Lone Cowboy
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“I’m not a cowboy, I don’t know how to ride horses,” the man said. “And you’re going to have to explain what this is all about.” He was wearing jeans and boots with no shirt on under his jacket.
His hair had been cut short but he still looked like someone who’d just stepped out of a magazine ad for men’s cologne or shampoo—the kind that made women want him. And it wasn’t hard to understand why.
He stood at least six feet tall, maybe taller than me when I wore my heels. The only thing wrong with him were those blue eyes. They didn’t look right on such an otherwise perfect face. Like they belonged in some other place entirely. It took everything I could do not to stare.
The woman next to him cleared her throat loudly enough to make everyone turn around. She was older, probably mid-forties with long gray hair pulled back into a bun behind her head. Her clothes were casual too: jeans and a sweatshirt over a turtleneck sweater.
But she carried herself differently from the cowboy. More confident. Less self-consciously sexy. If anything, she seemed more comfortable in her own skin than either of them did.
She smiled as if she knew exactly who we were before turning toward us. “This isn’t a good time for introductions. We need your help.”
My mouth went dry. My heart started beating faster even though I hadn’t realized I’d stopped breathing until now. This couldn’t be real. There was no way these two people would actually recognize me after twenty years. Or care about seeing me again.
Not that I thought I’d ever see them again. Of course, I should’ve known better. How many times had I wished for something like this? To run into one of them, say hi, and catch up on old gossip. Maybe tell them what happened to me after high school. What I became.
But there was nothing normal about any of this. Nothing ordinary. The last thing I wanted was to get myself involved in whatever crazy scheme they were plotting. So instead of saying yes, I turned toward the door and tried to leave without looking back.
“Wait!” the woman called out. “We weren’t expecting you to say no so quickly.” She sounded amused rather than annoyed. Then she leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially, “You can trust us. You’ll never regret helping us.”
I glanced over my shoulder. For a moment, I thought she might grab hold of me and pull me back inside. Instead, the cowboy reached past me and opened the front door. He held it open while the woman led the way. Once we were both insides, he closed the door behind us and then followed her down the hallway. As soon as he passed through the doorway, the lights came back on.
As we walked away from the ranch house, I caught sight of the man standing by the barn. He watched us go but didn’t follow. That was strange. Why wouldn’t he come along? Wasn’t that part of the plan? Either way, it didn’t matter because I needed to find a bathroom fast. Before my bladder decided to burst.
I hurried across the yard, grateful that the grass was wet enough to hide my footsteps. When I finally got close to the building, I ducked behind the corner of the garage. After relieving myself against the wall, I wiped my hands on my pants and straightened up. A quick glance told me I was alone. No sign of anyone else in the area.
So where are they taking me?
I shook my head. There was no point speculating. Whatever they wanted, I doubted it would be good news. Especially since they already knew I’d seen their faces.
When I heard the sound of running water coming from within the house, I headed for the back porch. From here, I could watch the whole backyard. At least, most of it. Since the couple had gone inside, I assumed the rest of the property was off limits. Which meant I had to assume there were cameras watching our every move.
The door to the kitchen swung open. I saw a flash of light reflected in the glass window beside the door. Someone walking inside. Another person. Who?
A second later, the curtains parted and a pair of bright green eyes appeared. The guy who’d been waiting outside. He must’ve gotten tired of standing around doing nothing. Now he was following us. Just like I expected.
I waited until he disappeared into the shadows of the dining room before heading for the back door. By the time I reached it, the cowboy had joined us. I stepped onto the deck and looked around. The man still hadn’t reappeared. Had he given up and left? Did he think I wasn’t worth tracking down anymore?
If so, he was wrong.
***
The sun hung low in the sky when I found the trail leading to the pond. It was easy enough to spot once I spotted the footprints in the mud. Even easier to follow. And harder to resist. Partly because I was curious about why they brought me all the way out here just to show me how to use a compass. But mostly because I wanted to know more about what they planned to do with me next.
I kept an eye on the ground ahead, making sure I stayed on track. If I veered too far to either side, I risked losing the connection between the two sets of prints. Fortunately, the muddy path remained relatively smooth. Though I did have to step carefully at some points, especially near the edges of the pond where the grass grew tall and thick.
