Chapter Text
Arthur stares at his Pa through the bars. He can't think to do much else.
"Get outta here, Arthur..." It's said with so much disdain.
"Pa, I-"
"Get lost!" Lyle spat at through the bars.
Arthur flinched back. Jumping up and runing out to the street. His eyes watered. He wasnt crying, he wasnt. Men dont cry. Men aren't meant to cry.
Pa was always harsh. He was a man with a cold face and of even colder words. This was nothing new. Still, Arthur can't ever seem to stop the pain in his chest whenever those cold words would meet his ears.
His heart was pumping faster then before and it was getting harder to breath. He thought for sure that Pa would be glad for the money. Glad that Arthur found a way out for him. A little part of him hoped Pa would be glad just to see Arthur, too. Even if he's never really had a reason to be...
Arthur knew he wasnt smart like his Pa wanted him to be. He can't even spell his own name. But he always tried to help his old man in any way he could. It just wasn't ever good help. Just like now. He should of known what to do to help his father. Create a distraction. Though, even now, Arthur doesn't know what distraction he could've done. He doesn't know how to help.
He wants to. Maybe there is another way. Pa said what he had stolen was only ten bucks, but maybe it could be a promise of sorts? Arthur gives them what he has now, and he can keep giving them the money until he's got enough to free him. That may work. The only thing was is that he doesn't even know the actual cost of freeing Pa.
It can't be too much, right? It's not like the old man killed someone.
He'll have to ask the Sheriff tomorrow– first thing in the morning. Although, with the walk back to his camp and then back into town for the morning seemed pretty pointless. Arthur will just sleep in town.
There was an okay spot between the sheriff's office and the bank. A nice alley way most folk avoid due to the residing buildings. However, for Arthur its the main reason he's chosen it.
Arthur ties the long end of the satchels strap to belt loops as he sits down. Making sure there's no chance of someone taking it without waking him. The ground is cold and he regrets not bringing his blanket...and the lucky oat meal. At least he'll be able to sleep in his loft tomorrow night. Once he grabs his stuff from camp and gets his corner situated like it was before, Arthur will never take it for granted ever again.
*******
Arthur awoke in confusion before remembering where he was.
It was a very long night. It took him a few hours before finally falling asleep. His thoughts racing back and forth in his head. The strange noises that would pull him back into consciousness. A few times he'd be on the brink of sleep before his body would randomly jolt him back awake, making his heart thump for seemingly no reason.
He doesn't remember falling asleep in all honesty.
Rubbing his eyes and neck, which hurt from the way his head had fallen to his chest, he sat up with squinting eyes.
The town was louder then usual for the morning, and judging by the a looks of things outside the alley, something big was happening. Not that it mattered to Arthur. He has other plans for today.
He rounds the porch of the sheriff's office and knocks. When there's no answer Arthur decides to try his luck. He'll go inside, talk to the sheriff himself, and convince him to let Pa go. Guilt him into if he needs to.
Look mister! Thats my Pa! I got some money to trade and you can let him go free. Please, ya can't take him.
He wipes is face with his sleeves and runs his fingers through his dirty hair, it didn't do much to make him look any cleaner, but it couldnt hurt to at least try. He reaches for the door.
Its jarringly quiet inside, and after looking around he realizes that the office is completely empty. No sheriff, no bad guys, no Pa...no anyone.
Stepping inside the building, Arthur moves as carefully and as quietly as he can. Scared to make to much noise in the empty space.
Where is everyone?
He approaches two desks that have papers and envelopes thrown about in trays and stacks of folders. Against the wall across from them are two cells. Neither of which had a window like Pa's.
Arthur remembers having to squat down on the ground to look him in the eye last night, so maybe Pa was in the cellar?
Arthur looked around, but there weren't any doors that lead to a cellar. What did catch his eye however, was a wall with all kinds of wanted posters and mug shots hung against it. He scans through them, alarmed by how many there were. His breath stops short when he recognizes his father's face. His cold stare watching Arthur like he can really see him through the picture.
He's holding a board in his hands with what Arthur assumes is his father's name written out as he at least recognizes his own last name when he sees it. There's was more written below it, but to Arthur its just scribbles and gibberish.
