Match 20932 Ellen "The Lady" vs. Devlin

[JohnnyChany]

 

SPOOKY SEASON SHOWDOWNS: AN ANTHOLOGY

 

Ellen rode away from the town of Redemption with dust in her wake. The memory of the final gunfight with Herod was still fresh in her mind, the adrenaline and the sound of bullets lingering in her ears. She had no direction, no destination, just the open plains and the endless horizon. The quiet offered her peace and it was a welcome change, but it didn’t quell the storm inside. She had left Redemption behind and avenged her father’s death, but the ghosts of her past continued to follow her.

As she rode days later, she spotted something in the distance. It was a woman struggling to lead a horse laden with heavy supplies. The widow's dress, though appropriate for a funeral, was utterly impractical for travel. Her hat kept slipping down over her face, and her movements were clumsy. It was obvious to Ellen that this woman had no business being out on the road alone.

As much as Ellen wanted to simply move on, something tugged at her heart

"Need a hand?" Ellen called out as she drew near.

The widow was startled and nearly dropped the reins. "Oh! Oh, yes, please. I’m not much for this... traveling business." 

"That much is clear," Ellen said.

She dismounted, tied her horse to the widow’s, and offered a hand. 

"Where are you headed?"

"Anywhere that’s far from here," the widow replied as she looked downward. "Just away."

Ellen studied her for a moment, it was a sadly familiar sight, someone running from something. Though Ellen didn’t care much for company, she couldn’t in good conscience leave the woman to fend for herself. 

"All right," Ellen said, after a long pause. "I’ll ride with you for a bit. Until you get the hang of things."

The woman graciously and earnestly accepted Ellen’s help. That night, they made camp under a sky full of stars. The fire crackled between them. Ellen sat quietly and chewed on a piece of jerky. She was calm but not relaxed, she kept her revolver always within reach. The widow, however, was restless, constantly fidgeting with her hands. her eyes darted between the darkness beyond the firelight and Ellen herself.

"You don’t talk much," the widow finally said with a tentative voice.

"Nope," Ellen replied.

"Where are you from?" the widow asked. When Ellen was slow with a reply, the widow bit her lip. "I suppose that’s not my business."

Ellen shrugged and tossed another piece of wood into the flames. "Nope."

Silence fell between them again until the widow was no longer able to keep quiet. 

"I’m running from someone," she whispered, her voice trembling. "A man... not a man, really. A demon."

Ellen glanced at her. The woman was clearly spooked. Ellen had seen men called demons before. men like Herod. Ruthless, soulless.

"He calls himself Devlin," the widow continued. "He came to that town out of nowhere... with his men. They humiliated and killed the sheriff; and the sheriff cursed the gang and the town for their cowardice. To escape eternal damnation, they say Devlin made a pact with Satan himself. No one there was brave enough to stand up to him. When my husband and I came across the town he tried….God rest his soul. But Devlin killed him in the street like he was nothing."

The widow’s hands shook, and Ellen could see the genuine terror in her eyes. The story tugged at something deep within Ellen, it reminded her of Herod’s reign of terror in Redemption. The way he had hung her father as a warning to the rest of the town. How he had put her in a horrible position as a child and caused her to inadvertently kill her own father. Ellen didn’t want to feel empathy, but it was unavoidable.

"Sounds like you had it rough," Ellen said. "I’ve known men like that."

"You can’t imagine," the widow whispered. "He’s not a man. He’s not even human. He’s something far worse."

Ellen nodded and kept her skepticism hidden. She didn’t believe in devils or pacts with Satan. Men like Herod and Devlin, they were all the same, just men with too much power. Still, the widow’s fear was real enough to make Ellen wonder what this man had done to make her think such things.

Ellen stood up. "You’ll be fine. I’ll help you get far away from here. Just stay put. I’m gonna get some more firewood."

