A High Noon Ranger

A Night Left In Ash

 I remember when they came. I was tired of living the small town life so I planned to leave. I wrote a goodbye letter, and packed a bag with the Bible in my back pocket. And my father's gun on my hip. I planned to head out when everyone was at rest. I finished shortly after sunset, so I sat down and pulled out my chain. I started to clean it while waiting for my opportune moment, reminiscing on the bonding I had with my father before he was shot by a rogue robber.

I remember the day we went to court about that tragedy. You see the only way you were allowed to do much of anything was with the court's blessing. My mama said that she would gladly become a sheriff and arrest him, but the court refused, and left us with nothing but the little property we owned. Eventually they found him though, it took them three years. David was his name I think. He got off with a slap on the wrist because he was John Duke's boy. John Duke was the judge for all of Texas, so of course his kid got off with three months of community service. Turns out my dad wasn't the first either. He had killed nine men beforehand, all innocent fathers.My uncle was stupid enough to fight the court's judgement. The convicted him of treason and he was hung. With every memory I could feel a vibration under my feet grow stronger. The glass on my bedside table began shaking. A series of crackles arose, followed by the smell of smoke. It was them.

I stood, but was not fully alarmed until I heard my youngest sister scream my name, "Josh". I raced down the steps as if I was a bat out of Hell. When I got to her I saw a man at the door with a torch. The dirty, gritty looking man had a hold of my sister, with a knife to her throat. I knew him from somewhere, no. I recalled those yellow teeth and the grit rubbed into his skin. It was the man that killed my father. A fire heated my fingers and furry ran through my mind. I raced up to him and knocked him over, making him lose his grip on my sister and the torch. A small flame went unnoticed as the fire began. The gritty old man was now furious and went to attack me. I kicked at him, trying to keep him away from my family, but it was no hope. I felt a tight pinch in my abdomen, and when I looked down I saw his blade lodged in my gut. The fire became more intense, but I couldn't do anything. He called out to his friends and they dragged me out of the house just enough that I couldn't get back in. Instead I was forced to watch my family scream for me, and burn all the while. Long after the fires had sizzled out I was still there, waiting for my inevitable death. Hours later a man had found me in the blistering sun. I remember how he grabbed on to me. tied me to his horse and left.