August 18, 2025 • 13 mins
#horrorstories #reddithorrorstories #ScaryStories #creepypasta #horrortales #warveteran #ptsdhorror #redemptionstory #psychologicalthriller #darkpast This gripping horror-drama follows a war veteran haunted by traumatic memories and dark secrets from his past. As he tries to find redemption, he becomes entangled in a deadly game of survival where danger lurks not only outside but within his own mind. Facing shadows that blur reality and nightmare, his fight is as much internal as external. A haunting tale of PTSD, courage, and sinister forces. horrorstories, reddithorrorstories, scarystories, horrorstory, creepypasta, horrortales, warveteran, ptsd, psychologicalhorror, redemption, hauntedpast, survival, darksecrets, trauma, mindgames, sinisterforces, horrorfiction, emotionalhorror, darkmemories, courageunderfire
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The man. The wind is low, the moon lighting up
the night, the lively atmosphere of the city. One thousand,
eight hundred seventy two, seven years after the American Civil War,
Tom Holding, a Union soldier veteran, is cleaning the tables
in a saloon in Indianapolis in Dana with a rag
in his hands, with a white buttoned up shirt, with
his sleeves rolled up, with black pants and black boots
(00:20):
with a unique symbol on them that looks like a
horse galloping with a star on the horse, and hair
as brown as a bear with a long stubble beard.
The last few people are leaving the saloon and he
closes up. When his shift ends, his boss tells him
to go clean the outhouse before he leaves to get
his pay for the day, walks out the back door
where it's dark and unpopulated, and makes his way to
(00:42):
the outhouse. Two men are smoking cigars outside where he
is leaning on a wall on the building next door,
with cowboy hats on and guns around their waist and holsters.
As they look at his tall and muscular build, they
walk towards him, looking at his boots. The shorter man says, hey,
their partner. How's it going doing well? Just finishing my
last task for the day. Is that so? Yep? Those
(01:03):
are some nice boots you got on, says the taller
second man, as both of them drop their cigars. Yes
they are, said Holden. The taller man spits on the
floor next to him while eyeing the man boots. How
much you pay for the boots, he says with a
more serious tone, They were a gift for my paw
before he died. As Holden becomes more weary of the situation,
I'm going to need you to take the boots off
(01:23):
and give them to me, said the shorter man. You're
a goddamn fool if you think I'm going to give
you these boots, little man. The shorter man then pulls
his revolver out and demands he give him the boots. Aright,
all right here? Holden slowly takes the boots off as
his socks get dirty from the dirt and mud on
the floor. He inches towards them with the boot in
his hand to give them it. As the man is
(01:44):
looking at the boots and the other man laughs and
insults him, calling him loser and a coward. While they're laughing,
and have their guard down. Holden slaps the gun out
of the shorter man's hand and grabs him and repeatedly
punches him in the jaw and elbowing his skull. While
he's doing this, the other man attempt to take his
revolver out. Holden punches him in the liver and kicks
him to the ground, takes the gun now out of
(02:05):
his hand on the floor as he groans in pain,
and pistol whips him in the face with it. Both
knocked out, he goes to the outhouse and cleans it
and goes back into the saloon and gets his pay
without a single bruise. He then goes to the front
of the saloon, gets his horse off the hitching post,
and starts riding to his home. He didn't seem to
notice a man standing a distance away during the whole ordeal,
(02:28):
and watching as he rides through the city. A group
of men sitting at a table playing twenty one see
him speed past. One man says to the other men
at the table that right there is Tom Holden, one
of the deadliest soldiers in the war, killing over four
hundred Confederates in battle. Another man at the table asked
how do you know this? We were both stationed in
Baton Rouge and man that man was brutal, killing lots
(02:50):
of them in horrific ways, slitting their necks when they
were sleeping, driving axes into the back of their heads,
decapitating them, bashing their heads in, shooting their heads off,
gutting a man with a huge knife. Glad he was
on our side, he says as he chuckles. The others
ask if he's killed any one else since the war
from how twisted minded he sounds, and the man replies no.
