text: [Themes: historical, science fiction, western, horror, historical, fantasy]
  
  There is a large gathering of people behind the jail. The people are eagerly waiting for the woman to be hanged, for the event is far behind schedule. Earlier in the week, she threw some rather vile curses to the judge and spit in his face as he pronounced the death sentence upon her. She wasn't surprised, for the jury had decided even before the trial began. She was a newcomer and an unmarried woman which was not a good combination. Her pleas for innocence were not heard, since the jury would not trust the frantic cries of a woman. Her conviction, however, was damning. Murdering a child is particularly evil.
  
  She decided to see everything and not be covered by a sack as so many others chose. She screams at the crowd that she's innocent, yet they know otherwise. A man swats the horse which she is on, so the horse runs away. Then, she is suspended. The event is over; however, the child is not avenged. His step-father will never be convicted nor suspected of murder.
  
  Though the blood flow is reduced from her head causing her to go limp, she is still alive as all others are from this method. It takes seventeen minutes for her to finally die from strangulation.
  
  Overlooking the city staring perplexed at the violent execution filling the air with piercing screams of actual innocence are four riders. All of them expected a warm meal tonight, but now their expectations are wavering in the face of the violence. Their leader, a tall fellow by the name of Billy Joe, shifts in his saddle. The other three have already dismounted with some having sore rears due to their inexperience. Billy Joe turns to his brethren.
  
  "What do y'all think of that?" asks the leader. Nonetheless, there is no reply by the others. They instead catch the last of the screams before it disappears into the westerly winds. "The screams making you offish?" He slides off of the horse, and his spurs jingle ever so slightly.
  
  "Sorry sir," says Runt. "I'm thinkin' this'll get us beefed instead of full." The shadow of Billy Joe towers over her lowered head. She lifts her hat up so it no longer blocks his face from her cool gaze. "That's a mighty odd thing to do. Well, to kill a lady, don't you think? I mean, we're strangers to 'em..."
  
  "Bosh," interrupts Virgil, "I'm played out. There ain't no way in Hell that I'm gonna be out of a bed and a good meal out of the fears of a shave tail." Runt's clenches her fist, but keeps her fiery words from escaping her lips. Virgil doesn't look at her and instead stares at the spectacle below. His entire body is covered in the brown of dirt or that of his tattered clothes. In fact, most civilized people would make him take his dust off before he'd enter their homes, though he would refuse of course.
  
  Billy Joe looks to Virgil and back to Runt. He lets out a sigh inaudible to the other three, for he's been keeping the group peaceful for far too long. He feels as if they're standing in a dark room with gunpowder on the floor. Everyone is lighting matches to see around them, but he's the only one with enough sense to blow out the flames over and over again.
  
  He states, "Well, you two made it your positions heard. Slim, what about you?"
  
  Slim does not turn to look at his companions from the path that they were on. "I'm fine," he remarks. A look of annoyance grippes the others, but the lanky man does not seem to care. Instead, he lights his last cigarette.
  
  "Since Slim beat the Devil around the stump again, I suppose I'll make the choice if y'all want," says Billy Joe. Virgil nods. "In that case, let's go see the elephant." Runt groans, but she remounts her horse. So do the other two.
  
  The four ride to the town with hopes of a pillow to comfort their dreams tonight. Ahead of them, the sun is kissing the horizon, and its red fire is cut in half by the now wispy smoke. The woman's still living body hangs limp.
  
  > Into Town
  The four reach the edge of town. A young boy sees them and runs off to the center of town, and Billy Joe notices this. His eyes jump from window to window though he thinks they'll be safe. If he wasn't sweating already, his hands would have begun to sweat.
  
  "Curses, it's one of them bally sheriffs here," complains Virgil loud enough for anybody close by to hear. Billy Joe, Runt, and Slim look at him for a moment. They follow his glum gaze to a sign that reads: All Guns to Sheriff. "Dull reformers, that's what they are."
  
  The boy reappears emerging from a building in the town square, but this time he is accompanied by a man carrying a rifle. Runt is the first to see the gun, but Virgil is the first to draw. He does not fire his own rifle, but his fellow travelers do the same. Runt just dismounts her horse.
  
