See ya, Cowboy!, KJ Micheal [epub read online books txt] 📗

The rhythmic pounding of hooves crashing down on the muddy trail interrupted the soft spoken rain as a horse drawn wagon raced around a sharp bend in the road; The cover on the back, torn from a hail of bullets, almost completely exposed the inside of the wagon where a figure curled up against the wooden flooring shook in fear.

A young man, his hat drooping over his eyes from the rain, frantically looked back through the ripped tarp, watching the pursuing men on horseback cut around the bend. A girl, now leaning up on her bruised hands, looked at him with tears in her eyes. Her brown hair, once fashioned in a sleek updo, was now messy and soaked. Her red dress stuck to her body as rain entered through the ripped tarp. The black stockings she wore had been ripped from sliding back and forth across the splintered wooden flooring of the wagon; one of her red dress shoes had gone missing in the chaos. Through her soaked, green eyes, he could tell she saw the panic in his. He looked forward, frantically cracking the reins as they continued on through the darkness.

Up ahead, he noticed a small path that split through the trees. He quickly steered the horses to the left, almost tipping the wagon over, and they disappeared into the woods. He could hear the sound of horses passing behind them as he went deeper down the small path.

The path was darker than the main road, only illuminated by the faint light from the moon shining through the trees. He rode on, noticing the trees along his left side beginning to thin out. His heart felt like it was close to beating out of his chest. He didn't know if he had escaped. For all he knew, they could have found the path and were heading his way. He decided to ride harder, to not stop until the skies cleared and the morning sun reared its elegant face.

He thought, The plan...it had gone so wrong...How did it go so wrong...they're all dead...

The girl spoke up from behind, taking him from his thoughts; her voice trembling, "Sir, p-please stop the wagon."

He said, shaken, "I cant. Not until I'm in the clear."

The girl raised her tone, shouting through a pain stricken voice, "PLEASE STOP!"

"I CANT, DAMMIT!" He barked.

The thinning trees along the left side had now completely disappeared and a sinking feeling surged within him as he now overlooked a winding river and miles of trees. He attempted to turn the wagon but he knew it was too late. He felt the left side give way as an audible gasping from behind turned into a terrified scream. The wheels along the right side drug across the rocky edge of the cliff, momentarily catching onto a heavy, protruding rock. The wagon hung over the trees below for only a moment before the rock gave into the pressure, sliding through the mud. The wagon tipped over and fell; the horses neighed in frustration as the wagon took them with it. He could hear the girl's screams grow distant as he lost his grip on the wooden armrest. The tops of the trees grew closer and closer until he struck one. He tumbled through the tree, taking branches and leaves with him. Through the remaining branches, he could barely make out the ground growing ever closer until sudden darkness filled him and all awareness ceased to be present.

The rain had stopped and the sun rose off in the distance, shining its elegant light through the trees and onto a young man's blood stained face. He laid still, unconscious from the fall; His body was covered in the branches and leaves he had taken with him. A steady, liquid splashed onto his face from above, subsequently causing him to come to.

He slowly opened his eyes, moaning from the soreness all over his body. Taking the heels of his hands, he rubbed at his aching eyes. Once content, he looked up at the tree he lay beside, noticing a wagon impaled straight down the trunk, resting directly above him upon a few branches. The wagon appeared unstable, ready to drop onto him at any given moment. He painstakingly pushed himself up; He felt a sharp pain in his head and along his chest as he did so. After moving out from under the tree, he looked at his surroundings. Below the wreckage, and around where he had been laying, were pieces that had fallen off of the wagon. He looked back up at the wagon. The tree it rested in appeared to be leaning to one side due to the weight of it.

He thought, What the hell happened here?

A sudden, tough, ripping noise picked up behind him as he slowly turned around in response. Just beyond a few trees and a row of bushes were a pack of wolves; they shared a meal that was just out of view. He slowly and painfully backed away from the pack, careful not to alert them. Suddenly, from behind, a cracking sound echoed throughout the forest. He quickly turned around to witness the wagon falling through the tree, crashing down on to the spot he had just been.

