flaming jewels

onc't in the west (iv): loa

Onc't in the West (IV)--more o' my side, why hangin's are so much fun, and the dark is much better than the light, but waltzes are fun in the morning.

Man, I love hangins. I used to walk around and watch them, way back when, and then I would collect the victim's hands and go home and make me some hands of glory to use in spells and stuff. A course, no one was going to use my hand. I was gonna need it. A course also, if the sun came up soon enuff, we'd be fried in our boots.

Sun does that to us angelpire types.

The townspeople were gathering around. I saw one or two hookers. There was one that looked beat up pretty bad. I guess she didn't care one way or another that I saved her from the attentions of ol' Fat Bastard. I waved to her as I went by and tipped her a slow wink. She looked right through me. Well, that was okay. I'd give her a show for her money.

Damn, the sun was comin up fast.

My jewelie was lookin at me as we walked up the stairs. I bet I looked pretty funny. My black clo's were pretty dusty and my green feather (the one that matches my WINGS) was gettin draggly. I was concentratin on myself, I was gettin up the necessary energy to swallow me some light if I had to. And it was lookin like I had to. The sun don't wait for me or anyone.

I sure wished I could have my guns though. I would have liked to die with my guns strapped on. They had taken my gloves too, and I was ticked about that, because I burn easy. Burn easy. Ha, ha.

We both do.

My jewelie smiled sweetly at the sheriff an tipped her hat to him an the deputies.

It was pretty funny to see their faces. I think one of them even wanted her. Maybe he saw a glimpse of her red flamin hair. That was a gift from a dragon she met once--he made her hair red like his coppery body so's she could remember him. Yep, I think that was lust in that deputy Dawg's eyes. But she don't do no favors to the likes of them unless they play cards. Then she'll steal their souls if she wants to. But what the hell d'you do with souls?

We stole a smoochie from each other before we got them nooses round our necks. That was pretty funny, too, because you could tell that the sheriff was pretty disgusted. I betcha that deputy was jealous. Ha! He stepped forward and pulled us apart. He was puttin the rope around my neck when I grinned at him and said, "did you like watchin that? I bet if you get us out of here, we could have a private viewing."

He flushed right to his hair. So I was right. But he didn't have to be so -rough- with that rope. I had the mark for a week.

My jewelie smiled at me. Don't worry, she smiled. Don't worry.

I wasn't worried.

I whispered, "we'll fly us right outta this hellhole! I'm gettin ready to swaller me some light." Or something like that.

The sun was coming up as the sheriff read the charges. It was pretty hot and I could feel my hands blistering. Hell, I wished I had my guns. I was getting ready to forget the hangin and get out of here right now. But my jewelie held fast, and so I did too.

I was grinnin by the time the list was over. That list made me feel pretty good.

I winked at my jewelie. She was grinnin, too, though the aces in her hatband were probably sticking to her skin.

Then the sheriff said, "any last words?"

The sun was comin up really fast now. I decided to forgo my speech. I tossed back my head and yelled, "HELL NO!"

They turned to jewelie, and she spit on the sheriff's boots, and grinned at the deputy. So she knew. I shoulda known. "hell no," said her smile, plain as day. To me anyways, who knew what to look for. The sheriff didn't. But the spittin emphasized it, anyways.

Then the sheriff condemned us to be hung by the neck till we were dead. I was thinking THAT WON'T BE LONG SUCKER IN FACT SHORTER THAN YOU THINK SUCKER BECAUSE THE SUN IS COMING THE HELL UP!

They gave us hoods, but we declined. We were sweating and our eyes were shrunk to pinpricks. The men counted to three. I saw the townspeople leaning forward.

-You won't get no hand of glory from me.-

Then the man kicked the lever.

We put on a show, I tell ya, though our skins were slick with sweat and my hands were just about burnt to a crisp. And though I was concentrating on jerking around with my eyes rolled up, I was also swallowing all the light I could, for the sun was up now and I knew we couldn't take much more.

I'm sure my eyes were turning black.

Finally, they all left. The sheriff had told the hangman to leave us up for a week. But brother, we sure wouldn't be there -that- long.

Soon's they went off for breakfast, we slid out from the nooses.

"that was fun!" I said. I love a hangin!"

My jewelie, my smiley girl, just grinnnned.

We danced the waltz of the dead on the gibbet. I drank the sun.

Her hair was flamin in the sun. We were both sort of burning. I could feel my skin crisping, because even for all the light I could swallow, it really wasn't enough. I was tired.

Then my jewelie spread out her WINGS. She grabbed me and we danced.

Her WINGS were made of canvas and tumbleweeds and whalebones, and a dragon's blessing.

My WINGS are tiny and green. I gave up WINGS in favor of words and my guns. That's why we stay together.

We waltzed on the edge, on the brink. The dance of death.

When the sun started to burn holes in her WINGS, that's when we took off.

I'm sure upset that we couldn't stay longer. It would a been fun to stay hangin for a week. But there were things to do.

I'm sure upset that they didn't read the whole list of crimes. I would have felt so proud! But of course, that would have taken years and years. As we flew away, I waved to the town. Too bad we couldn't a bought a postcard. But they ain't invented those yet.

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jewel@gleeful.com
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