~ The Schneilight Zone ~

The Place: A small cow town near Wichita, Kansas. Time: Mid 19th Century. Ned Culpepper, a quiet, ordinary cattle rancher finds himself walking the dark, lonely streets of a deserted town. The sidewalks are wooden, several heads of the square iron nails protruding dangerously above the dry, warped surface. The street itself is packed dirt and horse manure. Although there are a few gas lights seen burning through thin glass windows there is not another living soul to be found. The moon is nearing full. Presently a huge tumbleweed, a tumbleweed near as big as a stagecoach, a monster tumbleweed, comes rolling, or rather, tumbling, down the middle of the street, casting eerie moonshadows against the deserted storefronts. Ned Culpepper stands frozen in his tracks and stares. As the tumbleweed passes Andersen's Hardware and Drayage a figure is seen to move from behind several nail kegs. The figure is short and dark. There is a faint tinkling sound as the figure moves across the wooden sidewalk and out into the street. The sound of unkempt toenails clicking on wood is clearly heard. Ned Culpepper strains to make out a face. All he can see in the moonlight is a huge toothy grin, a set of choppers that cannot be human. Hideous, pointed teeth. The tinkling sound increases as the teeth of the creature begin to chatter. Then....high-pitched howling. As the near-full moon crests the top of Andersen's Hardware a sharp ray of cold light fully illuminates the beast. Then, in an instant, the street is once again vacant. The sudden silence is deafening. Ned Culpepper turns and heads back to his ranch, having just brushed the edge of...The Schneilight Zone.