Pustiton Blues

The wind from the desert was hot. A blazing breeze sifting over the sands. It whistled between the buildings, and jostled the signs still hanging. Rubbish blew away with it.

And not a sound could be heard.

Arnett grasped the lever action rifle harder, slowly taking steps further into the ghost town. He looked in awe at the buildings.

An old saloon with a sign advertising a barber. A small jailhouse with a painting of a Bobbie's helmet on the wall had "No Sheriff" painted in fading letters. A general store had its windows boarded up, a giant sign reading "CLOSED- Gone East" in big lettering.

Gwen pointed at someone's small house, the windows broken and the remnants of some paper sign blowing in the slight breeze. 

"What is this place?" asked Gwen.

"A small place I used to stop at on the way to Green Nook," said Arnett, "Sometimes there'd be work. Sometimes we could get some water."

"Here?" asked Gwen, "Is there a well around?"

"There's nothing around," said Arnett, "Not anymore."

Gwen slowly walked off, walking up to windows and peering inside.

Arnett approached a small building that was labeled "Town Offices". They had been boarded up, as well. However, as he walked past, the courtyard beyond began to come into view. It was a small rock garden. There was a lovely arrangement of rocks around what appeared to be a large boulder. There were an assortment of cacti arranged around in such a way Arnett figured they had been planted on purpose. He could also see some form of bush, with buds threatening to bloom into flowers at any moment.

However, he had very little time to take it in. As the whole area was eclipsed by a length of rope attached to the town house and the neighboring church. It hung above the courtyard, spanning the wide distance. 

Hanging from the line of rope, spread out, were a series of bodies. Figures with hoods over their faces. Their hands were tied behind their backs. They hung lifeless, slightly swaying in the wind.

Arnett felt his stomach lurch, but he kept walking, allowing the full horror to come into view. He could see they had been gotten to by some animals. Hanging by a few of their ankles, were signs hastily painted reading "Pirates". Now, Arnett took notice of a few vultures circling not far off. His eyes led to beyond the hanging bodies, off into the distance. Looked beyond the courtyard to the loan shed not far behind, and further back he could see a pen where he assumed they once housed chanka. But further beyond that, he could see the wreckage of an airship. 

It was already beginning to be covered in sand. The hull was ripped apart. It had tossed up enough sand that soil was seen, however it was already beginning to fade into new sand as the winds blew. The balloon, or what little was left of it, was in tatters.

Gwen's gasp brought Arnett back to the streets. He turned, and could see her taking in the courtyard.

"Joel," she said, "What happened here?"

"I don't know," said Arnett, "But whatever it was..."

He allowed his words to drift off. His eyes had spotted a series massive imprints in the road. They were spaced out, and Arnett recognized the scene. They looked like Landship tracks, but a lot of them. They followed the road up and down, barely beginning to be filled by sand in some places.

"They're gone," said Arnett, "I wonder if it was before or after the pir-"

A crash from a nearby shop caused both Arnett and Gwen to spin around, rifles raised. Arnett could see a young boy, who had been standing in the window, jumping down and running further into the tailor shop. A mannequin had slammed through the window, possibly knocked over.

"Trouble?" asked Gwen.

"I doubt it," said Arnett, who began approaching the tailor shop, "Hey! Hello there! Anybody here? Anybody hiding?"

"Don't sound scary!" said Gwen, slinging her rifle over her shoulder, "You can come out! We're not pirates! We're not here to hurt anyone!"

"Don't make promises we can't keep," said Arnett.

Arnett turned to the tailor shop, "Please, we are just travelers. I am Lieutenant Joel Arnett of the Landship Scorpios II. What happened here?"

As Arnett approached the door, he could see movement in the darkness beyond. He heard whispers being angrily hushed at each other.

"Please, don't shoot," said Arnett, "I am opening the door. Do not-"

"Does anyone need help?" shouted Gwen.

"Help?" came the voice of someone beyond the darkness.

A second voice shouted at them "Water!"

"We have water!" said Gwen, ripping open the door and stomping inside the tailor shop.

Arnett tried to speak, but only managed a groan. He followed her inside, his eyes instantly going dark with the new gloom. He squinted in blinked, trying to will his eyes into adjusting quicker.

