasionally walked up and down Paradise Lane to catch a glimpse of her lover.
It was 4:30 p.m., and Josh was off duty and headed back to his hotel room to relax for dinner.
After he freshened up in the bathroom, he returned to his room and relaxed in the bed.
While he stared at the ceiling, he thought of a safe was to get Jenny and himself safely out of Paradise.
It was now time for dinner, and Josh headed out of the hotel to the Dining Hall.
Josh checked-in with Abby and sat down at his empty table.
Walt brought the standard steak dinner with corn on the cob, and green beans.
Kimmy dropped off his glass of milk.
Josh started eating his dinner and prayed that Anita wouldn’t join him.
Josh was able to eat his dinner alone, and the second he was finished, he rushed out of the Dining Hall.
He rushed to the back alley of the building and took the back way to the train station.
Josh was able to sneak in the back alleys and streets then board the Paradise Express without being seen by Anita.
Josh sat alone in the passenger car of the Paradise Express while the whistle blew, and the train pulled away from the station.
While the Paradise Express rolled down the track and headed toward the mansion, Josh saw Anita while she walked down the dirt driveway and headed into Paradise. He ducked down in his seat so she wouldn’t see him and try to board the train.
The Paradise Express rolled down the tracks through the grassy field.
The Paradise Express rolled down the tracks and headed to the forest.
While the train went through the forest, Josh saw Butch while he was raping another young man in the Moonlit woods.
Josh looked determined to get out of Paradise and hopefully bring justice to the old western town.
The Paradise Express rolled out of the forest, then moved down the tracks and headed to the mountains.
While the Paradise Express rolled down the tracks and turned by the cave, Josh saw four Indians camped out with a campfire while they guarded the cave.
The Paradise Express rolled down the tracks and went alongside the base of the mountains.
The Paradise Express turned, and Josh saw the Indian camp where the males were dancing, and he saw Sara and Diana sitting alongside Chief Merijildo’s outside his teepee.
While the Paradise Express rolled down the tracks and headed through the desert toward the forest, Josh started pondering how could he sneak past the Indians to the cave.
The Paradise Express rolled down the tracks and went through the forest.
The Paradise Express rolled down the tracks and rolled through the grassy field and headed back to the station in Paradise.
The Paradise Express blew its whistle while it pulled into the station.
The train stopped at the dock, and a young couple stepped aboard the passenger car.
Josh decided to stay on the train to avoid seeing Anita tonight.
Five minutes later, the Paradise Express blew its whistle, and the train pulled away from the station.
Josh watched out his window while the Paradise Express rolled down the tracks through the grassy field, forest, and the desert.
He watched while the Indians at the cave drank whiskey by their campfire.
While the Paradise Express rolled around the bend by the Indian camp, Josh saw Sara naked on a blanket with Chief Merijildo naked on top of her. The rest of the Indians watched while Chief Merijildo huffed and puffed, trying to knock up Sara.
Josh closed his eyes and couldn’t stomach the sight of the Indian Chief on top of Sara.
The Paradise Express rolled through the desert.
The Paradise Express rolled through the forest.
The Paradise Express rolled through the grassy field.
The Paradise Express blew its whistle when it pulled into the station.
Josh got off the train and took the back alleys and side streets to his hotel.
Twenty minutes later and Josh was in his underwear and under the covers for bed. He stared at the ceiling when his door slowly creaked open. He looked nervous that maybe cowboy Butch was coming to pay him a visit. Then his eyes widened when he saw Anita enter his room and close the door behind her.
She looked amorous when she saw him in bed. “Hey baby,” she said while she walked over to his bed.
“Why are you in my room?” Josh asked while he sat up and looked irritated.
“I’m a little lonely and wanted to spend some time alone with the man I love,” Anita softly spoke while she lovingly touched Josh’s cheeks.
“But,” Josh said, but he couldn’t finish because Anita quickly planted her lips on his lips, then she slipped her tongue deep into his mouth.
Josh pulled her away. “Listen, darling, we better wait until our honeymoon. I don’t want your father finding out we had sex. He’ll hang me for sure,” he said.
Anita pouted with being turned down.
“I want our honeymoon to be so special,” Josh said, then kissed Anita and turned it into a passionate kiss so she wouldn’t get mad.
“Okay,” she replied but still had pouty lips.
“You better get home before he suspects something,” Josh said while he got out of bed in his tee-shirt and boxer shorts.
Anita reached behind Josh and grabbed a handful of butt cheek. “Nice!”
Josh cringed with the feel of her hand on his butt. But he played the game while he walked her to the door.
“Goodnight, sweetheart,” he said, then gave her a loving kiss on the lips.
“Goodnight, my love,” Anita replied, then she opened the door, blew him a kiss, and stepped out into the hall.
Josh closed and leaned against his door. “Help me!” he quietly said while he looked up at the ceiling.
He walked over, got back under the covers, and closed his eyes.