(03:11):
In his last battle, he beat a soldier so bad
near to death. As he was about to shoot him
in the face, he saw it was seventeen year old
boy he did that to and felt remorse for the
first time in four years, and realized the monster he
had become. He looked the boy in the eyes, both
knowing what needs to be done. While the boy whimpered,
he cocked his gun back and shot him in the face,
putting him out of his misery, and from that day
(03:32):
on he vowed to never kill any one ever again.
Now seven years later, he has not killed any one
and avoids doing it, only defending himself with his hands.
What was the boy's name, Holden said. He looked at
his dog tags around his neck, and it said Arthur Mitchell.
As Holden rides home, he gets to his little apartment,
hitches his horse and goes inside. He goes to hug
his daughter, Laurs. She is twelve years old. Holden's wife,
(03:55):
her mother died during childbirth. He loves her more than
anything in the world. He then he tucked or two
into bed, and he takes a bath, eats, and goes
to sleep. The next day, he gets ready for his job,
puts a coat on, and rides through the city on
his horse and gets to work. Hey, Holden, says his
friend John, the man sitting at the table from last
night at twenty one, Hey, John, how you been good?
(04:17):
I was sitting with a couple of young fellers last
night telling them about our time in the war and
your story. Hey man, I'm not that same guy. I've
been better. I know you are a brother. It's war.
We don't like killing, but we have do it. You know,
a lot of people see you as a legend. Others, though,
see you as a monster. I am one. Ain't nothing
I can do to change what I've done. You can
be better. Who cares what they think? I know you, man,
(04:39):
you're a good man. You have lots of years left,
man to be better. You're thirty six, I'm old man
in fifty two. I'll probably be dead in five years.
With all the beer I've been drinking recently, John says,
as they both laugh. Yeah, man, I don't know how
much longer this job can be able to support me
and Laura. We veterans are treated like shit. Ain't nobody
wanted to hire us after the war, thinking we're useless?
(05:00):
Thank the Lord Bonnie hired us. Yea. Anyways, man, I
am a start working. Let's go somewhere for a drink tonight,
O K, says Holden. They both work together in the bar,
and a couple hours later, at three p m. As
Holden is sweeping, the man watching from a distance from
last night, walks into the saloon through the old western
swinging doors with his pale face six feet five inches
(05:21):
four inches taller than Holden, with a black suit on
and black hat, forty six years of age. He walks
to the bar, with the wooden floor beneath him creaking
from how big he is. With everyone looking at him,
Holden goes up to him to ask what drink he wants. Hello, there,
what would you like to order? Just a shot of whiskey.
Holden pours it while the man just stares at him creepily.
He drinks it and stares at Holden as he walks away.
(05:43):
Holden yells Bonnie his boss, what come up the stairs
and get these fools out of my saloon. Ok. Holden
goes up the stairs and sees two men, both groaning
on the floor from fist fighting. He grabs the first
man and forces him up, throwing him down the stairs
and then dragging him out and throwing him in the mud,
doing the same to the other guy. When he's walking
(06:04):
back to do work, the man in the black hat
calls him over as he walks over and asks what
he needs. Hello there, name's don I have an offer
for you. Oh yeah, what's that? Me and my family
are moving to Arizona. I need someone to guide us
for protection in case indians or outlaws attack and rob
or potentially kill me and my family. What the hell
makes you think I'd want to do that. While I've
(06:25):
looked into you, mister Holden, I see you have the
most confirmed kills of any soldier in the war. Also,
you living in a small apartment, Barley, making a few
bucks a day to provide for you and your daughter Laura.
How much longer can you afford to live there? Seriously,
he laughs. You keep my daughter's name out of your
goddamn mouth, he said aggressively, now getting in the man's face.
I ain't gonna going to leave my daughter for five
(06:45):
months to help you and your family. I don't even
know you. Calm down, partner. I'd pay you very well,
ten x more than you would make working here in
a year. Plus. You can bring your daughter and even
bring someone else for extra protection for my family, and
I'd pay him as well. Y'all would make a shit
ton of money. Piss off. No, Well, if you change
your mind, I'll be here tomorrow at dawn with my family.
Later that night, after Tom finishes work and collects his
(07:08):
money for the day, he goes for a drink at
a different saloon with John. He tells him about what
Don offered him, and John thought that they should do it. Holden,
there's nothing for us here. Everyone treats us like shit.
