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JOHNNY REB IN 'SHADOW' Part 3
Character by Tim Frady Story by Wayne Clayton
When Johnny had first arrived in Shadow he had hoped it would be without drawing attention to himself but such was his life maybe he was fooling himself that would be the case. And with the towns Sheriff watching on he found himself sticking out like a sore thumb.
The old man dressed in his pale white cotton pants and course hair shirt looked more like a ghost than a man but there was something about him that Johnny thought he recognised in the drawn features and heavy soulful eyes.
Digging in his pocket the old man pulled out a small bundle of red silk and held it out to Johnny.
"Ma told me to give you this, said you'd be comin' "
Johnny slowly reached out and took the old man's gift. Once in his hands he began to peel back the flaps of cloth to reveal the object which it held inside. With the final fold Johnny found himself looking down at a small roughly carved figure. It's slithers of limbs held on with tiny knotted threads. On it's chest was pinned a rectangle of beaten metal and on it's back a white goose feather was stuck down with a glue made of some amber looking tree sap. But it was it's head which drew Johnny's attention. The eyes were hidden behind two dark discs and on top of it a lock of dark human hair was pressed down into a slot.
Johnny carefully wrapped the figure back into it's blanket of cloth and raised his head towards the old man.
"Your..your Sarah's boy? Aren't you?" said Johnny quietly as he felt the Sheriff's eyes burn into him.
"Yes Sir, Mr Rebbeck", he smiled. "Ma said you'd remember her"
Johnny didn't need the 'doll-baby' to remember Sarah, Her face was forever etched in his memory.
Johnny reached out and place a hand on the old mans shoulder, looking down on him like a man to a child. The last time he had seen him, he was nothing but a babe in the arms of his mother, and yet within his face he saw Sarah looking back at him.
"Your Mother was a good woman Moses"
Sheriff Saul watched the pair talking and caught only fragments of the conversation, but those fragments were enough to unsettle the normally unflappable small town law man. Just how did this young stranger know 'Ghosts' real name? He had lived in Shadow all his life and he had never knew anyone that ever called him that. But the thing that sent a shiver down his spine was that Ghost had called him Mr Rebbeck. That name in Shadow had only been spoken off in hushed tones on dark nights when folks told tall stories of times long since passed. Hell it was almost taboo to mention it in decent polite company.
He had half a mind to arrest him on the spot but decided he's wait to see how things would unfold. And so he gave one last cold stare and made his exit. He had some calls to make before the night was out.
Johnny wasn't blind to the Sheriffs interest in him. He would have to keep a low profile from now on until he decided just what he planned to do.
He told Moses he'd catch up with him later in the day for some supper. Moses smiled and said he's Ma would like that, but suddenly the old mans expression grew dark.
"Ma says... you got be careful Johnny..Storms a coming"
And with that Johnny alone heard in the far distance a roll of thunder sound and the heat of the lazy summer day suddenly turned chill.
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