Notes: I've always loved Dapper Jack Rogers, who is Shaggy's ancestor from the DTV film Scooby Doo Shaggy's Showdown. So, I made the choice to write this little oneshot about him.
Date: May 17th, 1867
Dapper Jack Rogers couldn't believe it. He had just been shot. Shot by the sheriff himself, Rufus Charmicheal.
He still couldn't understand why the sheriff would really do such a thing to him. Why he challenged him to a draw and why Rufus was framing him for a crime he would never do in his life in the first place.
He had little time to question that though since the gunshot noise was still ringing repeatedly in his ears as he fell to the ground.
Jack couldn't help but start crying as he looked up at Rufus, who just stood there in front of him, still pointing the gun at him.
"To my surprise, your shot missed me," Rufus commented.
"How- how could you, Rufus!?" he shouted. "I have done nothing to you or anyone. Why must I be faced with such a cruel end?"
The sheriff laughed evilly for a moment, and threw his gun on the ground.
"Jack, it seems that you have not been taught that what one man has, another man always takes somehow," he said.
"What do you mean?" the man groaned.
"All the love and attention you received… It should be mine, and now that you are dying, it can be."
Jack's eyes widened and he gasped. Rufus was framing him for cattle rustling and now killing him just to get the love from the town that he had?
"None of what you did should have been done," he began. "You should have helped out others instead, as I have. We could have both got equal love from Sorghum City." He held out his hand. "Please, there is another way to get what you are looking for. If only we-"
"Your kindness makes me sick," the sheriff interrupted. "It is not possible for us to be loved by the town equally. One man must have it all to himself. It was you for some time. Now, it will be me."
Jack felt his eyes get heavier now, though he kept trying to keep them open.
"Will you at least… tell my wife and children the truth?"
"Oh Jack," Rufus laughed. "We both know everyone in Sorghum City will believe the tales of you being a criminal, and that includes your family. It will be such a shame for your future descendants to look back at what I have turned you into, will it not?"
"The truth will come out one day," Jack whispered. "Let it be my descendants or not, there will be one who will reveal everything. The truth always finds its way out. Remember that."
His eyes then completely shut, and he went quiet.
Year: 2017
150 years had passed since that dark day for Dapper Jack, and his ghost had been wandering through the streets of Sorghum City everyday and every night since then.
A pang in his soul was always felt looking at this town. He still loved it dearly, after all it was where he grew up and where he met his wife and had children. Though, it was painful to look at because it had betrayed him. It kept betraying him all this time, as the rumors of him being a criminal got even more terrible after the sheriff kept committing crimes in his name.
Everyone stayed against him, including his own family. They all remember him as an outlaw, and just recently, someone started pretending to be his ghost and is terrorizing the town. Even his ghost cannot be portrayed correctly.
He would never haunt the town! He was angry with how he was remembered, sure, but he could not bring himself to do such a thing. He loved the town and his family who lived there too much, and even though Rufus caused all of this, he could not haunt or curse him or his family. There had been too much pain already, and Jack certainly did not want to bring more of it onto anyone.
Even Atlas, his dog, was remembered to be evil, and it hurt Jack more than anything. How could Atlas have ever been evil? He was the only living creature nicer than his owner!
He had not seen Atlas since the day he died, which made him wonder, did Rufus kill him too? Did Atlas find his body? Where is he right now? Is his soul waiting for him in the afterlife, wondering why he hasn't shown up yet?
He knew one thing for certain though, it had been a long time since his hope of someone finding the truth and revealing it to the town started to disintegrate. Yet, not all of the hope was gone. Somewhere in his heart, he felt himself still wishing for the truth to be revealed.
"Let it be soon, please," he whispered to himself.
