Information

Barty has a minion!

Witch the Fire Carrier

Barty
Legacy Name: Barty

The

Common Experiment #1550
Owner:

Magician

Age: 9 years, 6 months, 2 weeks

Born: October 14th, 2014

Adopted: 9 years, 6 months, 2 weeks ago

Adopted: October 14th, 2014

Statistics

Level: 1
Strength: 10
Defense: 10
Speed: 10
Health: 10
HP: 10/10
Intelligence: 0
Books Read: 0
Food Eaten: 0
Job: Unemployed

In the great and wild western United States lies an expanding settlement. So far there are a total of five very small towns in this area, but the population is steadily growing due to the discovery of gold in the area. There are very few people out and about in any of these towns in this time of the day due to the extreme heat. However, in the largest town of Gravestone, there are two particularly shady-looking folk out and about. A man stands in front of a poster mounted on the wall on the front porch of a corner store. It reads:

Wanted: Dead or Alive
Bartholomew Rodgers
For Robbery and Kidnapping
Reward: $1,000

There is a picture included.
The man snorts. Surely he's worth more than one grand. And he can't remember the last time he had hair.
The second gentlemen, a gangly fellow with a crooked nose and a crooked mouth, notices the man and walks up to him. Before the man can turn around, he feels the cold metal of a revolver pressed against the back of his head.

"Well, well, if it ain't my ol' pal, Barty Rodgers. Long time no see, Bart."

Barty recognizes the voice.

"Bill, is that you? It's been a while!"

"Too long, Bart, it's been too long. I've been searching for you for months. One would think in such a small area you wouldn't be so hard to find."

"Well, I'm certainly happy to see you."

"Ha! No you're not. You should count yourself lucky that I found you, and not Jack."

The name catches Barty's attention.

"Jack? How is he?"

"Locked up- has been this whole time. He was never able to make bail- wonder why." Heavy sarcasm, "Only reason he ain't dead is because Rose." Ah, Rose. Ain't no man alive can say no to that angel. "Oh-ho, if he knew I found you...!"

"How are the others?" asks Barty, hoping to change the subject. "Joseph? Sam? Tom?"

"The Carson brothers are dead. Sent to the gallows two months ago. Joe tried to make a run for it like you did. The sheriff shot him, himself."

"That's a shame. I always did enjoy Tom's sense of humor," Barty tries to sound casual, but the lump in his throat is hard to ignore. Dead. Their faces flash in his mind.

Bill doesn't say anything for a moment, but presses the gun deeper into Barty's skull.

"Where's the gold, Barty?"

Barty doesn't like his tone. It has the kind of desperate sound of someone who has nothing to lose.

"Where's the gold?!" More desperation.

"I don't have it."

"Liar!" Bill yells in his ear, "I've heard the stories, Bart. Travelling spirits? You really think anybody's gonna believe in that voodoo nonsense?"

Barty says nothing.

"We'll see if that "potion" of yours worked." He clicks the revolver.

"Don't-" Barty starts.

"See you in Hell."

"I'm already there."

The gunshot sounds through the entire town. It rings loud in Barty's ears. He turns around and reaches for Bill...with his left hand. The man screams and jumps back, tripping over the step behind him and falling on his rear.

"Get away from me, Devil!" he yells to Barty, and scrambles to get up and run.

Barty yells after him, "Go! Go, you coward, and tell everyone who asks that it's all true!"

He looks at his left hand. What was once skin, muscles, and tendons is now nothing but bone. Soon, his whole body will be nothing but a skeleton. He stops himself before his thoughts could wander toward the idea of what may happen next. Instead, they turn toward that fateful day...