Gray light filtered through the narrow windows of Ironwood State Prison. The kind of pale, reluctant morning light that barely seemed to touch the cold walls. It was as if even the sun hesitated to witness what was about to happen. Guards moved in quiet, deliberate patterns, their boots echoing against worn concrete floors painted in a dull shade of statsue blue.

 Inside one of the secure isolation cells, a man lay shackled to a narrow steel cot. His name was Elijah Eli Mercer, 43 years old, convicted of murder, scheduled to die in less than 4 hours. A single bulb buzzed overhead, casting a sickly glow on his exhausted face. His eyes were open, bloodshot, not from fear, had passed fear long ago, but from sleeplessness.

He had barely slept the past week, knowing each night might be his last. At dawn, they would move him to the final holding chamber of sterile white room adjacent to the execution chamber. 2 hours after that, they’d strap him down and inject the cocktail that would end his life. No family would be there, no friends, just Reverend Clayton Morse, the soft-spoken chaplain who had visited him a few times a week for the past year.

 And yet Eli had held on to one final wish. He had repeated it every morning and every night to the guards who rotated past his cell. “I want to see Samson before I go,” he whispered again that morning, barely audible. “Samson was his dog jet black German Shepherd with a streak of white on his chest. Adopted from shelter three years before Eli’s arrest, Samson had once been everything to him.

 His protector, his confidant, his reason to come home after long shifts at the warehouse. Since his imprisonment, Eli hadn’t seen him once. The door at the end of the hallway creaked open. A woman stepped into view. Warden Tessa Montro. Her dark blazer was crisp. Her expression, as always, was unreadable. though this morning something softer flickered behind her eyes.

 “Mercer,” she said, standing just beyond the bars. “You know, final requests have to be approved through the department, and we don’t usually allow animals inside the facility.” Eli sat up on his c, the chains clinking. His voice was with my fiance, Lacy. I think I think she still has him. The warden hesitated.

 I’ll see what I can do, but I can’t promise anything. He nodded because nodding took less effort than pleading. He was too tired to beg, too hollow. The only thing that kept him tethered to this earth anymore was the image of Samson sprinting through the old neighborhood park, leash dragging behind him. Outside, a crowd had already begun to form at the prison gates.

Protesters, reporters, bystanders who didn’t know Eli didn’t care about the trial details, but had signs anyway. Justice for Amelia Knox on one side and abolished the death penalty on the other. To them, he was either a monster or a martyr. Neither felt accurate. Back in the city, in a small rented house just off Carson Street, Lacy Coleman stood in her kitchen, her phone resting face down on the counter.

 She hadn’t slept. The morning news had confirmed what she feared today was the day Eli Mercer would be executed. In the corner on a tattered dog bed lay Samson now graying slightly around the muzzle. The German Shepherd was still alert, still watching. His eyes tracked Lacy’s every move.

 She dropped to her knees beside him, pressing her forehead against his. “You miss him, don’t you?” she whispered. “You know he didn’t do it.” Samson gave a soft whine as if in agreement. The trial had been a mess. There was a partial fingerprint, a questionable, motivome business dispute with a victim, a wealthy man named Julian Kates, but it had never made sense to Lacy.

 Eli had no history of violence. The timeline didn’t add up, and the testimony that sunk him had come from a neighbor with a record of false reports and a grudge over a property line. Her phone rang. “Hello,” she answered quickly. “Miss Coleman, this is Warden Montrose from Ironwood Prison.” Lacy’s heart seized. “No,” the warden said gently. “There’s no stay.

 The execution is proceeding.” “But Mister Mercer has requested to see his dog. He believes Samson is with you.” Lacy could barely speak. “Yes, he’s here. If you can get him to the facility within the next 90 minutes,” Montrose said, “We’ll allow the visit.” Lacy’s voice cracked. Well be there. She hung up and looked at Samson, who was now on his feet, sensing her urgency.

 You’re going to see him, boy, she choked out, clipping the leash onto his collar. One more time. The drive to Ironwood was a blur of red lights and speeding on near empty roads. As dawn broke, the sun painted the sky with a swirl of coral and lavender. Samson rode silently in the back seat, his ears perked. Lacy gripped the wheel and muttered to herself, “Please don’t be too late.

