The town is quiet, eerily so. All animals, all chatter, all gusts of wind have come to a complete stop this morning. A tumbleweed passes by through the center of town and the rocking chair on the Sheriff's porch sways but remains silent. Everything is muted and as the door of the hotel opens, the only sensation that rings utterly true today is this:
This is the end.
Suddenly, the church bells ring -- twelve rings to mark the hour and the door to the Sheriff's station swings open on the twelfth. The Sheriff tucks his thumbs into his belt loops and walks across the strip of town right to the door of the Saloon. A moment later, he knocks on the door frame, loud enough to alert anyone who might be inside.
"Alright, folks. Come on out. Time to end this."
And then he turns his back and walks back into the middle of the street, waiting.
|
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sheriffexe) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
robowest2017-03-03 06:00 pm
no subject
So, he nods and looks pleased with himself. ]
S'a lot of stops to make, Percy, but you got it. Hope they all thought about it, where they want to go, what they want to keep. Would be a shame if they got stuck on the train 'cause they were indecisive.
[ A snort. ]
Safe as houses, kid. Only one thing left to do now that the decision is made. Everything else you'll get once you're on the train.
[ And so, he unholsters his gun and holds it out for Percy to take. ]
Thanks for playing.
no subject
But it was never a question. He's thought about this from the beginning. They're safe now.
Everyone will be safe now. This won't happen again. It's not ideal, there's so much more he wishes to fix, more he had argued about days ago...but this will do. Not for the first time in the face of doom, he thinks of Annabeth. He looks at the offered gun and thinks of Annabeth.
"I've put way too much time and effort into keeping you in one piece to let someone shoot you? We wouldn't want me to have to start from scratch."
People did this for him. He's a disappointment, he knows. A hero? He doesn't know. But he knows he can't waste their sacrifices. He has to end this right.
He takes the gun and lifts it to his temple, staring the Sheriff in the eye.]
It's been a real pleasure, Sheriff. [There's a lingering moment that he stares again.] See you soon. [And before he can take another breath, he narrows his eyes and pulls the trigger.]
no subject
Percy crumples to the floor and the Sheriff watches, expression unchanging aside from a raised eyebrow at how easily he goes. Blood splashes to his face but he doesn't mind it, only pulls his pipe out a moment later and presses it out with a thumb. It goes back into his pocket as he crouches down to take his gun from Percy's still warm fingertips.
The decision is made and the winner is dead. There's nothing left to do now.
He looks over at the other two bodies, Barnham and Damian, before back to the train again. A hand lifts in a single wave and he holsters his gun before turning and heading back for the station.
Slow steps up the porch and through the door and he closes it behind him with a soft click. The town continues to remain silent, nothing and no one left to stir it. They're all gone, after all. They're all ready to go home. Which means with that --
The game is over. ]