So Thursday night I finished the first draft of Red Valley – the adaptation. It barely scratched 98 pages once in iBooks Author, which feels embarrassing. I don’t know when the hell I’ll get around to working on a second draft. For the moment, I’m satisfied that it’s out of my system and I can say that I’ve done it. I celebrated with Lagavulin and Warren Zevon. It was mostly not fun, because a lot of the time I was literally just converting tenses. But there were parts I did enjoy. Where I got to embellish and such.

What else? Haven’t been feeling great. Friday night I passed out before 8. No good. But I’ve been in a real creative mood despite getting down with the sickness. Finished storyboarding a buddy’s short screenplay. That was fun. I’ll be reading another friend’s screenplay tomorrow. I’m very excited to dive into that. Just trying to stay creative, no matter if it’s reading, writing, drawing, podcasting or what. This is the most consistent I’ve been in a long time and I don’t want to break the momentum. Anyways, another short chapter. Hope you enjoy. Cheers.

 

XVI

West and Charlie had high-tailed it so fast out of Fat Frank’s Saloon that they were already a mile gone before they realized young Billy Douglas hadn’t escaped with them. Charlie noticed first and slowed to a stop.

“Wait! Hank!”

Annoyed, West slowed and rode back around to Charlie.

“What?”

“What about Billy?”

“What about him? He’s probably dead. That was a good thing he done but we’re too close to Ellie to turn back now.”

“I ain’t goin’ no further with you unless we turn back for Billy,” Charlie said, shaking his head.

“That’s your goddaughter, you sick son of a bitch.”

“I realize that, Hank. But Billy saved our hides. Twice now. It’s the right thing to do.”

West gritted his teeth in frustration and looked out into the distance in front of him.

“I know you don’t think there’s such a thing as good guys or bad guys,” said Charlie. “But you actually have a chance to be the good guy here, Hank. If you continue on and save Ellie, it’ll only be half a victory. You’ll live the rest of your days with that regret you were tellin’ me about back there.”

West shot Charlie a glare and turned back to the horizon in front of him.