Glancing around the empty room to make sure there's still no one around, Arthur quickly takes the mug shot off the wall and folds it down into his pocket. He's never had a picture of Pa before. They kept one of Ma in the cabin. Arthur loves it. The old portrait photo of her and a plain and simple smile facing the camera. S'pose this Pa can go beside her if they cut off the bottom so it ain't no mug shot.
Stepping back, he looks around the photos some more. Most fellas here Arthur's never seen before. There are two or three faces he does recognize from around town, though he never knew 'em.
Arthur was about to turn away from the wall when a face he does know stops him short. Its a wanted poster, with the longest list of crimes under his picture. Thick, heavy eyebrows and mustache, dark hair slicked back from his face, and a thoroughly unamused look on his face.
Its the man Arthur robbed just yesterday.
Holy shit. I robbed an outlaw.
Arthur moved to get a closer look at the picture. Wishing so badly to know what the print says. He tries sounding out the letters he does know but it really don't help much. His eyes scanning through the paper, falling to the bottom. Arthur cant read none, however, he knows the symbol of a dollar bill when he sees one. The dollar sign on this particular number is followed by quite a few zeros.
A thought hit him in the head. This man– this wanted outlaw– was in town. Arthur has seen him. Come face to face with him. Maybe ten dollars ain't enough to save Pa, but the reward for turning this man in certainly had to be and more. Way more. He'll find the man, lure him with his bag, and bring him into the hands of the law!
Arthur rips the poster off the wall and stuffs it in the satchel before rushing out the door.
Once outside, he's met with a crowd of people. A big one. Why, it might even be the whole dang town.
From the porch of the sheriff's office he can see they've all gathered around near the center of town. Circling the big tree that lots of kids Arthur's age liked to climb. Lots of folk were talking and hollering, so he stopped to watch.
They seemed to be listening to a big man, with a heavy black coat and hat who Arthur knew to be the town's Marshal. He was a kind enough man, usually seen helping folk to drunk to walk get home, or handling petty fights in town. He was sitting on a horse that was attached to a small farm wagon. Standing on that wagon was Pa.
With a rope around his neck.
A bone chilling fear flooded Arthur's body.
"...Pa?" It came out a whisper.
He wasted no time. Jumping off the side of the porch, he sprints fast as he can towards the crowd.
"Stop–Stop you can't!"
He nearly trips over twice before halting to a sudden stop at the crowd. Breathing hard as his eyes begin to water.
"PLEASE! Let me through!"
He tries to push his way through but someone grabs him. Stopping him from getting to the front. Stopping from getting to his Pa. He hears the crowd yelling to the marshal–no, to his father.
"That's my Pa, he–he's my Pa!" Arthur says as he fights against the man thats got a hold on him.
The man has a strong grip and he can not move. They wrap around him and he's carried away from the crowd. From Pa. He struggles against the man. As he's drug backwards. Back around the general store across from the jail. The terrifying scene still visible even from what felt so far away.
"Please! Please–you can't!" A hand covers his mouth and pinches his nose with the thumb. He can barely see Pa anymore with all the folk from town in front of him.
This wasn't suppose to happen. Arthur was going to free him. He was suppose to be talking to the Sheriff right now. His Pa was going to walk out with him today. Arthur was going to save him. Arthur was suppose to save him. Now he's standing with a noose around his neck and he cant even see his Pa's face because of the stupid hat he wears tilted down over his eyes. Gosh, Arthur bets he's fuming.
Arthur struggles harder. He withers and squirms until there's spots in his vision. Mouth and nose still covered. He slows and is forced to watch.
"We gather on this solem day to bring justice to the good folk in our town. Because ladies and gentlemen, without justice we're no better then the animals we hunt–"
He cant hear too well, Arthur's tries pull his head away from the hand over his face again but doesn't do anything. He squirms against the arms around him. Why are they doing this? Pa ain't nothing more then a petty thief. He's never hurt no one. Not badly anyhow. He needs to help him. He needs to–to give a...distraction.
Arthur's vision starts to go dark. His head falling forward.
"...'sea, let go."
"Shit."
Air fills his nose again. He blinks rapidly and tears fall down his face. Looking back up again, dizzy with fear and from the lack of oxygen.
"–no good thievery that was done right under our noses. Lyle Morgan, we charge you larceny. A man guilty of petty crimes and theft throughout this town for far to long. And we, Mr. Morgan, the people of this town are angry with you and your wrong doings."
The folk around the tree yell when the man pauses his words. Some agreeing with the marshal, others shout profanities towards Pa.
