Through the mire affecting his mind, Braxton was aware of something firm and slippery passing over his body, a brief glimpse of bulbous eyes glimmering ebony in the candlelight, and a rubbery countenance painted onto a neckless head. The Rees' party have been journeying west for weeks when they encounter Seymour Coleridge. The cowboy is stranded in the desert, his off-kilter wagon resting crestfallen on its broken wheel. Little do the pioneers realise, but a single act of kindness is about to put all of their lives in jeopardy. And the new arrival isn't the only member of the party hiding dark secrets. It was Braxton Rees' decision to ignore the Mormon Trail, opting instead to make the journey west via a more unconventional route. Rees has his own reasons for following this particular track, and it is a choice that will have lasting repercussions for the rest of the party. The team presses on through the weird, wild west, not realising that the wagon train is headed towards an ensemble of waiting nightmares. Seymour Coleridge is a monster. But he is not the worst fate awaiting the Braxton Rees' party.