The sudden crash sent the pack of wolves scattering from their meal. He watched them disappear into the woods before heading over towards what remained of the wagon. Coming across the wreckage, he noticed a cylindrical object poking out from under a piece of tarp. He bent down, stopping as he winced in pain from his chest. He tried again and managed to remove the tarp, revealing a Remington revolver. He grabbed it and slowly slid it into his empty holster. He continued to look through the wreckage and came across a saddle bag. Inside the bag, he observed, were a box of biscuits and a leather canteen; he also found medical supplies that he promptly added into the bag before closing it and slinging it over his shoulder.

He didn't know what had happened or where he was but he decided there was no reason in staying put. He moved on through the woods, away from the cliff and towards what sounded like running water.

He broke through the tree line and on to a rocky shore where he stood a few feet away from the rushing waters. He could see the other side where more trees resided against the opposite shore of the river. He decided to move downstream, following the current felt, to him, like his best chance of finding help.

Suddenly, from the corners of his eyes, he noticed a red figure moving through the trees. He looked over as the figure disappeared. Leaving the river behind him, he went after the figure.

Someone's out there. He thought as his adrenaline kicked in, making the pain momentarily go away.

He searched aimlessly, eventually stopping, looking around for any sign of the red figure. He suddenly winced in pain as the sharp pain in his chest returned. He fell to his knees as his head began to ache; his eyes throbbed in their sockets. He clenched his teeth together as the pain came close to overwhelming him.

Seconds passed as he sat in the dirt, waiting for the pain to go away, and eventually it had. He sat up and slowly lowered himself against a nearby tree; a beam of light from the sun cut through the trees, perfectly illuminating his injured chest as if God was mocking him. He closed his eyes, drifting asleep to the distant sound of running water.

"Wake up...they're hunting you, Cowboy..."

He opened his eyes; the beam of light from the sun now blinding him. He looked around through the forest, searching for the unknown. His heart sank in his damaged chest as he heard the howls of hungry wolves from all around him. His hands trembled as he reached into his holster, pulling out the Remington. With his back still against the tree, he frantically looked around, trying to spot the wolves. Their howls were getting closer, yet he couldn't see them.

He decided that he couldn't handle the mental torture anymore and stood up, pushing towards the river. The pain in his chest surged again, stinging with each breath he took. From behind, he could hear them pursuing him. They grew closer with each passing second and he knew it was only a matter of time before they reached him. The river was now only a few feet away as he came across where the trees met the shore. He passed through the trees and immediately felt a sharp pain in his calf, causing him to fall onto the rocky shore. One of the wolves had reached him.

The wolf dug its teeth into his leg, growling as he screamed out in pain. He swiftly lifted his free leg and proceeded to kick at the wolf in a desperate attempt to ward off the animal, but to no avail. With trembling hands, he reached down to his holster, pulling out the Remington and fired a shot at the wolf.

The bullet missed.

He cocked back the hammer and fired again. This time it hit, taking the wolf's left ear clean off. The wolf backed up, whimpered before making another push towards him. He cocked the hammer back and fired a third bullet. It struck the wolf in the chest, causing it to trip over itself, falling to the ground.

He noticed it was still alive, yet too weak to attack. Before he could react, another wolf charged from the side, biting into his arm, causing him to drop the Remington. He frantically felt his hand around in search of the revolver, instead his hand came upon a stone. He grabbed it and swung his hand at the wolf's head, causing it to bite down even harder. He swung the stone over and over again at the wolf's head as blood began to stain the face of the stone. In response, the wolf finally eased its grip on his arm, stumbling away as blood rushed down from an open wound in its head. He pushed himself up using his good arm and leg and started down the shore of the river, limping as the sound of howling from within the forest resonated through his ears.

The others were growing closer and he knew he had to pick up his pace if he wanted to survive, but his wounds wouldn't allow him too. He could now hear them just beyond where the trees met the shore. He knew they had found him, and without a second thought, he threw himself into the river, letting the current take him away.