Cowboy Cried Wolf

Full Moon and Fleeing

June’s POV

I was startled awake by a noise outside, something causing the animals in the barn to scream in fright. The wick on my oil lamp was almost out, making me reach over and let more out to brighten the room. I threw my legs over the side of the bed and into my father’s worn boots, not worrying about the size and only about the animals outside. I don’t know what made me do it, but I put the deed and papers down into my pocket; an instinct to have them close by urging me.

I opened the door of my cabin, grabbing the rifle with my free hand as I did, expecting trouble. I stood stock still on the porch, frozen at the sight before me. The barn was blazing away, animals running this was and that; Emily the horse bolting into the night having escaped her stall. “What in f*****g hell?!” I yelled, stunned.

Standing around the building, and more in front of me, were the five men from earlier; watching as the blaze went higher. “Franklin is tired of waiting Miss Crawford. He says either you come with us to your wedding, or we burn down everything.” The man from earlier stepped forward, his eyes glowing an unearthly color.

“Don’t you dare come one step closer! I mean it!” I leveled the gun at him, my shoulder and arm taking the weight of the rifle with some difficulty.

“Now don’t be like that Miss June, be a good little girlie and come here.” Another one of the henchmen came up to my right, reaching for me and pursing his lips for a mock kiss, cackling away. As a last ditch effort, I swung the lamp at him; causing the glass and oil to shatter and mix together on his face and covering his body. “Gahhh!” He screamed and went running wild.

I re-aimed at the ringleader, taking both arms and letting the buckshot it was loaded with spray into his chest, sending him flying. I c****d the gun again, intent on taking out the other three; but something made me pause. None of them seemed concerned. If anything, the looks on their faces was almost like they were hysterical at the fact they just lost two people.

The first that caught fire had rolled himself out and laid unmoving in the dirt, the ringleader still on his back by a broken wagon I had. I heard a cough from my right though as the crisp body began to move, cough, and the. Sit up on its own. Then the one with gunshots slowly sat up, dusted off his pants, the. Stood up.

I watched in horror as both men stood there, the one with burns shed his old skin like a cocoon, his clothing along with it; and the other have the bullets hit the ground as they were pushed out of his skin. “f*****g hell, b***h. You’re going to repay me for those pants, they were my favorite.” The burnt man glared at me, his skin almost new as he stood there naked in the full moon.

“Calm down, Bert. You’ll get yours when she’s brought back to the compound with us.” Ringleader had the front of his shirt completely ruined and covered in blood, underneath though was fresh unmarked skin, glistening with droplets of blood.

My heart was beating a million miles in my chest, the things I had just saw unnatural, inhuman. “I know, let’s make this more fun Peter. Let’s play tag with the new bitch.” One of the three others called out. “After all; she ruined your shirt too.”

The ringleader, Peter, grinned. “Sounds like a great idea… Alright Miss June, you have until the count of five to start running, then we’ll give you ten minutes to go and hide. No cheating now!” He grinned maniacally at me, making me gulp a little.

“One!” Peter called out, causing Bert to slowly melt outward, expanding and morphing into something unheard of. “Two!” Another of them melted, joining Bert. “Three! four!” When Peter got to four, there were four wolves standing where the others had been not a moment before. They were unnatural in their shear size, thrice that of the average wolves. Their shadows cast by the full moon seemed to dance on the ground, making them seem other worldly. “Five, Miss June… it’s your time to run.”

Peter melted down into a wolf then as well, pulling back his gums to create a macabre smile of jagged fangs, saliva dripping from his mouth as he growled. The sheer terror of facing something not of this world gripped my heart, my fight or flight changing. The fight that I had to protect my farm was now gone, my human base instincts telling me to run from the horror in front of me.

I threw down the rifle and ran; the wolves chuckling deep in their throats at my desperate attempt to flee. The fire had caught to the outhouse and the grass around the yard, smoke filling the air as I went to the woods, hoping that there was some cover and a place to hide I could find. I let out a gasp with tears as the first root tripped me, falling flat onto the ground and scraping my palms on in the hard earth.

I was just about to give up and accept my fate when I heard a soft whinny in the distance, my ears perking to the noise. I scrambled up as I made my way in the broken darkness towards the sound, finding Emily chomping away on some wild persimmons. “Thank God!” I breathed out, going up to the old nag and petting her main. “Come on girl, we stand a chance now!” I climbed up onto her back just as a howl went up from behind, signaling my demise. “Run, Emily, run!”

The horse needed no more encouragement though, as soon as the howl went out, she took off in the opposite direction like the devil himself was on her hoofs. It was the fastest I had ever seen the old biddy go, and I prayed she would last. We broke free of the woods and under the clear and cloudless sky, the moon casting everything in blue hues.

I made the mistake of looking back as Emily ran, seeing the wolves break free just a bit behind us, barking and gnashing their teeth. The horse put on more speed, but I could feel her old and tired bones start to get a sheen of sweat.

“God, please help!” I cried to the heavens, the wolves behind us right on our heels now. It felt like they could get me at any time, enjoying the game instead of ending it quickly. Emily jumped over a cut off hill, a steep drop of six feet hiding on the other side.

“Sonofabitch!” We heard someone call out and another horse whinny in surprise. Emily barely held her legs under her when we landed, the wolves jumping as well. I heard a loud thump and a scream from an injured animal as something collided together behind us.

I cried then as I could feel Emily start to shake and shiver, the jump being too much for her as a leg gave out and sent us tumbling into the dirt, the wolves surrounding me as Emily struggled and failed to right herself again.