He could see an old shop. A small public space. A few figures stood eerily in the gloom. At the far wall some racks could be seen holding hats. Cubbies behind an old counter held various fabrics. Arnett spotted movement in the corner, but relaxed when a mirror came into view.

His rifle combed around the room at the figures, but Gwen carefully walked past them, touching them lightly. Maniquins. Arnett sighed, and relaxed.

"Hello?" said Gwen, "We have water. Is somebody in need?"

"P-Please," came a soft voice.

Arnett could see a figure hiding behind the counter. It was a little girl. She poked her head out, and pointed to deeper inside the shop, to a door left wide open.

"In there?" asked Gwen.

"Momma," said the Girl, pointing again.

"Is she hurt?" asked Arnett, his eyes finally adjusting to the gloom.

Arnett walked passed the eerie maniquins wearing dresses and corsettes and hats. He approached the back room, his rifle raised slightly just inside.

"Hello? Is anybody hurt?"

Arnett entered the back room. He could see it was a mess. What used to be an old stock room had most of the crates and shelves pushed against the far wall. A smashed crate had been used to board up all the windows. There was a small cooking stoke with a rough fire pit made of rocks. Clothes littered the floor, put into piles of makeshift beds.

And there, on the only actual bed, was a woman. She was not moving, and she looked pale and boney thin. Her hair was matted and stringy. She lay tucked into bed. She looked dry.

"Oh," mumbled Arnett, a sigh of desolation in the empty room, "I'm so sorry, children."

He lowered his rifle and approached the woman lying still.

"We can help," came the voice of Gwen, "Don't be afraid, we're here to help."

She entered the room behind Arnett. Her eyes followed Arnett's path.

"I think we're too late," murmured Arnett, almost as if to himself, "I don't think she's alright."

"Oh no!" said Gwen.

"What happened here?"

The children entered, the little girl from the counter and a dirty looking little boy,  "Water. Water."

"I think she needs more than water," said Gwen, "But we can-"

"Children," said Arnett, speaking normally but his voice filling the empty room, "What happened here?"

A hand grasped Arnett's arm, "Him." 

He let out a scream, jumping off the ground and away from the bed. Gwen also screamed, leading to the children crying out as well.

The woman's eyes had opened, and she reached out. her voice was raspy, and dry.

"He did this."

"Water!" yelled Arnett, pulling out his canteen, "Save your breath, ma'am. It's gonna be ok."

"She's alive?" Asked Gwen.

Arnett sat next to her on the bed. He carefully placed the canteen to her lips.

"Don't drown her," said Gwen.

"Don't talk," said Arnett, "Just drink. Quickly, now."

She closed her eyes, again, but she began to drink from the water he dribbled into her mouth. After a few gulps, her hands rose, and she began to take larger gulps of water.

Arnett looked up to Gwen his eyes telling her they had bit off more than they could chew.

"I've been to this old town a few times. I've never seen it like this. What happened?"

The woman was now sitting up. She was truly rejuvenated by some water. Her children had also taken very generous gulps that annoyed Arnett, and were now sleeping, curled up to their mother. Gwen had started a small fire and attempted to cook some food from the ship.

"I don't know where to start," said the woman.

"Why don't we start with where everyone is," said Arnett.

"Gone."

"Gone?"

"They left. After he came," said the woman.

"Alright, who is the he?"

"The Sheriff," said the woman.

"Alright, I'm going to need a little bit more, here," said Arnett, "The one word answers aren't working for us. Let's start at the beginning, right. So what brought the Sheriff here?"

The woman nodded and took a breath, before she finally sighed and began her story, "It was a while ago. Pirates descended on the town. Out local constable couldn't do anything for them. They were a mess, they robbed a few folks, they tore up the saloon. They would stay a few days than leave, and we thought that was the end but than they were back."

"Our constable, they loved to torture him. They tied him to the airship and dragged him through town until his boot came right off. He was scared, and he couldn't protect us. So he wired into the big city, sent a report about what was going on and requested help. We didn't hear nothing back for a while, until one day he came."

"It was quite a sight. A train, large and armored, was just walking through the desert."

"Walking through the desert?" mumbled Arnett, before he was shushed by Gwen.

"It was the new one. Sandoval was his name."

"Sandoval..." Arnett stroked his chin.

