Author's Note: Hey guys, it's me. Lol duh. Anywho I've had the idea of writing a song fic for the song Shine Your Light by Robbie Robertson ever since I heard it on the Ladder 49 soundtrack. It's so mellow and everything I love it. Anyway here's my attempt at a song fic. It reminded me of the outsiders, the last few moments before Dallas dies. I just had to write this. Hope it doesn't come out lame or anything, it is a song fic but tell me what you think. Personally I think I'll be sticking to stories but this had to be written. You know how it is. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Don't own the outsiders or this beautiful song. So please, be nice, don't sue.
Shine Your Light
Dallas watched with a glassy look in his eyes as Johnny Cade took his last breath. His chest fell so suddenly, that Dally hadn't notice his friend had left. He waited for the next breath, for the familiar rise in the sheets as oxygen would fill his weak lungs, but nothing came. The bed laid still and the eyes never opened on the battered face. Ponyboy was somewhere in the room, shifting his weight anxiously, sucking in harsh rapid breaths.
"So, this is what you get huh?" Dally felt the tears coming now; there was no way of stopping them. "This is what you get for helping people?"
Stomach churning, Dallas felt his legs weakening beneath him. A cold sweat was beginning to spread on his arched back while the pain, the gut wrenching agony of losing another friend became clear in his mind. His loose hands quickly formed into tight meaty fists that he hid in his leather coat pockets. The black handled switchblade rubbed against his knuckles. Two-bit's blade he'd borrowed before the rumble. Dally grabbed hold of it firmly in his right fist and turned away from Johnny's lifeless form.
Pony stood silently watching as Dallas began to break down in front of him. The tough persona faded away into the nothingness surrounding them. Numb, was all Dallas felt, he needed to get away. Tulsa wasn't home anymore, it was nothing. Something inside him pushed him to run, to escape this clean building with the white walls and squeaky shoes.
Without so much as a grunt, the platinum hared greaser stumbled out of the room. Feet slipping against the newly polished floors as they made their way towards the red neon exit sign.
The cry of the city like a siren't song
Wailing over the rooftops the whole night long
Saw a shooting star like a diamond in the sky
Must be someone's soul passing by
The phone rang half an hour later, echoing through the uneasy silence in Curtis house. Darry stood, inches away from a swaying Ponyboy, face a mix of blood and dirt. Darry's eyes shifted, from Soda to Pony, wondering what should be done. Johnny was gone. They'd never see him again; never comfort him after being beaten down. They'd never play football together, or visit the nightly double. Johnny, it was what everyone was thinking. The phone's shrill cry sounded through the stillness, urging them to answer it. The high pitched wail slowly grew more desperate with every ring.
Darry had to be strong, just like when his parents died. The rest of the gang needed him. He was the eldest; it was his job to watch out for his younger brothers and his friends; now more than ever. He sighed and picked up the black phone, receiver to his mouth.
"Yeah?"
"Darry?"
Heavy breathing reached his ears. On the other line Dallas stood, outside a gas station only a ten minute walk from the Curtis'. Red and blue lights cut through the darkness, slowly edging their way near him.
"Darrel?"
"Yeah?"
"It's Dally."
The rest of the gang, stood leaning in doorways or up against walls, straining their ears to listen to the brief conversation between Darry and the mysterious person on the other end of the phone. Whatever colour was left in Darry's face was now depleting with every word the person said. Pony trembled not out of cold, but out of fear of what would happen next.
Darry nodded to the air around him and shot a glance at the gang. Steve immediately straightened himself up, no longer resting in the doorway he made his way towards Darry just as the phone was hung up.
"That was Dallas. He just knocked over a store, we gotta hide him."
These are the streets
Where we used to run where your Papa's from
These are the days
Where you become what you become
These are the streets
Where the story's told
The truth unfolds
Darkness settles in
The five greasers made their way down the silent Tulsa streets. Darkness hid them from most of the wandering people, and only the rhythmic slapping of their shoes against the wet pavement could be heard as they made their way around the last corners. The park would start to show in their line of sight soon.
Pony felt that nauseating feeling of uncertainty and dread rising up in his stomach once again, overcoming him for a moment before he forced it back inside himself. With pleading eyes he looked from Darry to Soda, each one standing on either side of him. How could they look so calm, he wondered. They must have been just as scared as he was. Two-bit had a forced grin on his face while Steve's remained cold; a bleak void of any emotion. Johnny's image lying in the bed, cold and pale came to mind. He tried to shake the feeling, loosing his equilibrium and stumbled forward. No one noticed. Ponyboy regained his footing quickly, not completely toppling over and fell into line with the rest of the gang. Just over the hill, the outline of trees could be seen.
