Chapter 4 "The Rider Who Fell from Heaven"

This is the second draft of the 4th chapter of “The Rider Who Fell from Heaven.” It will likely be different from the final version based on additional edits and YOUR INPUT!

Eliza watched the Shaw brothers leave and then looked to Sera. Like a watchdog he made sure the Shaws were gone before dropping the paddle on the desk and walking to her.

He was tall and lean, but his chest and shoulders were developed, similar to the boxers who would visit during the carnival. The closer he got, the safer she felt. He put his large hand on her shoulder and asked, “Are you alright?”

She couldn’t quite place his accent. He sure as Hades wasn’t from the States. Maybe somewhere in Europe. His voice was a deep resonant rumble, like a bow drawn slow across an upright bass. Even with an accent, his English was precise. He spoke every syllable with intention.

“You’re the one who tumbled with the Shaws like a clowder of cats, sir. Besides, I’ve been navigating the tides of those sidewinders for a while now. I don’t care how fat or fatuous they are.” She noticed the shoulder of his long tan duster was damaged. “Your coat is torn...”

He looked at his shoulder and shrugged, “Could be worse.”

“Take that off. I’ll repair it,” she offered. She had to get that coat off him and take a better look, somehow.

He shed the coat and handed it to her. He had a simple white shirt, dark canvas high-waisted pants, and cowboy boots. Even though he’d been riding all day, his clothing was surprisingly neat. He took care of what he had. And he did look fine without that coat.

He carried himself as if he were wearing a pistol, but he didn’t have one, unless it was stuffed in a boot. How did he expect to take on the Shaws without a gun? Although... he flattened Virgil in one punch. Sera was dangerous. She couldn’t decide if that was a good thing or not.

Someone was walking on the porch. Damn those Shaw brothers. Why wouldn’t they leave her alone? Sera moved to the door, in between whoever was approaching and her. The watchdog was back on duty. On one hand, she didn’t need anyone standing up for her. Being a widow on the deep frontier meant she had learned to fend for herself. It became second nature to fight her own battles, and she enjoyed her freedom and how strong she had become since Jonas passed.

On the other hand, this was the first time in forever that someone stood up for her. This damn town was so twisted and detached. Everyone looked out for themselves. Scared of each other and their own damn shadows. This stranger was clean air after a good downpour. He was fresh and brisk. Even her husband didn’t stand up for her like this, and Sera did it instinctively, like it was part of who he was.

But she had to be cautious. When she relied on herself there were no surprises.

The sheriff came through the door. He looked at Sera and then beyond him, “Eliza?”

“Hello, Sheriff,” she said. The sheriff was an older man with a bushy white mustache and a waist that was built from sitting behind his desk. He was a good man, but not a good Sheriff.

Sheriff Corley was conflicted. A man who had fleeting acts of kindness, and took his job seriously, but always in half measures. He never stepped up and took control. Never laid down the law, even though he believed in his role. Corley was always just shy of asserting authority. His absence was filled by the Shaw Brothers, and Blackstone, and anyone else in Drythorne who had more guts than sense.

He turned to Sera and offered his hand. “I’m Sheriff Dean Corley, and... you are?”

Sera shook his hand. “I’m Sera. S-e-r-a.”

“Well, I noticed the Shaw Brothers were here again and wanted to make sure everything was in apple pie order.”

Eliza talked with the sheriff often about the Shaws. They were increasingly threatening. She was alone. He knew that. And he never seemed to be around when they were, but he knew they were here, and what they were doing. “Now Sheriff, if you saw they were here, why didn’t you join us?”

Sheriff Corley looked at Sera, then at Eliza. “It’s not my place to interfere in business, you know that...”

“What they do is not business. I mean, it is—but they are threatening me.”

The sheriff moved toward her, taking off his hat and covering his heart. “Have they hurt you, Eliza?”

“No.”

“Did they destroy your property, or tell you they were going to harm you?”

“N-no, Sheriff. Virgil attacked Sera just now, though.”

Sera looked at Eliza and then to the Sheriff, “They got the worst of it.”

“I’m the law around here, Eliza. I’m not a preacher or politician, nor a judge. I’m here for one thing, and one thing only, and that’s to keep order in this town. If they step outside the law, I’ll be here.”