” At the prison gate, a guard waved them through after confirming their names. Another escorted them to a secure entrance. “You’ll wait here,” he said, nodding to Lacy. “We’ll bring him in.” Lacy crouched and hugged Samson tightly. “You’re about to be the only piece of joy he gets. Okay, make it count.” Inside, Eli had been moved to the white tiled holding cell adjacent to the execution room.

 The walls glowed with fluorescent light. A cheeseburger sat untouched on a tray beside him his final meal. He had ordered it because it reminded him of the day he and Lacy adopted Samson. When the door opened and he saw them, Lacy and the dough almost collapsed. “Samson,” he breathed as the dog leapt forward, yelping in recognition.

 The guards tensed, but the warden held up a hand. Let them be. The German Shepherd wrapped his body around Eli, tail wagging frantically, whining, licking his face. Eli dropped to his knees, burying his face into the thick fur, sobbing openly. Lacy stood in the doorway, trembling. “You look so tired,” she said. He looked up at her.

 “You came?” “Of course I did.” The warden cleared her throat. “15 minutes. Thank you,” Eli whispered. Samson barked once, and the sound sharp and joyous broke, something open in all of them. Back in the city, in a quiet office lit by a single desk lamp, an aging detective named Marcus Hail sat hunched over an old file.

 He had been a lead investigator on a Mercer case 5 years earlier. And for 5 years, something hadn’t sat right. This morning, unable to ignore it anymore, he reopened the evidence archive. What he found stunned him. A second forensic report never submitted to the court, indicating that an unidentified footprint was found at the scene, a print not belonging to Eli, nor the victim, and gunpowder residue inconsistent with the murder weapon, which had been a knife.

 His hands trembled. He called his contact in digital forensics. I need location pings from Julian Kates’s phone. Night of a murder. You’re 2 hours late, Marcus. The voice on the other end said, “Try anyway.” At the prison, time was slipping. The chaplain stood outside the door. “It’s time,” he said softly. Lacy kissed Eli’s forehead and tried to speak, but no words came.

 She unclipped Samson’s leash. The dog whimpered, refusing to move. “Let him stay a few more minutes,” Eli begged. The warden, after a long pause, nodded. I’ll wait outside, Lacy said, brushing away tears. But I’ll be here. I’ll be right here, she stepped out. Eli sat with Samson, petting behind his ears, whispering memories.

 You remember the park, the lake? How you used to dig holes like you were looking for treasure. The dog rested his head in Eli’s lap, sighing. And then another knock. The door opened. The warden entered with a phone, pressed her ear. Wait, she said. Detective Hails found something. The governor’s office is requesting an immediate review.

Execution is delayed. 2 hours minimum. Furot. Lacy burst back in breathless. They’re looking at the case again. He blinked. You’re saying I’m not dying today. The warden’s eyes softened. Not today. As Samson licked Eli’s cheek, Eli closed his eyes and whispered, “Thank you.

” Outside, protesters and reporters received the news. The crowd swelled, chants changed, phones rang. Back in the city, hail received confirmation. The location data placed a known fixer Ethan Greavves at the murder site minutes before the crime. Greavves had ties to Kates’s business partners, known for laundering and fraud. Hail sent the files directly to the governor’s legal council and the district attorney’s office.

 45 minutes later, Ward Montro returned to Eli’s cell. “We’ve been granted a full 48 hour stay. Investigation reopened. Lacy clutched his hand. “Does that mean I’m going home?” he asked. “It means you have a chance,” the warden said. 2 days later, after a hastily scheduled hearing, the judge vacated Eli’s conviction. Prosecutors admitted critical evidence had been suppressed.

 Charges were dropped. Eli Mercer walked out of court, a free man. Outside in the blinding sun, Samson leapt into his arms. Lacy embraced them both. They didn’t stop for interviews. They drove home. Weeks passed. Investigations continued. The fixer was arrested. The businessman behind the cover up were indicted. The detective who had reopened the file was hailed as a hero.

 Ward Montro quietly retired. her final act of mercy now part of statewide reform discussions. Eli and Lacy rebuilt their life slowly. He struggled with freedom with the fear that it might vanish again. But each morning Samson nudged him awake. Each evening they walked beside the creek like they had always dreamed. On one such morning, Eli turned to Lacy.

 “Let’s get another dog,” he said. She smiled. “For Samson?” “No,” he replied. for us. She took his hand. Let’s start over. They walked on, footprints pressing in his soft earth. The past behind them, the future open. And Samsale high, eyes bright, led the