ღ вєfσrє thє ѕtσrmღ αrthur х jσhn.

✞ᴊᴏʜɴ ᴍᴀʀsᴛᴏɴ✞

John Marston felt like the gang was his family he never really had a family, he never knew his real father, and his mother had given birth to him on a boat and cared for him as long as she could.

He hardly even remembers his mother he doesn't even care for the women, the moment he set foot alone out in the wild he became something else, someone else.

The lawman had seen that even on the day he was ready to be hanged a dangerous look could be seen, sure he had tears running down his cheeks but deep down he knows he deserved to die.

He could only thank the man that had saved him..

✖ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀsᴛ✖

The men had pulled John out the cell along with two other people he'd been there for almost a week none of the lawmen had the sentiment to feed him. He was weak and fragile, all it took was one mess up and he'd lose a limb.

A older man who he had gotten along with was being dragged along with a boy around his age had stood with their hands bound behind their backs while the charges were read and the nooses were put over their heads.

John simply closed his eyes not wanting to face the crowd, for the first time he became scared of death, he shook in fear and gnawed on his bottom lip.

"It'll be alright kid, it will be over before you know it.."  He heard the old man say calmly.

But it wasn't going to be over fast he was smart enough to know that it would take a while to lose oxygen entirely.

The hangman got into position and put his hand on the lever. Everything was quiet, John waited still shaking in fear but nothing came he hesitantly opened his eyes.

One lawmen put the rope around his neck, then put it around the other two that kneeled beside him. He looked at the other boy who didn't seem to care what was about to come next.

Then looked to the left, his eyes watering.

"..Don't cry, you'll be in a much better place once this is all over." The old man named Griffin had said.

He wanted so bad to be in a much better place more than anything he'd always dream of living somewhere nice with a big family and maybe adopt a mutt. John tilted his head down and started to cry.

Griffin smiles warmly at the crying boy, "You'd wake up in a nice warm place with lots of flowers, trees and animals you haven't seen before." He chuckles sadly. "And most importantly you'd be free of this world."

John sobbed, snot and tears running down his lips and chin listening to what the man had said hearing this made him sigh in relief. He was ready.

Ready to let go of the pain..

The Loneliness and the hopelessness..

The wanted older boy on John's other side groaned annoyingly and irritatedly. "There isn't a good place..you'll feel nothing but pain and see darkness."

Distantly, John heard the signal from the sheriff and he held a teary gaze towards Griffin he didn't know who to believe he just wanted this to be over.

"It's okay, just look at me.." Griffin orders, John kept his stare not wanting to look away, he nods at the older man. "O-okay.." 

The floor dropped out from beneath them, and John fell. The rope pulled tight around his neck. He swung there for long seconds, croaking and trying to gasp for air he just couldn't get, his vision started to cloud.

But he did what Griffin said, he looked at him..

Then, suddenly two gunshots cut through the otherwise silent town and John fell onto the ground below. Around him, he heard more gunfire and shouting. He took several deep, gasping breaths.

Through his haze he could make out two men shooting at the lawmen.

When he blinked a young man came up to him with black slicked hair and a stubble he helped him up. "You alright?"

John nodded then went to glance back to see if Griffin was alive..sadly he wasn't, along with the other boy who hanged there lifeless. He whimpered looking back at the man in front of him.

"Cmon, I'll take you somewhere safe."