  The man with the boy shouts, "Drop your weapons!" Townspeople including the boy are running indoors for none are armed. Other men emerge at the town square holding rifles. The faces of the two groups are obscured from each other die to the failing light and their distance.
  
  "Are you the sheriff?" shouts Billy Joe. His heart thumps in his ears. In his mind, he tells himself that he is too old for this now, but the same old drive keeps his composure for onlookers to see.
  
  "I am. Y'all can't be heeled here. Give me your guns, and it'll be fine," he says. Slim puts his away before the sheriff finished his sentence, and Billy Joe was moments behind. Virgil lays the rifle on his lap and spurs his horse to a trot. One by one, they surrender their weapons except for Runt who had nothing to give. The deputies walk off into different directions with one taking the guns to the jail.
  
  "I apologize for the shindy," says Billy Joe to the man who is young enough to be his son. "We saw the burning. I suppose we were on edge." The three others leave to what appears to be a tavern.
  
  "No, I get it. That was a grisly sight, but she was a goner for what she did. Enjoy yourself, but don't be too roostered. I like my peace." Billy Joe nods and leaves the sheriff standing alone in the street. The sheriff wipes the sweat from his brow with a red handkerchief. When Billy Joe enters the tavern, the sheriff walks back into his jail. He leans back in his chair and tries to sleep for even a few minutes before his services will be needed.
  
  As Billy Joe steps inside, he is hit with the stench of perfume and alcohol. He breathes in with a mighty huff, and a smile is formed under his mustache. The bar is filled with customers drinking at the bar or playing cards around tables. Several women are at the arms of men, though their dresses indicate they're of a more reputable character.
  
  Runt and Slim are sitting at a four-man table. Another seat had Virgil's hat on it, and the table had a bottle for each of the two travelers. They were sipping on them merrily, for the two have desired Sassafras tea for weeks despite the puzzled looks from other patrons. In the middle of the table sits a basket of rolls that have been baked earlier in the morning.
  
  Billy Joe sits at the bar, and Virgil sits next to him. He passes one of his two beers to his comrade in arms. They sip it together without saying a word. Their own thoughts are almost drowned out by the noise of the room. Men and women alike avoid the two, but it is not out of fear. Instead, they see the sag in their shoulders, their dirty clothes, and their grizzled hands.
  
  They sit there for hours drinking, eating, and attempting to rejuvenate their bodies. The moon rises high in the sky.
  
  > Billy Joe
  Billy Joe stands up and moans as his back makes popping sounds. His head has a slight buzz, but he can tell that the others are already gone. The man puts his last dollar on the table and leaves. He pushes open the doors and looks for the others' horses. He sees the horses all next to each other. The aging man shakes his head and walks to the building.
  
  As he steps on the front porch, he loses his sense of balance. He sits on the porch and waits for the feeling to pass, but he sees the world spinning with him.
  
  The sheriff and Virgil stumble out of the jail. The sheriff leans over a handrail and spews his chili towards the ground below him. It splatters on the ground, and the sheriff wipes the residue on his mouth with his arm. The sounds of vomiting echo throughout the town.
  
  "Does this happen much, sheriff?" asks Billy Joe. The sheriff only shakes his head. Billy Joe rubs his forehead, for his head now pounds with his heartbeats. It's as though a plank of wood was hit across his skull, and he wonders if something dangerous was in the town's water. "Virgil, where'd the other two wander to?" Virgil shakes his head as well.
  
  "Damned stumped fools," Billy Joe mutters to himself. He stands and wobbles down the road passing unfamiliar faces left and right. All are frightened, but none are the two he's after. He's driven by an obligation that he cannot forget.
  
  I apologize for the nausea and other symptoms, but they will abate soon.
  
  Shouts claiming to hear the Devil or Jesus, gasps, and the rapid swiveling of heads grip the townspeople. They all have a single thought, "Who spoke those words?" The voice was loud like fingernails on a chalkboard. Its tone was as if it was underwater which distorted any emotion that might have bleed through. The voice was as mysterious to the people as the speaker.
  
