Gold, Guns and Death in the West - A Wild West Story

PROLOGUE - The Massacre

Once upon a time...

On an arid, hot day in the far outskirts, not too far from the town of Little Valley. Stood a homestead which housed a hardworking man and his family. The new mayor of the little, bustling, recent town stepped out into the searing heat with a dish of roasted chicken. The delightful smell of the meal gave a delighted scent of life among the dusty waste of the Wild West. Desert vegetation surrounded them, including dead bushes, cacti and wilting dead trees. The man walked towards a table situated on the front yard, placing the chicken down onto it. Accompanying the roasted meat were other assorted quantities. Such as drinks, a fruit basket and even a few bugs trying to skitter up the table's legs to try and get to the food.

The man grumbled in annoyance as he brushed the insects off of the table, also wiping some sweat off of his forehead in the meantime. Just then, he heard a woman's humming voice emanate through the opened door. He turned around to see his wife emerging from the house, holding with one hand a white cake. Followed closely by his son, who held a few candles for his birthday celebration. The man beckons over his family and makes some room for the cake. Crickets sounded out all around them as the family sat down for the meal. The boy almost immediately dug into the cake, slice after slice.

"Happy Birthday, son." The mayor smiled down at his boy. Who replied with a warm grin towards his dad.

As the sun beat down on them while they ate to their heart's content, the mayor and his wife took to talking about a recent rumor surrounding his town.

"Is it true that gold's been discovered near the town?" The wife asks.

"I wouldn't count on rumors, but it definitely has the townsfolk over the moon." He replies. "Larry, he says that he's excited for himself and his wife, they've lived in the dirt for quite awhile and he's eager to make a beyyer life for himself."

Eating some more of the chicken, he continues.

"If it is true, then it will do great in helping to fix up the town a little. Lord knows that it needs a makeover badly." The mayor said. "They need it more than we do."

"Look at you, you're like a rich Robin Hood." She giggled.

"I'm just doing my part, like any honest person would do." He said. "Trying times brought me up here, I emphasize with them, the common people. After all, I used to live with them."

"Very soon." The mayor turned to his son. "You'll have to learn how to be mayor like me."

He reached over and gently pinched his son's nose, the child giggled and squealed as his father laughed.

All of a sudden, the crickets which were previously chirping their hearts away fell completely silent.

The family noticed this, the man's eyes fell onto the vegetation surrounding their house. Expecting to see some sort of animal that wandered onto their property.

His suspicions were re-affirmed as a rattlesnake slithered out of the brush, it was far enough that it wasn't a threat so the mayor just brushed it off. The reptile took one look at the family before retreating behind a rock, out of sight. The surrounding insects stayed silent.

"Could you grab some water, honey?" The mayor's wife asked. He gladly obliged and got up from the table. Rolling back his sleeves and stretching a little, he headed to the nearby water well to hook a bucket onto the pulley.

His family continued to dine as the bucket descended into the water source below. He was so focused on the task at hand that he did not at first notice a barely audible click coming from the brush. He stopped for a second and knew that it was too late.

They were being watched. Being hunted. By who he didn't know, why was also a conundrum. All he knew that there had to be some way to get his family to safety, he began to think of ways to get them inside...

What followed was something out of someone's worst nightmare. A large crack of a rifle shot filled the air as the man ducked down behind the well. Where in full view he could see his wife clutching her stomach, her face was a horrible mix of surprise and utter pain. She got up from her seat, stumbled around for a few seconds. Then finally collapsed onto the dry, gravelly ground. All while being watched by her son and husband, whom both could do nothing to help.

"NO!" The mayor cried out, in pure horror, despair and anger. All bottled up into one languishing emotion which helped cement in place the brutal destruction of the life he had built up for himself and his family.

He thought quickly, he could try and dash inside his home to grab his hunting rifle. There's always that one small chance.

He got up and ran for the house, making it no more than five meters as another gunshot cracked the sky like thunder. He felt one of his legs cease to work, which one of them he couldn't tell in the heat of the moment.

Desperately, he attempted to hastily crawl his way into his house. Only to be shot in the head as he reached the steps, killing him on the spot. His corpse's eyes wide open in fear.

Wrought with shock and paralyzed with fear, the son couldn't move from his seat. He looked back to where that rattlesnake had emerged from out of the dried bushes. A man with a broad hat emerged out of the crisp, dead vegetation, a lever-action rifle in hand. Followed by another, who came out from behind a rock. Two more seemingly appeared out of nowhere. With a final one coming up from behind a ridge signalling the others to advancr forward. This was their leader.

As the five gunslingers slowly closed in, the young kid could see their faces clearer. All the while he thought to himself why this was happening, why had these men just killed his entire family? Slowly, he got up from his chair and tried to back up into his house. Eventually, terror overtook his will and he collapsed into a sitting position on the ground. Unable to muster the courage to flee.

The lead gunman stopped just a few meters away from the kid. The others halted also.

"Search the house." Said the leader. Three of his men jogged past the child and into his home. Whilst the gang leader and the one by his side just stood there, looking at the kid and examining him closely.

"What do we do with him, Eugene?" Questioned the one who had stayed by his side. Eugene pondered the situation, taking off his hat and fanning himself with it.

"He did say that the mayor was the primary target." The gang's leader thought out loud.

"I ain't killing some kid, I know that much." The underling replied. Eugene nodded slowly, seemingly understanding his minion's opinion.

Eugene knelt down to the kid's level and patted his head with an uncanny smile.

"Happy Birthday, kid." The gunslinger chuckled, the kid stayed silent. Eugene could see the trauma which wrought the child. He displayed the tiniest bit of semblance of concern in return.

A few seconds later, the other three gunmen exited the house. Some had trinkets worth some money in their pockets and satchels. Otherwise, there was nothing else found in the house.

"There ain't nobody nor nothing in there, boss." The one with the rifle called. "We turned the place up and down."

"Good." Eugene nodded a little to his men, before turning to leave the premise. Before he stopped, dead in his tracks.

"Boss?" One of the gang members questioned.

"On second hand, Mike. Back there... you called me by name, didn't you?" He asked Mike. With a heavy, tired sigh.

Mike's stomach seemingly dropped as his superior turned back towards the kid. His fingers twitched, secretly itching for another chance of firing his gun. No matter who was on the killing end of the barrel. He liked getting paid a ton, but above that was having ultimate power and opportunity over other people brought immense joy to his dusty, devoid, withered soul.

Smiling to himself, he drew his revolver from his holster. Ruthlessly setting its sights straight towards the little, defenseless, young child before his mercy. His eyes met the boy's for a split second as he pulled the trigger with little hesitation behind the vile act. A sinister smile decorated his face, ultimately satisfied with a job well done.