For sometime now, the writing talents of The Others have been directed towards this site. Creating fun, exciting and witty stories for this site has been our pleasure and privilege. However, recently, I have been cursed with a writer's worst nightmare. Yes, the dreaded writers' block. So far, there are no proven cures for this particularly frustrating ailment, though I am sure somewhere out there, a little scientist is sitting at a lab table on a stool hunched over reports as the glasses he doesn't realize are too big for him once again slide down his nose and he absentmindedly pushes them up and continues to read. He doesn't even notice the tape on the bridge of the glasses is about to give out, as he is engrossed with his readings. In front of him are several stacks of paper, each representing a case study of someone with writer's block.

Unfortunately for this writer (self-proclaimed as I may be) and for many others, this brilliant scientist's findings will not be published for sometime. You see, even our friend the scientist suffers from writers block and simply can not find a way to start his paper. So until his theory of a cure is published, tested, approved, recalled, sued, and then released under a different name, we are on our own.

Normally, during a dry spell, I read and read until the urge to write takes hold of me and I put down the book and exchange it for a pen, but for some reason, this time that hasn't worked. Oh, I've read a lot a books, good books, books that should have inspired more than one story line, but no matter what I read nothing sparked any ideas.

That was until one day I received a phone call from a certain member of the group, who shall remain nameless, but anyone with two cents worth of common cents should know, saying she had a book that I just had to read, and thus started my "cheesy romance novel in between each book" kick. However, the ones I have read don't have the typical porno story line I expected. I.E. Ok, everybody sleep with everybody. Oops, no time for a real plot. The End. Suddenly, I started to feel a twinge, and my hand started to ache for a pen. Something had clicked and a blinking cursor started to look less intimidating and a blank page more of an invitation rather than a challenge. Still, no words came. That twinge became stronger after the world of historical fiction and cheesy romance novel met.

This morning however, a wrecking ball broke through my writer's block, (or maybe just knocked out a single brick just to mess with me.) and I saw the slimmest ray of inspiration peek through. You can't believe how shocked I was when all I could find in my book bag was books and not one single empty notebook. Luckily, I did find one and this brief break from the block will not go to waste.

The story that follows (no, it isn't all just my senseless rambling) is a bit different from the other stories on this site, this one is set in a Kansas Prairie town called Wilson's Bluff (later known as Tequila Heights) in the time just after the Civil War. Thus combining my love of history, and my undying urge to shamelessly write a cheesy romance story. Each of the regular characters from The Others is in this story, but they are in different roles, hopefully, none of them will have a problem with where I put them. I think I did a pretty good job of casting.

Ok, with all that said, I am proud to present, a "The Others" Story titled.. "And Now For Something Completely Different"...

Wilson's Bluff was not the kind of town that would go down in history. It was just an ordinary town that sprang up among the sunflowers and the tumbleweeds. It had a population of about 250 people, all of which knew the business of the other 249 residents.

There wasn't any famous gunfights, any well-known lawmen, (though at the time having a female sheriff was something that was unheard of) or any battles fought there. It was the kind of town that was somewhere between boomtown and ghost town. One good year and the population would certainly increase. New homes would be built, businesses would open and jobs would be offered. But one bad year and the whole town may just pack up and leave. Places like Kansas City or Denver would be their new home. For right now, everyone was content where they were.

The town didn't have much, a general store, a livery; a doctor's office was right above the gunsmith. There were two churches, one on either end of town, a blacksmith shop, a hotel and of course there was a jail and a saloon. The last of which was the biggest source of entertainment. Half of the town's residents spent most of their free time there, and the other half spent their free time yelling at their men about the evils of saloons.

But it could never be said that Miss Ty didn't run a clean joint. There was very rarely a fight, and if there was, it didn't take long to break it up. If a fight started, Miss Ty would give one warning to either settle down or take it outside. That warning was a shot from her rifle into the ceiling. The second shot she told them would be put in one head or the other. She didn't much care which, but she wasn't putting another hole in her ceiling.

There weren't dance hall girls there, offering their company in private once they had brought their clients enough drink to get them good and drunk. And if Miss Ty thought someone had had enough, they would get no more. There was one girl there though. Deedee. Tall and pretty, she amazed guests with the sounds that came out of her mouth. Accompanied by Joe on the piano, she could bring any man to tears with a song, and even more tears would come as soon as they realized their money was gone.

