Long John

A memory at the lake. A one-sided conversation. The taste of blood. Poverty Flat. A nice coat. Boss Fleming's new hat. The sheriff. A wager is made.

A distant memory. A sunset camp. The touch of the Dying. A temporary victory.

Among the alpines. A lonely lake. The kind contact. An empty home. The ghost in the trees. A chase. The stumble. The horizon.

An old friend. A new enemy. A humbling retreat and a cold stop. Old tricks. Old habits. A short talk before a long goodbye. One last stop.

A new coat. Eavesdropping on old problems. Geoff. Rain in Bridgeport. Humbled by the Rook. An honest discussion. Sobering in the din. Proving a point. A gift from the past.

A brief negotiation. So close. Locked up amid tarnished finery. A proposal made in a big room. Long walks and quiet talks. No more ghosts. A promise kept, in more ways than one. A muted reunion.