After James left, Mox didn’t had much to do. He opened again the book and read. Times passed really fast. The night came and, to his surprise, Mox slept without any problems.
Finally, the fatidic day arrived. Mox opened his eyes at the first ray of sunshine that entered through the bars of his room.
“So this is it!” he said to himself, sitting on his bed.
He rose up and went toward the window, inhaling the morning air in his lungs. He tried to enjoy the view, the sky, the sun, the clouds, but he couldn’t. Somehow the fact that he would die today managed to get to him. This was the reality. These were his last hours.
For no reason, he felt the need to exercise. He didn’t understood why, but he started doing it.
First he started with some back stretches, then he placed his hands on the floor and went with push-ups, then sit-ups. When he finished,he realised that was smiling. The exercise relieved him from the stress he had.
“Why are you smiling like that?” the deputy that brought him food asked.
“I don’t know. I feel good.” Mox answered with his mouth full, enjoying his last meal.
“I always thought you were weird.” said the deputy, leaving the cell.
The meal was quite simple. An omelette, some beans and a sausage. For desert, he received an apple.
Mox finished his meal and now was eating the apple, looking out the window, where he could see the gallows. The image of him hanging appeared in his head. A dark shadow appeared on his face, but he made the image go away immediately.
“Mox, come on, it’s time!” the voice of the sheriff was heard.
Still smiling, he went toward the door, flanked by the deputies and like this he was escorted outside the jail.
It wasn’t a big distance from the jail to the place where the gallows were. They placed it near the jail for this reason. To be easier to get him there.
Although the place wasn’t exactly spacious, it was packed. Almost all the people in town arrived to see him hang. Those who knew him, those who only heard of him. He even saw some people from outside the town in the crowd. The old man Jackson and his sons were present as well. On the face of Seth you could still see bitterness.
“That man could hold a grudge.” Mox thought when he passed near him.
On the stage, the executioner was waiting for him. The judge and a priest were as well. The deputies brought him to the middle of the stage, right under the rope. The priest approached him and wanted to give him his last blessings, but Mox raised his hand in denial.
“Sorry priest, Bass was the only priest I could trust my soul with. I don’t want any of your blessings.”
“Don’t you want to receive God forgiveness in your last moments?” the priest asked baffled.
“I will ask him directly when I’ll see Him.” Mox answered, making a few people in the crowd chuckle.
“If it’s like this, then let’s get on with it.” the judge intervened. “Mox Smith, you have been judged and found guilty of robbery and leading a criminal group. Your punishment is to be hanged by neck until dead. Do you have any last words?”
“Let’s get on with it. I want to end it already!” Mox said with an irritated voice, like they were stopping him from going somewhere.
The judge made a sign to the executioner to do his job, but just when the rope was about to touch Mox’s head an explosion was heard. Followed by another one.
Panic installed in the crowd, the judge and the priest started to run, wanting to get down from the gallows. The third explosion followed, not close to the gallows itself.
From a corner, a horse galloping like crazy, was cutting through the crowd, heading toward the gallows.
“Stop that man!” the Major yelled at the Silver guards to stop the man that was riding the horse. Having the head covered he couldn’t figure out who it was.
The Silver Guard prepared to shoot, but a small grenade was thrown in the middle of them, making them to take cover.
Mox took the hints and kicked the executioner in the stomach, then punched him in the back of the head. The man was knocked out. Now Mox was all alone on the gallows stage.
“Jump, you numbnut!” a feminine voice was heard from the back of the horse, when it finally reached its goal.
We finally reached the climax. I wanted to write this part of the story for quite a while. I didn't do that much planning for this story, but this point was in my head for quite a while. The end of the story in the prairie is reaching closely to the end. In a few chapters we will start a new page, so to speak, in the Adventures of Mister Mox.
Can you guess who has come to the rescue?
Thank you for reading this chapter. If you liked it please give it an upvote. I post chapters on a relatively regular basis, so you could follow me to be able to see the next chapter as well.
lovely writing, beautiful post, good work,
thanks for shar up voted
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Congratulations! In addition to the vote from @randowhale, you also received a vote from @randowhaletrail!
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