Next to the saloon, was the Wilson's Bluff hotel managed by a Miss Penelope Dahl. This was the newest building and the town's pride and joy. It they could find it, guests were welcome to a room for a reasonable rate, a hot meal and a bath. Most of the time any room that was filled contained a tired and weary family traveling west. Being new to the United States herself, Penny had a soft spot for those trying to find their way and usually gave them a discounted rate. When the town founder, Jeremy Callahan found out about this, he nearly fired her until she explained to him that most of these families had other family members that would come this same way, and if they treated them right, they would be recommended to those who had not left yet. The suggesting of more income for the town and a few shots from a bottle of tequila eventually quieted his arguments.

More often however, people would come through town, stay there maybe one night or two, then left again, never giving the town a second thought. Towns like this were a dime a dozen anymore, and on the trail to somewhere else, they tended to blend together. So did travelers... most of the time.

The blacksmith shop was really nothing more than a shaky lean-to with a small shack next to it. Not too many people paid much attention to it unless their horse threw a shoe and that was the way Cody liked it. He was a loner without any family and without any desire for one. A few years ago, he had joined the army on a whim and after losing his eye had gone back to his previous trade of blacksmithing. Although most of the people left him alone, the tall mysterious one-eyed man, tanned from the heat and blackened from the smoke of his fire seemed to attract the attention of the children in the town, whose favorite past time was making up stories of how Cody had really lost that eye. The newest version was that he hadn't lost it in the war at all, before coming to Wilson's Bluff, Cody had been a pirate.

The only other real point of interest in Wilson's Bluff was the Sheriff. Petite, and blonde she made an unlikely candidate for the position, and though there had been some opposition, she had held the office the longest in the town's short history. Her husband had been the sheriff, but had been shot down by a group of bandits coming through town. Three other men had served, but each stayed an average of about a year, the last being run out of town just before she was given the office. He had not been able to handle the same group of thieves that had killed her husband and ended up standing 20 feet from the leader in the middle of the street. Just before either could draw their guns, a shot came from nowhere and within two weeks, the town had a new sheriff.

Sheriff Val had a reputation for being tough and she didn't let anyone get away with much. She kept tabs on any travelers that wandered through town and an eye out for trouble. But no one, even Sheriff Sal suspected the trouble that would be brought in the form of 5 ft 11 in man with long dark hair and almost unnatural gray eyes.

It was raining the day he arrived. Not a hard rain, but a soft, gentle, cool fall rain. It wasn't enough to do much good for the drought Kansas was having, but enough to keep people from doing many chores outside. Not that the wives couldn't find enough inside chores for their husbands to keep them out of the saloon. And it seemed to be working since there were only two people inside when he came. Joe, who was almost always at the piano and Josie who was always busy husband hunting. The two were sitting at a table near the back of the saloon talking when the door swung open revealing Luke Thomas.

He stood just outside the door to take his leather trench coat off and shake the rain from it, then stepped inside as he took his hat off. "Hi there." Luke heard a female voice say. Looking up, he saw the two in the corner and nodded slightly as he hit his hat on his knee a few times, removing any excess water. "It's a little wet out there today. How about something to warm you up?" Josie asked smiling.

"Yeah, we have the best whiskey between Kansas City and Denver. That'll warm you up right quick."

Pulling his tangled wet hair back he looked up at the two again. Josie had already moved behind the bar. "Coffee will be fine if you have it, if not, I will just stay inside for a few minutes and warm up." he answered as he carefully laid his coat on an empty chair next to his hat.

"Coffee?" Josie asked. "There isn't much of a call for coffee in this place." she smiled and rested her chin on her hand, trying to catch a glimpse of any gold on his left hand. "Does your uhh.. wife not allow you to drink?"

"I'm not married, ma'am." He replied, walking towards the bar. "But if I was, I would rather have one that didn't let me drink then one that drove me to."

Josie's smile brightened immediately. "Oh, you're not married? How interesting. We already have so much in common and I don't even know your name." She batted her eyes at him a few times, but he didn't notice.

"Luke." he replied.

"It's nice to meet you, Luke. I'm Josie.. and on behalf of Wilson's Bluff.. I would just like to wel.."

"Oh, Josie would you cool down." Joe interrupted her and started towards the bar.. "He just wants a cup of coffee, and if you keep that up, he isn't going to be here long enough to drink it."

