Head Held High: The Last Duel of Danny Stephens

A Western Short Story

“You comin’ out or what?”

The sheriff stared out the dusty window of his cramped office. His gaze settled on the source of the growling voice, the imposing figure in the town square.

Danny Stephens had been the law in this small frontier town for nearly thirty years. When he first pinned that shiny star on his chest, he was filled with a sense of invincibility, a belief that justice and honor would always win. Over time, that optimism had eroded, worn away by the unyielding winds of reality, leaving him a grizzled man in his 50s, filled with more regrets than he cared to count.

Today, those regrets weighed heavier on him than ever before. Just an hour ago, this notorious gunslinger rode into town. The man was known for as a living embodiment of death and chaos. And he was here for one reason — to free his brother, whom Danny had locked up for a string of brutal murders.

The outlaw had given Danny an ultimatum: release his brother by noon, or face a duel in the town square.

Hands trembling, Danny loaded his Colt. He knew he couldn’t release a murderer, but he also knew he was outmatched.

His thoughts wandered to his father, a man he never reconciled with. One of a thousand…