"He came and brought soldiers with him. They looked like policemen, but they were not. They set up defenses and he sent the train away. He spoke with the town and they decided to hide in the church. We didn't have to wait too long. They came a day earlier."

This time she turned, to look Arnett in the eyes, "This attack was different. It was like they knew. They circled the town before dropping ropes from the ship. A few of them descended, armed and calling for blood. It was like they knew. The Airship... it began to shoot up the constable's house. And that's when it happened. It was a great battle. We were so scared. We hid below, in the basement, of our neighbor's house. We could hear the whole thing like a great storm."

"When it was over, we were victorious. The police-soldiers were gathering up the pirates, and the townsfolk were celebrating. The airship had been shot out of the very sky!"

"So he hung the Pirates."

"After, yes. There was a celebration. We held a banquet in his honor.  The whole town was in attendance. However, I think the butcher brought out some of his famous brew. Everything changed after that."

"I don't understand," asked Gwen, "What happened?"

"I am not quite sure, but the man took a great interest in the brew. Asking about how he made it and the like. The whole town joined in. The constable raved about it. The tavern owner sold it to the rare visitors. We thought he was taking a genuine interest."

"However he departed, to his train. A few of his men were called back, one by one. Next thing we knew, they came back to the celebration, but everything was different."

"He arrested them," said Arnett.

"At first he only demanded to see. He had the butcher take him to his shop. Than he had his men search the constable's quarters," the woman shook her head, "It wasn't long after that he began arresting people. The butcher for bootlegging alcohol with an illegal still. The business owners for selling it. He even arrested the constable for bribery! He called the gifts of beer bribes! Even our mayor was soon off in handcuffs."

"How terrible!" said Gwen.

"A story I've heard before," said Arnett, "This Sandoval guy is a real piece of work. I've heard his arrest record is soaring due to arrests like these."

"So, what? He gets away with just arresting a whole town?" asked Gwen.

"Not everyone," said the woman, "But enough. Their families had to pack up and follow them back to the bigger towns in order to plead their innocence. However, one by one, people began to leave. As more businesses closed and left, there was less for those left behind."

"And you were stuck here?" asked Arnett.

"It was us and two other families," said the woman, "We were talking about leaving, but Mr. Hubbard died in his sleep. The next night, without warning, the Petersons took Mrs. Hubbard and they were gone. We were left alone in this ghost town. I couldn't afford to leave. There weren't any supplies left to make the journey with my children. I knew we were in trouble, but we couldn't risk leaving on our own."

"So you were marooned," said Arnett, "Stuck here..."

"Scavaging what our neighbors left behind," she said, "Water, food, wood for a fire. Tools for the kids to catch prey with. Anything..."

"And now we're here," nodded Gwen.

"Lucky," said Arnett, sighing, "Lucky for you."

Gwen looked at Arnett, "What?"

Arnett shrugged, "It's nothing. We really needed water. I am unsure how much it'll set us back at our destination."

"Is there a well or something nearby?" asked Gwen.

"They left us with nothing. We took everything we could."

"We have to help them," said Gwen.

Arnett nodded, sighing through his nose, "Yeah, I know. We have to turn back. This venture is over."

"Oh, I couldn't possibly bother-"

"Look, lady, you were practically a mummy when we got here," said Arnett, "Your kids are in danger. Enough of the theatrics. You're leaving this graveyard and coming with us before those pirate bodies attract some goblins."

"I cannot pay much," said the woman.

"Bah! We'll figure it out," said Arnett, who turned to Gwen and whispered, "We'll loot what we can from this place and head out. I'm interested in what is left in that airship."

"Joel!"

"What? We need something to put fuel in the tank and with taking on this lot, water in the reserves," said Arnett, "Besides, when they get where they are going, they can't afford to pay us. We can't just leave them in the streets of some town."

"Alright, fine," said Gwen, "But we need to hurry. They may need medical attention."

"This one needs a doc, for sure," said Arnett, "Alright, miss. Drink up and gather your strength. We'll move you to my landship, get your kids settled, and we'll be off before you know it."

Arnett rose, and began looking around the room, "And we'll make sure we grab anything valuable while we're at it..."

"Joel!"

"For them, I'm sure," said Arnett, "Doctor's ain't free!"