"Do you have any?" He turned to look at Joe.

"Well, I reckon if we don't, Miss Ty can make some up real quick. Josie, would you run up and get her?"

"Sure." As she walked towards the stairs, she stopped and glared at Joe whispering "Don't you dare let him out those doors. He's the only bachelors been though them in the last two weeks. I at least want a shot at him."

"Sure, Josie." Joe replied shaking his head. As soon as she was out of earshot, he turned to Luke. "You'll have to excuse Josie, she's.. just a little... anxious."

"Anxious?" Asked Luke as he eyed all the colorful bottles sitting on a shelf behind the bar. Behind the shelf was a mirror that told just how long it had been since he had been into any sort of town, and that he needed to find someplace to get a shave. His hair hung in stringy clumps over his shoulder and down his back, giving him the appearance of a rat that had fallen into a stream. His face had about a 4-day growth on it that covered the scar on his cheek, but his eyes were still the same gray.

"Yes, anxious.. for a husband. Anytime a single man walks into town, she does everything short of actually setting traps for him."

Just then the door opened again, and a young girl with blonde hair tied up into a bun hurried in out of the rain. "Joe, is Miss Ty around?" She asked closing the door behind her.

"Josie just went up to get her. Is there something I can do for you?"

"I need to borrow a few cups of flour if its not too much trouble." Her voice had just the slightest hint of an accent, but it was almost too undetectable to determine where she had come from.

"There is a family staying at the hotel and I would like to send them with a loaf or two of bread."

"Your not making that dark Swedish bread are you?"

Penny laughed softly. "No, Joe, just plain white bread." Suddenly, Penny's gaze shifted from Joe to the man sitting with his back to her at the bar. "Oh.. hello. I didn't realize there was a customer here."

Luke turned on his stool to face her, but said nothing.

She smiled at him. "Welcome to Wilson's Bluff, Mr.."

"Luke"

"Mr. Luke." She repeated. "Are you staying in town?"

"I don't know. The thought hadn't much occurred to me. I was just waiting the rain out."

"Well, if you change your mind, we have a wonderful hotel just next door."

"I will keep that in mind." He turned back around again, and pretended to be very interested in the bar top.

"Listen, Joe, I'm going to help myself. I don't think Miss Ty will mind." She said as she walked past the bar and into a door leading into the kitchen.

"That's Penny. She runs the hotel next door. A lot of times she lets people stay for free. That is if the rain doesn't stop in time for you to be leaving."

Luke nodded again, but said nothing and Joe went back to his piano to practice some sheet music.

He had no intention of staying. In fact, he was just deciding it was just about time to leave. There was another town not far from here. A town he knew, and a town where no one would want to speak with him, or have a conversation with him, or introduce him to any of the other people in town. He could simply pay a few dollars, get a bath, a shave and a decent night's sleep, and should his luck hold out, not say more than two words to anybody.

It was a few minutes before Josie returned. Behind her was a tall woman dressed in a dark green silk blouse and men's slacks. Her waist-length brown hair was piled onto her head in complicated twists and turns without so much as a strand out of place. It looked like it might have taken an hour or more to style it, but Miss Ty was never one to take too much time making herself look fancy. In fact, it had taken only 10 minutes and a few strategically placed combs. Her boots were not the fancy, lace-up boots most of the women in town wore, they were cowboy boots, old and worn but comfortable, and broken in. She had not taken time to paint her face with rouge and eye shadow like other women did, outside a few moments to dab a bit of color to her lips she had spent no time at all. Miss Ty's appearance might not have been the norm of a lady living in Wilson's Bluff, but it suited her and she didn't much care what people thought of her. With maybe one exception.

There was a slight pause as Joe stopped long enough to change the sheet music on the piano in front of him. During the day, it didn't matter much what he played, and on a rainy day like today he didn't feel like playing the fast, up-beat songs that the evening crowd who would be there regardless of rain, sleet, hail, snow, or wives liked to hear. Today he played the quiet slow songs that seemed to accompany the weather. Miss Ty smiled at the stranger as she walked from the stairs to behind the counter. "What can I get ya?" She asked, reaching underneath the bar for a shot glass.

"Just coffee, ma'am.. if you have it." Luke answered without looking up.

