Trial by Silence: Tales from the Darkest Desert

The town of Starlit Mirage is a relatively lawless town according to Samuel Slater, a man in his late twenties that is wearing a lite tan two piece suit, with a white button up shirt, chestnut brown boots, and a white hat. Like any settlement in these deserts, Starlit Mirage likes to take justice into their own hands in spite of what the law tells them to do. Taking justice into one’s own hands tend to leave the world bloody. At least that’s what Samuel thinks as he looks at Riley Roswell who is staring up at the window in his small little cell.

Riley’s eyes are glazed over like someone in a trance. He is wearing the brand new black and white stripped prisoner clothes Mayor Lightwell ordered a month ago. They cover almost everything, but his face still bears the scars of his supposed crime. His skin black and red from the explosion, his muscle fibers taught and visible from the paper thin layer of skin that survived the fire, the melting of flesh and bone have given Riley a permanent scowl from the nose down. Only his eyes, his hazel-green eyes, give away Riley’s true emotions. If anyone bothered to look carefully, they could see the eyes of man that has lost everything he has ever cared about.

Samuel looks carefully at Riley as his mind wanders to a night that is etched into his memory.

***

Samuel has known Riley for about two years now since he moved to Starlit Mirage in hopes of starting over after his law firm in New York went belly up. When he first arrived at Starlit Mirage he immediately noticed just how lawless these people were when it came to dishing out justice. They might have had a sheriff and deputies, but the sheer amount of tossing anyone in the clink that Sheriff Blackman or any of his deputies deemed a criminal was outrageous. He once saw a deputy toss ol’ man Gibbons into jail for cheatin’ him at a hand of poker.

Samuel looks out his office window. He has worked himself right into the middle of the night again looking over all the files he managed to dig up on a man named Harold Harrison. He arrived in Starlit Mirage about six months ago and has kept to himself and the tiny one acre farmhouse he bought at the edge of town. However, a lot of rumors about him started spreading like wildfire after Johnny Bates, a freshly minted deputy, saw Harold staring at an old worn out buckskin riddled with bullet holes. Johnny said he recognized the brand on the leather coming from Texas, and asked Harold if he served in the war. Harold supposedly got very touchy and walked away. That started the harsh rumors that he might be a deserter. Sheriff Blackman told Samuel to look into it, and unfortunately he brought the first thing he found to the Sheriff’s attention. Records of a Harold Harrison passing a checkpoint on his way to the Alamo, but no records of military or volunteer militia service.

That’s all the Sheriff needed to “officially” label Harold as a deserter. He told the town that day, and the town was in an outrage. Sheriff Blackman threw Harold in the clink who put up no fight as the townsfolk berated him with insults, slurs and various rotten vegetables.

Then that night a full moon stared down at Starlit Mirage. The Darkest Desert seemed even darker than usual as a mass of torches stormed the Sheriff’s office. The angry mob dragged Harold out into the town square still not putting up any kind of resistance. Samuel sees the mob pass his window, and he runs outside to see what the commotion is as he drops a folder with a list of non-combatant citizens that took refuge in the Alamo before the battle.

Samuel remembers watching as Harold Harrison stared into his eyes. His cold grey eyes that have seen horrors beyond human imagination, now pleading with Samuel to do something. Bring the posse back to their senses. Quell the searing bloodlust that emanated from every citizen in Starlit Mirage that dark full moon night. Be the voice of reason this town so desperately needs.

But he didn’t speak up. He didn’t try to reason with Sheriff Blackman or stand up to pitch forks, pikes and torches. He didn’t even have the courage to keep looking Harold in the eyes as he looked over at the alley by his office where he saw Riley Roswell standing there his thumb flicking the hammer of his pistol. Riley stared at the posse with a look of frustration and righteous indignation.

Samuel watches Riley take a deep breath then roars “This isn’t right! He hasn’t even gone to trial! What happened to innocent until proven guilty!? What about real justice?! What about valuing a fella’s life!?”

Riley’s eyes look for anybody willing to hear him out, but he is met with only the rage of Starlit Mirage’s citizens. Their raised torches casting long shadows on him and Samuel, still frozen with indecision and fear.

Someone in the crowd shouts “He’s a coward and a deserter! If he was innocent than he woulda cried so until the sun came up! But he just stands there! Even he knows he’s guilty!”

The rest of the mob begins to angrily agree with each other. Madness often has a way of justifying itself when confronted with reason.

Riley takes a step forward, hand about to draw his gun, when Samuel steps in front of him and grabs Riley’s gun arm.

Samuel says “If you go and do that, then they’ll string you up too. Let it go. Live.”

Riley looks at Samuel with a look of disgust, resentment, disappointment, and worst of all acceptance.

