Skinwalker Valley - Chapter Eight

EIGHT

The boy was confused. It all went pretty fast those fifteen minutes ago in his bedroom. He just didn’t understand where the accusations of Glory had come from. Did she have a very realistic dream or something?

As he walked he began to notice how it got cooled down quickly when night has fallen. He buttoned up his shirt. The only light in the vast outdoor space was that of the moon. It was so much darker there than in the city. Not that the absent of light scared him of course. Sleeping on benches in the outdoors at night was one of the first things he’d tried in his quest to feel fear. He’d heard many people got scared by the strange, unidentifiable noises they heard in the night. Some would get the feeling something was watching them. Something unseen. Oh, if only he could have those feelings.

That’s when he heard something scrape the sand behind him. He turned around. It was so dark he could hardly see anything. He switched on the flashlight of his cell phone. He looked right into the eyes of a coyote. Most people would have screamed or put a step back. He just stepped forward, slowly reaching out a hand to the animal.

“Hey there, fella… How are you?” he softly said to it.

The coyote was the biggest one he’d ever seen. It bared bright white teeth. There was a low growl, coming from the back of the animal’s throat. The boy felt no fear, but knew to be cautious. He slowly got his backpack from his back.

The coyote attacked, jumping at the boy, snarling. The boy managed to get his backpack in front of himself, the coyote’s teeth sinking into the fabric instead of his flesh. The animal hung onto it, trying to wrestle it from the boy’s grip. As a devoted vegetarian the boy hated hurting animals but knew he had little choice in this case. He kicked the animal as hard as he could. The coyote let go of the backpack and landed on its back. It yipped but got ready to attack again, back legs getting ready to jump again.

Bright lights bathed the boy and the coyote. The sound of an engine, a car coming to a halt. The boy turned to see the arrival of Blackcrow’s car. The conservation officer jumped out of the car and shot a round from his gun in the air. The coyote ran away.

“Thanks,” the boy said.

“Thank me later. I need to get a tranquilizer gun from the car to shoot that coyote. I don’t want it attacking other people,” Blackcrow said. “You can hop in.”

The boy got in the car with the conservation officer who was busy getting something from behind the seat. He produced a tranquilizer gun and put it on his lap.

“Okay, let’s get that animal,” Blackcrow said and fired up the engine, headlights searching for the coyote.

“I don’t see it anymore,” the boy said. The only animal in sight was a nighthawk flying up into the sky.

“Me neither. How did it get away like that?” Blackcrow wondered.

“No idea. The night is full of strange happenings, it seems.”

“Like? Why were you out there anyway?”

The boy shrugged. “That’s what I would like to know, honestly.”

Skinwalker Valley - Chapter Seven

SEVEN

Glory stirred awake when she felt something wet brush her cheek. Her sleep was restless after all the excitement from that day. She opened here eyes and saw the boy sitting on her bed. Had he kissed her?

“What are you doing here? Did you just kiss my cheek?”

The boy said, “Come on, Glory… I’ve seen you look at me? It’s very obvious you are attracted to me.”

Glory shot up, sitting straight on her bed. “What? You’re crazy! You’re too young for me. I think you’re a nice kid. That’s all.”

The boy grabbed her arm. “Don’t be ashamed of your feelings. I’m just four years younger. That isn’t that much. I will be gentle with you.”

“Let go of my arm,” Glory insisted.

The boy’s head came closer to hers, trying to kiss her. That did it. She raked her fingernails across his cheek, drawing blood. The boy screamed and pushed her flat on the bed. He ran away.

Glory panted. How she had read that boy wrong. He seemed so nice. He turned out to be just as big as an asshole as Robert though. She got up, walked to her father’s room. She wanted to tell him what happened. Then she understood her dad might just kill the boy. As much as she was disgusted by what the boy had done she didn’t want him dead neither did she want her dad to get into trouble. She didn’t need her dad anyway. She was tough enough to face anything on her own.

She walked into the boy’s room. The boy was in bed, apparently asleep. Was he really going to just pretend like nothing happened. She tore the sheets off his bed.

“Huh? What?” he said sleepily.

“Get out,” she said. “Get the hell out of bed, pack your bag and leave.”

“Leave? Why? What’s wrong?”

