Bonus - The Wicked Witch of the Wild West

I'm still on a break from DD. I tried to get a chapter done, and just couldn't get it finished, but should be able to round it out for the next release. In the mean time, my discord chat and I did a bit of world building, and came up with a story idea I really liked, so a little bonus for you all.

Even though this is just one chapter, I may continue it later. Title says it all, witch in the wild west era!

Hope you enjoy

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Chapter 1 - A company town

As soon as I stepped on the platform I was struck by a dry, oppressive heat. It took several days to reach this place by train, and I couldn’t help but feel disappointed. I’d come expecting the lawless frontier, instead it was another cookie cutter company town. The platform and buildings weren’t built from unfinished logs, but refined lumber and brick, probably shipped from way back east, as a way to show off the train company’s wealth. 

A quiet, upset hiss from my carpet bag reminded me that I had more important things to do than sightsee. I quickly threw my rifle case over my shoulder, then hefted the misshapen carpet bag. “I’m going, don’t get your tail in a knot,” I whispered to the bag.

I had to push through the crowded station to make it down to the main street. Thankfully, even though the town was fairly modern looking, it wasn’t that large, and all the main amenities were within a couple hundred feet of the train station. I darted across the street, eager to get out of the sun, and headed directly for the nearest hotel.

As I stepped through the swinging doors I half expected to step onto a tavern floor filled with gambling and prostitution, but instead there was just a quiet lobby with a well dressed clerk.

The man wiped his hands on a nearby towel, before picking up a pen. “Can I help you ma’am?” he asked politely.

“I’m looking for a private room, for a couple nights. Don’t know exactly how long,” I replied, eyeing him up suspiciously.

He nodded, then flipped through the ledger on his desk for a moment. “I can offer you one of the regular rooms for two days, they’ll cost you a dollar a night, but if you want to stay longer, you’ll need to book one of the premium rooms.”

“Why? Is there a limit on how long someone can stay in the standard rooms?”  I asked suspiciously.

“No ma’am, but there will be a company train coming through in a couple days, and people typically book rooms weeks in advance so they can be here when it arrives. All standard rooms are booked at that time.”

“Wonderful,” I muttered as I dug my wallet out. “How much are the premium rooms?”

“Two dollars a night.” I didn’t argue, instead I just dropped a crumpled twenty dollar bill on the counter. Before it even landed the man snatched it up, and placed it in the cashbox. “Name?”

“Zoey Claiborne” I said. 

The man nodded briefly as he filled in the register. Once he was done he reached under the desk, pulled out a key and handed it to me. “You’ll be in room eight, second floor at the end,” he said, “Welcome to GraveWater.”

I just nodded in response, before grabbing the key and heading up to the room. 

Even though the room had a solid door, and a modern lock, the inside wasn’t anything special. A double bed, chest of drawers, mirror, a stove, and tiny window which looked out over the street. I quickly placed my bag down on the bed, and popped it open, revealing the small grey tabby cat inside.

She popped her head out, and stared daggers at me. “Merow!”

“I’m sorry, but you know most places don’t allow cats. Too much of a stigma around them.”

Kaylee laid her ears down flat, and stared even harder, but didn’t respond. Now that my cat was finally out of the bag, I threw my worn out black cowboy hat to the floor, and took a look at myself in the mirror. My raven black hair had dried out during the long trip, leaving it brittle and frayed, and I had huge bags under my hazel eyes. My fair skin was fine, but it wouldn’t take long for me to develop a tan in this climate.

There was a small bowl of fresh water on the chest of drawers, probably one of the few extra amenities for the premium room, so I took a few minutes to clean myself up before turning back towards the bed. “Do you think this is far enough west yet?” I asked my cat.

Kaylee looked up from where she was grooming herself, and stared at me for a moment. “Meow”

“I know, I know. There’s no way for either of us to actually know, I just wanted your opinion.”

Kaylee just cocked her head to the side, then went back to grooming.

