A Western Tale

Entry 1 - Patient Zero

This is my first entry into the recent event that occurred in Fort Worth last night. The date is March 16th, 1869.

I visited the town doctor today, name of Mr. Hart. He allowed me to examine the body of a recently deceased individual whom he believed was suffering from a new illness. From what I could gather, this was something totally unheard of.

The victims body was covered in bursting, bloody sores and his mouth was oozing dark blood. Boils under his arms indicated the plague, but accounts I received from the sheriff said otherwise. I'll get to that later. Examining the body further, I discovered what seemed to be bite marks, as if biting himself. They appeared on his arm and upper torso, discoloured and pulsating yellow and orange thick liquids, even in death. Closer examination of his face revealed his obvious cause of death, a gunshot wound to the forehead.

My examination had been completed, and I went to interview the sheriff, who gave a more detailed account of how the gunshot came to happen.

What he described could only be a possession of some kind. Using his own words I will describe in first person, what had occurred.

I was awoken to loud cry's for help by multiple townsfolk, not even dressed, I grabbed my gun belt and bolted outside to see in the distance of the dimly lit street, the silhouette of a man charging multiple individuals and seemingly clamping his teeth into their flesh, I shouted to him to stop, he did. He stood up, staring at me. Even in the darkness, I felt his presence, as if he was entering my soul, a pure evil feeling came over me, and I froze for a second, as he did. I could barely make out specific details, other than his heavy breathing, that was filling his chest so much, even in darkness, the details were intensely real. I barely had time to breath myself, before he charged me too, and as he came into the light, I could truly see what monster I was up against. He was totally inhuman, a demon incarnate. He made low grunting noises despite his swift speed and obviously violent intentions. At that point, my reactions took over, and I drew on him, shooting a total of four times, before he finally went down, and it wasn't soon enough. He fell to my feet, and dark red blood pooled beneath me, his body convulsing and groaning, the back of his head completely gone, exposing a mashed brain and skull bones. His skin was already pale, as if ill with the plague.

I was terrified to hear his account of the events that night, but pressured him with a realistic conclusion, that this certainly wasn't the plague. He nodded in agreement.

Interviews with local townsfolk revealed nothing more than already discovered, and attempts to talk to the injured from that night have yielded no results. Hopefully they will feel up-to some questions by the time I make my second draft.

I would like to thank Dr. Hart and Sheriff Black for their co-operation and inclusion in my Journal. I hope to publish my findings once things have cooled down and I receive the rights to put my work into the town newspaper.