We both make almost no money, and we would make
so much money. You and Laura could live somewhere nicer
than this shithole city. Maybe build a ranch or house
after completing the job in California or Nevada. I don't know.
(07:29):
Man seems risky. We could run into outlaws or dangerous Indians.
I'd have to use lethal force to protect the man
and his family. And Laura, well, you gotta do what
you gotta to provide for your family. John pats his
back and gets up and leaves to go home. Holden
just sits there thinking what's the best option for hours.
He goes home to his apartment. Hi, Papa, says Laura, Hey, sweetheart,
(07:50):
you hungry? I brought food? Yes, Papa. They sit down
at the table and Laura asks him, Papa, when are
we moving to a bigger house? I don't like it
here those a lot of crack in the wall and
nasty bugs. Don't worry, sweetheart, we only got to be
here for a bit longer. O kay, she says with
a smile, and they eat. Holden goes to bed and
lays in his bed thinking. Don arrives with his seventy
(08:12):
eight year old father and sixteen year old son. As
he expected, Holden and Laura and John are there, all
packed up with a horse carriage. Holden's fit is a
brown cowboy hat, dirty blue colored shirt worn underneath a
light brown jacket, brown pants tucked into black boots, as
well as a black neckerchief and brown spurs. Don smiles creepily.
I knew you would come around. Yeah, well, thank my
(08:34):
friend John, he convinced me. Don looks at John. Thank
you for convincing him. It's rough out there in the West.
No problem, sir, can I as how much is to
pay for the five months for each of you? The
pay is six thousand dollars. Holy shit, that's enough to
last me years. Thank you for this opportunity, said John.
The strange man smiles. Holden goes to shake his hand.
(08:54):
Thank you. I have one condition. I'm not going to
kill anyone, only beat them or shoot them in the legs. Okay, well,
gentlemen and little girl, let's go. They ride out of
the city and travel through the American West, seeing beautiful
landscapes and huge lakes as blue as the sky. Animals
they have never seen before, buffaloes, huge bears, bobcats, unfamiliar birds.
(09:15):
They see huge, tall mountains, and they ride for two
months encountering a lot of dangerous outlaws who tried to
rob them, Holden would outsmart them and get the guns
out of their hands and shoot their legs and arms
in other situations, then ride away. They stop for a
break in a town for about a week. In Dodge Town, Kansas,
Don goes into a hotel and gets two rooms for
(09:36):
all of them. All right, partners, get some baths for
the first time in two months, and enjoy a little
vacations for a couple days. Hey, I've just realized I
don't know your damn last name, Holden says as he
chuckles Don, He says, just Don, what's your last name?
It's none of your business. None of my business. I've
been with you for two goddamn months and have you
around my kid protecting you from Indians. You goddamn coward,
(10:00):
kiss off, partner, It's none of your business. After this,
Holden walks to his in John and Laura's room and
collapses on the bed, finally sleeping comfortably for the first
time in months. When he wakes up the next morning,
he takes a bath, so does everyone else. Holden, John, Don,
and Don's father go to the saloon and get drinks. Holden,
I've never asked, but why did you put yourself in
(10:21):
killer instinct for all four years of the war. Why
were you so brutal? Why not just shoot them and
be done with it? Said John Holden's sighs. You wanna
know why I did it? Because I had to put
myself in a mental state where it's killed or be killed.
And there were times where I didn't want to kill
some one so brutally, but I couldn't control myself. That's
a side of me. I'm scared to never let take
over again. And when that seventeen year old boy looked
(10:44):
me in the eyes, I snapped out of it and
something broke inside of me. I decided to shoot him.
I could have let him live, but he most likely
couldn't have survived. I'm a bad man. I didn't even
try to let him recover. I just shot him. I
still haven't forgave myself. Don throws his glass drink at
the wall hart angrily for seemingly no reason. The bartender
yells at him to pay for the glass drink he broke,
(11:04):
and to get the hell out. Don pulls the gun
out of his holster and shoots the bartender in the head.
All the people in the saloon scream and get scared.
