Josephine

“Take my hand! Come on, just a little further!” Clay took her hand and crawled up the jagged cliff side, groaning in pain as he struggled to make his way to higher ground. He could hear the loose rocks beneath his boots falling deep into the ravine below. 

“Don’t think I’m going to make it darlin’, I think it best you just carry on without me. I’ll only slow you down.” Josie turned around and knelt beside him. She took his face into her hands, looked deep into his eyes and kissed him gently. “I’ll not leave you. We make it together or we don’t make it all, that was the deal, ‘FOREVER’.” She said, her voice cracking a bit.

Clay nodded, “OK.” He said, wiping away the sweat and tears from his face with his dirty sleeve. “Alright then. Let’s keep going.”  He stumbled onto his feet and trudged behind her, holding his left side tightly. They walked on, mostly in silence, Clay trying to assure Josie he was fine to walk on his own. 

“I know we are close to a town, I saw it on the map. We can find some help there and get you patched up!” She said, unwavering. Clay nodded silently and kept on pushing. 

The sun beat down on them, and although he was sweating profusely, he felt cold. He could feel the life slowly draining out of him, staining his leather vest. But he owed it to Josie to try. She was the love of his life and he would not let her give up on his account, not now that they had made it this far, so close to living out their dreams together. Besides, she was right, they were close enough to a town. There could still be a chance that they might make it. 

“What do you say we come back here, under different circumstances and have us a lil picnic?” He said, between a chuckle and a painful cough. 

“Anything you want my love, just try to conserve your energy,” she replied. Despite the current situation, it was a very peaceful and beautiful area. The sudden drops of the mountainside gave way to stunning views. The wind rustled the branches of the trees ever so softly and all around them was the sound of birds singing. 

“I hear water! Stay here, I’ll go check.” She said as she sped off towards the sound of the river without a hesitation.

Clay nodded and leaned on a rock. He slowly sank to a seat and took deep painful breaths, trying to focus on the birds. He could hear Josie walking away. The sound of her boots on the gravelly ground getting softer and farther. He closed his eyes and pictured her face. It was truly the most beautiful face he had ever seen. She had big eyes, the color of emeralds. Her hair, an unruly set of brown curls that framed her angelic face. He could see her there, as if it had been yesterday when he first laid eyes on her. If this was it, and this was the last thing he saw it wouldn’t be so bad he thought to himself.

Josie made it over the rocks and could hear the river roaring. She slowly slid down the short embankment, grabbing on to roots and branches. The ground was slick from the river's mist so she slipped and stumbled a few times before finally making it to the edge of the water. She bundled her tattered, muddy skirts and knelt down on the little padding it provided. She could feel the hard stones on her knees as she scooped water to her lips. It was cold and refreshing. She drank a few more handfuls and closed her eyes for a moment. “We are going to make it,” she whispered to herself. She reached for the canteen hanging from her belt and filled it with water for Clay, careful not to drop her knapsack with all their belongings into the river. She gathered herself and began making her way back. The climb up was proving to be more difficult than she thought. She had to find an alternative route and fast. She was hopeful for Clay, but not delusional, she knew he needed help and he needed it fast. She began to climb some bigger rocks nearby and made her way back to her love.

Clay was seated on the ground, his hat on his face, covering the bright sun. The sound of the birds suddenly stopped. He could hear footprints slowly approaching. He smiled beneath his hat and reached up to remove it and see his Josie, when he heard a click. His heart dropped. 

“Go on. Remove it. Slowly…toss it over to me” Clay did as the deep voice instructed.

“Now the pistol.” 

Clay threw his revolver at the man’s feet. Wincing in pain as he did.

“Can’t help but notice that Josephine ain’t around. What happened? She leave your sorry self out here for the vultures?” 

Clay said nothing. 

“It was only a matter of time, friend. I knew a dame like that couldn’t be held down by the likes of you. And sure was I right. Better men have tried and failed.” 

“How’d you track me?” Clay asked.

“Never you mind that…” The man answered, looking around, still pointing the gun at Clay. “Where is it? Don’t tell me, she took it and then left you here to rot.” 

“Don’t matter now does it, not gonna do me much good here, in this state!” Clay scoffed, pointing at the wound he’d been holding on his left side.

“I suppose not. Got you pretty good though, din’ I?” The man laughed, mocking him.

“Yea, yeah you did.” Clay chuckled.

“Well, let’s not drag this out. It’s the end of the line for you now. Stand up, you’re coming with me.”

Clay nodded and slowly stood. 

“Once I’ve dealt with you, I’ll find her.” The man said matter of factly.

