Chapter 5
A bit smaller than usual, but important to get out there. Larger chapter coming later today.
Out into the wide grassy field of the Chestnut family ranch echoed the rhythmic whistling of Cole, who was sitting atop the fenceline of the property watching over some of the cattle. It had been three months since he found Millie in the barn, and she had been recovering rather quickly. In part to her own strength, and in part to Dr. Bennetts own expertise. Cole had been visiting her near every day, asking her for any stories she had to tell. Some of them were plain unbelievable, with tales of people lifting a whole train car by themselves, moving faster than the eye could see, even a man commanding the very world itself with the words from his mouth.
When Cole told her of his disbelief of her stories, she made him a wager. She bet she could show him something that would make him believe her, and if she won, he would have to never doubt her again during her teaching him. But if he won, she’d have to teach him to shoot as the first lesson. Considering her injury, they scheduled their little wager for this very day, which was why Cole was sitting out on top of his fence.
So Cole sat and waited, having guided the cattle he was responsible for that day to his little area, waiting for any sign of Millie on the horizon, half expecting her to not show up. It was late morning, with the sun shining down on the cattle and Cole with a cold breeze that balanced out the hot sun. One of the smaller calves trotted up to Cole, the boy chuckling and leaning down to pet the young cow, doing it slowly and methodically. Even if he knew the cows knew him and trusted him, he wasn’t going to risk startling the mother.
However, when he reached forward and made contact with the calf's head… he didn’t. His hand phased right through its head, the calf turning to sand as he fell right down off the fence from the surprise. “W-What in-!” Cole let out a surprised yelp as he tumbled down, hitting his head on the ground. Getting up from his place in the grassy dirt, he heard shrill laughter from behind him.
“AHAHAHAHAHA! Oh Cole, I think you’ve already lost our bet. Perhaps you weren’t up to it? Were you just hopin’ you’d get… Lucky?” Millie’s teasing voice sounded from behind, the boy standing up quicker than he felt he ever had before.
“N-No siree ma’am! I-I still ain’t believe those stories of yers! H-How did you do that?! Get’n behind me n’ the cow and such!” Cole denied vehemently with his eyes wide, looking up to Millie before his eyes narrowed slowly. “How’d you learn that dang nickname?” He said with a suspicious glare, only to be met with Millie’s laughter.
“I told her about it, she should know what you’ll be using to get through her tutoring.” A familiar voice said from behind Millie, Dill walking out from behind her slowly with a mischievous grin on his face. Cole saw the other boy and frowned, looking at him with a pout building on his face. “Why I oughta…. C’mere you lil-!” Cole growled as he ran towards the other boy, trying to jump over the fence as the other boy laughed and backed away, Millie extending her arm to stop the boy from jumping the fence with her own laugh.
“If a lil’ nickname like that gets you up in a tizzie you won’t make it long in the gunslinger life you’re aimin’ for.” She chided Cole gently, setting him back down on the ground with a smile on her face. “Now, you wanted to know how I got here ‘n made that cow disappear didn’tcha?” She asked, the boy nodding in response. “Well, it’s the same way all the other stories I told you’re true.” She began explaining, hopping off the fence, catching herself on the crutch she had been given by Doctor Bennet.
Cole watched her expectantly as she stood, waiting for her to continue her explanation of what was letting people do those sort of superhuman things she said… but she didn’t continue. She just stood there. Eventually Cole began to walk towards her, suspicious of how long she had been holding still, before she faded away into flowing sand just as the caff before had.
Cole leaped back, his eyes wide as he looked up and down the fading figure. Dill shared the reaction, raising the lip of his hat and looking around. This was before the two boys heard a clap behind Cole. “I hope you’re a faster learner than yer showin’ me boy.” Her voice rang out behind Cole, the boy whirling around to see Millie standing there again, braced against her crutch. She laughed softly, holding up a hand with whirling sand in it.
