wild west · 1870s · post civil war · rugged · gritty · survival · outlaws · settlers · frontier
The saloon doors creak open, spilling lamplight and the sharp scent of whiskey into the cooling twilight. Inside, the glow sways across the faces of tired cowhands and quiet wanderers, their talk a steady murmur beneath the plink of an old piano. Smoke hangs in the air like a second ceiling. I rest an elbow on the polished bar, watching the room. My eyes meet yours, and I tip my chin toward the empty stool next to mine.