See ya, Cowboy! by KJ Micheal (summer books .TXT) 📖

sheriff walked over towards his desk that sat directly in front of James's cell, and checked the drawer as a look of displeasure shifted the hairs from his mustache upwards into his nostrils. "No more Cigars." The sheriff mumbled as he lumbered his way to the door. He opened the door, turning his head back towards James. "I'll be back soon so don't be going anywhere, Now." He chuckled to himself, pulling the door shut behind him.

The room was quiet. Peaceful. James laid out on the floor, looking up at the ceiling. Thinking, It's finally about to happen...i'm finally gonna get what I deserve...Why am I so scared...I deserve this...You don't have a right to be scared...I'm sure the many people you've harmed were scared...

"James, Is this what you want?" A young, yet assertive voice spoke up from above him.

"This is what I deserve." James said, looking up at Emma who leaned over him, looking down at him.

"You didn't answer my question."

James looked into her green gaze; her brown hair reaching out past her unscaved face. She once again wore her red dress. He couldn't handle her gaze and looked past her at the ceiling. "Of course I'm not looking forward to being strung up, but I know this is what I deserve."

"I wouldn't be the first to say that you do, though whether you believe it or not...I do forgive you for what you've done." Emma said.

"Why?" James asked. "How could you forgive me for what I've done to you?"

Emma brought forth a slight smile before walking backwards towards the wall, where she leaned against it, kicking up one of her red dress shoes. "I had spent quite a bit of time with you, and I watched you change. Who you were over the past few hours was not the same man you had been before going over that cliff. You were full of resentment for who you were and the pain that I saw was genuine." She stared at him, waiting for a response that would'nt come. She continued, "My father told me to never carry hatred for others who've wronged me, but instead to forgive them of their wrong doings for it is God's duty to avenge."

"Your father was a good man." James spoke. "A man better than most."

"Yeah, he was a good man, and deep down, so are you."

"I'm no good man...You should know that."

"You don't see the good in you like I do."

"What good? There isn't any good in me...There hasn't been for a long time."

"You have to discern the evil in yourself to truly recognize it in the world - and when you do, the light will shine within the dark and only grow ever brighter."

James scoffed.

"It's true."

"I don't care what you say...Im still the same piece of filth who ruined your life and tried to run from it."

Emma was quiet as he stared up at the ceiling; he could see her push off of the wall and out of his view. A few moments later, the sound of the cell door squeaking open caught his attention. As he looked up, he noticed the door was wide open and on the other side stood Emma.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" Emma said; her hand gripping one of the bars that made up the door.

James hesitated before he slowly pushed himself up off of the wooden floor and walked towards her, stopping as he reached the wide open cell door. 

"It's okay..." Emma said. 

James reached out, grabbing the bar just above where she held it, and pulled the door shut. He looked down at his hand gripping the bar and then up to Emma, who stared back at him through the bars. He could see her forming a smile as she looked down at her feet. She spoke without making eye contact, "I see." She turned around and walked towards the door, stopping, "See ya, Cowboy."

James blinked and was once again alone. He stumbled back towards the middle of the cell where he laid out across the floor, looking up at the ceiling. He thought, She was crying...but they weren't tears of sorrow...

James heard the sound of the door opening up followed by the creaking of the floor boards from the sheriff's heavy footfalls. "Im back." The sheriff mumbled as he struck a match and lit the cigar that rested in the corner of his mouth. "Ya miss me?" He said, waiting for a response that never came. "Ahh...not much of a talker are we?" He said, sitting down in his wooden chair. "That's okay...I'm not much of a listener." He chuckled to himself before starting up again. "The wife hates me." He chuckled again, and once he was finished, "Now, as I was getting my cigars, I heard some talk out there...Some poor sap must have found the wreckage and word of it eventually broke out...It's one twisted miracle that you survived..." The sheriff blew smoke from his mouth and watched as it drifted through the light that peered through the window besides him. 

James spoke out after a moment. "Do you think I have the right to be forgiven?" 

"Pardon?"

James started up again, "...The things i've done shouldnt go unanswered...though do you think i'm deserving of forgiveness?"

"Son, everyone is deserving of forgiveness, but forgiveness doesn't always mean salvation...If you've done wrong, you'll get wronged. That's how things work down here. An eye for an eye. Everything else is left to the big guy up there." The sheriff pointed his chubby finger up towards the ceiling.

"I understand..."

James could hear the sheriff grunt as he pushed himself up and out of his chair; walking towards the cell. The sheriff gripped the bars of the cell, leaning into it. "I'm sure you're aware of the extent of what you did, and I can see the effect it's having on you mentally.  Now, I don't know if what you're feeling is guilt or if you're just downright selfish and want to live on...but regardless of that, some people will still find it in themselves to forgive."

