The setting sun cast the land in a haunting red glow. A small town was being founded in America's rural west. It was the 1800's, and thousands were claiming a piece of young America for themselves, but none knew what secrets slept beneath the red earth...
Time went by, and the town grew. America was thirsty for gold, and fate chose one individual to strike such a precious vein mere miles away. With a single swing of a pick-axe the town's fate was sealed forever.
The growth was explosive. It seemed to happen overnight. Buildings were constructed, businesses sprung up, and mining infrastructure sprouted like vines. The town, now a city, prospered.
From the very first mine shaft cut into the rocky landscape, rumors circulated. Rumors of dark deeds in the mines became commonplace. Collapses and missing miners seemed to plague the city, more so then in others. Even with it's dark reputation, none could resist the allure of gold, and the growth continued.
Fast forward to the 19th century. The city has exploded into a massive modern mecca. Industry and business replaced the old mining trade. In this day and age people were complacent, people assumed they'd be alright. A team of historians re-opened some of the old mines, the vestigial network which spread like roots beneath the city and into the rugged mountains beyond. What they discovered there was not recorded, but the aftermath was unforgettable.
It started with a few missing people. A few kids disappeared, and the police took notice. Soon gruesome homicides decorated the alleyways, and people who seemed berserk with rage began attacking innocent people. These bizarre attackers shambled in unnatural ways, they did not reason, and they did not die. Within 24 hours it became a full blown panic. Chaos reigned, and the government was called in.
Containment was hopeless, and the only salvation for this cursed landscape was going to come with the very force of the heavens themselves. Carried by the black wings of silent jets, a nuclear bomb was birthed into the sky. It fell screaming into the chaos below and silenced the madness for good.
In the fleeting final seconds of the city's doomed existence a pillar of flame and destruction rose into the skyline. For miles around the message was quite clear. The old city, once a young and prosperous town, was no more, and the land was cast in a haunting red glow.