  Now, I will give all of you an ultimatum. Kill me. It's really simple, so the rules of our little game shouldn't be forgotten. If you fail to kill me by sunrise, then I'll kill the rest of you townspeople.
  
  Shouts for wives and children come everywhere. Men rush to the jail, for their nausea has ended. They do not know what to do, yet they know they'll need a gun for it.
  
  "Stop now!" shouts the sheriff, "Boys, get up here." He motions to his deputies, and they stand on the porch with him. "Before any of you say anything, I think that Tommy is up to this somehow, but I don't want no shootin' at ghosts. That voice is on the shoot, so we'll give him some. He's hiding somewhere. Look for a stranger hiding somewhere here. If you are a stranger, then come to me so we don't shoot you by mistake. Men, ten of you will go with a deputy."
  
  Billy Joe, Virgil, and a few other men all walk up to the sheriff. The lawman points to one of the men and says, "You's the only one that I don't know. You causing the fuss?"
  
  The man has his eyes open up as wide as two apples. He stammers, "N-No sir, I'm a granger from o'er the river. I d-don't get kick up a row or get full as a tick, and I've never been h-heeled. I'm a Quaker. As the Lord as my w-witness, I'm a quiet man."
  
  The sheriff shrugs saying, "I guess that's why I didn't see ya. No guns." The Quaker nods. "Well, y'all are stayin' with me... Hey, where's the Mexican?"
  
  "Runt and Slim were with us," says Billy Joe, "They're both real quiet, but I don't know where they wandered off to."
  
  The sheriff looks around and shrugs. He says, "The lot of you'll be with me. You," He points at Billy Joe. "Go find them two."
  
  Billy Joe marches away. He racks his head for where they could be.
  
  > To the Hotel
  He rushes to the hotel. Maybe Runt or Slim wished to rest after eating. He pushes open the doors to the old hotel. There is a man inside that is pacing back and forth in front of the welcome desk. The man is approximately Billy Joe's age.
  
  "Have you seen a tall, skinny man or a small young woman?" he asks.
  
  The man replies, "If one's Mexican, yes, room sixteen and seventeen I believe."
  
  "Thank you." Billy Joe climbs the stairs though his legs groan. He arrives at the doors to room sixteen and seventeen. The man bangs on one of the doors as his mind races with scenarios. What if she is somewhere else? What if the voice killed her?
  
  "Who is it?" Runt calls. The voice is muffled, but he knows it is her. He sighs in relief knowing that she is still safe.
  
  "It's Billy Joe," he replies. He hears a slight thump. The door opens without being unlocked. Her face greets him on the other side of the doorway. She looks drowsy instead of frightened. Behind her, the room appears as if nobody is occupying it, and there is no trace of the violent intruder. "Did you hear the voice?" he asks. Did she sleep through both the nausea and the booming threat? Her face scrunches up as she always does when confused.
  
  "I was asleep," she answers. Behind her, one of the bed's sheets is not flat. Instead, it still has the impression of a small figure.
  
  "A voice claimed that he'll kill the town unless we get him first," he says. "I can't say how it was better than that, but I think there's scuttlebutt that you or Slim had something to do with it. The entire town is in a fuss looking for the voice."
  
  "I'm stumped." She still has that look on her face. There is no time to waste. A murderer could be lurking outside, and they have hardly any form of defense since the sheriff took their weapons. Or, did he?
  
  "I know, but they're gonna get that bastard by hook or crook. Do you still have that gun in your boot?"
  
  "I'm heeled." He smiles. That's Runt.
  
  > Can you Have It?
  "Can I have it?" he asks. She nods. She reaches down her boot and pulls out the gun. She hands it to Billy Joe, and he puts the tiny revolver in his pocket. "Come on, let's skedaddle. The sheriff will wanna see you." He walks down the hall. Runt closes the door and runs behind him.
  
  They exit onto the street and look for any of the lawmen. The streets are dark, and many people are running in all directions. It's as if a small boy stepped onto an anthill to watch their frantic movements. "Where's Slim?" asks Billy Joe.
  