Once I reached the other end of the lake, I paused to take a look around. The place felt deserted. Too quiet. Like someone or something was hiding somewhere nearby. Waiting for me to make a mistake.
I crouched down and studied the tracks in the dirt. They were definitely human. Definitely not an animal. Whoever made them had worn shoes. Probably sneakers. The kind kids wore back in middle school.
That meant whoever I was dealing with probably attended the same high school as me. Only a few students lived out this way. Most of them belonged to the wealthier families who owned ranches and farms. Or maybe they worked at one of the local businesses. Maybe even the diner.
Then again, if these people were anything like the ones from the bar, they might also work at the hospital. In this case, they couldn’t possibly live anywhere close to town. Not unless they traveled back and forth every day. Which seemed unlikely.
Unless . . .
What if they’re vampires? What if that’s why I’m being taken out here in the first place—to see whether or not I’ll turn into one of them?
My stomach tightened at the idea. How many times had I wondered what it would feel like to drink blood instead of eating food? To never get hungry? Ever need a nap or sleep? My mind raced. Would I become stronger? Faster? More powerful than any normal person?
But then again, I’d already met a vampire who was strong and fast. Plus, he had superhuman strength. So maybe it really didn’t matter what happened to me after tonight. I’d always known that becoming a monster was possible. That was part of the reason I’d decided to go through with the ritual.
And yet, despite knowing the risks, I still hesitated. Because deep down, I hoped I wouldn’t change. Hope I’d somehow managed to avoid the curse.
Maybe I should’ve asked the old woman how she knew for certain her daughter was safe. If only I’d thought to ask earlier. Then again, I guess it doesn’t really matter now. She died anyway.
As I stood up, I noticed that the footprints led away from the pond. Back toward the house. Which meant the man had followed me all the way out here. Why? Was he going to try to stop me? Or warn me against continuing?
I glanced over my shoulder, but couldn’t tell if anyone was behind me. Either way, I needed to keep moving. Before the sun set completely. Otherwise, I’d risk getting caught by whatever lurked in the woods.
With quick steps, I hurried along the edge of the forest. Every few seconds, I stopped to check behind me. Still no sign of the man. For now, I assumed he was keeping his distance. Trying to stay hidden while I got closer to the cabin.
When I finally reached the porch, I took a moment to catch my breath. Then I climbed the stairs and knocked on the front door. No answer. As I started to turn around, I heard a voice call out from within. “Who is it?”
It sounded like the man. Or maybe another member of their group. Whoever answered spoke quickly. Almost as though they were afraid someone else was listening. At least, that’s how it sounded to me.
“Open the door,” the man said.
A second later, the latch clicked open. A crack appeared in the wood, allowing me to peer inside.
Inside, the room looked like it hadn’t been used much lately. There wasn’t a lot of furniture. Just a couple couches, a table, and a TV. Nothing fancy. Yet there was something familiar about the place. Something I recognized instantly.
The smell.
I froze in place. Couldn’t move. Unable to breathe.
Because I knew exactly where I was standing.
This was the exact same spot I’d stood when I’d watched the old woman die. When I’d seen her body collapse onto the floor. Her eyes were wide open, staring at nothing. Her mouth hanging slightly agape.
I stepped forward, forcing myself to continue past the threshold. But before I could fully enter the house, I found myself frozen once more. This time, however, it wasn’t because of the smell. It was the sight that greeted me.
In the center of the living room sat an enormous wooden box. Thick planks lined its sides, giving it a simple appearance. And yet, I sensed it was far more complicated than it appeared. From the outside, it might have just looked like some sort of storage unit. But this thing held secrets. Secrets that would reveal themselves soon enough.
At least, I hoped so.
For now, however, all I could do was stare at the box. The one containing the remains of the old woman.
Her bones.
They lay in plain view, right beside the couch. Stretched across the cushions. Like they belonged there.
Unlike the rest of us, vampires did not age. They remained young forever. Even after centuries passed. Their bodies changed little over the years. Only their minds grew older. And eventually, those too faded away. Leaving nothing but dust and memories.
