Where Death Comes Uninvited – Episode 3 – Into the Desert

Below we present the complete text of “Into the Desert”, episode 3 of our new Weird Western; Where Death Comes Uninvited. This is a brand new (unpublished) series (featuring a brand new roster of heroes including Jim Wilkes – the Sheriff, Annie Deems – the Crack Shot, Speeding Elk – the Tracker, and Sally Turner – the Gambler). If you would like to see these new stories advance from being drafts into polished publications then please consider supporting us by purchasing one or more of our previously published titles. Every sale directly funds the production of new stories.

Where Death Comes Uninvited

EPISODE #3 – INTO THE DESERT

by Philip Craig Robotham

Cover Illustration by Miyukiko

Unedited Draft

Copyright 2016 Philip Craig Robotham

Creative Commons Attritubution Non-Commercial No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) Edition .

This play is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) International license. This play may not be commercially reproduced, performed, or sold. Non-commercial production, performance, and reproduction is allowed under this license so long as attribution is maintained. No derivative content or use is allowed. It can be freely shared in its current form (without change) under this license. If you would like to purchase one or more copies of this work (for your own personal non-commercial use, or to help financially support the author) then please return to http://www.weirdworlstudios.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Other works by this author can be found at the author’s website: http://www.weirdworldstudios.com or through select, online book retailers.

Serial #1: Where Death Comes Uninvited

Jim Wilkes, former U.S Marshall, drifts into town to become the new Sheriff, but all is not as it should be.  When he arrives, the town is in mourning, many of its children having been killed in a fire at the schoolhouse/church.  He greets a wall of suspicion against outsiders, the spectre of multiple unsolved murders, strange and unnatural events, and a saloon keeper that seems to rule the town with an iron fist.  In his quest to confront the evil power behind the town he must recruit allies, discover the frightening source of the towns wealth, prevent an indian war, and pass through death itself.  Can he do so before death has a chance to claim the entire town?

Episodes in the Host Your Own “Old Time Radio Drama” series are designed to provide a fun dinner party experience for 6–8 participants. Read along, taking on the role of one or more of the characters in the story, and listen as the exciting drama unfolds. This is the theater of the mind, where the special effects are only limited by your imagination, and your participation will build a memory that you’ll treasure for years to come.

Where Death Comes Uninvited

CAST LIST

NARRATOR: The Narrator

JIM WILKES: Sheriff of Liberty Gulch

ANNIE DEEMES: Crack Shot and Store Keeper

ABE FARROW: Drifter

GUNMAN #1: Townsfolk

GUNMAN #2: Townsfolk

DAN WILSON: Mayor of Liberty Gulch

WALLACE LEACH: Deputy of Liberty and Henchman to Dan

SFX: SFX operator (1 required)

SCENE 9: INT – THE SALOON – DAY (JIM, ABE, WALLACE, GUNMAN#1, GUNMAN#2)

