Reading

The long jagged bolts of lightning flashing threw the sky chased away the dark. Loud booming claps of thunder rattled the windows, shaking the walls. Between flashes of light the shadows were kept at bay by an oil lamp sitting on a small table. The sweet smell of tobacco filled the room from a pipe, smoke danced exotically around the light.
Rain poured down pelting the ground. It dripped from the brim of his hat; he stood in the dark, shadowed like that. Soaked from head to toe even down to his sole, he walked toward a town real slow. With nowhere to go how could he know the town ahead was full of the dead. Flashes from the sky showed silhouettes of buildings he would soon pass by. Only one street, he hoped it would lead to some heat, he kept walking thanking God the rain was not sleet. His feet numb from the cold, clad in old soft leather boots to wet from the rain ached with pain.
Up ahead he was lead by the soft muffled sound of music, barley heard over the constant roar of the rain, his heart beat like a train. A yellowish glow of light shined out through the night, like a beacon to a ship or the gleam off the revolvers strapped to his hip. Closer to the light the music chirped up and the melody became bright. He stared into a window at an amazing sight, people dancing in delight. Cries of yee-haw and yahoo’s, wow it seemed no one in there had the blues. He stood in wonder if he should go in, acting like that might be a sin. He was tired cold and wet. He bet there would be heat and a place to dry his feet.
He stepped on to the walkway as those inside yelled “Hey, hey.” The music played again and he counted to ten and then walked in. Rain dripped on to the wood floor making it darker than before. A puddle became a lake and a woman stepped up saying her name is Kate. Her eyes, an emerald green the most dazzling you ever seen. Her smile seamed to stretch a mile. She turned away not knowing what else to say.
I stepped over across to the bar hoping the dim light would hide my scar, like a canyon etched in the earth, the one on my cheek was my first. I sat down on the stool still dripping like a constant drool. I unbuttoned the long black duster I wore watching the bartender pour. He gave me the drink with a wink, “That will be twenty clinks.” I laid the money on the bar, seen what looked like body parts in a jar. I called to the bald man, “Is there a room to be had?”
He yelled, “Up stairs,” sounding mad, he stood in front of me looking pale as if he climbed from the depth of hell. Oh god the smell coming from him or all of them I couldn’t tell. “That will be a hundred clinks,” he said. I thought that a lot but needed a cot. All I had left was gold from a time of old, I took the nugget from my pocket, and the man stepped to me like a rocket. As I set the gold down I became aware of no other sound, I turned around to see everyone looking at me.
“We haven’t seen gold around these parts, it just grabs our hearts.” The man said testing it making sure it was not lead.
“Now where is the bed?” Is all I said, a vision of me filling him with lead filled my head. How in the world could I have known they were all dead? The lady named Kate led me away to what was to be my fate.
“I’ll take you to the room,” she smiled knowing it was to be my tomb. The music began to play people danced moving out the way. On the second floor she paused by the door.
“Thank you, I promise not to snore.” Is all I could think to say, somehow knowing she would not live to see day. Leaving her in the hall I noticed the room was small.
“If you need anything at all just give us a call” she said closing the door. Not able to stand it anymore I took off my coat, hat and then sat on the bed. Sleep came fast but didn’t last. A knock sounded as someone pounded, in my dream as horrid as it may seem I thought it my guns passed down from fathers to sons. Blasting away though the day oh God how many did I slay? I sat up not remembering where I was, it was all a fuzz. Revolver drawn I realized it was not yet dawn.
“Come,” I commanded holding the gun single handed. The door opened and I almost pulled the trigger squeezing it with my finger. In stepped Kate, I wondered why she was here so late.
“I thought you could use a bite,” she said. Something in her eyes gave me a fright. I lowered the gun to the bed, before a word could be said she tried to stab me in the head. With speed like a cat, I took care of that. I picked up the revolver and pulled the trigger the blast in this small room seemed bigger. A hole in her chest deep in her heart under her breast was just a start. She screamed in pain her teeth sharp like fangs. I shot again this time the built went through her chin, and then she screamed some more but didn’t fall to the floor. I kept firing driver her back to the door, one last shot, if this didn’t end it I would be done for. The last shot shattered her skull splattering her brains on the wall. I pushed her to the side wishing for a place to hide. The cries from the hall I didn’t recognize at all, they came high and shrill, I guess it’s time for my guns to kill, which they have so many times in the past only to know I’ll lay them down one day at last. I busted threw the door not expecting the horrid gore. Flesh dripped like melted wax, bones sticking out their backs. I fired the revolver hoping to stop them in their tracks. Only a massive glob of waving arms and deformed faces filled the spaces. Hunks and chunks flew away as the bullets sprayed, God this is going to be one hell of a death parade. Whatever they were, they planned to eat me for sure. Dropping to the floor one by one there still was nowhere to run. As I knew they would the revolvers did all they could, clicking the cylinder spun telling me each shell was done. I broke them down to put in fresh rounds. I was not fast enough, the last few minutes was ruff. They tore me apart leaving last my heart. I died looking into ones eye; tiny fingers curled around the lid and out climbed a little kid.
The book ended before I could get another look, I closed it and hoped that is all it took, to get the image of that kid climbing from the eye lid out of my mind. Now only because I’m kind I don’t recommend this book it might make you go blind.
Signed
eaglefeather