  "I fell asleep," answers Runt, "I suppose he took French leave... or, I'm not sure." Despite the lack of lighting, he can see Runt's confused appearance has turned to fear.
  
  The older of the two says, "We'd better check the..." His words are cut short. Men scream as shots are fired. "Get to the calaboose," he points, "and stay in there!" He runs to the noise and leaves the young woman behind.
  
  Where there is smoke, there's fire. Somebody or something is being shot at. Is it the speaker behind the voice? Is it a shadow, or is it Slim? He has to know. He has to help.
  
  He runs down the main street, between two buildings, and into an open graveyard. It is behind a building that is actually where they build the coffins. The owner of that store has just received more business, for there are about twenty bodies on the ground.
  
  The bodies are in mostly bits and pieces. They are strewn about the graveyard as an old lady throws out bread for pigeons. The blood is pooling on the ground in crimson puddles. More drips down the graves. Several men are now standing outside the graveyard, for nobody wants to go inside. There is no blood on the outside.
  
  Billy Joe runs on in. If there is the voice, then he will shoot off its head. He slips in the blood and slams onto the ground. His head spins, but he stands. Other men run inside. Beside the aging man, sits the head of the sheriff. A bullet hole is in his head.
  
  > A Horrible Finding
  "One's alive!" shouts a man. The man pulls up the survivor. Billy Joe recognizes him as the Quaker.
  
  A deputy with blonde hair fires a gun in the air and screams, "Nobody move! Does anybody know the survivor?" Billy Joe raises his hand. "What do you know?"
  
  "He said to the sheriff that he's a full-blooded Quaker. The sheriff had most of the strangers with him."
  
  "Where the blazes were you then?"
  
  "Looking for my other companions. Please, don't have a blow-up on me."
  
  The blonde deputy looks around and asks, "Where's the sheriff?" Billy Joe points to the head. "Quaker, what'd you see?"
  
  The man is crying and covered in blood, but it is not his blood. He spews out vomit.
  
  Through his tears, he says, "It, it came out of nowhere. It appeared like a phantom. It wouldn't stop changing shape, but we couldn't get it. They fought like kilkenny cats, but we couldn't touch it. It..."
  
  Billy Joe no longer pays attention to what the Quaker says. He connects two events together. Virgil was with both the Quaker and the sheriff. He starts shifting through the bodies to find his old friend.
  
  He turns over one body. Though the chest is crushed, the head gives the identity away. Billy Joe falls on his knees and weeps for his friend.
  
  He feels a hand on his shoulder. He grabs the arm and twists under it. Billy Joe reaches for Runt's gun, but he notices that he knows the owner of the arm. It is Slim's.
  
  "What happened?" asks Slim, "Where's Runt?"
  
  Billy Joe wipes away his tears and replies, "A damn demon killed them. Virgil is a goner. Runt is at the Calaboose. Where were you?"
  
  "Some people attacked me. I was unconscious under a building. My face is beat badly, but let's go find R..."
  
  An explosion comes from the center of town. The darkness disappears into a red light. The men all run to the jail. Slim was the first one there, but nothing was to be seen. The entire building has collapsed on itself, and the fire burns so hot that Slim couldn't stand within twenty feet from it.
  
  "Runt!" screams Billy Joe. There is no reply. Only the cackling of the fire and the howls from other townspeople fill the skies. "Where are you!" he shouts again. "Es-" His voice cracks.
  
  Men on horseback and families on foot or wagons stream out of the town. They flee like a torrent of water breaking through a dam. Deputies follow suit. Slim and Billy Joe watch them leave as the town falls into a silence. The flames die down and the shouting leaves with the people.
  
  "What's the name of this burg?" asks Billy Joe. His hand is now caressing the pistol. He is looking at the dirt on the ground. He came from dirt, and soon he shall return to it. There is not any way he sees himself living any longer, for he is too tired and injured to continue. His heart has been ripped out.
  