413. MUSIC: OPENING THEME – LET IT FINISH
414. NARRATOR: Having exhonerated the drifter, Abe Farrow, of the arson murder of a number of children in the town, Jim Wilkes (formerly of the U.S Marshall’s office and now Sherriff of Liberty Gulch) has appointed Abe as his deputy. This is bound to rile up the crooked mayor and his supporters who Jim is determined to face off with down at the saloon.
415. WALLA: TINNY HONKY-TONK PIANO MUSIC, A FEW MURMURING VOICES, ETC – ESTABLISH AND UNDER.
416. WALLACE: What the hell are you doing here, Sheriff? And what’s that child killer doing out o’ jail?
417. SOUND: ANGRY MURMURS FROM PATRONS – LET IT FINISH.
418. JIM: Well, firstly I need to see our illustrious Mayor and secondly, it turns out your child killer was someone else.
419. SOUND: CHAIRS BEING PULLED BACK – MEN RISING TO THEIR FEET – PIANO MUSIC STOPS – LET IT FINISH.
420. WALLACE: Is that right? It don’t look like there are many people here who agree with you much?
421. JIM: That’s as may be.
422. GUNMAN #1: (THREATENINGLY) Why’d you cut him loose, Sherrif?
423. GUNMAN #2: Yeah. Why?
424. SOUND: GUNS BEING COCKED – LET IT FINISH.
425. JIM: You boys might want to take it easy with those irons. They ain’t allowed in city limits.
426. GUNMEN: (LAUGHING) Are you gonna take ‘em from us, Sheriff?
427. SOUND: GUNS BEING COCKED – LET IT FINISH.
428. JIM: I just might. Or you could settle down, hand ‘em over peacable like, and walk outta here without anyone getting hurt. (BEAT) What’s it gonna be?
429. SOUND: FOUR GUNSHOTS, TWO BOTTLES SMASHING AND A RICOCHET – LET IT FINISH.
430. GUNMAN #1: My shoulder!
431. GUNMAN #2: My gun! He shot the gun right outta my hand!
432. WALLACE: (PANICKED) Who’s gonna pay for them bottles?
433. ABE: Sorry, boss. I obviously ain’t the crack-shot you are. I had to just wound mine.
434. JIM: ‘S alright. You boys are done here. If I see you around this town again, I’ll run you in or kill you. As for my deputy. He didn’t kill them children. There was someone else loitering outside that Church on the night of the fire.
435. WALLACE: (PANICKING) Now, you caint just come in here accusing me o’…
436. JIM: Who said anything about you Leach? Is your conscience a little uneasy?
437. SOUND: ANGRY MURMURS FROM PATRONS – LET IT FINISH.
438. WALLACE: (GENUINE FEAR) I don’t have to stay here and…
439. I didn’t do… Just stay back…
440. SOUND: RUNNING FEET AS LEACH TAKES OFF – SALOON DOORS SWINGING IN HIS AFTERMATH – LET IT FINISH.
441. ABE: You want we should chase him down?
442. JIM: Naw, he aint goin’ far… and he’s just the tool. I want the man who gave him his marching orders.
443. GUNMAN #2: Can we have our guns back Sheriff?
444. JIM: You should consider yourselves lucky you can still walk under your own power. Leave the guns and git. In fact I suggest everyone goes home. The bar is closed.
445. GUNMAN #1: (TO ABE) You’re gonna regret pluggin’ me, “deputy”. You’ll see.
446. SOUND: GUNSHOT, THEN TWO MORE.
447. GUNMAN #2: (TERROR) We’re leaving. We’re leavin’.
448. SOUND: MANY BOOTS RUNNING OUT – LET IT FINISH.
449. ABE: (TO JIM – INNOCENTLY) What?
450. JIM: It’s a shame is all. Those were perfectly good bullets you just planted in them floor-boards.
451. ABE: I figure it was worth it, just to shut em up, like.
452. JIM: Fair enough. Let’s head up the stairs and have a talk with Mayor Wilson.
453. ABE: I’m surprised the noise hasn’t drawn him out.
454. JIM: Yeah, I was thinkin’ about that myself. Best you reload your piece. He might be sitting in a corner waiting for us with a Winchester.
455. MUSIC: (BRIDGE) OMINOUS SCENE ENDER – LET IT FINISH.

SCENE 10: INT – THE CORRIDOR IN FRONT OF THE MAYOR’S LODGINGS – DAY (JIM, ABE)

456. JIM: [CUE] (STAGE WHISPER) Stay on the other side of the door. I’ll knock from this side.
457. ABE: No problem, boss. This ain’t my first rodeo.
458. JIM: Heh!
459. SOUND: BRIEF KNOCKING ON DOOR. FOLLOWED BY LONG PAUSE. – LET IT FINISH.
460. ABE: Could he be out?
461. JIM: He didn’t strike me as the cowardly type. I guess he could be elsewhere.
462. ABE: That being the case…
463. SOUND: SOUND OF DOOR SPLINTERING – LET IT FINISH.
464. ABE: …we found the door kicked in, and being good, law-upholding peace officers, we had to go in and make sure the Mayor’s possessions were all safe.
465. JIM: Is that something you picked up deputying for McDaniels?
466. ABE: Ahuh.
467. JIM: Well, I guess we caint just walk away now.
468. ABE: After you.
469. MUSIC: (BRIDGE) TIME PASSING SCENE ENDER – LET IT FINISH.

