Skinny dipping in the dark
April 10th 2026
Friday. And the first real full week after rut had finally finished.
Jeremiah had caught up on any chores he might have let slip despite his diligence all month, finished his supply runs and signed off any last minute paperwork he had left. It wasn’t really all that much but he wasn’t the kind of man to let his work pile up when he was capable of getting it done. By the time he had finished the sun had started to sink below the rocky hillsides and tree littered mountains that surrounded the area they called home, casting a soft pink glow to the sky as nightfall began to creep in. It was nice, he liked it.
He had been avoiding swimming like he wanted to though just because of how strong his scent was, there was an almost 100% chance that he would be sought out by someone. And not the person he was hoping would find him. But now that he wasn't stinky, not dealing with raging hormones and not busy he was going to go do one of his favorite little hobbies. Swimming in the lake. Fuck swimming in the pool down at the Ministry, with the chemicals and the fish man and having to wear at the very least something that covers his lower region. There was a small lake... really a pond a good ways out in the field towards the forests tree line. It was one of the few natural water sources that the critters could get to, fed by a small stream and surrounded by dry cat tails. He had a nice Desert willow that shaded the pond, and was a good place to hang his clothes.
So once he made the good... 45 minute trek out to the pond from the barn under the darkening sky, he shimmied out of the salmon button down and tight wranglers and underwear, hanging them over a branch on the tree he could easily reach. His boots and socks were placed together near the base of the tree and the naked cowboy took a deep breath as he stood in the free cool and open air. No one else would be out this far, his hands were all heading back to the main building, and the animals didn't care about a naked ghoul.
Picking across the stone and wet loam he stepped into the freezing water with a quiet hiss, tail flicking up into the air. He wasn't bother by the small fish that quickly darted by his ankles as he walked in deeper, or the reeds that swayed and tickled his skin. Being in a natural water source was a reminder really of years ago when the only real way he could wash up was by taking a dip in the river or lake. It was a simpler time when he just was a man on the run... a cowboy on the range, an outlaw, a ghoul who faced racism and put it down with a pearl grip pistol and a good hand who helped move cattle up and down the western plain. He wasn't important like he was now...
Swimming out towards the middle of the pond he floated on his back as he looked up at the sky, watching it darken further as the stars began to slowly creep out. His walnut hair soaked up the water quickly and sprawled out around his head as he lay there peacefully, barred eyes focused on the twinkling stars.
Jeremiah sat silent for a minute, treading water before he moved to the bank adjacent to the angel. While staying sat in the water he brought up a knee to rest his arm on, picking at a piece of reed that had come off. He never actually thought about asking Raphael about this, but he had been reminded ever so often when the being brought up what they did.
“Were you the one who would’ve heard me when Molly got sick?” The cowboy began tying the strand of reed into a knot, repeating it over and over again. “She uh… she prayed a lot, asked me to pray too when she got ill. I tried but- I didn’ really pray for help so much as ask why to whoever was out there listening and hope maybe she’d get better. But she got sick with a venereal disease. I think now it would be syphilis, but it was after we finally got the plans together to get her out of the saloon and we were going to get a little place in the foothills of the rockies. I just wanted to do one more ride, get one more decent paycheck…” tying one more knot, he made it a tight one that broke the end of the reed before sending it floating across the water.
“She wouldn’t let me visit anymore after that unless it was for wine and to check up on her. Miss Molly didn’t want me getting sick either, but she wasn’t makin’ much money anymore unless it was from guests who already were as sick as she was.” The ghoul chewed on the inside of his cheek, his voice while still calm wore the heaviness of the pain he still carried. “The other girls mourned her when she went. But they all had work to do, clients to keep up with… I uh— I was the only one to sit and watch over her that night. I knew where she was going, heaven wasn’t going to take her soul after being with a creature like me. Had to hope that maybe she went to paradise instead of the inferno. Nice lady, real nice. She liked lupine and fox glove so I made sure that was planted whenever I came through.”