Chapter 8

8

It was all I could think about. For the next two days I discussed little to nothing else. It haunted my dreams and dominated my conscious and unconscious thoughts. My world had been rocked in ways I never imagined possible. I kept replaying it over and over again, and had almost convinced myself it was a mere dream. Alas, it had to be more because the other men had witnessed the same unidentified object, racing endlessly through the night sky.

But how is that possible?

Benny and I were scouting ahead of the herd a couple of days later, looking for a suitable passageway. Normally Crusher and I would have done this alone but the boys had all agreed to work in pairs and always carry firearms until we figured out if that flying object signified danger or not. Of course this made droving much more cumbersome, but it was a small price to pay for the added sense of security.

Benny coughed vigorously for most of our outing. Unfortunately he’d ridden drag all day yesterday and was now paying the price as his body attempted to discard the inhaled dust and grime kicked up by the traversing cattle.

“What do you make of that shooting star?” I asked Ben at one point.

“Don’t know,” Ben said without making eye contact. “What does Buck think?”

“I’m very confused,” I admitted. “I’ve been thinking about it nonstop. Maybe Jacob is right ... maybe it’s a new flying machine of some type.”

“Yeah,” Ben said as he coughed up some phlegm.

“But then again, if someone really made a flying machine you’d think we’d have heard about it by now.” I reasoned. “I imagine something like that would be in all the newspapers and would be the talk of the fucking town.”

“I think God would give us wings if he wanted us to fly,” Ben said all matter-of-fact.

“Probably,” I smiled. “But as I see it, if man didn’t build it then that leaves only two options as I see it.”

“Like what?” Ben asked as he led his horse a little more in my direction.

“Well it could be a long lost flying creature. One we haven’t seen in ages.”

“Never saw birds fly that high,” Ben countered.

“Me neither, but maybe it’s ancient. Like the ones in those stories.”

“Dragons?” Ben wondered. “That’s what Cookie said.”

“Exactly,” I nodded my head. “Clyde’s a smart guy. Maybe he’s onto something.”

“But dragons aren’t real,” Ben said sadly. “Only a story.”

“I know. I know,” I nodded. “But maybe it’s time we opened our minds to different possibilities. That thing up there ... it changed everything.”

Benny scratched his head as he considered my words. “No it didn’t,” he replied in earnest. “Nothing changed. We’re still driving cattle and eating Cookie’s grub.”

I smiled at him and he smirked back at me. “You know what I’m saying?”

Benny shrugged his shoulders. “Only difference is we look at the sky a lot more.”

It was my turn to shrug. “You have a point but I’d still like to know what it was nonetheless. In my opinion the most likely thing is...” I looked at Ben, worried I might upset him. “I really think it was a divine act.”

“You mean like God?” Ben fidgeted with his reins.

“Yeah, it might’ve been an angel ... or perhaps an honest to God demon.”

“Hmm...” Ben seemed lost in thought. What was going through his slow brain I wondered. “Or maybe it was just God and Jesus playing catch with a shiny ball.”

“Huh?” I shot him a quizzical look.

“You know, like a father and son at a picnic.” Ben looked over at me with a serious expression until he could no longer hold it. Soon a big smirk formed and the two of us started laughing out loud.

Sadly this triggered another coughing fit and poor Ben hacked for several minutes before finally spitting up some green gunk.

“Sorry for putting you in back yesterday,” I felt bad seeing him like this.

“Why?” Benny looked puzzled. “Did I do something bad to get put there?”

“No,” I shook my head. “It was just your turn.”

“Then why is Buck sorry?”

“Oh I don’t know,” I replied while staring out at the open plains engulfing us. “It’s just that Jimmy gives me shit each time. Says you shouldn’t ride in back. That it’s bad for your health. And maybe he’s right.”

“Screw Jimmy,” Ben said in disgust.

I turned in shock, curious what he meant by that.

“Jimmy thinks I am weak and will break,” Ben said. “But I’m not weak. I am just slow and I’m not dumb ... just not very smart.”

“I know that,” I said as I looked him straight in the eye.