"Well, I don't have any made, but if your willing to wait awhile and willing to drink the closest thing there is to mud, I will be happy to make some for you. Are you staying here in town or just traveling through?"

At this, Luke finally looked up, his face showing a slightly annoyed look. "You people don't get many travelers through here do you? No, I don't plan on staying tonight, I plan on heading east from here as soon as the rain stops." He paused.. "and I will pass on the coffee."

Miss Ty shrugged, "Suit yourself," with that she took a seat at an empty table near the bar where a game of solitaire laid half finished on the surface. "We do have a very nice hotel though, you know," she added as she placed a red queen under a black king.

"So I've heard." Luke replied. That was the final straw. Rain or no, he was heading on, and now. Before he had to say one more word. To anyone.

"For goodness sakes, Sonja, coffee isn't that difficult to make. Here. I will make you some." Josie, who had been patiently waiting next to the staircase, like a lioness stalking her prey, now made her move as she walked past Luke towards the door to the kitchen and firmly put her hand on his shoulder as he started to stand. "You just stay right here and I will be right back. " She didn't wait for an objection or a "no thank you". She just pushed him back down onto the stool and hurried through the door.

Miss Ty chuckled when Josie had left the room. "Your single, aren't you?"

"What makes you say that?" Luke asked, turning towards her.

She chuckled again and put a jack under the red queen. "You would have been better off with my mud."

"Oh, hello, Josie." Penny smiled as Josie entered the kitchen. "How are you?"

"Just fine." she replied quickly as she started rummaging through cupboards and pulling out pots and pans of various shapes and sizes.

"Are you cooking something?"

"Coffee. I hope." She looked slightly confused by the array of kitchen utensils around her. It wasn't that she didn't know how to cook, it was just when there was an eligible man involved, Josie sometimes lost her head a little bit.

"Would you like some help?" Penny asked as she set a crock with a few cups of flour in it aside.

"Oh would you? I would be so grateful." Josie replied with a quiet sigh of relief.

"I will make the coffee, you make sure he stays here long enough to try it."

"He? How did you know?" Josie grinned a little

"I saw him at the bar."

"But how did you know he was single?" She asked as Penny reached for a coffeepot above the stove.

"I'm not sure, something about him just screams 'confirmed bachelor. Never intends to marry.' besides, you came in here to make the coffee and I assume it was he that asked for it. If it had been Miss Ty, she would have made it herself, she would have regretted it, but she would have and if Joe had asked you for coffee, you would have told him to get it himself. That leaves one other person that could ask you and that brought me to this conclusion." she began to scoop out the grounds that would be needed.. "And.. if this coffee is going to be of any use to you, you had better get out there and make sure he stays long enough to drink it."

"Right." Josie then hurried through the door, slowing herself down as she came into the bar.

"Your coffee will be ready in a moment, Luke." She said with a smile as she nonchalantly allowed the swinging door to slide from her fingertips and close.

"I am grateful for your hospitality, miss" Luke replied as he stood up and turned towards the door. "But it looks like the rain is stopping, and I need to be moving on." as quickly as possible he walked to the chair where he had placed his coat and hat and started to grab for them.

"Nonsense." Josie said walking towards him. "It's still raining cats and dogs out there." It had barely been raining when Luke had arrived, and the rain had let up since then. "You will catch your death of cold if you go out there now. At least have one cup of coffee before you go."

Sonja and Joe exchanged a meaningful glance and she stiffled a laugh. They both knew he didn't have a chance. Josie never did give them much of a chance. "You had might as well stay." Miss Ty said. "If you don't, she is liable to go rip a shoe off your horse and you'll be stuck here longer waiting for it to be fixed."

Luke looked at the soggy hat in his hand then up at Josie. She wore a calico dress. Homemade he assumed. Her dark hair was held together by pigtails and she wore such an expression on her face that even he couldn't say no. Luke Thomas might have been a lot of things, but he was not completely cold hearted. With a sigh he threw the hat back onto the chair. "Alright. I'll stay.. but just long enough to have a cup of coffee." he paused "And then I really must get going. I have to get to River Bend. I want to get there before nightfall. "

"Yes! Just one cup of coffee." Josie's face lit up like a candle and he couldn't help the edge of his mouth being pulled up just a little, but it faded as quickly as it came and he simply nodded and sat down in the chair next to his things.