SCENE 11: INT – THE MAYOR’S LODGINGS – A LITTLE LATER (JIM, ABE)

470. ABE: [CUE] It definitely looks like he’s not here.
471. JIM: Ahuh. Thanks for the update. Would you mind putting them mighty observational powers o’ yours to use going through them cupboards.
472. ABE: (LAUGHING) Sure boss.
473. JIM: This is interesting. The Mayor’s private calendar has the current date marked with the word “Desert”.
474. ABE: You thinkin’ he’s makin’ one o’ them trips into injun territory that he’s been rumoured to take from time to time?
475. JIM: Could be. By the look, he’s due back tomorrow.
476. ABE: Hmmm. What’s this? Does the mayor have a thing for hair?
477. JIM: Not that I know of. Why?
478. ABE: Inside this drawer. Locks of hair, fine, not coarse.
479. JIM: Making himself a wig maybe? He sure dresses fine. Could be he’s afraid o’ going bald.
480. ABE: I don’t think so. There ain’t enough of it to make a doll’s wig let alone a man’s. And it’s all different colours too.
481. JIM: That’s given me a nasty thought.
482. ABE: Yeah?
483. JIM: I wonder if it’d match the hair o’ any of the dead children?
484. ABE: That is a nasty thought. I’ll gather it up so we can check with the parents.
485. JIM: Speaking o’ nasty.
486. ABE: Hmmm?
487. JIM: See this? I think it’s the Mayor’s journal.
488. ABE: So?
489. JIM: I think it’s written in blood.
490. ABE: Let me see?
491. (BEAT) Well I’ll be… What are all these weird symbols?
492. JIM: Some of it looks like another language… maybe. But these, stars and circles, they just give me the creeps. And look here, on the last page. (READING) “The master demands a sacrifice of innocents. This may turn out to be an opportunity to be rid of more than one problem. That damned preacher has interfered too often in our affairs.”
493. ABE: When’s it dated?
494. JIM: The day of the fire.
495. ABE: And his master? What do you think that means?
496. JIM: I don’t think he’s referring to a person. See here, a couple a pages back, he’s talking about spirits and demons.
497. ABE: You said that the Mayor came out of the Desert in his younger days raving. Do you think he might actually have gone insane?
498. JIM: Maybe. It’s possible he’s been hiding it all these years. Anyway, I think we’ve got enough here to make an arrest, don’t you?
499. ABE: Yeah, though I’m not sure it’d hold up well in court.
500. JIM: If we work on Leach a little, we might get some more. But before that we’ll need to go find the mayor and bring him back.
501. ABE: Alright. Time’s a-wasting.
502. MUSIC: (BRIDGE) NEUTRAL SCENE ENDER – LET IT FINISH.

SCENE 12: EXT – THE EDGE OF TOWN – LATER
(ABE, JIM, ANNIE, WALLACE)

