Consequences

A lonely drifter stumbles into a small town at the middle of the night. He is sick and in dire need of water. A poor family finds him on their small garden the next day. The family is hesitant in helping the poor man because they can barely afford to support themselves. A notorious killer has been living with his band of criminals in the town for quite some time. It is their base of operations where they coordinate the planned robberies. They have been taking most of the food and supplies from the town folk, and rule by imposing fear into every one's mind and soul. The first day they came, they shot and killed the sheriff immediately. They left him hanging on a bare post in the center of town for tree weeks before they allowed the people bury him.

The next morning the drifter is still weak and unable to move. The family attends to him will wondering who he was. They saw he has many scars on his body, some of which were just newly formed. They hear a knock on the door. It is one of the criminal's men. He states that it was time for the weekly food collection. The father hopelessly hands him the food he has. The man grows angry at the small amount he receives. The father explains that this is a bad season for their crops. He doesn't want to tell the man that the drifter ruined his garden because he fears that the criminal will kill the drifter. The man isn't satisfied with the answer and demanded something else instead like money or something of value to him. The father refuses to accept the proposal out of furry, and the man leaves. The father is stunned at his response, and contemplates the consequences. The drifter is still out but was able to hear what happened.

Later that night, the father is asleep in his bedroom with his family until a hand grabs his mouth. It is the drifter. The drifter points to the door leading to the hallway. There is light underneath it, and there could be footsteps heard. It is the man from the morning, and he came back with some help to find some valuables to compensate from the lack of food. The drifter motions for the father to stay where he is and be quiet. The drifter slowly walks out of the room, and the father could only hear his slow clinging of his spurs from the vibration of the footstep on the wood floor and the clanging of objects being thrown around. Then everything stops. It was quiet for a few seconds until he hears low mumbles of voices and then several gun shots. The father rushes out of the room to see pools of blood next to the killer's me, and the drifter just standing there with his gun drawn. The father is panicking because now he knew he was going to be die.

The father exclaims "Why!"

The drifter quietly responds "These men deserved it. They have been doing wrong for too long. This wasn't about justice, but purity of the soul. I saw that they had no capacity for good. They were too tainted with evil. You are pure for you desired to help me in need, and that is what I'm thankful for." The father slumps down and tries to brace for the worst.

The next day the notorious killer comes to the house with the rest of his men. He was concerned when his lieutenant didn't come back last night from the raid. He wants an explanation or else he will use the family as a lesson to the town on paying on time. He orders several of his men to enter the home only to be met with the drifter's quick fired pistol. The killer is shocked at what he sees. He becomes furious and orders the house to be burned. Before his man can light a Molotov, he is killed. Several more are downed. The shots appear to be coming from several directions. The killer's men look around and then see the drifter. They stare into his soulless eyes which just shows death to them. They begin to lose confidence. Some ride off only to be shot by him. The killer is unfazed by the drifter's eyes. He tries to make a deal with him to no success. His men are almost all gone. All gone to by that man with the determined look on his face. He heard of such a man. A man that goes from town to town, and eliminates the truly evil with a just method. The bullet. He makes people face the consequences not with the law, but a high authority, God. God is judge and the drifter is the plaintiff that brings them to him.The law enforcement hates him, the towns people love him, and the criminals fear him. He makes people pay their just dues. But he knows he is just a man. A man that bleeds. He will make sure he bleeds till the end. He orders his remaining men to kill him. With the swiftness of light they are gone. The drifter barely moved. It just him and the drifter.

Sweat pour down the killer's eyes. His hand feels clammy as it gets ready to draw and put this myth of a man to rest. Thoughts race through his mind about the stories. He yells he isn't through with his life yet as he draws quickly only to feel a sharp pain in him. He looks down. Blood. The hot lead is in him which marks his time to go. The drifter wants him to face the consequences of his actions now, with God.