Chapter 9：Elliot 9

Well, as you can guess, Miranda was right. The end was really here, the final bullet that claimed John Carlston, it had been the final shot. Charles had shot the last bullet and that bullet touched John and he vanished. That was it.

Then I died my final death as my life flashed before my eyes, literally. I know they all say that but it was true. I don't think Charles could see me anymore because he stood looking confused. Staring at the gun and the place where John had just been standing. Then he dropped my gun to the floor and rubbed his face, I think he was trying to figure out if he was loosing his mind because I disappeared with John.

Once my death was final, everyone started filing out, down the stairs through the fire. Miranda and I stayed a little longer. I sat on the floor getting used to not feeling anything, it wasn't hot though the whole building was now on fire. I tried to pick up my gun but my hand just phased through it. I was officially dead.

As the building burned, I watched as the flames caught the hilt of my one prized possession as it burned away. Miranda stepped up and took my hand, "You alright? I mean, besides, you know, being dead."

I laughed and nodded to her. I was good.

She helped me off the floor and we walked out, through the flames and watched from the street as the fire claimed more and more of Deadwood.

As the fire reached the hardware store, along with all of the gunpowder they had in stock, the explosion was immense. In the end, that fire claimed over 300 buildings. It was a disaster that was sure to make the history books.

After that it was a fresh start, not just for rebuilding but now John Carlston wouldn't be around.

We took care of that.

In 1883, Deadwood had recovered from the fire in time to be devastated again by flood. They did get electricity, later that same year though.

In 1888, Charles finally got his railroad going from Deadwood to the neighboring town, Lead. The year 1889 brought a division in the Dakota Territory. There was now a North and South Dakota. And a year later the gold rush died. But Charles survived.

We watched over him over the years. I don't think Miranda ever did stop loving him. I knew she loved me, but Charles had been her first, she had grown up knowing him, so I understood.

It took a little time, but he put his life back together. Business was good and he even took a wife. Later they had a daughter and named her Miranda Edwards, in honor of Charles' first love. He talked to her regularly, my Miranda that is, he would tell her how he would never allow anyone to ever manipulate him again. And he didn't. We never did see John, David or Robert, though we thought we would at some point, but it was like they never existed.

In 1905, just after the Sherriff, Seth Bullock became a South Dakota Marshall, Charles died of old age. He was sixty-one and had a good, full life, after John was gone, that is. We were there and Miranda welcomed him to this side with a hug then he crossed over having nothing more keeping him here.

After that, we didn't have anything holding us in Deadwood anymore either, so Miranda and I decided to start traveling the country, then we saw the world. A perk of being dead. We've been happy. Beyond happy.

It's funny how things work sometimes. Through death I found life. To find the greatest love of my life, my life had to end. Death had brought me to Miranda and Miranda to me and yeah, we wish we could have met in life. Maybe got married, had children of our own. Maybe we could have grown old together, died together.

Of course, that wasn't in our cards, instead one day, Mumiah showed up with my gun and a new adventure for us to embark if we wanted it. But that's a different story.