That made sense. After all, we humans are mortal creatures. We grow old. Our lives come to an end. Eventually, our souls pass into the afterlife. Wherever that may be.
Vampires, however, live on. In spirit form. Until such time as they can find a new host body. Then they will return to life. Once more.
Perhaps that’s why the old woman felt compelled to share her story with me. Perhaps she wanted to show me proof of what I already suspected: that even after death, the dead remain alive. That the soul continues to exist. Whether or not the body itself does.
But I didn’t need any of that to know what I saw lying on the sofa.
Those weren’t human bones.
I knew better than most.
After all, I was one of them.
***
My mind raced through every possible explanation. What could possibly explain the presence of vampire’s bones in the middle of a small town? How had they gotten here? Who brought them? Or perhaps, who put them there?
If I was being honest, I wondered if this whole thing might have been staged. If these people really existed. Or whether they were simply actors hired for a movie. Except movies don’t usually involve real corpses. Real deaths.
And the fact that the old woman had died only hours earlier suggested otherwise. She must’ve known I would arrive sooner rather than later. So she decided to make sure I witnessed everything first-hand.
That gave me pause. Had they somehow managed to revive the old woman? To bring her back to life? Was that even possible?
Or was this entire scene merely part of a larger scheme? One designed to lure me in close enough to get rid of me permanently. Maybe they believed I was too dangerous to keep around. Too powerful. Someone capable of bringing down whatever evil force they worked for.
Either way, I couldn’t afford to stick around. Not now. Especially since the man was still lurking somewhere nearby. Waiting patiently until I made my next mistake.
So instead, I turned and ran. Ran straight out the front door. Back toward the street. Away from the house. And the mysterious box sitting in the corner.
As I sprinted across the lawn, I glanced behind me. Saw the man stalking along the edge of the property line. Keeping pace with me. As though he intended to follow me wherever I went.
I tried to ignore him. Forced me to focus on getting home safely. But as I neared the sidewalk, I realized something else. I heard voices coming from inside the house. Voices belonging to two different men.
“You’re certain?” one asked. “It looks like a normal human skull.”
“Yes,” his companion replied. “We checked it ourselves. No trace of supernatural activity. Nothing at all. This is pretty remarkable considering how many of these things we’ve collected over the years. Including ones that look almost identical to this one.”
“Yeah, I know. Still, you have to admit…it’s strange. Almost surreal. Never thought I’d see anything like this again. Not after so long. You never know when the next one might pop up. Make sure to take good care of it. Keep it safe. Just in case.”
The second voice belonged to a younger guy. A kid by the sound of it. Probably no more than twenty years old. He sounded nervous. Uncertain. Like he didn’t quite understand what was going on. Or maybe he was afraid someone might overhear him talking about vampires. About the undead.
Whatever the reason, I took note of his words. Because they seemed important. Important enough to warrant further investigation.
I slowed down. Stopped running altogether. Took a moment to catch my breath. Then, once I finally regained control of myself, I headed back toward the house. This time, I approached the window facing the backyard. Slid open the glass pane. Peered inside.
To my surprise, the yard appeared empty. Completely deserted.
Not a single person in sight.
No sign of anyone approaching. Not even from within the house.
Which meant whoever was hiding out in there wasn’t planning on making their move anytime soon.
At least not while I was standing right outside the window.
Still, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy. Worried that I might have missed something. Something important.
Like the faintest hint of movement. Of footsteps.
A low moan.
Something that might’ve gone unnoticed if I hadn’t been paying attention.
Then again, maybe none of that mattered. Maybe I was just grasping at straws. Trying to convince myself that nothing truly bad was happening here. That I should relax and go home.
Because if I did, then I wouldn’t be able to do what needed to be done. Wouldn’t have the chance to stop whatever was going on inside that house.
Including whoever was responsible for killing those women. For murdering them in cold blood.
And worse yet, I would also fail to protect the young boy who lived there. The same kid whose mother had been murdered before his very eyes.
Who knew what kind of danger he was currently in? What terrible fate awaited him?
All because of some unknown monster lurking in the shadows.
The End