503. WALLA: SQUAWK OF A DESERT HAWK IN THE DISTANCE. MILD NEIGH OF A HORSE, SHUFFLING OF HOOVES, BREEZE ETC. – ESTABLISH AND UNDER.
504. ANNIE: Sheriff. Sheriff. Hold up a minute.
505. JIM: Must be mid-day.
506. ABE: Hmmm?
507. JIM: Time for my twelve o’clock scolding.
508. ABE: (SNORTS A LAUGH)
509. JIM: Annie. How nice o’ you to come see us off.
510. ANNIE: That’s a little too polite, Sheriff. (TO ABE) And you better keep that laugh o’ yours behind your teeth, Abe, or you’ll end up missing a few of em.
511. JIM: Now is that a nice way to talk? Abe here didn’t even say nothing to you. Besides that Winchester you’re toting illegally within the city limits commands a certain politeness of demeanour.
512. ANNIE: Ahuh. I do believe your attempting to poke fun at me. But right now, that aint what I’m concerned with. From the looks o’ the two of you, you’re fixing to head out into injun country.
513. JIM: Ahuh.
514. ANNIE: And what about Leach? You gonna just let him go?
515. JIM: You heard about that did you?
516. ANNIE: The whole town’s up in arms.
517. JIM: And we figured we’d leave him to them.
518. ANNIE: And what if he gets away?
519. ABE: I cain’t see how that’s gonna happen.
520. ANNIE: Oh? And just why would that be?
521. ABE: This town’s a hundred miles from anywhere that might help him. His boss is out in the desert. And I’m currently riding his horse.
522. ANNIE: (LAUGHING DESPITE HERSELF THEN SOBERING FAST) You know, most men don’t come back from this desert. Or if they do, they don’t come back the same.
523. JIM: So I’ve heard.
524. ANNIE: The mayor’ll be back tomorrow, or the next day at the latest. He’s never gone long. You could just wait a day or so for the confrontation.
525. JIM: I could.
526. ANNIE: But you ain’t gonna, are you?
527. JIM: No ma’am.
528. ANNIE: It’s Annie. Just Annie. And have I called you a stubborn jackass yet today?
529. JIM: Nope. I do believe you called me a damned fool earlier, though.
530. ANNIE: I do believe you’re right. And since it’s looking pretty certain that I won’t be changing your mind over this real soon, I guess I’ll get the name calling over and be done. You’re the most stubborn Jackass I ever met.
531. JIM: Feeling a mite better now, are you?
532. ANNIE: Not especially, but if you want me to get creative, I’ll be happy to oblige.
533. WALLACE: (SLURRING A LITTLE) Won’t be any call for that. There’s nothing you could call these hombre’s that I ain’t already thought of.
534. ABE: Well, whattaya know? Mr Wallace Leach, as I live and breathe?
535. WALLACE: You won’t be living long, “deputy”.
536. JIM: You’re drunk, ain’t you Leach?
537. WALLACE: Not so much as I caint kill the likes o’ you.
538. JIM: Had you come on us from behind, you might o’ had a chance of getting one of us before you was gunned down. But like this? No you ain’t gonna be killing no-one.
539. WALLACE: (ALMOST WAILING) You’ve took everything from me. I had me respect and fear. A position. Hell, I even had me a horse. You’ve gone and given it all to this “outsider”.
540. JIM: And you burn children for your boss. I’m afraid I ain’t got much feeling to spare for the likes of you.
541. WALLACE: Why you…
542. SOUND: WALLACE PULLS HIS GUN AT A DISTANCE-LET IT FINISH.
543. SOUND: NEARBY WINCHESTER RIFLE SHOT, RELOAD AND THREE MORE – BODY DROP OF WALLACE WHO WHIMPERS IN PAIN – LET IT FINISH.
544. ABE: Damn, Annie. A bullet in each hand and one for both his knee-caps. You’re taking it a bit personal ain’t you?
545. ANNIE: Little Sarah Conroy worked in my store after school every day. She had a smile like sunshine and never had a bad word to say even about some of our most difficult customers. Leach is lucky I’ve left him his eyes and that he wasn’t downed with a gut shot.
546. ABE: I’m damned thankful you never really believed I was behind the fire then.
547. JIM: You able to look after things here while we’re gone.
548. ANNIE: I’d still rather you wasn’t going, but yeah. The town’ll look forward to dealing with this one.
549. JIM: Alright, he’s all yours.
550. ABE: I didn’t think you were gonna allow a hanging, except under law.
551. JIM: Is there gonna be anything left to hang, Annie?
552. ANNIE: I’ll see to it Sheriff. There might not be much left to hang, but he’ll be delivered up to the law.
553. JIM: That’s settled then. We’ve got an appointment in the wilds with Dan Wilson, our illustrious Mayor.
554. ANNIE: You ain’t gonna listen, but just be careful out there. Nothing out there is exactly what it seems.
555. MUSIC: (BRIDGE) NEUTRAL SCENE ENDER – LET IT FINISH.

