The great depression was a hard hit to every working man in the West. Especially traveling Salesman.
Thats what Witch Man was, a Man of means that sold only the best healing tonics. At one time, him and his Traveling Medicine show was legendary. People from all around, from far and wide Would come to see " Witch Man & Co. The Traveling Medicine Show."
He had sold cases of Tonic to Hollywood Starlets and New York Stockmen. He rose to fame in the papers, as The one true Healer Of The West. He even had a deal to be in the movies, as a Spiritual doctor who was going to save a girl from some Plague.
But when the Stocks crashed,  and The economy died. People started losing their faith, their Faith in God, Their Faith in America and their Faith in Healers, Especially Healers like Witch man.
They stopped spending Money on bottles of Healing Powders and Hair Growth Tonics. When Witch Man & Co. would ride into dusty hungry towns The people would run him and his Show out. Screaming and raving over not having any money, and cursing him for trying to sell them things they didn't need, or could afford.
Witch Man was called a Crook, a Fraud, and a Fake. By the people that use to adore him.
This caused him and his Medicean show to go on the road, Together Witch Man and his troupe descended farther west, hoping to found a town that was willing to do Business.
Witch man knew he had to find one soon, He had a crew to feed. A sickly bunch of performers, fortune tellers and Gypsies. To him they were His family, his very Hungry family.
One of His best Acrobats, a girl named Daisy was getting extremely weak. Back when Business was good the girl would portray a Witch Man success. She would sit with the Audience and pretend to be sick. Witch Man would then call her upon the stage, feed her a spoon full of tonic. And she'd come alive, twirling and flipping and claiming that Witch Man's Tonic had saved her life.
But now The poor girl could barely move. It Broke the Witch Mans heart to see her suffering. He tried to heal her with his best Tonic, but it failed. He even tried to take her to see a real doctor, but no doctors would see her. She needed money to be cared for.
So now the entire show was sick. Sick with Hunger, sick with boredom and sick with poverty. It made the Witch Man nervous to be surrounded by such misery. So one day he consulted with one of his fortune tellers. Asking how much longer till work will be found.
The Fortune Tellers looked deep into her crystal ball and read her tarot cards, and shook her head before answering
" Mister Witch man." she said gravely, " You will find work, But it will be permanent."
The Witch man couldn't understand the fear in her eyes, she looked as if she had just seen something terrifying.
" Thats wonderful my dear!" he reassured, " We will finally get Daisy some Health Care!"
The fortune teller violently shook her head.
"Permanent, forever, never ending, You will be making a great mistake."
The witch man was puzzled, but he stuck to his wits. " I'm taking the first Job offer I get!"
The next Night, at a filling station deep in the desert. The fortune Teller and The Gypsies stepped out of the Company's Traveling truck.
"We're Leaving" said a Gypsy Boy with bags in his hands.
Before he had time to argue the runaways had made their escape. Down the long stretch of Highway, back from where they came.
The Fortune Teller looked back, only once just to bid a final warning to the Traveling Witch Man
" The pink Palace is a Mistake, The offer is permanent."
The Witch Man rolled his eyes.
"Traitors" he thought as he climbed back into the drivers seat. They had turned their backs on him, just like everyone else.
" Crazy Mystics," he said outloud to the empty drivers cab, the rest of his show was asleep in the back.
" Who need em' anyways?" He asked his reflection, seeing nothing but a wrinkled old man looking back at him.
He decided not to speak or look in the mirror anymore, it made him lonely. He was slipping into misery, he felt it. In the short time of the abandonment he had recieved by what he had considered family. He began to be consumed by darkness. So consumed he almost didn't notice the lights flickering up ahead.
He stopped his tuck, right there in that long stretch of lonely road. The lights belonged to a neon sign, the sign looked out of place, he saw no buildings around the highway.
But he decided to get out anyway. It wasn't everyday you saw a sign like this.
He walked up to the sign, slowly. He only stopped when he heard the sound of his is show stepping out as well. Following their Boss, into the neon light.
"What does it say?" a Magician asked, squinting his eyes trying to read the sign.
The Witch Man stood, bewildered by the luck he had just struck.
" It says, ' Looking or entertainment, hiring acts, circuses, Freaks and other talented beings'
" Oh my goodness, is it true? " asked the Magician's assistant, her wide made-up eyes full of the hope that was once lost.
"Why yes my dear, it is."
A voice said from behind the sign.
The group was startled as a Woman, dressed in pure white stepped out from behind he sign.
" I hire talented people, and as long as you're talented you'll always have a job." she smiled, revealing a row of perfect white teeth.
A Weak daisy who had been carried out by the Handyman piped up.
" Oh we are all Talented!" she cried.
"Oh are you?" the woman cooed, stepping closer to Witch Man & Company.
"Yes!" Daisy squealed. " We are the legendary Witch Man & Co. The traveling medicine show!"
The smile grew wider on the woman's face, so wide that Witch Man himself felt uncomfortable, Where had she came from? Who was she? and why was she smiling like a wolf who had just spotted its Prey
"I have heard of you! I attended one of your shows years ago when I was buying out Freakshows." She stepped closer to Daisy, who was more Lively than Ever.
" Whats your name?" she asked sweetly, too sweetly for the Witch Man's taste.
Before Daisy could answer he jumped into the conversation.
"Mam, Can you tell us where you came from?"
She smiled, and Blinked unnaturally.
"Why, from the Mansion behind the sign."
She pointed a manicured finger towards a large white mansion, it was being bathed in a pale pink light. Everyone was in awe, even Witch Man, he felt something pulling him towards the mansion. He wanted in.
" How much do you pay?" he asked quietly, feeling the mansion calling his name.
The woman seemed to pull a contract up out of nowhere,
" I offer room, and board, Meals and a monthly check for the service you will be providing me."
The magician chimed in.
"Service? what do you mean."
The woman grinned again,
" why, performing for me of course."
she looked back at Witch Man
" I also provide health care..Looks like your little acrobat needs it, she doesnt look well."
Witch Man looked back, Daisy was back to her weak self.
her color had faded completely and she looked as if she was shivering.
"Sign the paper Witch Man." she begged
suddenly, Witch Man's mind became flooded with voices all screaming at him to sign the paper, to come inside, its nice inside.
"Sign it Witch man." the woman said pushing the contract to him.
Without reading the lengthy contract Witch Man signed the dotted line, He was saving his show, his family and his precious little daisy, Who would surely die without proper care.
"There we are Miss" he said handing her back over the contract.
" ahh Yes." she beamed,
"Welcome to the Pink Palace." she said with a wave of her hand.
The sign had disappeared and the mansion was directly in front of them. The doors were wide open, but the lights were out. The room was dark.
Witch man felt a power pulling him in, but the Fortune teller's warning whispered it's self through the desert winds.
" its permanent, forever, never ending"
He stepped back, "Why are the Lights out?" he asked, fighting the urge to enter.
The woman smiled, her grin was Devilish now.
"What's inside is a surprise, You have to step inside to see."
With that, Witch Man & Co. stepped into the Darkness, one by one they disappeared into a black hole. They did Not realize that their fate had been forever sealed. They didn't know that when Witch Man signed that dotted line that he made a deal with the devil.