  "I do not know," muses Slim. Tears trickle down his bruised face. "Shall we face this thing together?" Billy Joe nods. "Is this creature an over-exaggeration of our minds? Maybe it is a spiritual demon from Hell as you suggested."
  
  "Hobble your damn lip. I don't care a continental for what this demon is." retorts Billy Joe, "It killed Runt, and you don't seem to care."
  
  The aging man storms off and ignores Slim's defense of himself. Back to the graveyard he walks in a dangerous mental state. He stops in the graveyard.
  
  "Come out you spawn of evil!" he bellows, "Face me, you mudsill."
  
  I didn't have to kill you technically, but I suppose your comments warrant a response as asked.
  
  It appears like a man walking from behind a corner, but that corner is a curved wall and the man is something else entirely.
  
  > Fire
  Billy Joe fires his pistol twice into the mass. They neither pass through nor bounce off the thing. Billy Joe surmises that the bullets must have missed, for the mass is constantly staying in the same position yet moving as well.
  
  The mass moves to Billy Joe, or perhaps he moves to it, and it slams into his body. His torso goes left, but his head and legs fall down. His right arm just disintegrates. It is similar to a large bullet firing into a watermelon. Nonetheless, Billy Joe died instantaneously.
  
  The mass steps behind the corner again. It grumbles over the stubbornness of its opponents, for this has not been a very fun game yet. Nevertheless, there is one opponent left who may provide some challenge. The fact of the matter is that Slim did not hear any scream of terror from Billy Joe, since he gave none. Slim heard two gunshots that echoed through the dead night.
  
  > Virgil
  Virgil sets yet another beer on the table. Several years back, many of his former acquaintances would make jokes about his fondness for the odd German beverage, but he did not care. He liked the taste, and he could have more while still shooting straight.
  
  He sees Billy Joe still sipping away, though his head is nodding. Virgil smiles, for he prides himself how he can hold his alcohol. Slim and Runt are still at the table when he leaves the bar.
  
  The air outside is still, but the voices of countless people are talking. Virgil does not pay attention to what they say, for nothing would interest him. His ears only search for calls of his name or any form of danger, yet that is only out of countless years of needing to do so.
  
  He feels his side where his revolver used to be. Without it, he feels naked, for it has become as much of his body as his arms or heart. While the warm bed will be welcoming, the town is a bunch of fools to him. They took away his gun like a mother taking away a pack of matches from a toddler, and Virgil is no toddler.
  
  He walks into a hotel where an older man than he is sitting behind a counter. Virgil considers buying their rooms now, but he sees two men and a boy sitting at a table playing cards; however, it is the money on the table that takes his interest. Virgil staggers to the table. "Y'all open for another seat?" he asks. The men put down their cards and share at him. Their clothes are dusty and old. Patches are on patches, and their beards need shaving.
  
  "Sure," says a man in a brown hat, "give 'im some cards John. We play dollar games." The boy hands Virgil two cards, and Virgil places down a dollar.
  
  "I'll say that this's your kind of vingt-et-un," says Virgil. He eyes his cards being a two and a three.
  
  "I don't know what that is, mister," says the man in the brown hat, "but we call this twenty one. We're keepin' it simple for my boy. He needs to know his numbers better. Also, don't shove the queer."
  
  Virgil nods. He used to play the real version of this game back east. He keeps a straight face as he always does during these games. The other man, one with a large beard, doesn't ask for a card. The boy asks for a card, and so does his father. Since it is not Virgil's turn to act, he says, "I'll take one." He receives a five.
  
  The man with the brown hat says, "I'll pass, how 'bout you, son?" The son takes another card, and so does Virgil. Since he has now received a queen, he puts his cards down. The boy, on the other hand, asks for two more cards until he stops.
  
  The men and the boy turn their cards over. Virgil smiles, for he has beaten a nineteen and an eighteen; however, he is rather puzzled about the boy. The child's cards total thirty-six.
  
  "Kid, what the Hell are you doin'? That's thirty-six." laments his father.
  
  The boy's eyes become rather large. "Shucks, so you're sayin' these two twos are two sevens?"
  