SCENE 13: EXT – DESERT – DAY (JIM, ABE)

556. SOUND: (WALLA) GUSTS OF WIND, SHRIEK OF AN OCCASIONAL BIRD OF PREY – ESTABLISH AND UNDER.
557. SOUND: CLIP CLOP OF HORSES COMING TO A HALT – LET IT FINISH.
558. ABE: Are you much of a tracker, Sheriff?
559. JIM: I’ve tracked my share of men over rough country?
560. ABE: So you can explain this, then, can you?
561. JIM: I caint say that I can, so I won’t.
562. ABE: Well I’m glad you’re takin’ it so well. It’s more or less giving me the screaming fits.
563. JIM: Well, I was hoping it was just the sun. I take it you can see how them footprints we’ve been following have changed?
564. ABE: Into mountain lion tracks? Uhuh?
565. JIM: Well, if that’s a mountain lion, it’s the biggest dang critter I’ve ever encountered.
566. ABE: How big do you reckon?
567. JIM: At least shoulder high. Possibly as big as my horse.
568. ABE: It’s a trick. It’s gotta be.
569. JIM: Maybe.
570. ABE: You don’t sound convinced.
571. JIM: Remember what Annie said as we was leaving; “Nothing out here is exactly what it seems”.
572. ABE: Yeah? But men don’t turn into mountain lions, even evil ones like that mayor. It just don’t happen.
573. JIM: You’ve been drifting long enough to hear the stories.
574. ABE: You mean injun magic and the like?
575. JIM: Uhuh.
576. ABE: Yeah, I’ve heard the stories. They make a great campfire tale. But I never swallowed ’em.
577. JIM: (BEAT) I once had to hunt down a man in Cherokee territory. An injun tracker I met on the trail offered to help me. The man had been through their village and gone on a killing spree. We followed him for three days. That tracker was amazing. He caught every tiny sign and, despite our quarry doubling back repeatedly and trying to lose us, we eventually cornered him in a box canyon. He didn’t come peaceably though, and when the smoke cleared the villain was dead and the injun tracker and I were left standing there alone. I turned to give him my thanks and, I swear, the only thing there was a hawk. One moment I was looking at an injun brave and the next the hawk took flight and I was on my own.
578. ABE: Nice story.
579. JIM: I wouldn’t believe it either, except I was there. I’ve spent a lot o’ time thinking about that day and I reckon there’s more ‘n the world than you and I understand. Only a fool’d say otherwise.
580. ABE: Tell you what? I’ll own we don’t understand this… yet. But if we keep on following I’m betting we get to the bottom of it.
581. JIM: Fair enough. (TO HIS HORSE) Giddup.
582. SOUND: JANGLE OF SPURS, AND HORSES START WALKING AGAIN. – ESTABLISH AND FADE.
583. MUSIC: NEUTRAL SCENE ENDER – LET IT FINISH.

SCENE 14: EXT – SILVER MINE – EARLY EVENING. (JIM, ABE, DAN)