“That’s why I like Buck best,” Ben smiled. “You think I am just a normal dude.” Benny nodded his head several times, happy to have found the right words.

“Of course you are, but I don’t get what you mean.”

Ben cocked his head. “All the men have to work shit jobs and Jimmy doesn’t want me to but you make me do the same job everyone else does.”

I chuckled, understanding the implication. Ben wanted to fit in, to be normal like the rest of us.

“You think I can do what other drovers do. You think I am strong and Jimmy thinks I am weak,” Ben continued to smile brightly at me. “I like being strong better.”

“Okay then,” I said as I adjusted my hat, having never considered this perspective. “You’ll get no special treatment from me then.”

“Good,” Benny seemed satisfied, as he coughed up more gunk.

“We’ll just leave it at that.”

“I’m going to take a shit,” Frankie announced triumphantly, later that night, after finishing his evening meal.

“Don’t forget your gun,” I called out when I noticed the dumbass had left his shotgun behind.

“Oh right,” he scurried back to the campfire to collect it.

“You going to be okay out there, all alone?” Carlos asked in jest, as he threw a stick into the fire. “Cause I’m sure someone here would hold your hand while you take your big dump.”

“Yeah right,” Frankie shot back. “I can handle myself just fine. Don’t need any of you assholes backing me up.”

“Well be careful,” Paul said sincerely, wrapped in his shaggy blanket.

“Thanks for your concern Pastor,” Frankie tipped his hat. “But we ain’t seen nothing strange for two days now. Whatever that thing was I’m sure it’s long gone. Besides, nobody messes with old Frankie and lives to tell the tale.”

Everyone laughed except for Frankie. He stormed off instead, holding his gun loosely in tow.

“You think Frankie is right?” Cookie asked a few minutes later, as he plopped himself down in front of the roaring fire. “Maybe the sky warning is finished. Maybe it’s passed and we won’t be bothered by it no more.”

“Hopefully,” I replied as I licked my bowl clean. “I’d sure like to focus on...”

But a strange sound interrupted me, emanating from deep within the woods. A distant scream perhaps, like a woman calling for help.

Boom! A gunshot erupted from the same area.

I stood to my feet with pistol in hand. “What the hell is going on?”

Crusher growled by my side.

“Are we under attack?” Paul asked nervously. He crouched low to the ground with rifle at the ready.

The men darted to find cover, while aiming their firearms in the direction of the gunshot knowing danger could be upon us at any moment.

I scanned the area in search of a threat.

Boom! Another gunshot blasted.

A wild voice echoed out a second time. “Holy shit!”

“Is that a woman?” Carlos asked sincerely. “Or is that Frankie?”

“Only one way to find out,” I offered while heading cautiously towards the tree line.

The others fell quickly in line behind me, keeping a low stance, as we carefully made our way into the great unknown. Crusher ran full speed ahead.

Darkness engulfed us as we stepped away from the bright campfire. Thankfully Cookie had the foresight to grab a lantern and was now using it to light our path.

We honed in on Frankie’s last known location, with weapons drawn, and stepped fully into the dense brush. The thick foliage didn’t last long. It was a small cluster of trees, and we soon penetrated the area and found ourselves in a new, wide open plain, just on the other side. My dog was already there, waiting patiently for us.

“Is that Frankie?” Paul asked as he pointed to his left.

Blackness had us firmly in its grip, so seeing anything outside the range of our dim lantern was tricky. We all made valiant attempts just the same, straining our eyes in the process. I kept low to the ground while staring in the general direction until finally spotting the silhouette Paul referred to.

“I think it’s him,” Cookie was the first to reply.

None of us could see the man’s face as he stood with his back to us, pointing his shotgun out at the empty plains.

I took a few steps closer and noticed the man was pulling at the trigger repeatedly yet the double barrel shotgun was void of ammo.

“Frankie!” I called out with the boys standing behind me, ready to strike if needed.

Our suspect spun around slowly and I breathed a sigh of relief as recognition quickly followed. It was definitely Frankie, but something had rattled him good. He appeared lost and pale, and stood with mouth agape, staring blankly at us with vacant eyes. He suddenly pointed his gun, scaring the hell out of us. We all flinched instinctively as he pulled at the trigger but thankfully nothing happened as he’d already fired off his only two rounds.

