Midnight Glow: When Opportunity Clicks

Overcast · 03-11-2011, 05:27 PM

Northwestern New Mexico, winter of 1880, and you have been stuck in this damn cage for what feels like forever. For some this eternity was driven by nerves, the knowledge of their crimes and the inevitable punishment. The gallows would wait for you, and they would be ready to draw a crowd when you arrived. Some were of irritation, the idea that their crimes weren't nearly so bad and they should have been able to get away, but now they were likely going to get sent to some odd prison to rot until they either found their way out or actually served their sentence.

For Ernesto this eternity was spent muttering to himself in amusement. Little words mumbled between chuckles about how he never washed his hair, how nobody ever really looked there, how they always underestimated him. Unseen to most he'd drawn a little bobby pin from the unwashed mass he called a beard that looked at the time similar to wood. Unseen to most he'd started working at the lock of the door for quite some time, the complexity a bit more than he was used to without his good picks, but possible. They had given him more than enough time to work with, though he had been interrupted once or twice by new captures. And while he had somehow kept it secret to most, he could not hide his victory. A resounding click, similar to the sound it made when the key turned and locked them away, ran through the cage and created a very sudden silence, before the fat Mexican let out a simple phrase,

"It's open."

He said this because he knew the people he was around. Some of them needed a vocal reassurance, and more than a few were quite impulsive. With this little encouragement more than a few dashed for the exit. Ernesto simply grinned and got out of their way, after all if he was getting away he was going to need a distraction.

The light from the sudden opening was blinding, but outside was the possibility of freedom. Outside was the possibility of recapture. Outside was the possibility of death.

What would you do?

mauve · 03-12-2011, 02:03 AM

"It's open."

Zeke stared blankly as the door creaked open.

"Yes." he said. "It is." Wheels were turning very slowly in Zeke's head. This situation provided an unusual quandry to the thief. Not particularly a moral one, but more a question of self-preservation.

On the one hand, he could take the obvious route and make a run for freedom. Of course, there was the very real threat of getting shot, or getting chased down by men on horses, or getting caught again and sent to the gallows for resisting arrest or escaping incarceration, or getting caught by these other criminals and forced into being a fall-guy so they could escape or collect whatever bounty he had on him.

On the other hand, he could sit here and let the others run away. Maybe he'd get a reduced sentence for being honest. Or maybe they'd just drag him off to prison and kill him anyway.

Choices.

Zeke wondered how many charges these law men had against him. Sure, Zeke knew every crime he committed, but he wasn't quite sure how much THEY knew. More importantly, he didn't know how severe his punishment might be. That was the part that made him nervous.

If this was about that horses he sold last week, he could probably talk his way out of that one. But that whole train fiasco... That would be significantly harder to work around.

....who was he kidding. Of course this was about the train.

The glimmering light of day beckoned.

"Right," he said, staring hypnotized at the open door. "Who's going first?"

Toastburner B · 03-12-2011, 02:52 AM

"Right. Who's going first?"

Peter McHayes eyed the door with the same cold stare he addressed every situation with. He knew they had him for murder and that he was essentially a dead man if he stayed, but he also figured enough wanted men in here that there had to be a deputy or two outside with a repeater just waiting for someone to make a fool move like this.

No, sir. Pete wasn't about to go first.

His eyes wandered around the room and stopped on the Mexican who had opened the door in the first place. "How 'bout you, friend? You went through the trouble of opening the door for us, it's only right that you be the first to taste freedom." he said.

Krylo · 03-13-2011, 02:29 AM

Peter finished his sentence just as some of the more easily excitable cons finished blinking the light from their eyes and charged out into the sunlight beyond, obviously a bit less cautious than the group who sat in the back discussing whether or not to run out.