  "Yes, they're damn sevens. Count the dots on the card, kid." The father gives Virgil the four dollars. When he does so, Virgil sees a revolver holstered at the man's hip.
  
  "How did you get heeled, mister?" asks Virgil. Like the need to feed after starving, Virgil needs his gun.
  
  "I'm a deputy," he says while flashing his badge, "If you want yours, go to the hoosegow and ask the sheriff." Virgil nods and leaves the table. He marches to the jail through the streets. His shoulder nocks into the shoulder of another, but he pays the man no heed.
  
  He opens the door. The sheriff is sitting back in his chair with his hat over his face.
  
  > demand the Gun
  "Give me my damn gun," Vigil demands.
  
  She sheriff pulls back his hat and replies, "No." Virgil legs wobble, so he leans against the wall. He rubs his eyes. "Are you soaked?" asks the sheriff. He shakes his head, but the world is becoming even more twisted. "The Hell is happening? I feel soaked now." The sheriff slips out of his chair and sways to the door. Virgil follows him.
  
  Outside, from what little they can see, people are sitting down or tripping on themselves. The sheriff vomits over the side of the railing. From the corner of his spinning eyes, Virgil sees Billy Joe sitting a few feet away. Others vomit as well, but Virgil's stomach remains diligent.
  
  "Does this happen much, sheriff?" questions Billy Joe. The sheriff spits out some of the vomit and wobbles his head left to right. Billy Joe says something to Virgil, but he cannot discern the words so he shakes his head and shrugs. Billy Joe leaves the porch even as most others stop moving. Some of the people cry out in terror. A child screams.
  
  I apologize for the nausea and other symptoms, but they will abate soon.
  
  The town becomes too loud for Virgil to bear. He clutches his ears as noise assaults him, but it was not as irksome as that voice. It was like a poorly tuned violin being played by a child. It sounded so far away, yet it seemed to be all around him. If the Devil spoke, he would talk like that voice.
  
  Now, I will give all of you an ultimatum. Kill me. It's really simple, so the rules of our little game shouldn't be forgotten. If you fail to kill me by sunrise, then I'll kill the rest of you townspeople.
  
  The feeling of drunkenness leaves Virgil. He becomes surrounded by other people, for they are running to their sheriff. Virgil tries to back away from them, but people are everywhere.
  
  "Stop now!" the sheriff barks, "Boys, get up here." The man with the brown hat and several other men scamper up to the porch and stand beside their leader. "Before any of you say anything, I think that Tommy is up to this somehow, but I don't want no shootin' at ghosts. That voice is on the shoot, so we'll give him some. He's hiding somewhere. Look for a stranger hiding somewhere here. If you are a stranger, then come to me so we don't shoot you by mistake. Men, ten of you will go with a deputy."
  
  Virgil and several men stride onto the porch as the deputies form their groups. Virgil can see Billy Joe, but Runt and Slim are nowhere to be seen. The lawman motions a man whose vision is moving about like a child and states, "You's the only one that I don't know. You causing the fuss?"
  
  The man's face reddens and his eyes open wide. He replies, "N-No sir, I'm a granger from o'er the river. I d-don't get kick up a row or get full as a tick, and I've never been h-heeled. I'm a Quaker. As the Lord as my w-witness, I'm a quiet man." Virgil shrugs. This is one of those passive men.
  
  The sheriff remarks, "I guess that's why I didn't see ya. No guns." The Quaker's head bobs up and down. "Well, y'all are stayin' with me... Hey, where's the Mexican?" Virgil looks around again for his two other traveling partners.
  
  "Runt and Slim were with us," Billy Joe says, "They're both real quiet, but I don't know where they wandered off to." If Billy Joe doesn't know where they wandered off to, then perhaps they're in trouble.
  
  The sheriff replies, "The lot of you'll be with me. You." He points at Billy Joe. "Go find them two." Billy Joe leaves the group of men behind. "Now, let's get heeled." Virgil smiles. He rushes in front of the others to take his gun; however, he realizes that its location is still a mystery to him.
  