Most of them ran out, but the cowboy regulars pulled
their guns out and started shooting at Don. He grabbed
a table and put it at its side to shield
himself from the bullets. Holden and the others jump in
to shoot. Holden yells during the gun fight, why the
(11:27):
hell would you shoot him? I don't know, I lost control.
Don shoots two of the cowboys with perfect aim right
in between their heads. One manages to sneak up on him,
but he slaps the gun out of his hand in
time and gets into a fight with him and is
extremely skilled in hand to hand combat and gets the
man on the floor and breaks his arm, then snaps
his neck. Holden shoots two of the cowboys. He shoots
(11:49):
one in both legs, the other in his shoulder and hand,
blowing his fingers off from the gun. John sneaks up
on one and guts him with his nine inch knife.
With all of them dead, they are all rush out,
get on their horses, go quickly to the hotel, get
Laura and their stuff and Don's son, and ride out
of the town into the desert. Plains. A few of
the townsfolk chase them on horse, but Don's father shoots
(12:11):
each of them with a rifle as they all ride.
As they're riding on the horse carriage, and John and
Holden each on their own horses. Hold and say to Don,
where the hell did you too learn to do that?
I thought you were just a wealthy family man. I
fought in the Mexican American War and the Civil War.
I didn't think I could protect my family on my own,
so I hired you too. Where do you know those
rifle skills from old man? Don's father replies, my father
(12:34):
taught me on our family plantation I lived on growing up.
He fought in the Revolutionary War. M m m oka.
You think I'm a con man or something? Don laughs,
I just got to make sure you are who you
say you are. Well, don't worry, Parter, You're safe. Don
smiles creepily. As they ride through the desert for about
the next five days, they stumble across a Native American
village of the Cherokee people. The whole village isn't that big,
(12:57):
only about seventy five people. The village's building made of
sand color stones, only one story tall and lots of
huts with a few cactuses in and around the village,
with the ground being made of the same color stone.
They go into it, seeking shelter and hoping to trade
for more food. Hello, welcome. A old native women welcomes
them at the entrance. Hello, ma'am. We're hoping to get
(13:19):
shelter for the night and food we can trade, says Holden. Yes, yes,
come on in. The children and women stare at them.
The Cheroke warriors look weary, as they have been in
fights with white settlers before, and they look like they
are here for this kind of trouble. Don realizes this
and says, we come in peace. We just seek to
trade and for food. The chief comes up to them.
(13:39):
You guys are welcome to stay as long as you trade.
Let's take you to your huts. You guys can stay in,
then go to the salunas men. Sounds good, say Holden,
looking at everyone smiling. The end
The man. The wind is low, the moon lighting up
the night, the lively atmosphere of the city. One thousand,
eight hundred seventy two, seven years after the American Civil War,
Tom Holding, a Union soldier veteran, is cleaning the tables
in a saloon in Indianapolis in Dana with a rag
in his hands, with a white buttoned up shirt, with
his sleeves rolled up, with black pants and black boots
(00:20):
with a unique symbol on them that looks like a
horse galloping with a star on the horse, and hair
as brown as a bear with a long stubble beard.
The last few people are leaving the saloon and he
closes up. When his shift ends, his boss tells him
to go clean the outhouse before he leaves to get
his pay for the day, walks out the back door
where it's dark and unpopulated, and makes his way to
(00:42):
the outhouse. Two men are smoking cigars outside where he
is leaning on a wall on the building next door,
with cowboy hats on and guns around their waist and holsters.