584. SOUND: (WALLA) CLIP CLOP Of HORSES, BREEZE, OCCASIONAL CRY OF A BIRD OF PREY – ESTABLISH AND UNDER.
585. JIM: You see that smoke yonder?
586. ABE: Ahuh.
587. JIM: That’s a white man’s fire.
588. ABE: How can you tell?
589. JIM: Injuns don’t build fires that smoke like that. It’s a beacon to anyone in the vicinity that there’s a fool of a white man on the trail.
590. ABE: So?
591. JIM: We’d better just get him before the injuns do.
592. ABE: Well, it’s just over that rise.
593. JIM: Feel like crawling up there on your belly and taking a look?
594. ABE: That’s just what I got into deputying for; the glamour.
595. SOUND: STOP HORSES, SOUND OF MEN DISMOUNTING, BODIES DROP AND CRAWL FOR A FEW MOMENTS – LET IT FINISH.
596. ABE: You gotta love the taste of that red dust in your mouth, Sheriff.
597. JIM: Shut up and crawl.
598. SOUND: MORE BRIEF CRAWLING SOUNDS – LET IT FINISH.
599. JIM: Well, I’ll be?
600. ABE: Damned if that aint the biggest cat I ever seen. What’s it doing?
601. JIM: I aint sure. It seems to be dragging a cartload o’ ore outta that hole in the cliff wall.
602. ABE: You think it’s a mine?
603. JIM: More’n likely.
604. ABE: Where’s the mayor?
605. JIM: I think we’re looking at him.
606. ABE: What? Where?
607. JIM: That huge mountain lion. I think that’s our good mayor?
608. ABE: You know, I do believe you actually believe this nonsense.
609. JIM: Quiet. Something’s happening.
610. SOUND: MAGICAL CHIME – LET IT FINISH.
611. ABE: Great Scott! The giant cat. It’s turning back into a man… and he aint got no clothes.
612. JIM: I told you.
613. DAN: (FROM A DISTANCE) You two boys had better get up out o’ the dirt and visit for a spell.
614. ABE: He knows we’re here?
615. JIM: I guess he coulda smelled us. (CALLING TO DAN) Alright Mr Mayor. You’re under arrest. We plan on taking you in to stand trial for the deaths o’ the preacher and them children in the Church. Are you gonna come peacably?
616. DAN: (LAUGHING) Oh, I don’t intend to engage in any violence, if that’s what you’re asking but as for who’s gonna arrest who? Well, that remains to be seen. Now come on down here.
617. JIM: I think we’re fine where we are, thanks. We’ve got the higher ground and plenty of cover. Why don’t you just raise your hands and come on up?
618. DAN: You misunderstand, sheriff. That wasn’t a request.
619. SOUND: FADE IN GROWLS OF MANY MOUNTAIN LIONS – LET IT FINISH.
620. ABE: Where in tarnation did those things come from.
621. JIM: There must be a dozen mountain lions. They’ve got us surrounded.
622. ABE: How’d they sneak up so quiet?
623. JIM: I don’t know, but they’ll be on us before we get off a single shot. (TO DAN) Alright we’re coming down.
624. SOUND: CRUNCH OF GRAVEL UNDER FOOT FOR A FEW STEPS, ACCOMPANIED BY GROWLS – LET IT FINISH.
625. DAN: That’s far enough fellas.
626. SOUND: GROWLS SUBSIDE – FADE OUT.
627. DAN: I had such high hopes for you, Sheriff. It’s a shame it has to end like this.
628. JIM: Oh it ain’t gonna end here Dan. I’m gonna hunt you down – if only for the sake o’ them children you killed.
629. DAN: A sacrifice was demanded and they was handy. You cain’t really blame a man for that. And besides you ain’t gonna be able to come looking for me once you’re dead.
630. ABE: Are you gonna kill us now, Mayor?
631. DAN: No, I don’t need to kill you.
632. ABE: What? Are you yeller?
633. DAN: Don’t bother trying to provoke me Son. It won’t work. I’m not even properly human anymore. Not really.
634. DAN: It’d be easier to take you seriously about that if you was wearing drawers.
635. JIM: (INTERRUPTING DAN) If you aren’t going to kill us, then what are you going to do?
636. DAN: I don’t need to kill you, myself, cause the injuns’ll do that for me. That campfire o’ mine should have ’em riding in here in short order. (BEAT) Do you happen to know what they do to someone they find trespassing on their land? No? Well, I do. I have first-hand experience with it and you boys won’t like it very much, I’m afraid.
637. JIM: And while this is happening to us, how do you propose to get away?
638. DAN: Oh, don’t you worry about me. Now give me those guns o’ yours and I’ll toss ’em down the mine.
639. SOUND: SOUND OF GUNS BEING REMOVED AND HANDED OVER – LET IT FINISH.
640. DAN: Much obliged.
641. SOUND: SOUND OF MOUNTAIN LION ROAR IN DISTANCE – LET IT FINISH.
642. DAN: Ah. The injuns are coming. Well boys, you might be mighty brave, but I’ve got my pride.
643. SOUND: MAGICAL CHIME, LAUGHTER MORPHING INTO A MOUNTAIN LION GROWL, PAWS PADDING AWAY – LET IT FINISH.
644. JIM: He’s gone. Slunk off among the rocks in mountain lion form.
645. ABE: How in tarnation does he do that?
646. JIM: Right now I don’t know and I don’t care. Let’s just see if we cain’t get our guns back before…
647. SOUND: WHOOSH THUNK OF ARROWS STRIKING THE GROUND, THEN WHOOPING OF MANY INDIAN BRAVES – LET IT FINISH.
648. ABE: Too late!
649. MUSIC: (BRIDGE) OMINOUS SCENE ENDER – LET IT FINISH.
650. MUSIC: CLOSING THEME – LET IT FINISH.