“See boys, there’s somethin’ every fella has in ‘em. I’m sure you’ve heard ‘bout it if you go to them preachers. Yer Soul.” She began, taking a slow route to explain what she was getting to. “If yer soul is strong enough, yer able to show it like me, n’ get some REAL power from it.” She said, before tossing the sand in her hand up, a small mirage of a horse drawn cart manifesting above her hand.
“See, imagine what I’m sayin’ as a small cart. Yer soul is right here, the horse.” She began explaining, the two boys nodding along when she looked to them to make sure they were still following. Dill leaned over the fence slowly to Cole, whispering to him. “My soul would be a big old cat.” He said, Millie laughing gently in response. “Anyhow, yer soul is what gives the whole carriage, The Self, strength. Then next is yer spirit. That’s-” She began, but was cut off by Cole’s hand rising high and the boy asking a question to the bandit woman. “But ain’t yer soul ‘n yer spirt the same thing?” The bunny boy asked, Millie shaking her head.
“Nope, yer soul is more akin to who you are. Like what you feel without thinkin’ about it, the most deep part of ya. Yer spirit is more… how you feel about morals and what’s ingrained into ya. Nature ‘n nurture, all that.” She explained, giving the boy the difference between the two concepts. “In the cart ‘n horse example, your spirit is the road. It’s what guides the carriage along safely to move yer energy in a way that suits who ya are. Just like a horse followin’ a path, it’s just what comes natural to ya.” She added, showing the horse moving down a path to make the illusion more dynamic.
“Well, ain’t none of this tellin’ us how yer doin that!” Cole complained, before the snap of Millie’s fingers quieted him. “Hush up and trust the process.” She scolded, beginning to weave up a little driver for the carriage. “But with you thinkin’ through this like ya are, that brings the next part. The Mind. It’s what you think, what yer choosin’ to put in yer head. It’s how you apply the Soul, and how you follow yer Spirit. Yer Mind can choose to deviate from what yer Spirit is sayin, but it’s harder and makes the Soul less efficient.” She continued, before snapping her fingers and making the carriage part of the illusion more emphasized and bold.
“And lastly, there’s the big old carriage being pulled and guided by it all, yer Body. It’s what gives it all weight and presence.” She said, gesturing to the two boys. “Now, yer asking how this all helps me do all that? It’s what it all combines ta do. The Self, and Lots. Basically, yer gettin’ powers beyond what folks are normally capable of doin’.” She explained, gesturing to her sandy illusion as the carriage disappeared into a flurry of sand.
“Now, you might not get it yet, ‘n that’s fine. You need experience to really know what it means. But I’m givin’ you a good head start by tellin’ ya this stuff exists. Most folks learn this by gettin’ it themselves.” She added, crossing her arms and looking them over. “Now will you admit ya know those stories are true?” She asked Cole, looking down at him, the boy starting to realize she wasn’t wrong, since he never saw anyone who could do things like that with sand.
“I-I guess yer stories ‘r true.. B-But does that mean you’ll teach me to do all that?” Cole conceded, wanting to learn to do those sort of things for himself, smiling up at the bandit woman who let out a chortling giggle. “Well, I’ll be doing my best to teach both of you the basics before I get to somethin’ as advanced as that. I’m just showin’ ya the finish line so you know where you’ll be ending up.” Millie admitted, giving the boy a pat on the back as she gestured ahead of them.
“Now, I can’t teach ya how to get your specific Lot, since gettin’ that changes from person to person. It’s all ‘bout findin’ yourself n’ such.” She elaborated, before turning to look down the range. “Now, let’s start with somethin’ simple. Think ‘bout what you want most in the world. That’ll be your start for gettin’ your Self goin’.” She began, the two boys nodding and closing their eyes to think.
However, when they closed their eyes to focus, they each received a bop on the head from the bandit woman. “You think yer opponents gon’ give you time ta close your eyes and focus darlin’? You keep them eyes open and focus on what ya want.” She said, glancing over the two as she sat back on the fence.
The two boys rubbed their heads, but did as she said and looked at her as they thought of what they wanted most, feeling just a bit more energy in their chest. Apprehension, excitement, desire, everything connected to the feeling of wanting.
“Good. Now let’s continue with that…”
Chapter End