I am Happy

The year was 1848, I was just celebrating the discovery of gold in Sutter’s Mill, California. Unfortunately I was with a couple of my friends in Idaho searching for gold when we heard of the gold rush. Although the team wanted to head over to California to see the gold rush and perhaps be a part of it. I said ‘no’ I told them that we need to stay in Idaho and pray that we too find gold.

                Furious, over half of the team had left and headed toward Los Angeles. I didn’t know what to do without my best pickers, it would be near impossible to dig without them. No one else truly knew how to use the machines, although we could use pickaxes that would only take much more time. Knowing that none of us had the capability of running the machines I told the remaining team that we would have to work twice as hard and fast if we were to find any gold.

                The warm heat from the intense sun grew hotter and hotter as the day went by. Around five o’clock did it happen. We struck gold! We found gold in McCall, Idaho I could tell that everyone was happy with our discovery but we needed to hide the majority of the gold and then spread word of it. I grabbed small pieces of gold and placed them inside my desk that was around half an hour from where we were digging.

                I was happy. I was happy that we found our gold. I was also happy that we found gold so know we can return to our loving families. But first we needed to spread word of the discovered gold. When I returned to camp I saw something I didn’t believe. Around the digging hole we found more and more gold pieces. I was very happy.

                We continued to dig for another few hours when we heard news of that the gold rush in California was nearly over. I knew that it would be my job to have to spread word of our discovery of gold.  After another hour or so we heard word of that the gold amount found in California had doubled! They say that the man had found over two million dollars worth of gold! Time was running short, there would be more and more people who would want to see this man’s discovery. But then I realized it, people are going to see the gold, yes, but they are also going to see what this young man had found!

                Young people always have so much life in them and if word were to spread that an old man, such as myself, had found even more gold than I were to be sure to have more attention than the man in California. Although I wanted people to learn of my discovery I couldn’t kill anything for the attention. I would never kill another person.

                I f my mom had taught me anything it’s to be a good person! And that is what I am going to be. But then again with the rest of the team getting their even share it would only be a matter of time before they start digging on their own. Yes, I would have to kill them. So then I would get all the money! I told the team that it was time for dinner and a game of poker than it was off to bed. The chef had made pulled pork with a corn on the cob. The average American meal. After dinner we headed to the poker table which was in the cabin. I was stopped by another digger.

                “Hey, boss.” He whispered in my ear, “You know if we were to get rid of the other diggers there would be more money for the two of us.”

                His idea drove me insane, I couldn’t stop thinking about joining up with this man I had only known for a few weeks and kill everyone else. But his idea was no different than mine. I grabbed his arm and told him to follow me. We walked into the kitchen where I grabbed a knife. He looked at me with a smile.

                “I take that as a ‘yes’” He said as I smiled back at him.

                I looked at the blade which was lying in my hand. “I must say, your idea is quite unusual but you do bring up a good point.” I turned him around and we began to walk towards the door. Everyone one else was probably having a beverage waiting for us to arrive so we could begin our game. Only a few more steps to the door. “More money for me.” I whispered in his ear.

                He gasped as I turned him around and slit his throat with the knife. I dragged his body out of the kitchen and threw his body into a hole where no gold was found. I went back into the kitchen and cleaned off the knife.
                As strange as this sounds I felt rather good knowing that I would be getting more money. I was happy. I walked into the cabin where four men sat around a table waiting for the dealer to deal out their cards.

                “Where’s the other guy or did he not want to lose any more money?” Said a tall muscular man, who sat and the end of the table. I sat at the opposite side of the table considering I was the only one who ever offered to be dealer. I lit a candle so we could see better.

                “Place your bets.” I said as I pulled out my wallet.

                “Oh, sorry boss we aren’t playing more money anymore.” Said the tall muscular man.

                The other players began to pull out guns and pocket knives. I pulled out my revolver. I had good memories with the revolver but if this is how the team wanted to play than let it be that way.

                A shorter man glanced at my gun and began to reach for it. He quickly threw himself forward and grabbed the gun and began pointing it all around. He began to mumble something to himself but no one could understand what he was saying.

                “Throw me the weapons, throw me them now.” He said pointing the gun at all of us. I picked up a knife that he had bet and took it out of its sheave. He quickly pointed the gun toward the large muscular man and slowly pulled the trigger back. The man tossed him his gun and put his hands on top of his head.

                The man on the opposite side did the same. I quickly threw the knife and amazingly the tip went into the man’s chest. He slowly pulled the trigger as the fell to the ground. The shot went off. The muscular man feel to the ground as blood spilled from both sides of his head. Only three remained but I couldn’t tell if the other two would attempt to pull the same move. I walked over and grabbed the gun from the man. I checked the chamber and there were three more bullets.

                I grabbed the knife from his chest just in case the bullets weren’t enough. I noticed that one of the two remaining men had left screaming. His screams rattled my head, and then there wasn’t any sound. The other man and I quickly ran to find him when we saw a body inside a hole. He had fell. I knew that now it was only me and this last one man. He looked at me and shook his head and walked into the hole.

                I watched him walk into the hole, I could have stopped him but it was too late. I tried to get my mind together. I tried to remember that now I would have all the money to myself but something didn’t seem right. I took all the gold and threw it all back into the same hole were the two men were. Then I buried their bodies with gold. I walked back into the cabin and grabbed the lantern.

I walked slowly into the night. At first I thought I was being foolish but then I looked down and I was right. I had walked myself to my death. I slowly fell as the moons light began to fade away. Just as easy as pulling a trigger I hit the ground and laid there. The lantern had broke and set my close on fire. I was paralyzed from the waist down. I slowly burned to death. I was happy.