One Short Story A Day

August 2, 2024

Prompt: The year is 1830, and the American railroad system is beginning to snake its way across the country. As a surveyor hired under Colonel John Stevens, you have been sent to a remote part of the western territories to scope out the land. During your journey, the landscape starts changing in unexpected ways. The desert sands are now forming hard, sharp peaks, and the reptiles seem to be getting larger the further west you go. The people seem different as well. The settlers you to talk to refuse to make eye contact and are wary of you, regardless of how friendly you are. One older woman warns you not to go too far west, or you might get too close to him. You ask who "he" is, but the old woman shushes you, shakes her head, and shuffles away. Her warning plays over in your mind as you keep riding west, not knowing what lies ahead. Eventually, among the sharpened sand peaks and unspeakable creatures, you see a dark and jagged tower on the far horizon. Soon thereafter, you are captured and brought to the court of the Desert Magus, an ancient warlock with immeasurable power who reveals that he has been the one reshaping the West to his will—and he intends to continue.

The year was 1830, and the American railroad system was expanding rapidly across the country. As a surveyor hired under Colonel John Stevens, I found myself on a journey to a remote part of the western territories to scope out the land for potential railroad tracks. Little did I know, the landscape would soon start changing in bizarre and unexpected ways.

As I traveled further west, the once familiar desert sands began to transform into hard, sharp peaks that seemed to reach up towards the sky. The reptiles that roamed the land also grew larger and more menacing, their scales shimmering in the harsh sunlight. The people I encountered in these western territories appeared different as well. They refused to make eye contact with me and seemed wary and distrustful, regardless of how friendly I tried to be.

One day, while conversing with a group of settlers, I asked about the strange changes in the landscape and the behavior of the people. An older woman, her face weathered and lined with years of hardship, leaned in close and whispered to me, "Do not go too far west, young one. There are things out there that are best left undisturbed."

I was puzzled by her cryptic warning and asked her who or what she meant by "things." But the old woman simply shook her head, shushed me, and shuffled away, leaving me with more questions than answers. Her words echoed in my mind as I continued my journey westward, unsure of what lay ahead.

As I rode through the rugged terrain of the western territories, the sand peaks grew taller and more menacing, casting long shadows over the land. Unspeakable creatures lurked in the shadows, their eyes glinting with a malevolent gleam. I felt a sense of unease creeping over me as I pressed on, the dark and jagged tower on the far horizon looming closer with each passing day.

It was then that I was captured by a group of strange and otherworldly beings, their features twisted and distorted in ways that chilled me to the bone. They bound me tightly and dragged me towards the dark tower, their voices speaking in an unknown language that sent shivers down my spine.

I found myself imprisoned within the shadowy confines of the tower, surrounded by bizarre and grotesque creatures that seemed to defy logic and reason. I feared for my life, unsure of what fate awaited me in this strange and nightmarish realm.

But just as I felt all hope slipping away, I heard a voice calling out to me from the darkness. It was the old woman from the western territories, her eyes filled with a fierce determination as she reached out a hand to me.

"Come with me, young one," she said, her voice strong and steady. "I will lead you out of this darkness and back to the world you know."

With her guidance, I managed to escape the clutches of the dark tower and the twisted beings that inhabited it. As we made our way back through the sharpened sand peaks and menacing reptiles, the old woman explained to me the true nature of the western territories.

"It is a place where reality blurs and the borders between worlds thin," she said. "There are beings out there that defy all understanding, and it is best to avoid them at all costs."

I thanked the old woman for her wisdom and guidance, grateful to have escaped the nightmarish realm of the dark tower. As I rode back towards civilization, I couldn't shake the feeling that I had glimpsed a world beyond our own, a world of shadows and secrets hidden in the vast expanse of the western territories. And I knew that, despite the dangers and mysteries that awaited me, I would always be drawn back to explore the untamed wilderness of the American frontier.