Farmers to the end part 1
Disclaimer: I don't own Red Dead Redemption; if I did John wouldn't have died.
In West Elizabeth, just outside Blackwater we see a man on a white stallion riding towards Beechers Hope with a happy face.
"I can't believe it, after all this time I will finally see my family again." John Marston said to his horse. "But I wonder what Ross meant with what he said"
Flashback:
"Dutch is dead, I've done everything you asked Ross! I've hunted everyone down, now release my son and my wife!" John Marston said standing next to the mangled and shot body of Dutch van der Linde in front of the bureau's office in Blackwater.
Edgar Ross only smiled. "Your family is fine Mr. Marston; we didn't harm a hair on their heads. Some of my deputy's are bringing them home right now as we speak. So go, you're no longer needed here."
"Good." John Marston whistled for his horse and climbed on his back. Just when he was about to give his horse the spurs Ross called out to him.
"Oh. And Mr. Marston, say hello to your family, if you see them."
Not knowing what to say, John put his horse in a run out of Blackwater. Towards home
End Flashback.
John was so lost in his thoughts and what Ross meant, that he didn't noticed the dark clouds coming from Beechers Hope.
"Whoa! What's wrong boy!" He said after the horse balked to get his attention. The horse answered in return to throw his head forwards while neighing urgently.
When John looked in front of him and saw those dark clouds, only one thing flew through his mind. 'They look just like those when Bonnie's barn was on fire.'
He spurred his horse towards his home, praying that his family is safe.
When he arrived at the top of the hill that looks down on Beechers hope, his blood ran cold and horror crept onto his face.
The barn, the house and the grain silo are all in flames with thick black smoke spewing out the buildings.
"Abigail! Jack! Uncle!" John cried out while jumping of his horse and running down the hill.
He ran straight towards his home while thinking; 'please don't be dead. Please don't be dead.'
He stopped in front of his front door, or where his front door was supposed to be. Now there were flames that stopped John from entering his house. He looked around for something to break down the weakened door so he could get inside; he took the Bolt Action Rifle from his back and jammed the butt end in his front door. The door broke down and John entered his home.
"Abigail! Jack! Where are you?" John yelled against the smoke that drifted in his house. He coughed when he got a mouthful of it but kept going forward.
"Pa? Is that you?" A voice called out somewhere out of the black smoke.
"Jack! Keep talking son! I'll follow your voice." John said while trying to find his wife and son in the flames and smoke.
"Where down here Pa! Please come quick, Ma is hurt!"
John stumbled through the living room towards the bedroom of him and Abigail.
When he got there, he saw a sight that would follow him in his nightmares for years.
Jack was tied up sitting in front of the bed on the floor, and Abigail was on the bed. But was tied up with her arms and legs at the corners of the bed.
'They raped her!' flew through his mind before he moved inside the room. He cut Jack free first and said. "In front of the house stands a white stallion, see if there's some other horses in the nearby we can use. But don't do anything stupid." He gave Jack his High power pistol before he left.
John then turned to his wife; he swallowed before he walked towards the bed. He didn't believe that she would be still alive when he hears a groan. He was by her side in an instant. "Darling? Are you alive?" He whispered,
"John? Is that you?" Abigail moaned.
"Yes it's me darling, hang on. I'll get you and Jack out of here." John made a movement towards her tied up hands before Abigail spoke again. This time in a stronger voice.
"It's no use John; I'm as dead as Uncle. The deputies made sure of that before the set the place on fire."
John only had heard her spoke like this a few time in his lifetime and knew there was nothing that he or anyone could say or do to convince her otherwise. The only thing he could think of to say was; "Uncle is dead?"
"Shot him in the head when they tried to tie me and Jack up, he was defending us John. Said that he would kill them all if they touched us" Abigail's mouth formed a strange smile and John could see that her teeth where all red from blood, some even dribbled from a corner of her smile.
John could feel tears burning in his eyes, but knew they didn't were from the smoke that was filling the room.
"Abigail, please. Don't die, I beg you" Pleaded John with tears in his eyes and started to cut the rope that held his wife on the bed.
Abigail shook her head again. "It's too late for me John, save Jack and yourself. Hide an live a nice life."
"No! No Abigail! You'll get through this, please. Just hang on when I get you out of those ropes and we all go to the Macfarlane's Ranch. They will patch you up, you'll see."
While he knew in his head that his wife was right, his heart would say that what she said was bogus. So he got her free and carried her outside.
"Jack! Where are you boy! Jack!" John shouted when he set one foot outside the house. Sound of hooves made him turn towards the barn, in a blaze of flames two horses and one rider rode through the main barn door. John recognized his own horse in a second and knew that the rider was Jack. "Jack! Are you mad! What the hell possessed you to get a horse from the barn that was on fire?" Yelled John when his son was right in front of him. "I told you not to do anything stupid!" Jack jumped off his father's horse and got on the other.
"I thought you always said: 'Don't do what I say but do what I do' Pa." Jack held out his arms to reach for his mother. John, who got the hint, carefully got Abigail on the horse in front of Jack. Jack reached around his mother to keep her steady, together they rode towards the MacFarlane's.
TBC