Jim, however, found himself somewhere in between. He knew that he was dead if he stayed, and he knew he was likely dead if he left, but likely dead was better than dead. And besides, those fools who ran would need someone to keep the marshalls busy, and so he stood up and walked out of the cage without a word and with little excitement. Though he did hold his arms out with his hands up in the universal sign of resigned surrender as soon as he exited, before his eyes had even adjusted to the light.

He hoped it would keep him from getting shot immediately. He also hoped someone would come within grabbing distance with their gun out. His only chances were to flee, or get a weapon and kill them before they killed him.

...And they had his father's rifle so running wasn't really an option.

-----------
OOC: OC says there are NPCs. They bolted nigh immediately.

PyrosNine · 03-15-2011, 04:39 PM

Nein emerged from the back of the shadows, adjusted his hat, and walked silently, wordlessly out of the carriage. Nein looked around, as if he'd just walked into a new saloon and was looking for the best place to sit.

Raiden · 03-15-2011, 11:21 PM

Nikolas looked up from where he sat in the corner. None of the thin wooden seats in the cell were big enough for him, not to mention the risk of their cheap material breaking under his weight. As the light from the open door cascaded across the floor and lit up Nik's feet, he slowly began to get up from his position.

He hated this cell. Too many moving people inside it. They were all talking, sleeping, eating, whining, breathing...all the things that annoyed him in living people. He just wanted to get back to his graveyard and back to his friends. Jeremiah was probably getting smelly from being left out in the sun for so long. His skin would be too much like leather, it'd itch an awful lot. And Marigold was supposed to go on a date with Lil' Hitchins but she must have missed it by now!

His left foot trudged a bit as he dragged along an iron clasped to a heavy ball wrapped around his ankle. It was a vain hope to slow down his movements, probably more for the guard's health of mind than actual handicapping. His hands were empty, and he didn't like that. As he exited from the cell, only one thing crossed his mind.

I needs mah shovel.

batgirl · 03-16-2011, 07:59 PM

Sam looked at the open door, it was now or never. The guards had his things, which he definitely wanted back, but he could defend himself just fine without them. He fished into his pocket and found a hand rolled cigarette and his timber. Putting it on his lip he struck the timber and lit the cancer stick. Inhaling deeply, he slowly walked out of the cage, his hands at his sides.

Overcast · 03-20-2011, 07:52 PM

Outside the blinding light eased down on your eyes, and the scene was laid bare. The New Mexico plateau was absent, red rocks and cracked ground, and it was moving. The first outlaws hadn't noticed that last little detail and tumbled as they charged out the open door. The guard might not have noticed the escape till it was too late if it weren't for the sound of those three crashing to the ground.

Honestly he was amused to start, the first guy rolled his ankle and out of spite grabbed onto the other two. And they were kicking him trying to get away. Then two of the three biggest fuckers they caught sumbled out without tripping on their own asses,

"Cletus! Karl! We got a break!"

The driver struggled to force the damn thing to a stop, but there was still a lot of weight so he had to be steady or else he was going to run over his horses. The other guard pulled back and maneuvered around the cart to the squabbling trio, the last one made a move for the cage door. He wasn't sure how it opened but if he could get it closed again that'd keep them to just those two gorillas.

If he was lucky he wouldn't need to shoot anyone. If not...