“Don’t play the innocent. You almost raped me, you sonofabitch!”

“Raped you? I would never do anything like that,” the boy said. He was a great actor. She almost believed him.

He slowly got out of bed. “Listen, I don’t know what happened but I am very sure I didn’t do anything to you. Are you sure you weren’t just dreaming?”

“Don’t give me that. You’re just the same as all of those guys in high school. Pack your bags and leave before I get my dad. He’ll kill you.”

“If you want me gone, I’m gone. But I swear I didn’t do anything to hurt you,” the boy said. He started to put on his clothes.

“Yes, I want you gone,” Glory said, a tear slowly rolling down her cheek.

The boy took his backpack, slung it across his shoulder. “I’m very sorry you think bad of me. I don’t know what happened to you, Glory. But you are obviously very distressed. So I will leave.”

The boy walked out of his room. Glory walked with him, wanting to make sure he was gone. She opened the door and the boy left the house.

“Keep on walking,” she told the boy. She watched the boy walk until he was not visible anymore, swallowed by the dark night.

She shivered, partly because it was cold standing there in just her nightgown, part of what had happened. Then she wondered why the boy’s cheek wasn’t bleeding anymore when he was in his bed again.

Skinwalker Valley - Chapter Six

SIX

After working hard all day Glory sat on the porch drinking some iced tea. She’d enjoyed the boy’s company. He was so energetic it was contagious. Hard worker too. She liked sitting there, watching the sun go down slowly. The boy was in the shower, rinsing off the dirt of the busy day. She was going to go after him.

A red Mustang drove up the terrain. A handsome young man got out after it parked. He was wearing a pink polo shirt and jeans. He was tanned, his hair black. On his muscular jaw as a light beard. She recognized him.

“Robert Moreno. Long time no see,” she said to the man who walked towards her.

“A few years, yeah. Not since high school. I heard about the trouble with the cattle and I figured I’d better see if you were doing all right,” Robert said.

“I’m fine. A bit shook up, but fine,” Glory said.

“Are you sure? I heard it was a pretty brutal scene.”

“I just don’t want to talk about it, okay?”

“That’s fine. Maybe we can just catch up a little, you know?”

“Robert, I’m really tired. I just want to be left alone.”

Robert stepped right in front of her. He put his hand delicately against his cheek. “You know I care for you, Glory.”

She took his hand and gently but firmly removed it from her cheek. “I do. I know about your feelings for me, Robert. But I couldn’t reciprocate those in high school and I can’t know.”

“You just don’t know what you’re missing.”

“Just go, Robert,” Glory insisted, anger creeping into her usually so calm voice.

“Is this guy bothering you?” The boy stepped next to Glory, his hair still damp from the shower.

“Who the fuck is this kid?” Robert asked.

“I work here. Who are you?”

Robert raised a fist. “The guy who’s going to kick your ass.”

“I see,” the boy said. He didn’t even blink.

Robert cocked his head. “You seem pretty sure of yourself? You’re what, sixteen? I can punch you out with one good uppercut.”

“Probably,” the boy agreed.

Glory pushed Robert against the chest. “Leave him alone or I get my dad. You know how he likes to shoot people who trespass.”

“I’m going. Out of respect for you. Not because I’m scared of your dad or that freaky kid,” Robert said and backed down slowly.

“Whatever,” Glory said.

She watched the young man get into his Mustang and drive off. She was glad to see him go. He’d always given her the creeps.

“Who was that?” the boy asked her.

“Just some guy who thought he was in love with me back in high school.”

“Broken heart, huh?”

Glory shrugged. “I figure he just wanted to get into my pants. Oh, sorry. Language.”

The boy chuckled. “Don’t worry about the language. I have been to R-rated movies you know.”

That got a laugh out of Glory. “Of course. You weren’t lying before when you told me you don’t get scared… I was impressed by how you handled yourself back there. You didn’t even flinch when Robert threatened you. You want some iced tea as well?”

“That would be awesome.”

Glory went into the kitchen to get some iced tea. As she fixed it she wondered why Robert still got under her skin so much. He wasn’t the only one to have feelings for her back in high school.

She walked back to the porch and handed the boy his iced tea.