I lunged at Frankie and snatched the shotgun out of his weak grip.

“What the hell are you doing?” I yelled in anger. “You could have killed somebody you son of a bitch!” But my indignation quickly subsided when I realized Frankie wasn’t himself at all. The poor bastard was as white as a ghost and shook uncontrollably as if under an evil spell.

“A fucking demon...” he mumbled, barely audible. “A fucking demon...” he said again as he quivered in fear.

“What are you talking about Frankie?” I asked, while holding him by both shoulders. I tried to look him in the eyes but his focus was nowhere to be found. He looked straight through me, reliving some kind of terror in his mind’s eye.

“Is he okay?” the good Pastor asked.

“I’m not sure,” I said, still trying to make eye contact with the shaking bastard.

Frankie dropped to the ground and pulled his knees tight to his chest. He began rocking back and forth in the long, thick grass. “The fucking demon came for me...” he whispered over and over again.

“What’s wrong with him?” Benny asked nervously.

The men had moved to get a better look at their cowering colleague. We all stood in a small circle around him with looks of genuine concern written all over our faces.

“I don’t know.”

Manuel mumbled something in Spanish and his comrades replied in their native tongue.

“What’s he saying?” Paul asked.

“My brother saw fear like this before,” Carlos said. “He wants me to try something that might help.”

“Go for it,” I shrugged.

Carlos nodded as he stepped closer to Frankie who was still rocking back and forth.

“Frankie!” Carlos yelled as he bent over. “Snap out of it.” And then the young Mexican slapped poor Frankie hard on each cheek.

“Ouch, you motherfucker!” Frankie rubbed his sore face but finally looked up at us. “What the fuck was that for?”

“Frankie, what the hell happened to you?” I asked, thankful to have his full attention at long last.

“I don’t know,” Frankie answered, still scowling at Carlos.

I moved closer and got down on one knee, finding myself in the center of our little circle with Frankie sitting directly in front of me. “What were you shooting at?”

“I’m not really sure Buck...”

“Well try to tell us something,” I said with sympathy, knowing Frankie was struggling. “Just try.”

“Okay, but it ain’t g-going to sound n-normal,” Frankie stuttered with raised eyebrows. “You’re going to think I’m nuts.”

“Already do, but that’s not the point. We ain’t gonna judge,” I offered and a few of the men mumbled their agreement.

Frankie cleared his throat. “I was standing here, about to take a shit, minding my own goddamned business when I heard something rustle in the bushes over there.” He pointed towards the trees we’d just passed through. “At first I thought it was a dumb animal ... you know a wolf or something. So I got my gun ready and spun around to see what it was...”

“And?” I asked as Frankie stopped telling his tale mid sentence. “What happened? What was it?”

“Well it was no fucking wolf, that’s for sure,” Frankie declared. He pulled his knees tight to his body as he relived his painful affair. “The thing was eight feet tall. It stood like a man but it was no man neither...”

“How do you know?” I whispered excitedly.

“I just know,” Frankie laboured before finally swallowing. “It had arms the size of tree trunks and legs just as big but it was ... it was all black and shiny ... the thing had no clothes but was covered in stone or some cursed thing.”

“You’re not making any sense Frankie,” I said carefully.

“I know!” Frankie shot back agitated. “I told you that already!”

“How do you know he wasn’t just a really big man?”

“Because Buck,” Frankie looked at me and I could see fear flowing through his eyes. “He had no fucking face!”

“What?”

“You heard me! He had no eyes, no nose and no mouth,” Frankie continued. “Only a glowing...” Frankie couldn’t find the words and instead waved his hand over his own face. “He had a glowing window where his face should have been. It went all red and blue at first and then turned green when he saw me standing here.”

“Come on?” I scoffed. “That sounds crazy.”

“You don’t think I know that?” Frankie offered as he stared up at the guys. “But I saw it plain as day. It was pitch black and there was no mistaking the colors. He was only ten feet in front of me, with face glowing as bright as flames.”