As they look at his tall and muscular build, they
walk towards him, looking at his boots. The shorter man says, hey,
their partner. How's it going doing well? Just finishing my
last task for the day. Is that so? Yep? Those
(01:03):
are some nice boots you got on, says the taller
second man, as both of them drop their cigars. Yes
they are, said Holden. The taller man spits on the
floor next to him while eyeing the man boots. How
much you pay for the boots, he says with a
more serious tone, They were a gift for my paw
before he died. As Holden becomes more weary of the situation,
I'm going to need you to take the boots off
(01:23):
and give them to me, said the shorter man. You're
a goddamn fool if you think I'm going to give
you these boots, little man. The shorter man then pulls
his revolver out and demands he give him the boots. Aright,
all right here? Holden slowly takes the boots off as
his socks get dirty from the dirt and mud on
the floor. He inches towards them with the boot in
his hand to give them it. As the man is
(01:44):
looking at the boots and the other man laughs and
insults him, calling him loser and a coward. While they're laughing,
and have their guard down. Holden slaps the gun out
of the shorter man's hand and grabs him and repeatedly
punches him in the jaw and elbowing his skull. While
he's doing this, the other man attempt to take his
revolver out. Holden punches him in the liver and kicks
him to the ground, takes the gun now out of
(02:05):
his hand on the floor as he groans in pain,
and pistol whips him in the face with it. Both
knocked out, he goes to the outhouse and cleans it
and goes back into the saloon and gets his pay
without a single bruise. He then goes to the front
of the saloon, gets his horse off the hitching post,
and starts riding to his home. He didn't seem to
notice a man standing a distance away during the whole ordeal,
(02:28):
and watching as he rides through the city. A group
of men sitting at a table playing twenty one see
him speed past. One man says to the other men
at the table that right there is Tom Holden, one
of the deadliest soldiers in the war, killing over four
hundred Confederates in battle. Another man at the table asked
how do you know this? We were both stationed in
Baton Rouge and man that man was brutal, killing lots
(02:50):
of them in horrific ways, slitting their necks when they
were sleeping, driving axes into the back of their heads,
decapitating them, bashing their heads in, shooting their heads off,
gutting a man with a huge knife. Glad he was
on our side, he says as he chuckles. The others
ask if he's killed any one else since the war
from how twisted minded he sounds, and the man replies no.
(03:11):
In his last battle, he beat a soldier so bad
near to death. As he was about to shoot him
in the face, he saw it was seventeen year old
boy he did that to and felt remorse for the
first time in four years, and realized the monster he
had become. He looked the boy in the eyes, both
knowing what needs to be done. While the boy whimpered,
he cocked his gun back and shot him in the face,
putting him out of his misery, and from that day
(03:32):
on he vowed to never kill any one ever again.
Now seven years later, he has not killed any one
and avoids doing it, only defending himself with his hands.
What was the boy's name, Holden said. He looked at
his dog tags around his neck, and it said Arthur Mitchell.
As Holden rides home, he gets to his little apartment,
hitches his horse and goes inside. He goes to hug
his daughter, Laurs. She is twelve years old. Holden's wife,
(03:55):
her mother died during childbirth. He loves her more than
anything in the world. He then he tucked or two
into bed, and he takes a bath, eats, and goes
to sleep. The next day, he gets ready for his job,
puts a coat on, and rides through the city on
his horse and gets to work. Hey, Holden, says his
friend John, the man sitting at the table from last
night at twenty one, Hey, John, how you been good?
(04:17):
I was sitting with a couple of young fellers last
night telling them about our time in the war and
your story. Hey man, I'm not that same guy. I've
been better. I know you are a brother. It's war.
We don't like killing, but we have do it. You know,
a lot of people see you as a legend. Others, though,
see you as a monster. I am one. Ain't nothing
I can do to change what I've done. You can
be better. Who cares what they think? I know you, man,
(04:39):
you're a good man. You have lots of years left,
man to be better. You're thirty six, I'm old man
in fifty two. I'll probably be dead in five years.
With all the beer I've been drinking recently, John says,
as they both laugh. Yeah, man, I don't know how
much longer this job can be able to support me
and Laura. We veterans are treated like shit. Ain't nobody
wanted to hire us after the war, thinking we're useless?
(05:00):
Thank the Lord Bonnie hired us. Yea. Anyways, man, I
am a start working. Let's go somewhere for a drink tonight,
O K, says Holden. They both work together in the bar,
and a couple hours later, at three p m. As
Holden is sweeping, the man watching from a distance from
last night, walks into the saloon through the old western
swinging doors with his pale face six feet five inches
(05:21):
four inches taller than Holden, with a black suit on
and black hat, forty six years of age. He walks
to the bar, with the wooden floor beneath him creaking
from how big he is. With everyone looking at him,
Holden goes up to him to ask what drink he wants. Hello, there,
what would you like to order? Just a shot of whiskey.
Holden pours it while the man just stares at him creepily.
He drinks it and stares at Holden as he walks away.
