The Villain of Dillonville!

Another Weekly Short Horror Story!

Wes Cres was a retired film star. Well not a star exactly, more like a B movie actor. Still, it was a career and Wes was proud of it.

‘Course he didn’t look like he had at his best. He had put a fair amount of weight on over the years especially around his middle.

Yet many people recognized him.

“Ain’t you, you know that actor?!”

“Sure am!” He’d smile and puff out his chest and eat it up like it was roast beef with gravy.

His wife had died and he was lonely, but he made the best out of it, enjoying visiting old friends many of whom had been bit players.

He hung out mainly in Venice Beach and occasionally visited actors he knew in and around L.A.

Today he was doing something different, though. He was heading out toward the desert. He had planned to visit his son in New Mexico. The sad thing was he would never make it.

For some reason he decided to visit an old film set. He couldn’t recall exactly where it was—he only remembered it was in the California desert, not far from the Arizona border.

“Why I bet that place is older than I am.”

Truth was, it was!      

He had been driving for some time when his car broke down. It was hotter than hell, but he got out to get his bearings.

Naturally he couldn’t get a signal on his cell phone. He was just thinking about what to do when he noticed a rise just ahead with some buildings beyond it.

Man, was he relieved. There was a feller waving like mad at him. He’d get help for sure!                                                                                                                                                       *

Dipster spotted him first. “Hey lookee there! There’s a stranger a comin’ and he's comin' this way!

Dipster was sheriff and it was his job to spot trouble before it started. He took his job very seriously, too.

He was the nicest guy anyone would care to meet but crazier than a fly in horseshit, a Vietnam Vet whose screws had come completely unscrewed along the way.

For example, he had had grown up on westerns. Gunsmoke was his favorite. He absolutely worshipped Matt Dillon. See, he didn’t think that Jim Arness played Matt Dillon, he had come to believe he was Matt Dillon.

And it was all real too. Just as the old film set was no longer a ruin but the town of Dillonville.

                                                            *

When Wes saw someone shouting at him he waved.

“Broke down about 10 miles yonder.” Wes said pointing.

It was when the stranger came closer that Dip recognized him.

“I know you! You near killed Miss Kitty once! They hanged you too! I seen it! But you kept coming back! Yer the devil’s own, that’s what you are!”

Wes laughed although the guy was starting to make him nervous. “Oh, you mean Gunsmoke. Yup I sure did enjoy being on there, they had me on quite a bit.”

He had just begun talking about his film career when he saw a crowd of folk suddenly appear as if from nowhere. Damned if there weren’t at least 100 men and women.

Dipster nodded.  “Them’s the good God-fearin’ folk of Dillonville. You in Dillonville now, boy!”

Wes knew it at once. He had stumbled upon some crazies!

                                                             *

These particular crazies had come years ago, mostly from Hollywood. They were L. A.’s flotsam; homeless and street-punished and genuine, certified wackos.

Eddie (none of them had last names, mainly cause they didn’t remember who the hell they were) had spotted the town first.

“Hey, we got ourselves a home!”

And they did. It was their settlement and he was mayor.

There had been a few buildings in use when it was a movie set but they were long since ruins. Still, they made do. Well, if you’ve been on the street you get less fussy.

They sure were proud of Dillonville.

Mayor Eddie rushed over to see what his sheriff was shouting about. He sounded so excited.

“Yup it’s him alright! A dag burn villain if I ever seen one! You remember him, right?"

The mayor nodded. Then looking at Wes he answered. “Sure do. Didn’t you try to kill Miss Kitty? Why she was Matt Dillon’s girl. Why would you do such a thing?”

The awful realization that Wes was in the deepest shit ever hit him hard. Then it occurred to him to humor them.

“Aww no, it ain’t like that. I was an actor,  only an actor playing a part!”

He thought about making a break for it but was warned:

“Not another step you old varmint or I’ll dee-cap-it-tate yer God darned head!”

Wes was getting more nervous by the second. The so-called sheriff and mayor were conferring now. Things looked bad.

He figured he had nothing to lose so he tried to high-tail it. He didn’t get far though. They caught up with him and slapped his ass in prison.

Dipster laid it on the line for him:

“Whatcha all want for your last meal?”

Wes broke down then. "Please! No! I’m not really a villain. I’m no outlaw. I’m only an actor. Please don’t hang me, I beg you! Here, I can give you money.”

Dipster waved him off. “Did you say, ‘hang?!’ We ain’t gonna hang you, pard. Gonna eat you, cuz you look like one prime, plump dude! Gonna have one bitching barbeque outta ya!”

Wes screamed and he kept on screaming until Mayor Eddie done cut his throat.

“Time to call the vampires!” he shouted.

Yup, some of ‘em folk in a lot of movies were vampires. Well, not everyone acted in Hollywood, some were the genuine article!

© Copyright 2012 Carole Gill

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