A Change in the Weather

Eustace Grik sauntered down the dusty roads of Cedar Rock. With one hand comfortably resting on his holster, he took great pleasure in surveying his desert kingdom. There were no sultans or shahs on the wild frontiers of the Nevada Territory. But for Eustace, no title held more power than—

“Sheriff,” an old man sputtered as Eustace waltzed into the general goods store. 

“Henry McClellan,” Eustace called out. He glanced around the half-bare shelves and unswept floors. “I’ve seen manure heaps in better condition than this.”

“I’m sorry,” the shopkeeper said as he struggled with a sack of flour. “My grandson’s still recovering from a bout of pneumonia. My wife and I are barely getting by without his help. We were thinking about hiring an extra hand, just until he’s feeling better.”

Eustace leaned against the counter and shrugged. “So long as I get my cut, I don’t care what you do.”

“I can’t.” The old man stumbled over his words. “I mean, the medicine’s so expensive. And folks ain’t coming around here like they used to.”

Eustace let out a long, drawn-out sigh. “There are a lot of people who’d kill to have a place like this. I could have this whole building seized, you know.” He paused to watch the old man squirm beneath his glare. “The bank could have it sold off before supper time.”

“Please, sheriff,” the old man begged. He opened the till and counted a handful of cash. “Twelve dollars is all we have.”

Eustace snatched the money and tucked it into his pocket. “We all have to do our part in this town, Henry. Keep that in mind next time you think about holding out on me.”

The sheriff stepped back into the searing afternoon sun. He pulled the cash from his pocket and thumbed through it. 

“Pitiful,” he muttered to himself. “All I do around here and this is my payment?”

“Sheriff,” a voice cried out behind him. 

Eustace turned just in time to catch an old woman’s fiery scowl. “What kind of man are you? My family needs that money to survive.”

“We’re all trying to survive, Margret,” he said dismissively. 

“Everyone around here is scraping by while you snatch the dollars right out of our pockets.” She pointed a gnarled finger at his chest. “This town was better when Colton was sheriff.”

“Colton’s dead,” Eustace snapped. He grabbed the woman’s wrist and fought the urge to twist it as hard as he could. “He’s been dead for over a year now. And if you don’t like my way of doing things then you can pack up and leave.”

A tense moment passed between them before Eustace let her go. The old woman held her wrist close to her chest. She looked up at the sky before turning her ire back at him.

“The weather’s changing, sheriff. I feel it in my bones. When the rain comes, you’d better hope you don’t get washed away.”

“Get out of my face, you old bat. Or I’ll make you spend the night behind bars.”

Eustace hurried down the dusty road. He could feel the old woman glaring at him but refused to turn back. As quick as he could, he made his way into the safety of his castle. 

The sheriff’s office was quiet, as it was most days. Rarely did he have to go through with his threats to incarcerate anyone. He’d worked hard to get his subjects to fall in line. Most - except for the occasional bitter, old hag - knew better than to cross him.

As he fell into his normal routine, he tried to brush off the old woman’s words. He poured himself a drink and settled into his usual spot behind his desk. He pulled open a drawer and tucked the day’s earnings into a cash-filled envelope. But as he returned the envelope to its place, a flash of silver caught his eye. 

He pushed aside his unkempt papers until he had the sheriff’s badge in his hand. The silver star, still stained with blood, reflected the sunlight as he held it. He scrubbed the metal against the denim of his jeans. The blood remained undisturbed.

“I’ll never be able to wear this damn thing,” he grumbled before tossing it back into the drawer. 

He leaned back in his chair and yawned. Before he could kick his feet up onto his desk, someone knocked on his door.

“That woman won’t leave me be,” he groaned. “A night in a cell will straighten her out.”

He swung open the door and squinted against the sunlight. As his vision cleared, an unfamiliar figure took shape. Long, blonde curls. Sky blue eyes. White fabric billowing in the breeze. 

He hurried to take off his hat. “Good afternoon, ma’am. What can I do for you?”

The woman smiled softly at him. “I’m looking for someone. I was told that you’d be able to help me. May I come in?”

“By all means,” he said as he led her inside. “Can I get you a drink? I’ve got a nice bottle of whiskey.”

“Oh, thank you but I can’t,” she said. She took a seat and smoothed out the wrinkles of her dress. “Strictly business, I’m afraid.”

“Business, huh?” Eustace eyed her over as he sat at his desk. “The only business that comes around here are bounty hunters and debt collectors. And you look far too pretty to be either one of those.”

“You’re quite the charmer, aren’t you?” she asked with a laugh. “No, no, I’m just looking for someone. Do you know of a man named Colton Hammond?”

