I'm going to take a late walk.

You decide to take a walk because why not? Despite being covered, Deadwood still had plenty to see, even with the uncomfortable weather. The hotel lobby was empty, and much of the staff was seen just chatting as you walked by. You didn’t know what to wear for the occasion, so you adorned the new field gray uniform and the boots you got when you first arrived.

Outside, a cold breeze and gentle snowfall greeted you. The night sky was heavy with snow, covering the snow and moon as streetlights ignited the roads and sidewalks with white powder. The reflection mustered a surreal glow to the surrounding buildings with dream-like colors and hues.

You reached one wall and peered over the edge where the snowfall wasn’t visible. Without the street lights, you had to strain your eyes on the flakes falling. You exhaled, the chill becoming more than a nuisance as it continued to push against you. A small but tight exhale reveals your breath as it comes out wispy and transparent. The mood doesn’t shift until you decide to walk again, this time to the northern wall, the one opposite you took when entering Deadwood.

The muffled noises of the world were set around you as the snow fell, creating a rare silence surrounding you, making it seem like you were almost isolated. There was a guard there, a non-RTE, or even a contractor. It was a local to the town and area.

There’s a small moment of regard as you acknowledge each other’s presence before you finally speak. “How does it all look?”

The guard chuckles, his eyes going back to the other side. “Beginning to look like we’re entering winter.”

You nod, crossing your arms over your chest. “Far cry to what it was when I first gone here, that’s for sure.”

The guard hums, crossing his arms, too. “Yeah. God and his angels flipped a coin, and now we have winter. Go figure.”

“Not a fan?” You ask.

“Nah,” he says. “Wanted to move out here this year, believe it or not, but I figured, what’s another winter under the belt, right? And here I am… You’re one of the contractors, right? With the guild?”

“More or less. I’m here for reasons that are… I don’t know. I guess I thought I owed these guys a little more. I’m a real softie like that. I couldn’t help it,” you both chuckle, and the man joins you.

You watch the guard stuff his hand into his coat pocket and he produces a pack of cigarettes. “You smoke?”

“You smoke up here?” You glance at the great unknown. The outlines and vague shapes of the world beyond the walls were all familiar at one point but now looked like an alien planet with the dark pine, silhouettes of rocks, and the mysterious street that was once well-traveled.

The guard shakes this pack, opening it. The crackle is loud in the silence of the snowfall. “No one fucking attacks us here. Everyone knows the Japanese are here, so anyone important stays away.”

“Is that the case?” You look at the pack and remember that he asked if you smoked or not.