CASTING SHEETS — MAJOR CHARACTERS

NARRATOR: Hello, I am your narrator. I introduce the cold stormy nights on which our stories take place, the dark alleys, and darker personalities who inhabit the lonely city. It is my job to set the scene and establish the serious tone of suspense and intrigue that will carry the story forwards. It is also my job to remind listeners of what came before in a calm, trustworthy voice and ensure that everyone is oriented to where we are and where we are going.

JIM WILKES: I’m the new Sheriff of Liberty Gulch. I’ve been a lawman fer a long time. Liberty was meant to be a change – a chance to relax after my time as a U.S. Marshall. It don’t look like I’ll be doing much relaxing though. This town badly needs some law so’s I expect I’ll have my work cut out fer me.

ANNIE DEEMES: I run the local store. I’m a woman alone in a tough town and I hold my own. I don’t face too much trouble. Most folks who want to cause any are dissuaded, quick-like, by a well aimed Winchester.

ABE FARROW: I was passing through when someone burned the Church down with a bunch a young-uns in it. As the only stranger in town, I ended up in the jail-house. They’ll be comin’ to lynch me real soon, I expect. Ironic that this is how it’ll end. I’m an ex-lawman who’s gonna swing at the end of a rope.

DAN WILSON: I’m the Mayor of this town and its richest man. I’m charming and friendly and I rule this burgh without being gainsaid. This town is mine and I don’t care who knows it. No-one crosses me and gets away with it.

WALLACE LEACH: I’m the duputy in this town (part time). I work fer Mister Wilson over at the Saloon when I’m not deputying. Fact is, I work for Mister Wilson all the time, really. I ain’t been blessed with a deal o’ book learning, but I can add up well enough to stay on the good side o’ the man who pays me. An’ if he pays me to keep an eye on the new Sheriff, then that’s what I’ll do.

CASTING SHEETS — MINOR CHARACTERS

TOWNSFOLK (GUNMEN): We’re a community full o’ anger and grief. Our children are gone. Murdered by some drifter. We want them back, but that ain’t gonna happen. So we’ll settle for revenge… and no-one better get in the way o’ that.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Philip Craig Robotham grew up in a house full of books and has held numerous jobs as a teacher, computer programmer, graphic and web designer, e-learning consultant and, most recently, writer. He currently lives in Sydney, Australia with his wife and two sons. When he was younger and fitter he enjoyed martial arts, but in recent years his hobbies have tended towards more sedate fare (board games, movies, books, and role-playing games).

He is extremely grateful for the encouragement he receives from his biggest fans — his wife and two boys — all of whom read and enjoy his scripts and in general make his life worth living.

You can contact the author regarding performance rights (or simply to say hello) through his website: http://www.weirdworldstudios.com.

Don’t forget to check out the free sample portions of our titles at http://weirdworldstudios.com/product-category/our-products/ .

This post and all its content is copyright © 2013 Philip Craig Robotham and has been released under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) license. This play cannot be reproduced, shared, or performed commercially without the written permission of the author. The production of derivative content, merchandise, or creative works and materials is expressly forbidden under this agreement. However you may share, reproduce, and perform this play freely so long as authorship is acknowledged, no money changes hands, and the play is not modified in any way.

Please follow and like us: