Barken is a small fictional township in Texas, situated somewhere between Houston and Brownsville. Populated by a few hundred residents, the place is not your 'town possessed with great evil'-type feel. It's more like some very typical suburb. The residents are quite normal (except for the obvious), with the possible exception that they leave their dogs out to wander at night - or so it seems. What would strike a visitor first about them is how darn friendly they are. Unfriendly people in Barken are a rare thing - sure, you might have your occasional mating scuffle but on the whole, everyone is decent and kind to one another. One Barken resident doesn't shit in another's garden, hump his spouse and so on. The society does however lean a little toward male-dominatedness at times, but everyone lives with it.

     There is no school nearby, so school-aged children either have to be educated from home, or take the risk of going to school in the nearby (also fictional) town of Cherry. There are other modern conveniences though - for instance, a small shopping centre comprising a takeaway junk-food shop, a butcher, a small supermarket, a video shop, a newsagent, etc. The community is very close-knit and would rush to each other’s aid in the case of emergency.

     How the actual shapeshifting starts is anyone's guess. Some would believe it is linked to the land having been cursed by the ousted local Native tribe, others would guess it's something in the water.. the more cynical believe it's all just a huge hallucination, but a fun one nonetheless. The spirit of Barken is very much about rolling with punches, so to speak; adapting, making use of what's available. It is said that part of this attitude stems with accepting the shifts as an undeniable part of what happens, and making the most of them. It tends to screw all people's heads on one particular way, which is commonly referred to as 'that Barken state of mind' by frequent visitors. The magic does wear off once the Barken resident leaves town for at least a year - like the spice melange in Frank Herbert's Dune, there is a tendency for the shift-causer to seep into every part of the being, taking a long time for 'detox' to occur fully. As for how long it takes before the newcomer starts to feel strange, a few days is the absolute minimum, while months is the maximum. The shifting of course isn't innate and has to be mastered, but can be controlled by many long-time residents down to one fingertip. Like I said though, puberty throws said residents many, many curve-balls. Intense emotion triggers partial or full shifts as well.

     The secrecy among Barken residents to outside visitors is almost complacently loose. :) Many have come back from Barken talking about shapeshifting demons like dogs, werewolves, and 'Divilishe Orgies of the Divile.' Of course, nobody believes them, and this is the upside. People's own cynicism works against them. Sadly, some people do believe in these tales and go riding shotgun through Barken. The local law enforcement agency has decreed that physically injuring any out-of-town entity threatening serious physical harm to any resident of Barken is acceptable, as shotgun-toting priests, rednecks, and other idiots have so often driven through Barken's main street, blowing away all in their range. Certain residents have been appointed marshals of sorts; these people are trained in the art of sharpshooting and caniform disarmament, and patrol the neighbourhood like a mobile version of Neighbourhood Watch. These people are called 'sentries' and operate in shifts - night and day. They're respected by the entire community and never, ever abuse their power - if they do, the entire community gets to punish them in the method of their choice; suffice to say that the punishment usually always fits the crime.

     The people in Cherry always seem to be wary of Barken residents; Cherry is quite a conservative locale, and as such they don't appreciate many of the slack-looking Barken residents hanging around in Cherry inviting sons and daughters back into Barken for a fun time. The more rebellious element of Cherry usually treks to Barken for whatever reason, be it the incredibly cool atmosphere or the fact that Barken has a liquor store. Suffice to say, the rebels hold a lot of respect for the Barken residents, and the Barkenites don't mind the occasional Cherry outcast in their midst so long as he or she behaves him- or herself. The dichotomy of liberal Barken and conservative Cherry is probably one for elaboration - the simple dog-folk versus the God-fearing humans could be the basis of some interesting exchanges.

     Someone from Barken would only go to Cherry if they were going to school there, or passing through on the way to Houston; or maybe they're out to stir... Someone from Cherry would only be in Barken if they'd been tied up and driven there for some deviously tricky purpose, or maybe if there was some event that needed both towns' joint attention. Like it or not, Barken and Cherry are 'sister towns', and why not? The totally opposite ideologies make for interesting plot ideas..

     Geographically, Barken is further south than Cherry, about forty minutes by car from outskirts to outskirts. In terms of ethnicity, Cherry is heavily populated by people of English and German descent, but Barken's population is made up of anyone and anywhere. Many of the younger contingent have moved to Barken from the West Coast.

     Barken's atmosphere is ultimately one of non-seriousness, taking life as it comes, with undertones of a small pocket of resistance against the better part of the world. 'Magic' is a part of their everyday lives, and some have learned to harness it, though not for conquest - more like taking on a language to master it even though you know you might never stand a chance of using it. Everyone feels safe there. Crime is pretty low, since everyone shares everything. Barken is lying back, enjoying the sunset of another day gone by, then padding around the streets looking for someone to play ball with.

     Cherry's atmosphere is one of fear, strictness, and inner restraint. If they could, they'd wipe places like Barken off the map. Crime is also low, since everyone knows one another, and the sense of community is undeniable. But the element of vitality is sapped. Cherry is saying grace at the table, eating your dinner, doing your homework, then saying your prayers and hopping into bed.

     Maybe I'll compose some slightly less vague demographics one day, but this should be enough to start anyone's imagination firing. :)