“Thanks,” the boy said and took a sip. “Refreshing. I was thinking… You told me earlier that your dad thought some guy who couldn’t take no for an answer was behind the cattle decapitation. Do you think Robert might be behind that?”

“Robert? No! He can be a bit of a dick but he’s not a psychopath. No way.”

“Okay, just wondering.”

Glory wasn’t so sure as she tried to sound though. She remembered Robert getting violent back in their high school days. He once broke guy’s jaw when he was tackled during a football match. He had a temper for sure. It did sound more logical than that skinwalker story Blackcrow told them. In both cases she was afraid she wouldn’t sleep easy that night though.

Skinwalker Valley - Chapter Five

FIVE

Glory, Caleb, Blackcrow and the boy had taken a seat on the front porch of the ranch. Blackcrow explained, “According to our legends the skinwalker is a sort of witch that can turn into animals. Because some of the cattle slaughtered was actually inside a closed off barn my father suspected something else than a normal animal killed them. Only a skinwalker would have the ability to open doors and viciously kill those inside the way the animals were killed.”

“Couldn’t it just be some kind of normal psychopath freak? That whole witchcraft mumbo-jumbo doesn’t fly with me,” Caleb said.

“My father has seen many slaughtered remains. He knows what it looks like when teeth an claws did the work instead of knives. He had no doubt they were killed by an animal.”

“Could it be a human being opened the door, getting the predator inside to kill? I mean, don’t know why he would do that. But it could be an explanation, right?” Glory suggested.

“My dad was also good at studying footprints. He was pretty sure those of a human changed in that of a wolf.”

“That’s an amazing story,” the boy said. “So you say your dad never caught the skinwalker?”

“He never did, indeed. It is thought the witch found some other hunting ground for a while, stopping the killings. But it seems he might be back now,” Blackcrow said.

“So? You are going to track it down?” Glory asked.

“That’s what I intend to, yeah. Track it down and put it down. Avenge my father’s death.”

“So where will you start?” Caleb asked.

“I’m quite a tracker myself. My dad taught me. After the skinwalker strikes again I will be sure to arrive at the crime scene as fast as possible, when the tracks are still fresh.”

“Strikes again?” the boy said.

“Yeah, afraid so. When the skinwalker starts killing he won’t stop until things get a little bit too dangerous for him,” Blackcrow said.

Glory shuddered. “I really don’t want to think about more killings.”

The boy put a hand on Glory’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you. That skinwalker doesn’t scare me.”

“Fuck all that stupid talk!” Caleb said. “There’s no such thing no matter what that idiot says. It’s just some stupid asshole who needs therapy. Or a bullet from my shotgun. And if he shows up here again he’ll be sure to get it.”

“Be careful,” Blackcrow said. “You might not believe me, but that skinwalker is hard to kill. So be careful and call me right away when you see something suspicious?” He handed Glory a business card.

Glory tucked away the card in her jeans. “I will.”

“Good. Take care of yourselves,” Blackrow said and walked back to his car.

“Lunatic,” Caleb told Glory, twirling his finger near his temple.

“He seemed pretty sure of himself. And mentally stable,” Glory said.

“I’ve seen a few stranger things the last few months,” the boy said. “Things people would relegate to the realm of fiction as well. There’s some strange things out there.”

“Quit that nonsense!” Caleb said. “Get to work!” With those words he walked away.

Glory shrugged at the boy. He shrugged back as well. They both laughed.

“What was that all about? That story about the stranger things you saw?” Glory asked the boy. He was starting to become more and more peculiar.

“Never mind. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” the boy said.

“Well, these days more strange things seem to happen. You sounded pretty heroic there when you said you were going to protect me.”

“Not really. I read somewhere a hero is someone who conquers his fear. I have no fear to conquer.”

Glory just couldn’t believe the things that boy said. Still not over the fact she thought she saw him in her room she just had to ask, “Did you sleep okay?”

“Sleep okay? Yeah, sure. I was pretty tired from the trip over here. Why?”

“No reason. Just being polite,” Glory answered.

“All right. Thanks for asking. I’d better get to work,” the boy said.

“Yeah, sure. Let me help you out a bit,” Glory said. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to help the boy or keep an eye on him. Yeah, strange things…