  The sheriff opens a door revealing a closet. Ammunition is piled high along the walls and several gun racks are empty. The men head inside and take their weapons. Virgil holds his like a baby.
  
  "Follow me," orders the sheriff. The small posse is on his heels except for Virgil. He takes the rear, for the mass of fools in the middle would be easy targets. They circle around buildings and look through alleys. They overturn boxes and look under porches, yet nothing is amiss.
  
  They stop at a graveyard. "Sir," says one of the men, "this's a bone orchard. I ain't goin' in there." The captain walks foreword, so the rest follow including the man who stated his disdain of this action. Virgil does not step inside, for something is off. He sees no other people around them, for it is only the open wilderness, the dead, and the houses.
  
  "Sheriff," he states.
  
  It steps in the graveyard from nothing. It shifts, it slurs, yet it never stays still. It is massive but not tall nor wide.
  
  Men fire at the thing, but the bullets fly in all directions including into another man. The thing, or perhaps the graveyard itself, moves to stay away from the bullet. Virgil raises his gun, but he sees another men be gunned down by a man who acts more like a scared schoolboy. The same man hit the sheriff in the arm. The distance between the thing and the Quaker decreases, but the Quaker leaps out of the way. Instead, an old man connects with the mass. The old man explodes as if his intestines were stuffed with dynamite.
  
  > shoot the Creature
  Virgil fires at the creature. The bullets do not hit. One appears as though it will strike, but the mass appears to split in two. The bullet hits the sheriff over his left eye. His head rocks back, but the creature connects with the dead lawman's body and splinters his torso.
  
  "Damn it," spits Virgil. His body registers no regret over the action except the waste of a good bullet. The creature laughs or says something similar to laughter, though the sound is also akin to a man gurgling on his own blood. He puts his now unloaded gun in his trousers and runs into the chaos to find a loaded one.
  
  The entire scene appears to be a watercolor with a painter that only uses shades of red. The shouting continues, but there is far less of it now. When at the center of the graveyard, Virgil picks up a rifle on the ground. As he grasps the weapon, he feels a great deal of pain in his chest. As he falls to the ground, a red blast rises from his chest. As darkness clouds his eyes, the man notices that there is a hole about the size of his fist in his chest.
  
  His dying thoughts pertain to the hilarity of looking in a mirror now without wearing a shirt.
  
  > Runt
  Runt finishes eating the rolls and her drinks along with Slim. The two sit there like stone statues during a thunderstorm until Runt lays her head down on the table.
  
  "Tired?" asks Slim. His eyelids are trying to close, but he catches them before they fall. Runt sits up causing her chair to rock back an inch or two. She yawns without making a sound.
  
  "Yep, I'm not in apple pie order," she says. She stands up. "Let's go find a place to stop." He leaves the bar with her. A cool breeze blows by them, and Runt thinks of a warm bed. She sees a hotel, so she leads Slim inside. There, they see an old man behind a counter.
  
  There's a carpet across the entire floor. The walls are made of wood, and the marks of the saw are still visible on them. The windows are wide open, and several lanterns dot the room. Nobody else is there. The old man looks to be many years away from his deathbed. His eyes are clear. His skin is weathered but bright. His clothes are expensive.
  
  "One room?" he asks.
  
  "Two actually," Runt clarifies, "Close together please." The old man takes off two keys. Each key is connected to a numbered key ring that is colored in a light gold. He hands them the keys, and Slim hands the man the money. Slim nods to the man, and the two head upstairs.
  
  Runt turns around as they are halfway up the steps and requests, "If you see a graying man or one that looks like he's a gunman, tell them where we are please." The old man mumbles that he understands.
  
  They saunter down the hallway until they come across their numbers, being sixteen and seventeen. The two rooms are across from each other in the hall. When Runt opens hers, it reveals two beds, a nightstand, an open window, and carpeting. Little else is worth mentioning to others in her mind.
  
  She lies across one of the beds. Her body presses into the sheets and enjoys it immensely. This is a luxury that she dearly treasures. It is free of dirt, bugs, or creatures of the night. It invites her dreams to be warm and jolly. Her back will not ache when she wakes in the morning, yet she will have to leave its embrace tomorrow.
  