Shine your light down on me
Lift me up so i can see
Shine your light when you're gone
Give me the strength
To carry on, carry on
Dallas dropped the pay phone back on the receiver and ran before he had anymore time to think. Tears were making their way down the sides of his cheeks and he couldn't help but just shamefully wipe them away. His head ached and his body throbbed from every limb, he was falling apart inside and out. Johnny didn't leave him, it wasn't possible. He half expected to find the tiny greaser, huddled in a tight ball of bruised flesh and blood in the lot as he jogged on by. There were a few littered newspapers and an old couch that no one had ever bothered to move, but no Johnnycake. Dally bit back a whimper, he was too tough for this kinda shit.
He paused, looking down at the empty couch. So many times he'd seen the young greaser there, asleep and afraid to return home, then together the two of them would wander on over to the Curtis house at one in the morning, passing out on the warm carpet or in the spare bed.
Reaching into his coat, Dallas felt the empty gun in the inside pocket. Just for show, that's what he had wanted it for. It's what he'd told Pony and Johnny back at the Dairy Queen in Windrixville. It had seemed that years had passed since the time he'd helped them hop a train out of Tulsa and now. Standing alone in the lot the sound of police sirens sounded through the bitter wind, closing in on him by the second. Johnny would never be coming back. Could he live without the kid? It was then Dallas realized that all the nights he'd gone to rescue the dark hared boy from the loneliness of the lot, all those times the boy had needed him, Dally had needed him too. Something about having someone to keep watch over, even though he rarely showed it. To have someone idolize him as if he were some hero just without the tights, it made everything that he did seem worth a damn. The reputation, the fights, the cold glares, without having Johnny there to admire that then what was it worth. It was just a bit of respect he'd loose as surely as he started to grow too old for gangs and a new punk came to town and took his title. It wasn't worth a fucking dime anymore.
Dallas pushed away whatever uncertainty he'd had within himself before, and proudly flashed the gun in front of his chest. He knew what had to be done. Starting off at a light walk, Dally left the lot and quickened his pace until in turned into a run. Air rushed past his face, cool and refreshing. He saw the gang from out of the corner of his eyes, inching their way slowly up the hill. From the other side he watched as a couple of black and whites parked along side each other. The fuzz got out, one by one from each cruiser, guns out just as his was. He held it close to his side for a moment and stopped running. He was close enough to his pals, the guys he'd spent a good lifetime with and the cops, the men he'd spent a good lifetime hassling and running from.
The black object rose above his shoulders, pointed in the direction of the police. The eyes of the gang widened and Pony felt himself knocked back with realization of what Dallas was about to do. Everything froze for a split second and then the silence was broken.
Don't wanna be a hero
Just an everyday man
Trying to do the job the very best he can
But now it's like living on borrowed time
Out on the rim, over the line
Always tempting fate like a game of chance
Never wanna stick around to the very last dance
Sometimes i stumble and take a hard fall
Loose(?) hold your grip off the wall
Shine your light down on me
Lift me up so i can see
Shine your light when you're gone
Give me the strength to carry on
Carry on
Dallas was dead before his body hit the ground. His chest and arms were riddled with bullets and the empty heater slipped out of his sweaty palms, landing on the grass by his feet. A grim smile spread across his lips and then, he bent backwards and fell in a heap of leatherand grease. That was all that remained of the famous Dallas Winston after the fuzz had finished with him.
Pony swayed about behind the rest of the gang. Steve stumbled forward in disbelief and ended up with his knees hitting roughly on the cement. Soda reached out a reassuring hand, holding onto his buddy from behind and resting a strong grip on his shoulders. Steve's body shook as violent tremors wracked his body. Darry rubbed his sore eyes and turned to Two-bit who for once could think of nothing to say. His rusty curls hung in mid air as the cold breeze wrapped itself around him. Soda was sobbing and soothing Steve, just inches away from them Pony was loosing his touch on consciousness. Not two in one nighthe thought desperately. It wasn't fair, but somehow that must have been how Dallas had wanted it. And Dallas Winston always got the last say.
I thought i saw him walking by the side of the road
Maybe trying to find his way home
He's here but not here
He's gone but not gone
Just hope he knows if I get lost
Shine your light down on me
Lift me up so i can see
Shine your light when you're gone
Give me the strength to carry on
To carry on
Author's Note: Okay so that's my attempt at a song fic. Kinda crappy but i had to write it. Tell me what you think. The song is so wonderful though i love it and if you can download it. Anyway i'm out, gotta get some homework done some time tonight. lol later