“Your presence would make a statement,” Sera said. “I notice you waited until they left.”

“Don’t ride into town and think you know how to do my job, sir.” Sheriff Corley put his hat back on and pivoted for the door and waved. “You two have a pleasant afternoon.” He was gone as fast and late as he arrived.

Eliza sighed, laid the coat down and went to a cabinet for needle and thread. “Where did you learn to fight like that?”

Sera bowed his head and cracked a grin, as if he told himself a joke. He sat on the edge of the desk and watched her work. His voice was rich and measured, “I was in the U.S. Army for a while. It felt familiar to me. I liked the discipline and the brotherhood. I thought I was doing something good. Until...”

He breathed in, and his face shadowed. Sera let out a long breath and said, “Man can be astoundingly cruel, ma’am. Our platoon was assigned to move the Cherokees to Indian Territory. I—I didn’t enlist for that. I deserted the Army and I’ve been wandering since.”

Sera looked at her with glassy, brilliant, abyssal blue eyes. “But I’ve fought one thing or another for my entire life. And I’m older than I look. Dealing with three mortals in Drythorne Junction is just another day in my long, sad existence.”

He must be in his 30s, but those unearthly eyes were filled with eternity. Deep down he was at war with himself. But was he fighting to be a better man, or merely holding back the darkness?

Eliza found it difficult to think when she looked into his eyes, so she focused on the task at hand. The repair was coming along nicely.

“I don’t often hear quotes from Marcus Aurelius around here. Where did you pick that up?”

He adjusted on the desk and glanced back at the door, then to Eliza, “I spend a lot of time alone. And I’m a voracious reader.”

Eliza felt warm. She stole a glance at him and went back to work. So, he was a warrior and a poet? Where did this man come from? At what point did her questions go from polite to intrusive?

Sera looked around the building again, focusing on all the damaged areas. “What’s the story with this schoolhouse?”

That was an excellent question. Something she had considered since arriving in Drythorne Junction several years ago. Eliza took a breath and let it out slowly. “Well, sir, I moved to Drythorne with my husband, Jonas. He was an engineer for a mining company and wanted me to find my own place here, so we bought this building to create a schoolhouse… I was a teacher in Missouri. It seemed like a good project for me and the town. I was so excited to build this dream.”

She set the needle down to look at Sera, flipping her head back to remove some hair from her face. “Nothing is easy in Drythorne. I don’t say this metaphorically—it’s cursed. This town sleepwalks through life. No one helps anyone. Certainly not me. And this schoolhouse needs so much more help than I’m capable of. I’m no carpenter. I try, but...”

Eliza could feel a twinge in her heart. She refused to cry about this, especially in front of a stranger. The frustration and uncertainty boiled within her. “This place has been through so much since we bought it. Fires from lightning, storm damage, vandalism. I can’t keep up and my patchwork is probably making it worse.”

She looked down at her desk. It had never been used to teach class or grade papers. She reckoned with her reality and let it wash over her. Maybe she wasted the last few years of her life. Maybe this dream was a nightmare.

“Look, I could do some work myself right now...”

She swallowed hard and shook her head. Enough of all that. “Oh! Of course. There’s lumbar and supplies out back. I can get you anything else you need. Anything...”

“I’ll go check out back, then get up on the roof and see what’s going on up there before I begin. So, we have a deal?” he held out his hand.

She smiled at him and tried to hold his gaze while she took his hand, “Deal.”

This chapter was split with the next chapter so I could switch POVs. I think both chapters are much stronger because of it.

This was Eliza’s first POV chapter and splitting it allowed me to lean more into some of her internal dialog about Sera and bring more focus on her. I added a lot of her thinking and beefed up her dialog.

It’s fun to play Eliza off of Sera and I tried to emphasize that she’s a carefree speaker and that he chooses his words very carefully.

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I want to hear from you! What did you love? What did you hate? Did I miss something? Predictions? Let me know in the comments below! Your input could change the final version of this story.

This is the second draft of the book and will not be the final printed version.

To read from the beginning start here: https://kdhooper.substack.com/publish/post/199260832