(05:43):
Holden yells Bonnie his boss, what come up the stairs
and get these fools out of my saloon. Ok. Holden
goes up the stairs and sees two men, both groaning
on the floor from fist fighting. He grabs the first
man and forces him up, throwing him down the stairs
and then dragging him out and throwing him in the mud,
doing the same to the other guy. When he's walking
(06:04):
back to do work, the man in the black hat
calls him over as he walks over and asks what
he needs. Hello there, name's don I have an offer
for you. Oh yeah, what's that? Me and my family
are moving to Arizona. I need someone to guide us
for protection in case indians or outlaws attack and rob
or potentially kill me and my family. What the hell
makes you think I'd want to do that. While I've
(06:25):
looked into you, mister Holden, I see you have the
most confirmed kills of any soldier in the war. Also,
you living in a small apartment, Barley, making a few
bucks a day to provide for you and your daughter Laura.
How much longer can you afford to live there? Seriously,
he laughs. You keep my daughter's name out of your
goddamn mouth, he said aggressively, now getting in the man's face.
I ain't gonna going to leave my daughter for five
(06:45):
months to help you and your family. I don't even
know you. Calm down, partner. I'd pay you very well,
ten x more than you would make working here in
a year. Plus. You can bring your daughter and even
bring someone else for extra protection for my family, and
I'd pay him as well. Y'all would make a shit
ton of money. Piss off. No, Well, if you change
your mind, I'll be here tomorrow at dawn with my family.
Later that night, after Tom finishes work and collects his
(07:08):
money for the day, he goes for a drink at
a different saloon with John. He tells him about what
Don offered him, and John thought that they should do it. Holden,
there's nothing for us here. Everyone treats us like shit.
We both make almost no money, and we would make
so much money. You and Laura could live somewhere nicer
than this shithole city. Maybe build a ranch or house
after completing the job in California or Nevada. I don't know.
(07:29):
Man seems risky. We could run into outlaws or dangerous Indians.
I'd have to use lethal force to protect the man
and his family. And Laura, well, you gotta do what
you gotta to provide for your family. John pats his
back and gets up and leaves to go home. Holden
just sits there thinking what's the best option for hours.
He goes home to his apartment. Hi, Papa, says Laura, Hey, sweetheart,
(07:50):
you hungry? I brought food? Yes, Papa. They sit down
at the table and Laura asks him, Papa, when are
we moving to a bigger house? I don't like it
here those a lot of crack in the wall and
nasty bugs. Don't worry, sweetheart, we only got to be
here for a bit longer. O kay, she says with
a smile, and they eat. Holden goes to bed and
lays in his bed thinking. Don arrives with his seventy
(08:12):
eight year old father and sixteen year old son. As
he expected, Holden and Laura and John are there, all
packed up with a horse carriage. Holden's fit is a
brown cowboy hat, dirty blue colored shirt worn underneath a
light brown jacket, brown pants tucked into black boots, as
well as a black neckerchief and brown spurs. Don smiles creepily.
I knew you would come around. Yeah, well, thank my
(08:34):
friend John, he convinced me. Don looks at John. Thank
you for convincing him. It's rough out there in the West.
No problem, sir, can I as how much is to
pay for the five months for each of you? The
pay is six thousand dollars. Holy shit, that's enough to
last me years. Thank you for this opportunity, said John.
The strange man smiles. Holden goes to shake his hand.
(08:54):
Thank you. I have one condition. I'm not going to
kill anyone, only beat them or shoot them in the legs. Okay, well,
gentlemen and little girl, let's go. They ride out of
the city and travel through the American West, seeing beautiful
landscapes and huge lakes as blue as the sky. Animals
they have never seen before, buffaloes, huge bears, bobcats, unfamiliar birds.
(09:15):
They see huge, tall mountains, and they ride for two
months encountering a lot of dangerous outlaws who tried to
rob them, Holden would outsmart them and get the guns
out of their hands and shoot their legs and arms
in other situations, then ride away. They stop for a
break in a town for about a week. In Dodge Town, Kansas,
Don goes into a hotel and gets two rooms for
(09:36):
all of them. All right, partners, get some baths for
the first time in two months, and enjoy a little
vacations for a couple days. Hey, I've just realized I
don't know your damn last name, Holden says as he
chuckles Don, He says, just Don, what's your last name?
