75 WORD CHALLENGE - January 2012 Victory for springs1971!

[HareBrain]

RULES:​

Write a story inspired by the chosen theme in no more than 75 words, not including the title.​

One entry per person.​

All stories Copyright 2012 by their respective authors, who grant the Chronicles Network the non-exclusive right to publish them here.​

The complete rules can be found at Rules for the Writing Challenges.​

Contest ends at 11:59 pm GMT, January 23 2012​

Voting Ends at 11:59 pm GMT, January 28 2012​

You do not have to submit a story in order to vote -- in fact, we encourage all Chrons members to take part in choosing a winner.​

The Magnificent Prize:​

The Dignified Congratulations/Grovelling Admiration of Your Peers
and the challenge of choosing the next month's theme or genre.​

The Theme for January:​

What lies beneath​

The Genre:​

Weird Western​

Good luck!​

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Sadly Missed

R. I. P.​

HERE LIES​

RUSTY THE​

BEST DOG IN​

THE WHOLE WEST. WE FOUGHT TOGETHER WHEN WE CONQUERED THE ALIEN INVASION​

OF 1871 AND SAVED EARTH FOR THE GOOD GUYS. WHEN THE ZOMBIES OF 74 CAME WE ​

DID FOR THEM. THE VAMPIRES OF 78 GOT HIM AND DRAINED HIM UNTIL HE WAS DEAD.​

PA AN’ I LAID​

HIM HERE IN
​

GOOD GROUND


I MISS HIM
​

JOEY BOLON
​

1878 DALLAS​

 

[AMB]

Okay, here goes. I decided on subtlety. Hope I didn't go overboard.

Frontiersman

I was but a boy when I left home, ready to brave the new frontier. Like many before me I had heard that sweet siren song: there's gold in the hills for any man would care to look.

I roamed the land, never staying anywhere longer than the gold lasted, eventually arriving in Heaven during the winter of '76. When spring rolled round, I was off again.

For I was born under a wandrin' star.

 

[Abernovo]

High Moon​

He came to town, saying how he was going to bring the railroad to Temperance. Got himself killed a week later. Only, he didn't stay dead.

Then the townsfolk started getting sick, dying. I was the Sheriff, so they looked to me. Which is how I ended up in the arroyo, dipping my bullets into white ash, just like old Chee told me.

Nightfall. I loaded my Webley .44s. Time to kill a skinwalker.

 

[reiver33]

The Man From Paradise

I stepped out into the wind-blown street to face the corpse of Red Mahler. “Didn’t think your soul was worth this much, Red, if truth be told.”

He laughed. “You killed me, Marshal, but now I’m back, faster than any man alive. Even you, Gabriel.

I drew and fired, fast as fury, before he even slapped leather.

Red screamed, turned from flesh to flame, and was gone.

Beneath my coat my wings itched.

 

[Christopher Lee]

Love's Curse

​

The cowboy held his ground, hand gripping the Colt that rest in its holster. His wife’s grave lay before him, tombstone wishing her peace after life.

I can’t, I love her.

The loose earth above her heaves up and down with the rhythm of a heartbeat. A gash opens in the ground. Bony fingers, void of flesh, reach out gropingly. She could infect others. He has no choice.

Your wife’s dead cowboy, pull the trigger.

 

[Arkose]

[FONT=&quot]The Mithril Bank Heist[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]He leaned against the wall, bullets hitting the door next to him.
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“I want the mithril, you dwarven coward” the bandit yelled.
[/FONT]
“I’m too old for this,” Rorin huffed, filling his two six shooters with bullets.

[FONT=&quot]The elven bandit sprayed the bank with another volley. [/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“I will not back down again,” he said under his breath.
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Rorin quickly faced the door, guns raised. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]He kicked the door open; both fired, filling the streets with smoke. [/FONT]

 

[AlcubierreWarp]

Wagon Train to the Stars
​

"What lies beneath the soul of a man, where none but angels see? What trials reveal the inner self, what pain will set it free?"

In my youth I trekked through the galaxy, searching. Never before had I seen such barbarism, never again will I see such beauty. My search was endless, impossible. I saw the birth of stars, the death of planets. I found my answer where man began; at my journey’s end.

 

[AnyaKimlin]

Ole Jim Murphy climbed on board the train bound for some place. He felt the stare of his companions. They whispered about the hat. It was famous in at least twelve counties. At least twenty gallons and pink, there was none other like it in these here parts.


One man leaned forward. 'Can we see it?'


Jim winked and lifted up his hat. Haunting tunes filled the carriage as the lice band began to play.

 

[HareBrain]

El Brujo


Edwards played like he could see our cards. I figured how.

‘You’s cheatin,’ I said. ‘Why dark glasses? They say you been with the tribes. There’s sorcery in them specs.’

He chuckled. ‘Try again …’

Off they came. His eyes were tattoos on sewn shut lids.

Screams. I went for my gun. My hand cramped.

Edwards scooped bills and gold into his bag. ‘Don’t follow.’