03-11-2011, 05:27 PM	#1
Overcast Cinderella Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Trespassing in the graveyard Posts: 3,076	Midnight Glow: When Opportunity Clicks Northwestern New Mexico, winter of 1880, and you have been stuck in this damn cage for what feels like forever. For some this eternity was driven by nerves, the knowledge of their crimes and the inevitable punishment. The gallows would wait for you, and they would be ready to draw a crowd when you arrived. Some were of irritation, the idea that their crimes weren't nearly so bad and they should have been able to get away, but now they were likely going to get sent to some odd prison to rot until they either found their way out or actually served their sentence. For Ernesto this eternity was spent muttering to himself in amusement. Little words mumbled between chuckles about how he never washed his hair, how nobody ever really looked there, how they always underestimated him. Unseen to most he'd drawn a little bobby pin from the unwashed mass he called a beard that looked at the time similar to wood. Unseen to most he'd started working at the lock of the door for quite some time, the complexity a bit more than he was used to without his good picks, but possible. They had given him more than enough time to work with, though he had been interrupted once or twice by new captures. And while he had somehow kept it secret to most, he could not hide his victory. A resounding click, similar to the sound it made when the key turned and locked them away, ran through the cage and created a very sudden silence, before the fat Mexican let out a simple phrase, "It's open." He said this because he knew the people he was around. Some of them needed a vocal reassurance, and more than a few were quite impulsive. With this little encouragement more than a few dashed for the exit. Ernesto simply grinned and got out of their way, after all if he was getting away he was going to need a distraction. The light from the sudden opening was blinding, but outside was the possibility of freedom. Outside was the possibility of recapture. Outside was the possibility of death. What would you do? __________________ Time to bust out the glow sticks!

03-12-2011, 02:03 AM	#2
mauve So Dreamy Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Someplace magical Posts: 6,863	"It's open." Zeke stared blankly as the door creaked open. "Yes." he said. "It is." Wheels were turning very slowly in Zeke's head. This situation provided an unusual quandry to the thief. Not particularly a moral one, but more a question of self-preservation. On the one hand, he could take the obvious route and make a run for freedom. Of course, there was the very real threat of getting shot, or getting chased down by men on horses, or getting caught again and sent to the gallows for resisting arrest or escaping incarceration, or getting caught by these other criminals and forced into being a fall-guy so they could escape or collect whatever bounty he had on him. On the other hand, he could sit here and let the others run away. Maybe he'd get a reduced sentence for being honest. Or maybe they'd just drag him off to prison and kill him anyway. Choices. Zeke wondered how many charges these law men had against him. Sure, Zeke knew every crime he committed, but he wasn't quite sure how much THEY knew. More importantly, he didn't know how severe his punishment might be. That was the part that made him nervous. If this was about that horses he sold last week, he could probably talk his way out of that one. But that whole train fiasco... That would be significantly harder to work around. ....who was he kidding. Of course this was about the train. The glimmering light of day beckoned. "Right," he said, staring hypnotized at the open door. "Who's going first?" __________________ Yoo Hoo!

03-12-2011, 02:52 AM	#3
Toastburner B Toasty has left the building Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Hiding...because I don't want to die. Posts: 3,936	"Right. Who's going first?" Peter McHayes eyed the door with the same cold stare he addressed every situation with. He knew they had him for murder and that he was essentially a dead man if he stayed, but he also figured enough wanted men in here that there had to be a deputy or two outside with a repeater just waiting for someone to make a fool move like this. No, sir. Pete wasn't about to go first. His eyes wandered around the room and stopped on the Mexican who had opened the door in the first place. "How 'bout you, friend? You went through the trouble of opening the door for us, it's only right that you be the first to taste freedom." he said. __________________ I came, I saw, I got team-killed. A lot. Last edited by Toastburner B; 03-12-2011 at 02:56 AM.

03-13-2011, 02:29 AM	#4
Krylo The Straightest Shota Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: It's a secret to everybody. Posts: 17,789	Peter finished his sentence just as some of the more easily excitable cons finished blinking the light from their eyes and charged out into the sunlight beyond, obviously a bit less cautious than the group who sat in the back discussing whether or not to run out. Jim, however, found himself somewhere in between. He knew that he was dead if he stayed, and he knew he was likely dead if he left, but likely dead was better than dead. And besides, those fools who ran would need someone to keep the marshalls busy, and so he stood up and walked out of the cage without a word and with little excitement. Though he did hold his arms out with his hands up in the universal sign of resigned surrender as soon as he exited, before his eyes had even adjusted to the light. He hoped it would keep him from getting shot immediately. He also hoped someone would come within grabbing distance with their gun out. His only chances were to flee, or get a weapon and kill them before they killed him. ...And they had his father's rifle so running wasn't really an option. ----------- OOC: OC says there are NPCs. They bolted nigh immediately. __________________ I am very tired. Last edited by Krylo; 03-13-2011 at 03:15 AM.