It's none of your business. None of my business. I've
been with you for two goddamn months and have you
around my kid protecting you from Indians. You goddamn coward,
(10:00):
kiss off, partner, It's none of your business. After this,
Holden walks to his in John and Laura's room and
collapses on the bed, finally sleeping comfortably for the first
time in months. When he wakes up the next morning,
he takes a bath, so does everyone else. Holden, John, Don,
and Don's father go to the saloon and get drinks. Holden,
I've never asked, but why did you put yourself in
(10:21):
killer instinct for all four years of the war. Why
were you so brutal? Why not just shoot them and
be done with it? Said John Holden's sighs. You wanna
know why I did it? Because I had to put
myself in a mental state where it's killed or be killed.
And there were times where I didn't want to kill
some one so brutally, but I couldn't control myself. That's
a side of me. I'm scared to never let take
over again. And when that seventeen year old boy looked
(10:44):
me in the eyes, I snapped out of it and
something broke inside of me. I decided to shoot him.
I could have let him live, but he most likely
couldn't have survived. I'm a bad man. I didn't even
try to let him recover. I just shot him. I
still haven't forgave myself. Don throws his glass drink at
the wall hart angrily for seemingly no reason. The bartender
yells at him to pay for the glass drink he broke,
(11:04):
and to get the hell out. Don pulls the gun
out of his holster and shoots the bartender in the head.
All the people in the saloon scream and get scared.
Most of them ran out, but the cowboy regulars pulled
their guns out and started shooting at Don. He grabbed
a table and put it at its side to shield
himself from the bullets. Holden and the others jump in
to shoot. Holden yells during the gun fight, why the
(11:27):
hell would you shoot him? I don't know, I lost control.
Don shoots two of the cowboys with perfect aim right
in between their heads. One manages to sneak up on him,
but he slaps the gun out of his hand in
time and gets into a fight with him and is
extremely skilled in hand to hand combat and gets the
man on the floor and breaks his arm, then snaps
his neck. Holden shoots two of the cowboys. He shoots
(11:49):
one in both legs, the other in his shoulder and hand,
blowing his fingers off from the gun. John sneaks up
on one and guts him with his nine inch knife.
With all of them dead, they are all rush out,
get on their horses, go quickly to the hotel, get
Laura and their stuff and Don's son, and ride out
of the town into the desert. Plains. A few of
the townsfolk chase them on horse, but Don's father shoots
(12:11):
each of them with a rifle as they all ride.
As they're riding on the horse carriage, and John and
Holden each on their own horses. Hold and say to Don,
where the hell did you too learn to do that?
I thought you were just a wealthy family man. I
fought in the Mexican American War and the Civil War.
I didn't think I could protect my family on my own,
so I hired you too. Where do you know those
rifle skills from old man? Don's father replies, my father
(12:34):
taught me on our family plantation I lived on growing up.
He fought in the Revolutionary War. M m m oka.
You think I'm a con man or something? Don laughs,
I just got to make sure you are who you
say you are. Well, don't worry, Parter, You're safe. Don
smiles creepily. As they ride through the desert for about
the next five days, they stumble across a Native American
village of the Cherokee people. The whole village isn't that big,
(12:57):
only about seventy five people. The village's building made of
sand color stones, only one story tall and lots of
huts with a few cactuses in and around the village,
with the ground being made of the same color stone.
They go into it, seeking shelter and hoping to trade
for more food. Hello, welcome. A old native women welcomes
them at the entrance. Hello, ma'am. We're hoping to get
(13:19):
shelter for the night and food we can trade, says Holden. Yes, yes,
come on in. The children and women stare at them.
The Cheroke warriors look weary, as they have been in
fights with white settlers before, and they look like they
are here for this kind of trouble. Don realizes this
and says, we come in peace. We just seek to
trade and for food. The chief comes up to them.
(13:39):
You guys are welcome to stay as long as you trade.
Let's take you to your huts. You guys can stay in,
then go to the salunas men. Sounds good, say Holden,
looking at everyone smiling. The end
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