“Fine, be that way,” I mumbled. Since Kaylee was occupying the door, and there was a bowl of water on the chest of drawers, I dragged my rifle case over to the window sill. The railway prevented anyone from openly carrying on their trains, and they had the muscle to back it up, so I put my firearms away for the trip. Now that we’d arrived, I was itching to put my revolver back on my belt. The case was built with three compartments. There were spaces in the lid to secure my pair of …. Revolvers, even though I normally only carried one at a time. Opposite the revolvers, was a space for my repeating rifle. I’d saved for months in order to buy it back home, and only had one chance to use it. Now just looking at it brought back bad memories.

I pulled the rifle out, and set it aside, in order to get access to the final, hidden compartment. Underneath the rifle, hidden beneath a false panel, was my broom. It was a more modern design, which had a screw joint in the middle which allowed me to break it down for transport. It was one of the very few artifacts which I had that still worked after the incident.

I slowly brushed my hand down its length, before finally pulling away and closing the compartment again. It was best to be cautious. Getting caught with it would only lead to problems for me.

I carefully grabbed my rifle, and placed it back in its place, before grabbing one of my pistols. I ran my hands over its black enamel with silver embossed finish; Carefully checking the chamber and barrel, before slipping a couple rounds into the chamber and tucking it into my belt. Once I did, I felt immensely better.

“Hold down the fort for a while, I want to look around,” I told Kaylee. “Don’t worry, I’ll bring you dinner when I come back, just remember to stay out of sight,” I told her as she eyed me suspiciously. Satisfied with my declaration, the cat disappeared under my bed, meowing a half hearted goodbye.

“Yeah yeah, I love you too,” I grumbled as I grabbed my hat and headed to the door. 

I quickly locked up, depositing the key into a pocket on my vest, before heading back down to the street.  I hadn’t been inside long, but it was long enough for the sun to duck behind some buildings, providing some much needed relief from the heat. 

As I made my way down the sidewalk, I took a look inside each building I passed, trying to get the lay of the land. There was a saloon, which despite having the drinking and gambling I expected at the inn, was more subdued than most establishments I’d seen elsewhere. Beside it was the bank, which seemed to deal mainly in company notes, the sheriff’s office, a telegraph office, blacksmith, and finally a company store. I even double checked the side streets, looking for more businesses, only to locate the butcher and the church, but nothing else. I expected more somehow.

With little choice, I stepped into the small company store. As I wandered up to the counter, looking at the anemic stock, a little boy peeked out of the back room. Before I could say anything, he turned and yelled, “Pa! Customer!” before disappearing. A second later a slightly balding, bow backed man stepped forward.

“Howdy stranger. Welcome to Gravewater mercantile, how can I help you?” he asked.

“I’m just looking for some supplies to get me through the week,” I reported, looking through my options. “You don’t seem to have a lot of choices here though.”

He chuckled. “This must be your first time in a Graves controlled town ma’am. All the company stores only stock the basics, because the big ticket items are only sold directly from the company trains. There’ll be one coming through in a couple days, if you’re interested.”

“Seems controlling, and overly complicated,” I grumbled.

“Maybe, but it’s company policy,” he said with a shrug. “So, can I get you anything?”

“Yeah, just some cooking supplies, bacon, bread, beans and eggs,” I said, after quickly perusing what was available. “I guess I’m going to have to stop by that train in a few days.”

“I’m sure you’ll enjoy it, it’s quite a spectacle,” the shop keeper said, as he busied himself with collecting my supplies. It didn’t take him long before he came back, with a decent sized sack. “That’ll be fifty cents” 

I fished a couple coins out of my pocket and handed them over, before taking my groceries. 

As I stepped outside I noticed a commotion down the street. There were half dozen men walking down the road, leading a pair of horses carrying a pair of girls, beaten, restrained and gagged.

“Please tell me this town doesn’t regularly beat, and shame little girls,” I mumbled, as I watched the bizarre scene unfold in front of me.

“Course not, the company respects its upstanding employees and citizens,” the store clerk said, as he wandered up next to me, attracted by the noise. “Those are the local witch hunters, which means that pair has magic flowing through their blood. Caught em just in time to turn them over to the company too. Good luck huh?”

As I watched the posse carry the kids into the sheriff’s office I bit my lip. I’d planned to stay in town for a couple days, but considering what I just saw, that plan might have just gone out the window.