Home Sweet Home - A Red Dead Redemption II story

Something More

It was very early morning, Valentine was hardly awake yet; but Ruth was, exhausted after one of the busiest nights of her life. Ruth was sore all over, even in places she didn't know could be sore. The room was cold so she was under the covers keeping warm.

She decided to take a break for a day, even if she had to sneak off just to have it. Being able to give her mind and body a break, she began to wonder and think.

Her hatred for saloon work could really only grow stronger, and as it did, Ruth contemplated her approach to solo life and her place in the world.

"This ain't what I'm supposed to be doing." She spoke quietly, her voice rasp as a result of a particularly rough man.

She stared at the ceiling blankly.

"I don't need a roof over my head to survive." She told herself. "It won't be so bad if I leave."

Ruth glanced over at the door, making an expression of guilt, thinking of Margaret. Her only friend.

Ruth sat up, with the covers still around her shoulders, her body slumped forward. She felt as though she lacked energy.

"I must have a decent amount of money by now.." she murmured. "Enough to get me someplace else." Ruth then groaned quietly. "But.. Margie.." she sighed, bringing a palm to her eye socket, where she felt tears.

She was feeling a little depressed. Her predicament was certainly not pleasant; it was difficult to make up her mind, let alone think properly.

Ruth wiped her tears away and yawned, collapsing back into bed. There was a strange pressure in the center of her face, as a result of improper sleep. It was grogginess. Ruth rubbed her eyes once again to try 'rub the tired away' but to no avail.

Ruth just laid there as time passed, she slowly dozed off back to sleep, without realizing.

She awoke to a sharp knock on her door, which quickly woke her up.

"Who is it?" She groggily replied.

"There's a crowd gatherin' at the gallows!" Margaret's voice said hastily through the door. Ruth shot up.

"What!?"

She pulled on some decent enough clothes and was out the door, Margaret following.

"Do you know who?" She asked.

"Some new guy in town, not from here." Margaret replied. "You ain't going to watch, are ya?"

"Don't I always go to watch?" She gave her a glance as she made her way to to saloon doors. "You want to come?"

"Of course not!" She dismissed her quickly, turning away.

"Alright, I'll be back."

"Be safe, Ruthie.." Margaret turned back to put a hand on her shoulder.

Ruth put her hand over Margaret's and smiled at her. "I will."

With that, she made her way of out the door and down toward the gallows.

She met eyes with a few people in the audience..

Then with the man wearing the noose.

Bewildered, she took a step back.

"Not him.." she whispered to herself.

"This man, Bill Williamson, has been found guilty of multiple counts of thievery." The Sheriff called out to the crowd below.

"Have you any last words?"

He didn't speak.

Ruth noticed the two well dressed men from a few days ago in the crowd, unassuming but watching intently.

She slowly made her way toward the front of the crowd.

She met eyes with the man again.

He seemed to mouth the words 'help' to her, his eyes clearly pleading.

Many thoughts ran through her head,

but above all..

She was thinking of Margaret, thinking of her life as of late, she got choked up but swallowed her fear and took action, taking the bull by the horns and the gun of a stranger, right from the holster of the man next to her.

She aimed at the man operating the lever and fired, injuring him.

There was no turning back from that point.

The crowd scattered in fear and the lawmen readied their guns in her direction, her body shaking with fear and exhilaration. Those who remained from the crowd turned their guns against the law and fired, picking them off.

Things were moving slowly for Ruth, the gun sliding out from her hands and into the mud. She turned to see the men from earlier rushing toward the gallows to rescue who she now realized was their companion. The man she had seen so many time before.

"What were you thinking?!" A brown haired man came to her side grabbing her arm, shaking her back to reality.

"I-I didn't want to see him hang!" She sputtered out.

"We've really got to get out of here right now!" A black haired man with a bold voice asserted.

"We can't just leave her here, Dutch!"

"I can't go with you!" Ruth told him in a panic.

"I don't think you have a choice! It's that or get killed!" He retorted.

Ruth gave a stare in the direction of the saloon. 'but.. Margie.' She thought to herself. Margaret would've wanted Ruth to survive. So she looked back at the man, nodding quickly and following.

They had assisted the man from the gallows onto the back of a horse and did the same with Ruth, she rode with the man who had black hair. They made their escape. The reinforcement lawmen not too far on their tail

Ruth's decision to shoot a man of the law was hasty and reckless, but she didn't have time to meditate on that thought.

Ruth was once again snapped back to reality when she was handed a gun by the man she was riding with.

"You can obviously handle a gun, so take care of them, won't you?"

She took it with a shaky hand and held tightly to the man with one arm, the other extending to aim and fire at their pursuers.

"I'm really sorry!" She called out to the man, feeling full of guilt.

"We don't have time for that!" He called back. "Just focus!"

Ruth did her best to pick off the lawmen, but really only inflicted injuries, the other men thankfully helping out greatly.

They lost them along the tracks thanks to a train, but they continued to push forward to create some distance.

"What's your name, miss?" He finally asked, once things began to calm down.

"R-Ruth.." she said shakily. "Ruth Bucker." She finished.

"Well, Miss Bucker.. you can't go back to Valentine anymore.." He told her plainly.

It hurt her heart for her to realize it, but it was true. She had outlawed herself.

Ruth's brought her arm back forward, the gun still in her hand. He took it and holstered it. She felt a numbness in her chest, she wanted to feel heartache, but there was hardly anything she was losing in Valentine aside from Margaret.

Which was a big loss by itself.

Still, there was a sudden absence of pain.

Just that morning, she was contemplating leaving, and here she was now, finally gone.

"You can stay with us." The man told her as they entered a thicket of trees and up a small hill.

"I couldn't.."

"Well where else have you got to go?" He asked.

Ruth didn't reply, fully knowing he was right.

Ruth got, perhaps not something more, but.. something else.