Ellen disappeared into the darkness and the widow sat pensive by the fire. The night was quiet only interrupted by an occasional rustle of wind. As Ellen gathered wood, she heard a distant rumble, the galloping of horses. She dropped the firewood and headed back to camp.

When Ellen returned, her camp was in chaos. The fire was smoldering, and the widow’s supplies were scattered everywhere. There were overturned saddlebags and a broken lantern, but no sign of the widow. She was gone. However, what caught Ellen’s eye most was a large dust cloud that surrounded the camp that was just now starting to settle. 

Ellen’s jaw clenched as she mounted her horse and rode hard. She followed horse tracks in the moonlight. They were scattered and inconsistent and Ellen wondered if she would even be able to pursue them.  Her path led her to what appeared to be an abandoned ghost town. Buildings stood in eerie silence, windows were shattered, and tumbleweeds drifted across the main street. It wasn’t the first town she had seen like this and it was getting late into the night, still something about this one felt different. The atmosphere was thick with something she couldn’t explain.

She dismounted and moved carefully through the town with her gun at the ready. She heard faint voices in the wind and felt eyes peering at her from old buildings. As she walked, a man, skeletal and gaunt, approached her.

"Don’t stay here," he warned. "Devlin controls everything. This place... it’s cursed."

Ellen was unmoved. "I’m not afraid of some outlaw."

"You should be," the man said. "He’s not just any outlaw. He’s something worse. Made a deal with the Devil himself. You can’t fight him like you fight other men."

Ellen gripped her revolver and remained steadfast in the face of the repeated warnings.

“Hey now, don’t scare her away. She might be our salvation!” 

Ellen whipped her head around and took notice of a barmaid beckoning to her from an empty saloon. She walked over and entered inside.

“What is happening here?” Ellen asked.

“We are trapped, all of us here. Bound by dark magic and fear. We now only haunt what was once our home. I was hoping she would make it out. But that would never happen, not as long he stands,” the barmaid explained.

Down the road, a dark figure drug the widow through the streets. Her cries echoed in the night as he threw her to the ground.

"Let this be a lesson to anyone who thinks they can run from me!" Devlin’s voice boomed.

Ellen watched from the saloon and readied her revolver. Devlin lit a torch and for the first time his visage became clear to Ellen. His face wasn’t human. It was discolored and decaying. his eyes glowed with an otherworldly light. Ellen felt a chill down her spine and she gasped.

The barmaid walked up gently behind her. “If you are planning to take him on, don’t be frightened by his appearance. Though they have become demons, they can still be killed by bullets as long as they are the right bullets. Bullets from this town." The barmaid handed her some ammunition. "We learned that when that couple arrived. Her husband was able to take out a couple of his men before he challenged and lost to Devlin. So frightened is everyone else of him that they cannot even hold pistols with a steady hand. Yours may be the only other revolver in town that Devlin has not taken for himself.”

Ellen was not sure of what to believe. The only instinct she could rely on was the anger swelling inside of her directed at this demonic outlaw. She readied herself to step out of the saloon and put down this evil.

[Callisto]

Learn More About
Ellen "The Lady"
Read more about Ellen "The Lady" at Wikipedia
Official Site: TriStar Pictures/Sony Pictures Links: Wikipedia

Devlin
Read more about Devlin at Wikipedia
Official Site: MGM Links: Wikipedia

[JohnnyChany]

(VIDEO NOTE: In the beginning of the clip the bullets have no real effect on Devlin because they are modern bullets from a modern gun. As stated from the setup that is not the case here.)

 

 

[DSkillz]

Another good set-up of the recordless characters, Johnny. Good western story with a little horror thrown in. 

As for the match, never seen Ghost Town, but I saw parts of The Quick and the Dead back in the day. Given this Devlin dude's apparent tendency to take bullets before going in for the kill, that may be all the opportunity that Ellen needs. She's a good enough shot that she may only need a few hits to finish Devlin off.