The transition from nighttime drunkards to early morning hustlers was jarring. Streets once full of fighting and women had changed into vendors to support card hunters.

  Caleb could now see Whispering Sands in full color. The main street was lined with thrown together buildings; desert dust had already stained the town in a deep red. Canvas that wrapped the buildings flapped in the wind and the sound of fabric becoming a background hum to the town. People from all walks of life were seen walking through these newly formed streets. Caleb saw potential card hunters coming away from vendors holding items with a promise to find them the card. Guns that were etched with native proverbs, armor plates to slip into your clothing, and good luck charms made from items you could find around the desert.

  Through the invasion of sights and smells, one thing started to roar with its own conquest. The card. Caleb could feel the itch more than ever and a thirst like he had never felt hit him. With the fear and excitement of Whispering Sands, he had almost forgotten that he needed alcohol to feed his new card.

  A familiar voice rang through his head as he stumbled through the dirt streets. “You didn’t forget about our little agreement, did you?” The man in the card echoed his smooth southern accent through Caleb. “This isn’t a simple question, my new friend. You feed me, or I will starve you out and find someone who will take care of me. Understand, partner?”

  Caleb dropped to his knees as a sudden shock of pain ripped through his chest. The man in the card let out a raspy laugh. “Show me that you deserve a card. Everyone ain’t ready for power. I believe this will be my final warning to you, Caleb.”

  Caleb slowly gets to his feet, feeling the pain subsiding and his breathing return to normal. “I am worthy of a card.” Caleb breathes out loud. People in the street walk around him as if he were a stray dog. He looks down the street for any kind of saloon, anything to quench the thirst of the card.

  Ahead, he spots a spinning cactus in front of a building. Underneath, a sign that says, “Cactus Moon Saloon and Still.” This is one of the only buildings that is made of wood in the town. It is easy to spot amongst the sea of makeshift canvas tents. Caleb pushes his way through the crowd, hoping to quickly appease the man in the card.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  The sound of piano and a roar of cheers wash over Caleb as he pushed through the swinging doors; cigar smoke hangs like a battlefield haze. Manning the rough lumber bar was a middle-aged woman with dusty blonde hair. Her low-cut top seemed to keep the patrons in their seats for longer than they expected. Caleb sees an open seat at the end of the bar, closer to the card tables. He leans over and holds his hand up.

  The barmaid eyes Caleb and then turns around to help another customer. “Please, mam. I need a drink.” Caleb holds his full voice back just a little, realizing how desperate he sounds. “Yea? You and everyone in here, hun. You will wait your turn like the rest of em’.” The barmaid is firm, but in a playful way.

  Sweat pours down Caleb’s face as a voice rises in his head. “Tik tok. Tik tok. You are running out of time, boy.” The man in the card is gone as quickly as he arrived.

  “Mam, please. I will... I will pay extra to go next.” Caleb throws his feelings of desperation away.

  “Oh, a bargaining man. I’ll tell ya what. You give me two gold and I’ll serve ya before the rest of these fine patrons.” The barmaid makes her way his end of the bar.

  Caleb feels his pockets. That would leave him with only two gold coins leftover from his father. He needed a drink now and he could make money later.

  “Deal. I’ll take anything strong.” Caleb says while pulling his money out. The barmaid smiled at him, taking his money and grabbing a large clay jug from under the counter. “This is why we call this fine establishment Cactus Moon Saloon and Still, my new friend.” The barmaid uncorks the large jug. The smell burns Caleb’s nose and causes him to flinch a bit. “Pa is a moonshiner. So good that we had to run from Dry Fork. They don’t take kindly to the craftsmanship of real moonshine.” The crystal-clear liquor splashes into a glass as Caleb reaches out for his overpriced drink. The smell is still strong, but it isn’t really unpleasant.

  He takes the glass in a single gulp, the burn finding its way through his stomach. Caleb immediately hears that same voice he has battled with all day, but this time, he can hear it coming from outside his head. Standing next to him, the man in the card. Translucent, but not just in his head. He takes a polite drink from a similar crystal glass that Caleb just had. The man in the card smacks his lips as the drink is poured into his mouth.

  “Good boy.” The man in the card grinned and faded from the bar.