A knot formed in Eustace’s stomach. He gulped down what was left of his drink in an attempt to untangle it. “I’m afraid Colton’s dead, ma’am. Did you know him well?”

“Oh,” the woman said flatly. “No, we only knew each other for a passing moment. Still, I can’t help but ask. How did it happen?.”

“He was the sheriff around here for a good many years,” Eustace started. “We were chasing down the Ainsley brothers - a pair of bank robbers who’d been tearing through towns all over the territory. We almost had ‘em when they turned back and shot at us.”

She nodded slowly. “I’m familiar with the Ainsley boys. The law caught up with them not too long ago. You know, they told quite a story before they faced the gallows. They claimed they never had bullets in their guns.” She shrugged. “Strange, I know. But they thought it would help them avoid the death penalty if they got caught.”

Eustace poured himself another drink. “I’m sure they'd have said anything to save their skins. I wouldn’t put too much faith in the words of criminals.”

“I don’t need to rely on their words,” the woman said. Her blue eyes focused sharply on him. “I know they never killed anyone.”

The sheriff drummed his fingers against his desk. “And how exactly do you know that?”

“The same way I know you shot Colton Hammond in the back.”

Eustace swallowed hard. He glanced out the window. Heavy drops of rain pelted against the glass. 

The weather’s changing, sheriff, the old woman echoed in his thoughts.

“Who the hell do you think you are, anyway?” Eustace shot back. “Coming into my town with a story like that. Sitting in my office and accusing me of murder. Colton was my friend. Why would I want him dead?”

“I don’t care about why you did it,” the woman said. Her face was like marble, pale and unperturbed. “I’m here to give you an opportunity few others receive. It’s time to clear your conscience, Eustace Grik, before it’s too late.”

“Too late?” he laughed. “I don’t care who you are. I’m the sheriff around here. Even if I did kill him, there’s nothing you can do about it. Besides, you have no proof.”

 “Where’s his badge?” 

“Buried with him,” he insisted.

The woman shook her head. “We both know that’s not true. You plucked that silver star off of his chest while he begged you to save his life.”

“No, I didn’t. I mean. I…” A chill ran down his spine as he took in the woman’s cold expression. “Who…are you?”

She gazed out the window. “A bringer of change. A companion to the grieving. A guide to departed souls. I have walked this earth since the first living thing took its final breath.” Her eyes flashed as she turned back to him. “I am death. And I have come for you.”

“You’re a liar. That’s what you really are,” he said. “You're trying to scare me into confessing. But you’re not getting anything out of me.”

Eustace sprung to his feet. Quick as lightning, he pulled the gun from his holster and fired three shots into the woman’s chest. 

His ears rang. Acrid smoke stung his eyes and filled his lungs. His heart pounded. As the smoke cleared, his stomach dropped.

The woman quietly stood up and smoothed out her dress. The white, undamaged fabric flowed around her body. She glanced over at the chair where smoke still trailed through three bullet holes. 

“I gave you a chance, Eustace,” she said. The words fell from her lips like icicles. “Now your guilt will weigh you down for all eternity.”

The gun fell from his trembling hands and hit the desk with a thud. His eyes darted around the room. Through the window, dark clouds loomed over Cedar Rock. How long had drought kept his kingdom in its grasp? A year? Longer? Was it raining when he’d killed Colton? He couldn’t remember. With that woman - that thing - staring him down, he could barely remember his own name. 

“What do you want?” he cried out. He snatched open the drawer and grabbed the sheriff’s badge. The five-pointed star dug into his palm. “You want this? Take it.” 

He threw the badge at the woman and bolted for the door. 

---

Death didn’t flinch as Eustace Grik flung the silver star at her. The badge flew through her body as easily as a bird through a cloud. She watched, unflustered, as the sheriff raced past her and crashed through the front door. 

She stood in the open door and waited for the inevitable. Sheets of rain swept into the office. Eustace stumbled through the storm and ran down the muddy road. 

“I’m the sheriff,” he cried out as he went. “You hear me? This is my town!”

Curious onlookers poked out of doors and windows. They gawked at the spectacle until a blinding light and a deafening crack of thunder scared them back inside.

Stillness filled the air, only disturbed by the drumming of rain against rooftops. Death walked down the muddy road to the edge of Cedar Rock.

“Pitiful,” she muttered as she took in the sight before her.

The soul of Eustace Grik stared down at the charred remains of his former self. Iron chains wrapped around his translucent form and held his arms tight against his chest. For a moment, he struggled against them. But he gave up once he caught sight of her. He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. 

She shook her head. “I tried to help you. I really did.” She held out a hand. “At least let me show you the way down.”