A tear streaks down Riley’s cheek as he looks Samuel dead in the eye.

He says “This ain’t right. You know it ain’t right, Sam! This’ll come back to bite us on the ass, and we’ll deserve it!”

Riley turns around and walks back home and Samuel follows suit.

The last thing Samuel heard that night were the screams of agony coming from Harold burning alive.

***

Now sitting before Samuel is a different man than that night a year ago. Riley Roswell was always sticking his nose in other people’s business when he thought he could help. A real man of justice. A light in this lawless town. But not anymore. Samuel sees a broken man with a broken heart, and a broken will to live. He has been catatonic ever since the Mayor’s posse wrangled him in out in the Darkest Desert a day ago.

Samuel pulls up a chair and sits in front of the cell. He can hear the Mayor outside in the street petitioning the town’s folk to expedite Riley’s trial and go straight to the noose.

Samuel scoffs as he says “So much for wanting to do things by the book. Looks like you got yourself in a rather fine mess, Riley.”

Riley shifts his head so he is staring at Samuel instead of outside the window. He remains silent.

Samuel fidgets uncomfortably in his chair as his fingers tap its wooden legs.

Riley remains silent.

Samuel speaks again a bit more pointedly “Knowing this godforsaken town you may not even get a trial. They’ve all made up their minds about you. Guilty. Not like your story makes a lick of sense.” Samuel picks up Riley’s file on the desk near him and continues speaking “I can’t say I disagree with them. You told the deputy that arrested you that you were all quote ‘attacked by invisible demons and living shadows in the Old Miller Mine.’ Also that one of the invisible demons possessed your fiancé, Rebecca Lightwell, and contorted her body to the point of breaking her own bones. And that the only way to stop the demons from attacking the town was to blow up the mine’s entrance with you still in it.”

Samuel slaps down the file and says “Now that’s the part that I find the most interesting because if everything happened the way you said it did, then that would mean you woulda died in that mine with the rest of your posse. And yet here you sit. Tell me how any of this is possible?”

Riley’s catatonic stare has shifted into a curious expression.

He speaks in his new voice. A voice that has accepted his fate with tones of rebellion. “I’ve said what I’ve said. Way I see it my fate’s outta my hands and in God’s hands now. Well, in the law’s hands first and then in God’s. So I guess that means my fate is in your hands for now Sam. Y’all keep asking me all these questions when you have my answers on that piece of paper. It’s up to you, Sam, and my jury to decide if you believe my story or not. I don’t got any more to say then what I’ve already said. I’ll leave the rest up to y’all.” He leans back in his chair. A bit of the old Riley sparks to life in his eyes.

Samuel sighs as he says “Riley. You gotta know that this town will kill you. Hell, they are probably itching to drag you out on the street right now! The only thing stopping them is the speck of morality alive in Mayor Lightwell, and we both know that’ll die once he sees his daughter’s body. There is nothin’ the law can do for you with your story the way it stands.”

Riley chuckles as he says “Yeah, I reckon you’re right, Sam. Ain’t nothin’ the law can do for me when you are the one wielding it, that’s for sure.”

Samuel is caught off guard by this statement. Sure he has had his hands tied far too many times by Sheriff Blackman or Mayor Lightwell, but he has always wielded the law to the best of his ability for the residents of Starlit Mirage.

He didn’t hide his confusion very well and Riley sees this as he says “Don’t go lookin’ like a lost cattle, Sam. You and I both know that when the chips are down, you turn tail and run the other way. Or have you already forgotten about Harold?”

Samuel winces at the name. Yes, remembers Harold Harrison all too well. He still has nightmares about that night a year ago.

Riley continues “Yeah, you remember. You remember how you told me it wasn’t worth sticking my neck out for an innocent man against an angry mob. But I’m no better than you I suppose. I let you talk me outta it. We both let Harold die that night. I told you it’d come back to bite us in the ass. Now here we are. This town sits on a damn gateway to hell itself and no one seems to care! These demons have been hunting us, torturing us, killing us for years now. There ain’t no mirage’s in the Darkest Desert! It’s all real! I watched them kill Becca, Hank, and Flynn! I watched as they tore apart the Sheriff! God knows I hated that man, but he didn’t deserve that! I tell this whole town that we are under attack, and they want to string me up?! T’hell with all of y’all! The way I see it Harold had it right. What’s the point of speaking up for yourself when no one wants to listen? I’ll take my chances on this trial by silence. If I manage to escape my fate, then I’ll use every second of my life to fight the war being raged in this very desert hidden in the shadows. I got nothin’ more to say now. Do whatever helps you sleep at night, Sam.” Riley walks over to his cell bunk and lays down facing away from Samuel.

