The relentless sun beats down on Betty Johnson's cowboy hat as she traverses the familiar dirt road, her eyes scanning the golden fields and the shadowy woods beyond for any sign of her missing cow, Big Betsy. Suddenly, a rustling in the nearby thicket draws her attention, hinting at a possible discovery.
Gathering her skirts, Betty pushes through the tangled branches and undergrowth of the thicket, her boots sinking into the soft earth. She emerges into a small clearing, panting from the effort. Her eyes are immediately drawn to a leather bag partially hidden under a gnarled stump.
Squinting against the glare of sunlight reflecting off the bag's surface, Betty approaches cautiously. As she gets closer, she can see that the bag is old and worn, with faded letters and symbols etched into its surface. It's locked with a rusted metal clasp.
Frowning in concentration, Betty tugs at the clasp, but it holds firm. She doesn't recognize any of the markings on the bag or recall seeing it before. Puzzled, she debates whether to leave it be and continue her search for Big Betsy.
Suddenly, a faint trail of disturbed leaves and snapped twigs catches her eye, leading deeper into the woods. Maybe that's the direction in which Big Betsy wandered off. With a sigh, Betty reluctantly decides to follow the trail, the locked bag still in her hand.
As Betty follows the trail deeper into the woods, she cannot shake the curiosity surrounding the leather bag. She turns it over in her hands, wondering who it might belong to and what could be inside.
Meanwhile, unaware of Betty's discovery, John Doe continues his afternoon stroll through the fields. He, too, keeps an eye out for Big Betsy, but his thoughts are mostly preoccupied with the invitation he received to join a poker game at the local saloon tonight.
As John's musings continue, he notices a faint trail of disturbed vegetation leading away from his path. Recognizing the signs of someone or something having passed through, he decides to investigate.
The trail leads Betty and John deeper into the woods, away from their usual surroundings. As they walk, the rustling of leaves and snapping of twigs behind them causes them to turn around nervously, but they see no one else. The trail twists and turns through the thick underbrush, and after several minutes, Betty comes across a clearing. In the center of the clearing stands a towering oak tree, its branches stretching out like arms to embrace the space around it. Beneath the tree lies a large pile of freshly cut wood.
As Betty approaches the tree, she feels someone behind her and instinctively reaches for her dagger. John, his heart racing from the unexpected encounter, takes this as an attack and slaps Betty across the face, sending her staggering backward.
Betty's face stings from the slap, and she's shocked by John's sudden attack. She stands her ground, her hand instinctively reaching for her dagger again, this time in anger.
The air is tense with unspoken words, and the two lock eyes, the only sound being the distant call of a bird.
John slowly takes a step back, his face a mix of shock, guilt, and a dash of fear, realizing what he just did. Betty's reputation in the community is well-known, and he might have just made a powerful enemy.
"I didn't know it was you," Betty says, breaking the silence. "I'm sorry," John says regretfully. When he saw Betty draw her dagger to defend herself, he didn't think and just instantly acted. "There were other ways I could have handled that. I didn't mean to scare you."
Betty nods and sighs, "It's alright but next time just call out my name, don't slap me, neighbor." Betty nearly spits the word 'neighbor' at him. John agrees.
Meanwhile, Big Betsy remains lost, and the sun begins to set, casting long shadows across the clearing. The cow's absence becomes more pressing, and Betty must decide whether to pursue her original goal or deal with the locked bag and look for the cow tomorrow.
Betty's hand trembles at her side, clutching her dagger tightly. She takes a deep breath and lowers the weapon, her face flushed with anger and humiliation. With one final glance at John, she turns and storms off into the forest, leaving the clearing behind.
John calls after her, "Hey, Betty! How's Jim? Haven't seen him in a while." He hesitates for a moment before adding, "And I'm really sorry about earlier. It won't happen again." Betty stops in her tracks, her heart racing at the mention of Jim's name. "He's fine. He's helping with the harvest at his parents' farm." She turns back to face John, her voice colder than before. "Now, if there's nothing else you need from me, I should be going."
