Weird Tales 5: The Strange Case of Rhyolite Nevada (2011)

In a remote corner of central Nevada on the edge of Death Valley stand the haunting remains of a town that was was built to last. Founded in 1904 on a prospector's discovery of gold and the investments of eastern industrialists it soon became a magnet for those seeking quick riches and unscrupulous promoters. It was supposed to be different from other boomtowns as its population swelled to nearly 10,000 but in less than two years it had dwindled to only 600, and soon was abandoned. Yet its ruins are not those of rickety wood shacks but reinforced concrete and the remnants of three story buildings. It was hoped to be the "Chicago" of the West and its very name, "Rhyolite" was taken from a cheerful rosy colored rock found in abundance at the site. The rock itself reflected the hopeful optimism of the people who lived there. But in 1908 everything changed. That year began with the violent murder of a young girl, Mona Bell, whose life was cut short at age 20. It shook the town to its core and a series of events followed which would begin to spell the end of the good times in Rhyolite. A lonely grave on the edge of town far from the regular cemetery is said to be that of Mona Bell's. Today the grave is a tourist attraction and there are rumors of visitations by a mysterious group of dancers who annually celebrate Mona's life and death. What happened to Rhyolite? Who was Mona Bell? And why is there a strange grave that attracts an unusual cult performing strange rituals?