  Her eyes do not open, so Slim closes the door. His footsteps reverberate down the hall.
  
  Her eyes open. A knocking crashes on the door.
  
  "Who is it?" she calls out. The knockings stop. She notices that the night still rules their world, but many voices shout from below.
  
  "It's Billy Joe," says her leader. She opens the door. His breathing is heavy, and his eyes dart across the room. "Did you hear the voice?" he asks. She furrows her brow, and he waits for an answer.
  
  "I was asleep," she answers.
  
  "A voice claimed that he'll kill the town unless we get him first. I can't say how it was better than that, but I think there's scuttlebutt that you or Slim had something to do with it. The entire town is in a fuss looking for the voice."
  
  "I'm stumped."
  
  "I know, but they're gonna get that bastard by hook or crook. Do you still have that gun in your boot?"
  
  "I'm heeled."
  
  > Outside
  "Can I have it?" She takes the small pistol out from her boot, and gives it to the man. He puts it in his pocket. "Come on, let's skedaddle. The sheriff will wanna see you." Billy Joe walks down the hall and does not wait for Runt to follow. Thus, she closes the door and rushes after him.
  
  They leave the hotel and enter the street. Runt cannot see any of the lawmen, but the dark streets make seeing faces difficult. There are many faces to see, for the entire town seems to be running about without direction. It is as if a great gust of wind has picked up a pile of leaves. "Where's Slim?" asks Billy Joe. Runt wonders why he has not asked her yet.
  
  "I fell asleep," answers Runt as she attempts to find him in the people, "I suppose he took French leave... or, I'm not sure." In her mind, the traveler comprehends that Billy Joe is right. The world has gone to Hell, and Slim is somewhere out there.
  
  Billy Joe states, "We'd better check the..." He stops speaking, for both he and Runt hear the screaming of men and the firing of guns. "Get to the calaboose," he points, "and stay in there!" He runs after the noise. Runt stands in the street for a moment but runs to the jail. There may be a gun still in there. She enters the door of the stone structure and rummages through drawers and shelves to find a gun. It is of no use, for almost every man of the town has one.
  
  Excuse me.
  
  She gasps, "Who is it?" There is something wrong with the voice. It has rough edges and sounds as though it is under water.
  
  I am... well, I am the one they are after. I must ask you to leave.
  
  "Where are you?" she asks. Her hand grasps around a large paperweight on the table. Her eyes glance at the door.
  
  She hears a thump. Boxes of dynamite appear next to her. One has an exposed fuse poking from a crack in the board.
  
  I borrowed this from their mine. It is very lethal, and you will have to leave the building if you wish to live.
  
  "Why are you giving me this chance to leave?" She backs to the door.
  
  I stated that I am only intentionally killing the townspeople, and you are just a traveler. Anyway, I have a dimension of my personality that is very legalistic.
  
  "Bosh." Her back is pressed against the door.
  
  Bosh means nonsense, right? Did I define that one in a correct manner? If not, I apologize for contorting your local diction. Oh never mind, just leave.
  
  She opens the door and leaves. A shifting mass appears and lights a match. The match touches the fuse, but the mass disappears. She stops at the doorway and stares at the fuse.
  
  > stop the Fuse
  Runt rushes back inside and stomps on the sparks. It smothers the fire, so she smiles and nods at herself. She pulls the fuse out and away from the explosives.
  
  I did warn you to not stop me, did I not? The consequences still stand.
  
  She sprints for the door, but the mass appears in front of her. Runt gasps and stops. Her head swivels looking for another way to flee, but the windows have bars, and there is only one door. She is a caged bird with a cat at the door.
  
  I will spare you the pain received by the others; however, prepare to die.
  
  A warbling object leaves the mass and curves to the explosives. Before Runt can cry out, the two meet. Runt sees no more. The jail is cloaked in flames and smoke rises to the heavens above. Men run to the building, but it is in vain. There are no survivors, there are no witnesses to the events, but the voice is still present.