"Oh, uh, sure, Betty," John says, a bit taken aback by her coldness. He watches her as she disappears into the forest, wondering if he's made another enemy in the community. As for the harvest, it's going well, he thinks to himself.
The harvest is going well, that's true, but there are some concerns about the weather turning colder sooner than usual. The crops need to be brought in soon, and everyone is working extra hard to make sure they don't spoil. John turns back towards the clearing, his mind racing with thoughts of the encounter with Betty and the looming threat of the approaching winter. John's thoughts are interrupted by the sound of rustling in the nearby thicket. He freezes, his heart racing, unsure if it's just the wind or something more sinister. As the noise grows louder, he realizes it's coming from the direction that Betty went.
Betty, oblivious to the danger lurking in the forest, continues her walk towards home. Her mind is still troubled by the encounter with John and the disappearance of Big Betsy. She feels like she's being watched, but every time she turns around, there's nothing there.
As Betty walks further into the forest, the trees start to thin out, and she spots a small clearing up ahead. Something gleams in the sunlight, drawing her attention. She approaches cautiously, her dagger at the ready.
Betty steps into the clearing and sees another locked leather bag lying on the ground. It's old and worn, yet well-maintained. She kneels to inspect it more closely, her heart racing with excitement at the possibility of finding something valuable or useful. She runs her fingers along the leather, feeling for any weak spots or locks. Betty concentrates on picking the lock, her mind racing with thoughts of what could be inside. After a few minutes of careful work, the lock clicks open, and she gingerly opens the bag. Inside, she finds a small journal bound in dark leather, a vial filled with what looks like sand, and a peculiar-looking medallion on a chain. She wonders if there are similar contents in the first leather bag she found, she'll have to pick that lock at home later when she has more tools with her.
Betty suppresses a gasp as she pulls the journal out of the bag. It's small enough to fit in her pocket, and she runs her fingers along its smooth cover. She hesitates for a moment, glancing around to make sure she's still alone. Then, she reaches into the bag again and retrieves the vial, holding it up to the light.
"Hmm," she murmurs, studying the vial. It's half-full of fine, golden sand that sparkles in the sunlight. She wonders what it could be used for, but decides to put it away for now. Finally, she takes the medallion out, examining it closely. It's made of a dull metal that doesn't seem to be gold or silver. There are strange symbols etched into its surface, and it feels cold to the touch. After carefully putting everything back into the bag, Betty zips it up and tucks it under her arm. She stands there for a moment, her heart racing, wondering if she should leave the medallion where it is. But then, she shakes her head and decides against it. She'll take it with her, just in case it's valuable or has some other significance.
Betty heads back towards her farm, her thoughts swirling around the newfound treasures in her bag. As she approaches the house, she sees Jim White waiting for her on the porch. He looks worried, his eyes darting towards the forest.
"Betty," he says, his voice strained, "have you seen Big Betsy? I've been looking all over for her, and I can't find her anywhere."
"I've been out looking for her but I couldn't find her," Betty tells him. "I did run into John though."
Jim frowns, his heart sinking. "John?" he asks, his voice tight. "What was he doing out here?"
Betty shrugs. "I don't know," she says honestly. "He seemed surprised to see me too. But I did find this," she continues, pulling the bag out from under her arm. "I didn't find Big Betsy, though."
"Betty" Jim says, eying the unlocked bag in her hand, "I don't think you should mess with that." His eyes look frightened and Betty isn't sure why.
"Why not?" Betty asks him, growing suspicious. "Do you know about this?"
Jim shakes his head but she doesn't believe him. "Just throw it away Betty, it might be dangerous. I don't want you to get hurt" He says and then goes into the house. Betty stands still for a while before following him toward the kitchen. She has a feeling Jim isn't telling her everything about the bag and she isn't going to give up the mystery that easily.