Searching the Wild Lovely West

She took a swig of whiskey, the sour yet warm sensation burned the back of her throat but she played no mind. Chips of black, red, and green stared at her. Air of heavy cigarette smoke, drunken conversations, and mid-afternoon tangos surrounded everyone in the parlour.

"Your turn, Cody," His breath smelled of stale cigarettes and cheap whiskey.

Laying down a card, she smirked as the men's faces dropped and paled. Thomas, whom was trying to be an outlaw but had no backbone, grimaced as he slid his chips to her; his small glasses seemed to reflect his innocence.

"You cheating whore!" Silas spat as he rose quickly, his red shirt, that had a few holes reminded her of blood, his chair fell behind him. Silas' quickly grabbed and put on his black cowboy hat. "I ain't payin' you nothin',"

"Not even a little 'ole bit?" She smiled innocently then, loving the fire that now flared in Silias' eyes, his dirt-covered face now red as he smashed his shot glass on the wooden table and walked out, the door slamming behind him.

"Keep talkin' like that and it's bound to get you killed, Cass." Thomas' voice wavered as he itched his neck, looking down to his best friend and almost-sister. Cassidy looked up and smiled a rare true smile -something Thomas wished to see more often.

Grabbing her earnings and Thomas' hand, she led him up the creaky parlour stairs. Thomas ignored the wandering eyes and hands of show girls in their skimpy outfits, probably praying to God for both his and their forgiveness, and followed Cassidy willingly; he would always follow her willingly, even if she could be compared to a California wildfire and he was just a summer rain. Beneath their boots, the wooden floor whined like a three year old babe.

"Tom," Cassidy finally said as she pushed him onto their bed, her blonde hair now looked golden in the late evening sun. Thomas sat on the bed, ran a hand through his brown locks and sighed looking at her. "We gotta leave tomorrow, I think if we stay 'nother day, Silas will have me killed."

She giggled but Thomas didn't even crack a smile, he lost too many people to even joke about death. Cassidy, on the other hand, didn't care. She already lost everything -except Thomas- so what was life to someone who has never had one?

Thomas watched shyly as Cassidy went about her business. With one hand she let her gold hair out of it's bun, her hair slowly cascading down her back into the waves; Thomas often compared her to summer. From her golden hair to ocean blue eyes, she was beautiful.

Cassidy stripped down to her corset, which detailed all the right places of herself, and gave herself a once over in the cracked mirror. A tune from the piano softly rose up to their room as a quiet warm breeze blew through the open window. Colors of purples, oranges, pinks, yellows, and blue painted the Kansas sky, Cassidy always thought Kansas was the best state... Sunflowers, wheat, rolling hills - it was her Heaven.

Thomas watched his friend with a sad look, he knew she wanted something more in life, he just didn't know what. He once wished she wanted him, but he knew better.

Then, as quickly as a bird flies, Cassidy was back. Her sassy, sarcastic self was back, those blue eyes full of light once more. She shuffled through her leather baggage and grabbed a layered black evelyn skirt, a small white lace design hugged the hem, then pulled out a white, lightweight long sleeve blouse.

"Let's go to the theatre," After dressing, she smiled.

How could Thomas resist that smile?

*

"Murderer!" A shriek sounded, a piercing scream. The women clad in a faux purple velvet and green bonnet fainted dramatically, tears streamed down her face as her wild chestnut hair flew. The man painted with a red face paint loomed over her fainted figure, sounds of the crowds whispering and awe hung in the air.

"Ah ha!" He spoke with great triumph, pulling the women up and over the wooden couch, Cassidy clutched Thomas' arm with great strength. Thomas gently laughed at her distress; how could she look the Devil in the eye and laugh - but when it came to a Devil on stage, she was frightened?

"Sinners arise," The actor shouted, the smell of kerosene lifted into the air as the show lights bloomed with flame, castinging shadowy figures and what seemed to be disjointed demons up to the brown curtain behind the actors. "ARISE, I TELL YOU!"

"Oh my," A woman which sat behind Thomas gasped as suddenly the 'fainted' actor seemed to levitate.

"Arise and join me," The Devil laughed maliciously as the women rose into the air, screamed, and everything went dark. Cassidy gasped and clutched even harder on Thomas' arm, sure that there would be a bruise by sunrise.

Then the theater was normally lit again, men and women already starting to converse between each other or leaving to go home for the night. Thomas rose up and helped Cassidy up, her pale face that was littered beautifully with freckles was now flushed, the golden crucifix she typically wore around her neck was now hugged in one of her hands just out of habit, the other still clutched Thomas.

"How did a little man with red paint scare ya'?" Thomas chuckled as they walked through the crowd, passed the wooden chairs, and through the doors. Beneath them, the dusty main road was scarce and a few street lamps were already lit.

"I wasn't scared of no little man," She spoke confidently, then held her head high. "It's just his eyes... He seemed... I don't even know," He chuckled at the loss of her words. Above them stars lit the sky, miles and miles of open land, open beauty. A horse at a nearby stable sneezed.