He rode out into the desert.

I ain’t left town since.

 

[Hex]

Scary Stor(e)y on the Prairie


Folks said Grandpaw built his house on uncanny land. How else did it stand on the prairie when the wild winds swept the others away and the floods came up to drown 'em?

Ol' man dealt with the devil, they says. Desecrated burial grounds. Cellar full of unquiet bones.

After Grandpaw died, Paw got sick of the tales. Dug up the foundations to prove 'em wrong.


Waste of a good house, I reckons.

 

[Aun Doorback]

For their worm shall not die

‘Dante’s a drunkard,’ said the bartender. ‘Spouts crap’

Isaiah paid for the whisky.

‘For your story,’ said the journalist. ‘The hole?’

Dante spat . ’Devil’s stairwell.’ He scratched his whiskers. ’Thousand steps to Hell. Found it after I dynamited an old mine shaft.’

‘How’d you know it was Hell?’

Dante grinned. ‘Fire worm told me. Told me America would invent a bomb to blow up the world!’


Leaving, Isaiah mouthed ‘You win’ to the bartender.

 

[Aaron Stone]

Ghost Town

Ya know what they say. Or maybe ya don’t. Either way, it’s done. They came like a swarm of locusts, overwhelmin’ our established minin’ town by sheer force o’ numbers. Turned it inna a ghost town. Literally. Now the rest of us are hidin’ in the old minin’ shafts, starvin’ to death in the dark. We don’t dare venture outside. But they’ll catch us, sooner or later. Nothin’ stops the ghost-devils. Not even death.

 

[paranoid marvin]

Seventh Heaven

In dead of night, I've heard it said
On grassland green, which once ran red
That warriors arise from rest
To put each other to the test

Bugles blaring, pennants flying!
Arrows loosened, bullets crying!
The bloodlust of the men so fierce
They do not feel the missiles pierce

Dread General afront the host
With flowing locks as white as ghost
Entreating them to set upon
And die once more with their boots on

 

[Boneman]

Hands up!​

His planing was innoculate.

He speyed on the bank for a weak, and new when the saif wood be open.

He drew the martial out of town by steeling some cowpokes and maid his move just befour closing thyme.

With his nekkercheef pulled up over his knows, and his six-hooter in his hand, he serged threw the door and brand dished the wepan.

"Move Don't Nobody!" he hollad. "This is a cok-up!"

 

[Culhwch]

Skin Deep

It couldn’t be true.

Couldn’t.

Yet—

He stumbled out of the saloon and into the dusty street.

Outhouse, ‘round back. Looking glass, behind the door.

Somehow he made it, with no memory of doing so.

His bullet had torn Whistlin’ Pete’s forehead open. What lay beneath was stuck in his memory.

He drew his knife, clenched his teeth as it sliced into his eyeball.

In the mirror, a red light burned.

Somehow, he’d always known.

 

[Mouse]

When a man with a .45 meets a man with a rifle
​

“Legend says there ain’t nobody knows what lies under that ole mask o’ his, son. That he ain’t human – he’s… half slug. One day soon, he’s gonna ride into town on the back of a butterfly and send us all to Hell. Heard tell he’s the meanest goddamn—”

“Well I ain’t scared, see. I’ll beat that mother slugga.” He smiles beneath the hat, picks up his drink and says, “I’m the Nematode Kid.”

 

[Starbeast]

The 1877 Invasion of Norfolk, Virginia​

Mayor McChez gave the Sheriff a skeptical eye. "You're telling me a vehicle from outer space was found in the gold mine, and a bunch of clowns came out and attacked people?"​

"Yes sir, with pies, seltzer bottles and rubber chickens. Mayor, I'm serious, five men have died laughing already. We've got to evacuate this town before it's too late!"​

"Who's that behind you?" Suddenly a cream pie struck the Mayor's face.​

"I'm Bozo!" (laughs)​

 

[stormcrow]

Thunderb1rd

Down 1n th’ holler, 1 h1d1n’; b1dn’ my t1me. 1 am da Thunderb1rd!

You heard my wing5 beat1n’ 1n da n1ght, a5 1 5creamed acro55 da 5ky.

The red men be r1ght!

Out on da pra1r1e5, 5ettler5 5t1ll 5tak1n’ land that was Redman5’ long before.

Unner da mounta1n5, prospector5 5t1ll looking fa gold; even after many turn1n’ 5un5.

I 5t1ll waitin’; 5t1ll hop1n’, con5ider1n’: what l1e5 beneath the 5tar-5pangled l1e5 they tell?

Are a5 1?

 

[TacticalLoco]

Western Holistic Treatment

By killing the Earth, Wasicus had killed the children of the people for all time. Whites might continue their zombie existence, ghosts in their dead world, but the living land and people were no more.

Long he smoked and prayed. Better for the world to end now than become undead itself. Better a quick, complete death than a slow rotting.

Medicine Face began to sing and far below his moccasins the Earth heaved in agreement.