Samuel sees that it’s pointless to keep talking to Riley, and so he returns to his office.

***

Samuel spends the next few hours contemplating his conversation with Riley Roswell and the memory of Harold Harrison. He knows that Riley is right, and that’s what frustrates him the most. He saw the devil’s influence on Starlit Mirage that night. How the shadows spurred on the angry mob. Their bloodlust was unnatural, inhuman, and predatory. You could taste it in the air, and right now Samuel tastes that same bloodlust in the air.

He looks outside and sees that it is now night time. Samuel gets up and looks out farther and sees the low orange glow of fire in the distance and a chant that chills him to the bone.

“Kill the demon! Kill the demon! Kill demon!”

Samuel runs outside and sees that an angry mob has formed up at Mayor Lightwell’s house. The second night of the full moon shines down on Samuel.

It’s happening again. Why? Why, God? Is this your way of punishing me?

Samuel falls down to his knees in the middle of the street. He begins to weep and allow fate to take the wheel, but then he hears something coming from the Sheriff’s office. The rattling of bars and chains. Riley is trying to escape.

I will not make the same mistake! I can fix my mistakes right now!

He runs into the Sheriff’s office. Samuel locks eyes with Riley who is slamming himself against the door of the cell.

Riley speaks with the same voice he had that night a year ago.

“What’s it gonna be, Sam? Are you as helpless as you say you are, or are you a man that takes fate into his own hands? Are you on the right side of this war?”

Samuel’s hands are shaking, but he has made up his mind. Freeing Riley will fix his mistake a year ago, and he can finally be free from his dark guilt.

He quickly searches the Sheriff’s desk, finds the keys, and tosses them over to Riley. Riley starts to try each key to free himself while Samuel goes to a locker and retrieves Riley’s things which consist of his scorched clothes, his boots and gun holster.

Riley takes them and to Samuel’s utter shock is now taking his time getting dressed. Samuel can hear the angry mob getting closer. They can’t be five minutes away.

“What are you doin? Hurry up and get outta here! They’ll be here any minute for you!” shouts Samuel.

But Riley doesn’t hurry. He takes his time as he puts on each article of clothing, lace up his boots, adjusts his gun holster, and even waltzes over to the locker of a deputy, takes out a black hat and places on his head. Riley then goes over to another locker and takes a large black traveler’s knapsack. Finally, Riley opens the armory and takes a rifle, a shotgun, his pistol and a lot of ammo.

Samuel looks at Riley and doesn’t see the Riley he’s known for two years. He doesn’t see the Riley that came out that dark night a year ago, and he doesn’t see the Riley he talked to hours ago. Instead this new Riley carries the similar presence Samuel felt from the angry mob a year ago.

Samuel meekly says “Riley? What are you gonna do with all that fire power?”

Riley looks at Samuel with his new eyes. The eyes of a rebel.

Riley answers “I already told ya, Sam. We’re at war, and I’m the only soldier on the right side.”

He walks up to Samuel who despite being a good ten years older than Riley feels small and inferior.

Riley grasps Samuel’s shoulder and says “This is gonna hurt, but it’ll give ya yer alibi fer how I got out.”

“No! Wait, Riley! Don’t do this! They are just as innocent as you are!” Samuel pleads.

“Ain’t no one innocent when they let the devil in them” says Riley. Then with all his strength, Riley pushes Samuel into the jail cell bars.

Samuel feels the cold metal bars collide with his weak body of flesh and bones. His head reels back and hits the ground first. His vision goes blurry as he hears Riley walk out of the Sheriff’s office.

The last thing Samuel hears is “Kill the demon! Kill the demon! Kill the-!” then a loud bang of a rifle being fired. Several more shots are fired, screams of anguish, suffering and rage scatter, the galloping of a loyal steed and then Samuel blacks out.

***

When Samuel wakes up it is morning. He stumbles out of the Sheriff’s office into the blinding light and sees another sight he will never be able to forget.

Twenty-two bodies scattered along Starlit Mirage’s street. Some with limbs blasted clean off from a shotgun. Others with bullet wounds in their head or heart. But the worst of all was the body he saw that was strung up in the town square. Mayor Lightwell’s body, or what was left of it, hung from the noose and burned to a blackened husk. A sign thrown over the body after it burned. It reads “Mayor of Hell.”

Samuel falls to his knees and wretches.

I did this. This is my fault.

When the new Federal Marshal arrives in Starlit Mirage three weeks later he puts up wanted posters. On them is a picture of Riley Roswell, scared face and all, and it reads “Wanted: Dead or Alive. Riley Roswell. $2,000.” but Roswell has been crudely scratched over with a knife to now read “the Rebel.”