The South Dakota Badlands.
Dakota
After playing the video game "Red Dead Redemption" and watching shows like "Justified" and "Hell on Wheels," it was only a matter of time before I wrote my own western story. While I have not always been a fan of westerns, there are a few that I do love. I'm not into the classic John Wayne westerns. I was always more of a Clint Eastwood kind of guy. I also have a thing for history, so trying to keep true to the time period is important to me. That means a lot of research when it comes to stories like this one.
This story is about good old fashion revenge and justice set in the old west. As you may know, sometimes the law doesn't provide the kind of justice required for certain crimes. Back in the old days when that was the case, it could mean a number of options. Lynch mobs were usually formed to dish out the proper justice that the laws did not satisfy. They weren't always right, but in their minds and hearts they felt they were doing what needed to be done.
However, what do you do when you stand alone?
The year is 1878 in the small South Dakota town of Rapid City. It's been over a decade, since the end of the Civil War, but the nation is still reeling from its effects and struggling to move on and build a better future. The protagonist of our story is a Civil War veteran nicknamed "Dakota," who fought for the Confederate side and lost. After the war he moved to the Dakota Territory, where he tried life as a farmer.
It isn't until his brother's family comes to visit from the east that this story truly begins.
Sometime afterward, Dakota goes through a terrible ordeal, which will forever change his life. Now, he feels he must make amends by venturing into the hostile South Dakota Badlands to seek vengeance on the ones responsible. He soon forms an unexpected alliance with an unlikely companion. Together they must track down their common foes through the mountains and across the desert all the way to the lawless town of Deadwood.
This story is about good old fashion revenge and justice set in the old west. As you may know, sometimes the law doesn't provide the kind of justice required for certain crimes. Back in the old days when that was the case, it could mean a number of options. Lynch mobs were usually formed to dish out the proper justice that the laws did not satisfy. They weren't always right, but in their minds and hearts they felt they were doing what needed to be done.
However, what do you do when you stand alone?
The year is 1878 in the small South Dakota town of Rapid City. It's been over a decade, since the end of the Civil War, but the nation is still reeling from its effects and struggling to move on and build a better future. The protagonist of our story is a Civil War veteran nicknamed "Dakota," who fought for the Confederate side and lost. After the war he moved to the Dakota Territory, where he tried life as a farmer.
It isn't until his brother's family comes to visit from the east that this story truly begins.
Sometime afterward, Dakota goes through a terrible ordeal, which will forever change his life. Now, he feels he must make amends by venturing into the hostile South Dakota Badlands to seek vengeance on the ones responsible. He soon forms an unexpected alliance with an unlikely companion. Together they must track down their common foes through the mountains and across the desert all the way to the lawless town of Deadwood.
Photo Gallery
Cover photo of myself taken by Xavier Gonzalez.
An aerial view of the South Dakota Badlands.
South Dakota Badlands by Devin Larkin.
South Dakota Badlands with sun glare by Devin Larkin.