James thought of Emma as he spoke, "Strange, isn't it." 

"Yeah...You could kill the prized horse of a God fearing man, and he'll still find it in himself to forgive you on his way to the nearest stable." The sheriff shook his head before he walked away from the cell and sat back down in his chair, "Say...Are you the one they call Satans baby? There were rumors you were him but I didnt believe it when I heard you robbed that bank. Didnt seem like something he would do." 

James hesitantly nodded his head.

"So it is you then..." The sheriffs tone changed as he leaned foward for a look at him. "...For such a young man to be responsible for all that pain and suffering..." James watched the sheriff lean back in his chair where he would eventually fall asleep. "...What a shame."

James stared at the ceiling till the room grew dark; the sound of snoring keeping him awake. He could feel his heart pounding in anticipation. The image of a noose being placed around his neck as onlookers watched played out within his mind like it was a distant memory. 

He thought, Why the hell did I come here? And why didn't I leave the cell and run away when I had the chance? I'm a damn fool!

He lifted his hands, running his fingers through his hair. The thought began to anger him as he continued to dwell on it. He clenched his teeth as his hands gripped his hair, pulling on it. 

He thought, That bitch...She fucked with my brain...She tricked me!

 "FUCK!" James screamed as he let go of his hair, punching at the floor; his knuckles turning red from the blows. "GODDAMNIT!" 

From across the room, the sheriff woke up from the commotion. "Jesus Christ, Son!" The sheriff barked as James continued to scream out in anger. "What the hell is wrong with you?" He stood up and headed towards James.

James looked over at the sheriff, pleading, "Please! You gotta let me out of here!" James crawled over to the cell door, gripping onto the bars near the sheriffs feat. "I don't want to die!"

"Well that's too damn bad! Now will ya shut up!"

James pulled himself up as his eyes darted around the room, looking for someone that wasn't there. "EMMA! WHERE ARE YOU!" James screamed out. "EMMA, OPEN THE CELL DOOR! PLEASE! I WANT TO GET OUT OF HERE!"

The sheriff's face was a mixture of disarray and anger as he spoke, "What'd you say, Son?"

James continued to call out as tears rolled down his cheeks, "EMMA! PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME!" He fell to his knees; his hands sliding down the metal bars they had been wrapped around.

The sheriff spoke up again, "You've got some damn nerve callin' out that girls name like that!"

James looked up at the sheriff through tear soaked eyes. "W-What? You know her? Where is she?"

"Boy, ya better watch your Goddamn mouth before I knock every last one of them teeth out of your head!"

"B-But she was here! She was in the cell with me!"

The sheriff kept his mouth shut as he walked over to his desk and grabbed a ring with keys held on it. He turned back around and walked towards James who sat on the ground, staring up at him. The sheriff lifted the key ring and unlocked the door, stepping inside. "You sonnova bitch!" Before he could react, James fell back from a blow to his face. "I'LL FEED YOU TO THE DAMN WOLVES JUST LIKE YOU HAD TO HER!" The sheriff threw another punch. "YOU WONT EVEN SEE THE NOOSE!" He through another and then another until he grew tired. James heard the sheriff panting as he walked out of his cell and once again locked him in alone.

James laid, curled up on the wooden floor; his arms crossed, covering his eyes. He was afraid. His whole body shook in fear. His trembling hands suddenly grew still as they were taken into anothers. His breathing became relaxed as he slipped into a peaceful slumber.

It's almost over...The path is almost at its end...

James woke up to the sound of the cell door squeaking open and the sheriff standing over him. "C'mon, Barner...Were doing this a little earlier than expected."

Everything you've done...

The sheriff pulled James up and out of the cell. They walked towards the door and the sheriff opened it.

Everyone you've harmed...

The sheriff took him down the boardwalk and to the side of the building where a tall, wooden structure sat, waiting for him.

Every life you've taken...

He was led past a few people who were beginning to gather, and up the wooden steps of the structure that led to a platform where another man waited.

It all results in this...

He looked down at the floor of the platform where the other man had positioned him; he could make out the gaps that went around the square shaped hatch he stood on.

One less lost soul in a world ruled by fear...

He watched as the man tied his hands and his legs together before placing a noose over his head; tightening it around his neck.

A boy who only ever wanted to do good for others...

James looked down at the many faces who stared up at him in disgust; hurling insults and shaking their fists skyward.

A boy who felt he was meant for greatness...

"Any final words, Barner?" The sheriff said.

A boy who became lost without the spotlight...

James looked up at the sun's elegant light shining down from above, and couldn't help but smile. 

Though maybe...just maybe there's hope for this lost boy after all...

"I'm found..."