Arthur shuts his eyes and sucks in a shakey breath, he can feel more tears tracing down his face.
This ain't fair.
"Alright...Mr. Morgan, anything you'd like to say?"
Arthur sees his Pa tilt his face up. Just enough to look out to the crowd then to the marshal before lowering his head down again. Arthur would bet all the money he got yesterday he spit at the marshal's feet. A few more profanities are shouted before the marshal cues his horse.
Its like time slows. The horse trots some feet forwards taking the wagon with him. Pa's boots drag against the wood before he swings. Its a slow back and forth motion and Arthur watches as his pa's feet kick and twitch. His hat falls to the ground beneath him.
Even from where he's stands, arthur can see the deepened color of red that floods Pa's face.
He's dangling there for what felt like forever before going completely limp.
Arthur is just as still. His legs went shakey. He can feel the man behind him supporting him up. He can't bring himself to look away.
When the hand drops from his face he doesn't even notice.
"Pa..."
He crowd has fallen fairly quiet. After a minute or two, most of 'em disband. Muttering to each other before going about their business like nothing ever happened. Like they didn't just cheer for a man meeting his end. Cheer for a man dying. His pa dying.
His pa's dead.
"Son." The strong hold on him let's go, and Arthur nearly stumbles backward. His head snaps around and his body soon to follow.
He's met with a face that he'd seen before, Arthur just can't place where right now. He can't think either. Turning his head back to the lifeless body hanging from from a tree. His pa's lifeless body.
"Hey, kid. Look at me."
Arthur does. He looks at the man who is squat down in front of him. Watching Arthur with patience in his eyes.
"That's my pa..." Arthur says.
"He was my pa." Its the only thing he can think to say. The man's mouth frowns, and he turns to look behind him. There stood another man amd two horses.
The other man is who fills Arthur with a rage he's never felt before.
There stood the man on the wanted poster. The man who Arthur robbed. The man who's money was on his very own hip right now. He's the man who was suppose to buy his Pa's freedom.
The feller who was with him must of been who Arthur saw running after him when trying to get to away yesterday. When Pa was caught. Now he's dead.
He's dead and it's these two mens fault. These two outlaws. Arthur could scream it right now. Get the police over here in seconds. The marshal and sheriff even. Arthur would get more money then he'd ever seen. More money then his pa probably ever saw. His pa who was dead. Hung.
He breathes heavily. Looking between the men in front of him and his pa behind him.
He slowly backs away. "I know who you two are."
It'd be so easy to yell. He needs to get people to look over at them. He needs the money to fre–
"Kid,–" the man on the poster starts, caution in his voice. "They would've taken you in–"
Arthur doesn't listen as the outlaw talks. Realizing that the money wouldn't free his pa. Pa's dead. His pa is dead and the money means nothing. Arthur's plan means nothing. He failed. He failed to free his father. He failed to save Pa.
He ripps and satchel off his side. Throwing it on the ground at the two mens feet. It falls open and the poster slides out. Just a little. Just enough to see who was on it.
He can't bring himself to yell.
He can't do to these men what happened to Pa. He can't be responsible for three men's death. He can't bare the thought of being an evil man. Arthur ain't going to grow to be a good man, he accepted that a while ago. Pa wasn't, so he certainly won't be.
But he certainly wont be responsible for killing two more.
"Leave me alone." Its said as sternly as Arthur can sound. With isnt very stern. His voice was still shaking as his wobbly legs put more distance between him and the outlaws in front of him. "Im sorry. I wont take stuff no more."
Then he runs. He runs back towards the tree. Towards his pa.
He slows the closer he gets.
Everyone who had been there to watch were now no where to be seen. Gone and off to continue about their day as if nothing had happened. That was always the weirdest part about death. The world always kept going.
Arthur stood at Pa's feet. Basically eye level. He looked up to his face.
The red in pa's cheeks was gone, leaving a pale flushed hue instead. His brows looked almost relaxed. The permanent scowl that he always wore was gone. His grey eyes half lidded, fixed and glassy as they were looking down. Almost directly at his hat. Arthur wonders if it was the last thing Pa was looking at.
Arthur bent down. Collecting his father's hat and running his hands along the brim before putting it on. It was to big to fit him but that didn't matter none to Arthur.
He looks back up to his pa for one last time. At least he don't look so angry anymore.