Clay could feel his blood boiling. It didn’t matter what happened to him, but he couldn’t bear the thought of Josie in any harm. 

“What if I make a deal with you?”

“Friend, I don’t reckon you’re in any position to make no ‘’deals.”

“If you give me your word, to let Josie go…to not follow her. I’ll tell you where I’ve hidden it.”

The man laughed himself to a hoarse cough. 

“How stupid do you think I am?”

An awkward pause passed between them. They stared at each other in silence. 

“Alright, I‘ll entertain the idea. How did you convince her to leave you and the loot?”

“I didn’t…I…I  waited until nightfall, snuck away…seeing as I am pretty much at death’s door, I hid it. She wouldn’t leave me if I stayed and it’s too dangerous for her to keep it…so I hid it and left her.”

The man looked at him. Clay couldn’t tell if he had believed him or not. He studied his face, a strong jaw, sandy colored hair cut short and small brown eyes that gave away nothing.  He only hoped that Josie would not come back at this moment. Everything he was doing, everything he had done was for her. 

“How far?” The man asked incredulously.

“Not far.”

“Ok. Lead the way. You know now if you are lying, I will track down that woman of yours, and you won’t be around to protect her anymore. And friend, she has a lot to answer for.”

Clay nodded and hobbled towards the trees with the man at his back, his gun pointed between Clay’s shoulders. As the two men disappeared into the thickness of the forest, Josie emerged from behind a shrub. She had heard the entire conversation, knowing Clay had sacrificed himself for her. At a safe distance, she followed, barefoot to avoid the sound of her boots over rocks and sticks, staying out of sight.

It wasn’t long before the men reached the foot of the mountain. 

“Well…where is it?”

Clay looked around, trying to see what could pass off as a possible hiding spot, still trying to come up with a plan.

“It, uh.. looks mighty different in the daylight, gimme a minute.”

“Stop the horseshit, Clay. The whole story was a damned lie and you know it.” 

“Alright, fine. Can’t blame a guy for trying.”

“I can blame a guy for throwing everything away for someone like Josie. I warned you, now you have nobody to blame but yourself. I will find her.”

Clay dropped to his knees. Pleading with the man, “You don’t have to do that, just say you never found us. You can do that.”

“I could, but I won’t.”

A loud shot rang out into the clearing. The man looked down, clutched his chest and fell to his knees.

“You ain’t gotta go lookin for me Jed, I’m right here.”

The man turned around and saw Josie, coming out from behind the trees. 

“Sorry it had to end this way. You really shouldn’t have come following us,” she said in her velvety voice as she approached the two men.

“Well I’ll be damned,” laughed the man, spitting up blood. “I can’t believe you didn’t cut and run after I put a hole in your beau over there.” 

“What can I say, I’ve changed my ways.”

“I can see that, but you won’t make it far. He’s dead weight, and they’ll find you.”

Josie approached the man. Kicked the gun out of his bloody hand. “No, they won’t.”

“Now,” pointing at Clay, she said to Jed,“This here man, he’s sheriff Jedidiah Spears, and he just bravely tracked down and shot those two good for nothing bandits Clayton and Josephine, before they jumped into the river, to their deaths.”

Jed fell to his side laughing. “You always were quick on your feet Josephine. How you planning on sellin’ this? Huh?!”

 “I guess I have a type,” whispered Josie as she knelt down and pulled the silver star off his vest. Jed could see it now, the resemblance between himself and Clay. Similar build, same sandy colored hair, brown eyes. Damn, her plan could work.

Josie made her way to Clay. He stood up and they walked past the dying man on the ground. Taking back Clay’s revolver from Jed’s holster.

“Better luck next time, sheriff.” Josie said in her seductive voice as she walked away from him.

“I’ll see you in hell Josephine!” He shouted at them with his last breath.

“Maybe darlin, but not today.”

After some distance, Josie and Clay had made it out of the clearing and onto the road. The sheriff’s horse was tied to a post at the entrance of the trail. Josie put her foot in the stirrup and lifted herself onto the spotted creature. She pulled Clay up behind her and kicked the horse’s side to a speedy gallop. 

The sound of the heavy hooves on the ground were the sound of their freedom. A new beginning for them. No more running from the law…now they were the law.

With his face nestled in her hair she said, “Pin this to your vest my love,” handing the star to Clay. “This is our ticket to anywhere, the start of our new lives.” He kissed her ear and took the shiny tin star, placing it on his blood soaked vest.

They rode off towards the town marked on her map, the wind blowing their hair, a hero’s badge on his chest, five thousand dollars and ten pounds of jewels in her knapsack.