A High Noon Ranger

A Surprise

Just as I open the door a pale, blonde woman falls onto the parlor floor behind her a man in all black aiming a gun where her head used to be. Without hesitation I raise my gun pull, down the hammer and squeeze the trigger, which leaves a piece of metal shining in his forehead right before dropping to his knees, and eventually falling face first on the ground. I tell Lee to take the girl and lay her in the room he gave me and to make sure she was okay. Meanwhile, I have a body on my hands, a dead one. It felt releasing, letting my finger push off that trigger watching that man's blood trickle across the dry earth. In the end my only regret is that he didn't bring any of his friends. I bury the body but it takes several hours. As always, the cleanup is the least fun. Time to check on the girl.

Well, the woman must be just dandy because as soon as I walk in the door, I can locate her small figure sitting next to Lee and chatting. As soon as she sees me she jumps up and races to me. I feel a terror run over me so I place my hand on the revolver, but she ends up wrapping around me like a blanket. My hand eases away from the holster. She begins telling me her gratitudes for me and how much she thinks I should come to her local village. I figured it was the rightful thing to do so sure enough I left Lee at home to visit the small town of Alapse Texas.

We finally made it into the center of town where she lived. She took me by the hand and pulled along, leading me to a small broke down house with holes in the roof, cracked windows, and broken hinges. She walked me in to find three other people. A mother, father, and a young boy no older than five. Both parents were cleaning the house that almost looked as worn down as them. It was clear to see that even the young child's optimism had been worn and beaten down leaving the young girl to be the candle in the darkness, shining a possibility to happiness.