Belka couldn’t believe how busy the saloon got during the day and at night. She also couldn’t believe that she had to dress as if she was living in the old west. Isa and Juli informed her that the town had rules about the people who lived in it. One of those rules was that all people who lived in the restored area must dress as if they were in the old west.

So, Juli managed to find clothes in her size that she could wear. She had to adjust to wearing pantaloons and a camisole. It felt strange to her as she wore them. She was getting used to wearing boots as well. She was still recovering from her second-degree sunburn.

She heads downstairs to the saloon area and over towards the bar. Isa said she could order anything she wanted, as long it was non-alcoholic. If she left the saloon, she was to inform the manager on duty or the barman.

As she approaches the bar. She spots Harry wiping it down. He was a very muscular guy. He used to be a police officer until he shot a thirteen-year-old kid.It was a dark alley and the gun the kid was carrying, looked so real. He was cleared of wrongdoing, but it ate at him for killing an innocent kid.

So, he quit the force and came out west. He heard about the restored town and became the bouncer and bar manager of the Crystal Palace.

“Morning Harry.” Belka sits on her favorite bar stool.

A smile appears on Harry’s face. He liked talking to Belka and felt sorry for her. He heard that she had been abandoned out in the desert by her friends and abandoned by her foster parents. Sheriff Markus was working with the Mesquite Police department to locate her foster parents and the kids that left her out in the desert. Right now, she is the ward of his boss Isa Darkrose. He knew she was upstairs in her apartment asleep. She was a night person, like several others that were just like her. They all slept during the day like vampires from the stories he uses to read. They weren’t vampires, but because certain physical characteristic they all shared. They didn’t like sunshine or bright light.

“Morning Belka, how are you feeling this morning?” Harry could tell her skin was still red from being out in the sun.

“I’m doing better. I’m using the cream Juli gave me for my sunburned skin and drinking lots of fluids. Is the saloon always this quite early in the morning?” Belka was looking around.

It was only nine in the morning. There were a few guys playing poker and at another table were several guys eating.

“Yep, the morning time is our slowest time. We don’t start getting busy, until after mid-day.” Harry liked the slowness because it gave him a chance to clean the bar and take inventory of the liquor. If he needed to restock, he could without being bothered.

“What do you have planned for today?” As Harry looks at Belka.

“I thought I would explore the town. Is that alright?” Belka didn’t want to do anything that made Isa mad or caused her to get in trouble about.

“That’s fine. Here, take this. Isa is giving you an allowance.” Harry hands Belka a twenty-dollar bill.

Belka accepts it and looks at it. She knew that they didn’t use credit cards in town. Also, the town blocked all cellular signal, except what Sheriff Markus used or the one Isa used for the Palace. If anything needed to be fax or sent by computer, you had to go down to the Sheriff office or the restored telegraph building.

“Thanks, Harry.” Belka tucks the money into the pocket made into the dress.

“Any time, Belka.” Harry picks a glass up and cleans it.

Belka gets up and head towards the swing doors and walk outside onto the front porch of the saloon. She spots several horses tied up as she looks around the town. The place was like walking back into time. There were no modern buildings or anything like that.

All the restored building look like they did back when they were first built. She walks down the wooden sidewalk there was an old fashion barber shop. The gun shop, a bathhouse, assets office, wagon shop which was currently working on two wagons. The telegraph office and finally the General Store. The church was at one end of the town. The sheriff and Doctor’s office were at the other end of town.

The parking lot where visitors were required to park their cars. It was located where the old cattle corral used to be. It had security personnel to look after the parking lot, making sure nothing happened to the cars.

There was a train station that was in the process of being restored, so visitors could catch the train from different areas. The old tracks had to be removed and replacements laid down. The town was in the process of getting an actual train from that era to use.

There was a second hotel being restored that was more upper class and more family oriented. The people working on it were the same team that maintains all the buildings. They didn’t use modern tools, but tools of the times. Some members were volunteers, while others were workers that lived at the town.

Belka stops at a tailor shop and admires the dresses they had on display. This was still new to her. The people at the Crystal Palace that knew what she was, didn’t mind that she was transgender. If nothing else, some of the staff that acted like vampires and such use to be just like her.
Belka walks down to the Sheriff’s office to see if sheriff Markus has heard anything about her case.

Sheriff’s Office:
Sheriff Markus and his deputies were busy filing reports and checking the outskirts around town. Some of them preparing for the midday shootout that occurs once or twice a week. All of them wore old-style western clothing.

Markus was in his office looking over what he had so far on the kids. None of them had been in trouble before. The Mesquite police department was still trying to track them down to question them about leaving Belka Karlen out in the desert. He looks up and spots Ms. Karlen walking into the office.

He waits till she comes in “good morning, Ms. Karlen what brings you down here today?”

Belka looks at Sheriff Markus “I was wondering if you had found where my foster parent went and why my so-called friends left me out in the desert?”

Sheriff Markus looks at Belka and could tell she felt betrayed by people she thought were her friends. He knew how that feeling felt himself.

“I haven’t heard anything back from Mesquite police, Belka. I wished I did, but as of right now. They haven’t managed to find your friends or track where your parents went. As soon as I hear anything, you’ll be the first to know.” Markus figures he might have to send two of his deputies to investigate the matter.

Belka wonders why the Mesquite police were having problems finding her friends and her parents. She wanted to know why they couldn’t find them.

“Thanks, Sheriff Markus.” Belka turns around and leaves the Sheriff office. Tears were streaming down her red cheeks.

She heads back to the Crystal Palace and up to her room. She throws herself onto the bed and cry.