Michael James, the son (and undoubtedly heir) of the James Saloon had taken a liking to his sister McGayle. He thought her to be quite attractive, funny and the apple of his eye. He once confided in companion, Tommy Watson, that he would one day marry his older sister. Little Tommy Watson, being a boy and inclined to have fun, soon spread this knowledge to every one in the little school house which doubled as their congregation hall (or church).
The Preacher, John McGill, was also the town's school teacher and when the word came around to him, he obviously felt the need to have a discussion with Michael James. McGill let all the children out for a recess, but asked Michael to stay in and talk with him. He tried, in vain, to persuade Michael that he should consider the fact that there are many other girls in the world and there might be one funner and prettier than his dear sister, McGayle. Michael was never convinced by McGill, not even for a moment, stating, "McGayle is the prettiest, funniest girl in the world... I will marry her."
John McGill was not satisfied with this being the conclusion of the matter and so made his way to the James Saloon later that week. He met with Jonathon in the kitchen and discussed the future of his family. He soon found that trying to convince someone who married into incest to not let his children follow in the same path is about as productive as trying to convince a tree to stay green all winter long; the leaves are gonna turn and that's the way life is. Jonathon assured McGill, "If the boy wants to marry McGayle, than the boy's gonna marry McGayle, that is, if she'll have him. It's not our matter, John, it's up to the kids." Unbeknownst to McGill and Jonathon, Michael chimed in on their little kitchen conversation just in time to hear his father's final words on the matter. He smiled and thought to himself, She will have me, I know she loves me.
Michael, being excited and reassured of himself, made haste into the bar where he found his mother and sister Mary entertaining Tommy Watson's father.
"Where's McGayle?" Michael inquired of his mother, Wilma.
"She's upstairs," she responded but was quickly distracted by her client's flirtations, she giggled and swigged her whiskey, "You are too much, Mr. Watson."
The upstairs of the James Saloon was the home side of the establishment. The sisters shared a room, the parents shared a room and Michael had a room all to his self. This was also where Mary, McGayle and Wilma would further entertain clients that felt the need to be and had the money to spare. Unfortunately, Michael was completely innocent of the entertaining his female family members indulged in. Though he maintained his innocence, he wasn't completely ignorant of the concept of sex between lovers, since McGill occasionally taught hellfire and brimstone from the pulpit in regard to the lusts of the flesh. At the top of the stairs, he made his way to the third bedroom door, for this was the room his sisters shared. Without hesitation, he grabbed the doorknob and walked right in, "McGayle", he shouted in glee as he entered, but boyish cheer quickly turned to shock and disgust as he witnessed his beloved sister engaging in intercourse with Tommy Watson's elder brother, Paul.
"Get out, Michael, I'm busy!" McGayle shouted with neither hesitation nor interruption.
Michael James slammed the door in anger, rushed to his room and began to cry. He had come to believe that McGayle really cared for him, that she really loved him. And she did, but not in the way the boy had hoped. She loved him, as a sister would her brother. He was confused and frightened. He was angry and hateful. In this moment of rash thinking, feeling of abandonment and pure hatred he made a wish. A wish, that under normal circumstances, would go against the grain of his existence. He wished that McGayle would die; that her life would be taken from here in a violent and spiteful manner. He wished it not once, but continually with tears in his eyes and running over his cheeks. Michael James, for the moment, truly and sincerely hated his sister, McGayle, and cursed her name without remorse. And with this, he awoke The Monster from its slumber. It heard his request, packed its things, saddled up and galloped towards Canyon City.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Chapter 1: Canyon City
In the winter of 1886, Canyon City was beaten with the wrath of God (as some call it; others call it snow). But the winter of 1887 was different, as the townsfolk would soon find out, for snow was the least of their worries.
A mere 40 years earlier, the west was sold on the promise of gold and natural craters in the earth (or canyons) flowing with water that was clearer than any water you had ever seen or could even imagine. With these thoughts in mind, a group of families journeyed westward and knowing little of where they were going ended up in the north; far from canyons and far from gold. But they settled nonetheless and named it Canyon City, despite their geographical error.
Canyon City was far from booming by 1887. To be just short of rude, it was pathetic. The town consisted of a family-owned saloon, general store, barber, bank and church. There was also a stagecoach business run by the Jenkins twins. They would take people from Kansas City to Canyon City and then to San Fransisco and then back the other way. They bragged that their detour through Canyon City took riders away from the hot desert and blood-thirsty red man.
In reality, the detour and one-night stay in Canyon City was a feeble attempt to bring new people to the area. Their scheme had yet to work on any one person. Every now and then a child might beg his or her parents to stay, but that never flew.
