Cursed Corners

Chapter 1 - Welcome Back

It had been five years since he had seen the so-called "nicest and friendliest" place in the whole desert and beyond: Nice and Friendly Corners, a simple western town with equally simple townsfolk. And now, here he was, trudging through the desert while running on fumes, as the unforgiving sun's heat constantly beat down on him. He couldn't travel across the desert via train because the outpost he left from wasn't within a ten mile radius of any train tracks or station, so he had to buy an old mare to carry him across the sea of sand.

Unfortunately, the mare was just as delicate in the scorching heat as him, and eventually collapsed to the ground in a heat stroke; he felt utterly guilty for putting through such conditions in her last moments, and did his best to bury her near a dead tree. From there, he walked alone, determined to find the civilization he once called home. If he was honest, he still called it home, for he was born and raised there, and all of his best friends in the whole world were there.

His apprehension grew at the thought of seeing his old friends again, but then he was painfully reminded of the searing heat on his bare back and feet. Fortunately, though, he then came up to a decrepit wooden sign, as one half remained on the stake and the other lay half-buried in the sand. It only took one look for him to read the faded words, "Nice and Friendly Corners." He was close.

Closer than he thought, in fact, for he looked up and saw the said town not one hundred yards in the distance. Salvation and nostalgia was just up ahead, and he wouldn't take either for granted. Suddenly, his foot was caught on something hard, and his face quickly met the hot sand. Utterly confused, he turned over to see what he had tripped on, but gasped when he saw that it was a set of train tracks that stretched far over the horizon in both directions.

This didn't make any sense. There were no train tracks, let alone any mention of anyone wanting to build any tracks, through the town when he left. Why were they here now? And why smack-dab in the center of town?

"Well, well, well! Looks like we've got ourselves a newcomer! Hallelujah!" a coyote cackled from the shaded porch of the saloon—which is exactly where Ella's Milk Saloon used to be. Now, all that remained of the sign was a rustic-colored, slanted, wooden word that read "Trusty's Saloon."

"Um, excuse me? Can you tell me what happened to Ella's Milk Saloon?" the newcomer questioned the coyote after picking himself up.

"Milk saloon?! Ha! Ha-ha-ha-ha!" the coyote practically howled with laughter, "The fat cow that ran this place ain't worked here in years, and there sure as hell ain't a drop a' milk in there either."

The newcomer winced at this new information of a dear and old friend, "W-What happened to her?"

"She missed the train," the coyote hissed in response.

"The train?"

"Oh, yeah. After that, she walked right off inta the desert, never ta be seen again. If she was lucky, the buzzards picker 'er bones clean by the next day." As soon as the newcomer noticed the ever growing shock on the newcomer's face, his grin grew wider with glee.

"So, what's yer name, Traveler?" the coyote eventually asked out of curiosity.

The newcomer shook his head in order to shake the unpleasant thoughts from his mind before answering, "Toby."

"Well, Toby, ya look more parched than a dried up toad. Why don't ya step inside? The first round's on the house, courtesy of good ol' Trusty," the coyote offered while opening the doors to the saloon, to which Toby gladly accepted and looked at him in surprise again.

"You're Trusty?"

"That's right. And you don't gotta say it. I know you didn't expect it, no one does."

"Um…yeah, actually. I don't mean to be rude, though."

"Forget about it. I'm used to it by now. But just keep in mind that not everything is as it seems." Trusty's voice grew even darker and alluring, and Toby swore he saw his left eye become hollow and soulless. But when Trusty darted behind the counter to prepare Toby a shot of rum, the blackness in his eye was gone and replaced with his sinister yellow glare.

Toby tiredly walked through the bar, easily earning questionable looks from a few of the patrons around the saloon.

"Well, would ya look at that? A thirsty cactus," a cat joked with a dark chuckle.

"Never thought I'd live ta see the day," a skunk, who was sitting across from the cat in their interrupted game of Poker, remarked with a tone that was just as playful. True to the cat's word, Toby was a cactus that was obviously quite thirsty and tired, and the two branches atop his head that poked holes into his ten gallon hat were slightly shriveled from the lack of hydration.

Toby averted his gaze from the suspicious glares and silence and took a seat at the bar, just as Trusty finished making his drink and slid it down the counter for him. Despite still being a little dazed from the heat, Toby managed to catch the shot and instantly brought it to his mouth to quench his thirst.

"You remember what I said, Toby, and you just might survive," Trusty warned in a hushed tone when someone else took a seat next to Toby, and immediately fled afterwards. But Toby was so caught up in his relief that he failed to notice who sat next to him.

"Toby? Is that you?" a strong Western-accented voice spoke in utter surprise, and it wasn't until Toby finally looked up that he realized he should have instantly recognized that incredibly familiar voice.

"Peck!" the cactus gasped in pure joy, but refrained himself from giving his best friend a hug, as to prevent him from getting filled with thorns. But Toby just couldn't believe it. His oldest and best friend was right here before him, which he couldn't say the same about his other old friends; even when he entered the town, he didn't see anyone that looked remotely familiar. And the look in Peck's yellow eyes were just so bright and full of light, unlike most of the other inhabitants, whose eyes were all either filled with dread or maliciousness.

"Oh, you have no idea how good it is ta see ya again, Good Buddy! I've really missed you," Peck excitedly informed.

"Same here. It's great ta see a familiar face in this place fer once, and I'm a little worried. Where'd all our friends go?" Toby inquired with a quirked brow, and he quickly noticed how Peck's joyful expression changed to that of fear and uncertainty.

"Yeah…about that…" Peck began meekly while scratching the back of his head, "I really wish you hadn't come back, Toby. This town ain't nice and friendly like it used ta be. Callie mysteriously disappeared shortly after you left—and that's when He came. He damned the whole town and everyone in it."

Toby was speechless for a moment, "Who did?"

"The Devil." Peck's answer was short and hung with dread. Toby could tell by the look on his best friend's face that this was not a joke.

"Wha-? But how? And why?" Toby asked frantically.

"No one knows for sure. What we do know is that there's only one way ta escape him, and that's by catchin' the train." Toby instantly flashed back to when Trusty mentioned a trained, but thought it best to let Peck continue. "To test who should go and who should be left behind, a train comes through here whenever a newcomer comes ta town—which is you, in this case."

"A-And you're saying this train takes you ta freedom?"

"No one's actually returned ta confirm that, but any place is better than here. Time stopped here when the town was cursed. So, if ya miss that train, you'll be stuck here forever, damned ta live a frozen life amongst the dead."

Toby was now shuddering violently. He couldn't believe this…he just couldn't believe it. The Devil? Curses? Nearly inescapable doom? How was this all even possible?

"I can tell you're havin' trouble believin' me, but I'm tellin' ya, Toby—ya need ta leave while ya still can," Peck went on, his voice stern yet shuddery, and even grabbed Toby by the shoulders to gain his full attention. And he had just that.

"What happened here, Peck?" Toby spoke meekly.

"I already told ya: We've been damned, so this town goes by a new name," Peck firmly replied while hopping down from his seat, but stopped and turned to look at Toby one last time before leaving, "Welcome ta Cursed Corners."

Ok so, my first Sheriff Callie's Wild West fanfic(at least, I think so...honestly, I have too many storiesXD)! I'm pretty excited about it, and I hope you guys will enjoy it.

Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD, bye-bye!