03-15-2011, 04:39 PM	#5
PyrosNine Zettai Hero Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: A figment of my own imagination Posts: 6,103	Nein emerged from the back of the shadows, adjusted his hat, and walked silently, wordlessly out of the carriage. Nein looked around, as if he'd just walked into a new saloon and was looking for the best place to sit. __________________ Pyrosnine.blogspot.com: An experimental blog of writing. Updated possibly daily. Possibly. A fair chance. Current Works for reading: War Between them, Karma Police. PyrosNine: Weirdo Magnet Extraordinaire!

03-15-2011, 11:21 PM	#6
Raiden Just a passing through veteran Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: On your couch. Yes? Posts: 5,327	Nikolas looked up from where he sat in the corner. None of the thin wooden seats in the cell were big enough for him, not to mention the risk of their cheap material breaking under his weight. As the light from the open door cascaded across the floor and lit up Nik's feet, he slowly began to get up from his position. He hated this cell. Too many moving people inside it. They were all talking, sleeping, eating, whining, breathing...all the things that annoyed him in living people. He just wanted to get back to his graveyard and back to his friends. Jeremiah was probably getting smelly from being left out in the sun for so long. His skin would be too much like leather, it'd itch an awful lot. And Marigold was supposed to go on a date with Lil' Hitchins but she must have missed it by now! His left foot trudged a bit as he dragged along an iron clasped to a heavy ball wrapped around his ankle. It was a vain hope to slow down his movements, probably more for the guard's health of mind than actual handicapping. His hands were empty, and he didn't like that. As he exited from the cell, only one thing crossed his mind. I needs mah shovel. __________________ I have a signature. It's a really cool one, too. It's so awesome, you'd pull your eyes out and punch your mother. Sadly, these rules state that my signature is just too darned big. Too much awesome for such a small space. Oh well. You can still punch your mother...if you want... Fifth and Krylo made me do it. http://www.animecubed.com/billy/user...sigs/60266.jpg Be the Ultimate Ninja! Play Billy Vs. SNAKEMAN today!

03-16-2011, 07:59 PM	#7
batgirl Aim for the top! Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: The Infield Posts: 2,583	Sam looked at the open door, it was now or never. The guards had his things, which he definitely wanted back, but he could defend himself just fine without them. He fished into his pocket and found a hand rolled cigarette and his timber. Putting it on his lip he struck the timber and lit the cancer stick. Inhaling deeply, he slowly walked out of the cage, his hands at his sides.

03-20-2011, 07:52 PM	#8
Overcast Cinderella Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Trespassing in the graveyard Posts: 3,076	Outside the blinding light eased down on your eyes, and the scene was laid bare. The New Mexico plateau was absent, red rocks and cracked ground, and it was moving. The first outlaws hadn't noticed that last little detail and tumbled as they charged out the open door. The guard might not have noticed the escape till it was too late if it weren't for the sound of those three crashing to the ground. Honestly he was amused to start, the first guy rolled his ankle and out of spite grabbed onto the other two. And they were kicking him trying to get away. Then two of the three biggest fuckers they caught sumbled out without tripping on their own asses, "Cletus! Karl! We got a break!" The driver struggled to force the damn thing to a stop, but there was still a lot of weight so he had to be steady or else he was going to run over his horses. The other guard pulled back and maneuvered around the cart to the squabbling trio, the last one made a move for the cage door. He wasn't sure how it opened but if he could get it closed again that'd keep them to just those two gorillas. If he was lucky he wouldn't need to shoot anyone. If not... __________________ Time to bust out the glow sticks!