There were no homes in Canyon City. Where they worked, they lived. The Barber and his family lived in the barbershop, the Preacher in the church with his family and so on. Even the James Saloon was home to the James family and they worked there; every blessed one of them. Their two teenage daughters entertained; Michael, who was six, gladly washed dishes and their mother cooked meals. Jonathon James, the father and husband of this establishment, was the bartender and bouncer (when the occasion arose; it seldom did).
The Preacher and most of the towns folk disagreed with the way Jonathon James ran his saloon, especially during the daytime and on Sundays. But, when night rolled in where else were you gonna get a hot meal and put down some whiskey? Definitely not at the church.
If you want to continue to exist in a town that no one will move to, then you gotta look close to home when you go looking for a bride. This was the sad state of affairs for many of the young lads in Canyon City. The Preacher encouraged young men to take trips to neighboring cities (which were anywhere from 50 to 100 miles away) to meet and court women. Unfortunately, that takes money and courage to wander that far from home; most of the young men did not go far as the Preacher desired they would. He gave sermons on it every other week; that is, unless a young boy had recently made that transition to young man status, in which case he spoke on it every Sunday.
This led to some interesting looking folks in Canyon City. Even Jonathon and Wilma James were brother and sister; joke had it that their boy Michael was gonna grow up and marry both of his sisters, Mary and McGayle. Though, if it were to come to pass the joke would be on little Michael; for Mary and McGayle were a product of their design. It wasn't so much that they weren't beautiful or that they were ugly, it wasn't that simple. They were just... different looking. No one could really put their finger on it and no one ever had the guts or foolishness to put their finger on it, either. But, when you've had enough whiskey, they look just as fine as the next girl. Travellers' opinions were that Canyon City had closed itself off from others for so long, they had forgotten what beauty was.
A mere 40 years earlier, the west was sold on the promise of gold and natural craters in the earth (or canyons) flowing with water that was clearer than any water you had ever seen or could even imagine. With these thoughts in mind, a group of families journeyed westward and knowing little of where they were going ended up in the north; far from canyons and far from gold. But they settled nonetheless and named it Canyon City, despite their geographical error.
Canyon City was far from booming by 1887. To be just short of rude, it was pathetic. The town consisted of a family-owned saloon, general store, barber, bank and church. There was also a stagecoach business run by the Jenkins twins. They would take people from Kansas City to Canyon City and then to San Fransisco and then back the other way. They bragged that their detour through Canyon City took riders away from the hot desert and blood-thirsty red man.
In reality, the detour and one-night stay in Canyon City was a feeble attempt to bring new people to the area. Their scheme had yet to work on any one person. Every now and then a child might beg his or her parents to stay, but that never flew.
There were no homes in Canyon City. Where they worked, they lived. The Barber and his family lived in the barbershop, the Preacher in the church with his family and so on. Even the James Saloon was home to the James family and they worked there; every blessed one of them. Their two teenage daughters entertained; Michael, who was six, gladly washed dishes and their mother cooked meals. Jonathon James, the father and husband of this establishment, was the bartender and bouncer (when the occasion arose; it seldom did).
The Preacher and most of the towns folk disagreed with the way Jonathon James ran his saloon, especially during the daytime and on Sundays. But, when night rolled in where else were you gonna get a hot meal and put down some whiskey? Definitely not at the church.
If you want to continue to exist in a town that no one will move to, then you gotta look close to home when you go looking for a bride. This was the sad state of affairs for many of the young lads in Canyon City. The Preacher encouraged young men to take trips to neighboring cities (which were anywhere from 50 to 100 miles away) to meet and court women. Unfortunately, that takes money and courage to wander that far from home; most of the young men did not go far as the Preacher desired they would. He gave sermons on it every other week; that is, unless a young boy had recently made that transition to young man status, in which case he spoke on it every Sunday.
This led to some interesting looking folks in Canyon City. Even Jonathon and Wilma James were brother and sister; joke had it that their boy Michael was gonna grow up and marry both of his sisters, Mary and McGayle. Though, if it were to come to pass the joke would be on little Michael; for Mary and McGayle were a product of their design. It wasn't so much that they weren't beautiful or that they were ugly, it wasn't that simple. They were just... different looking. No one could really put their finger on it and no one ever had the guts or foolishness to put their finger on it, either. But, when you've had enough whiskey, they look just as fine as the next girl. Travellers' opinions were that Canyon City had closed itself off from others for so long, they had forgotten what beauty was.
Introduction
Fortune is merry, And in this mood will give us any thing."
Make a wish.
Make any wish.
So long as it's honest.
So long as it's dark and evil.
Make that wish and he'll be there.
Make that wish and he'll be there.
Do it halfhearted and your wish will come back on you sevenfold.
Make no mistakes, you don't summon him unless you mean it.
Unless you are willing to pay the price...
... and his services can be mighty expensive, Stranger.
Make no mistakes about it.
Make no mistakes.
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