Halloween Is Early
The wind was howling and the air had a chill to it. The trees bare of leaves, seemed to
sway in the wind. Their branches like long fingers reaching out to grab the unwary. The moon
was full and seemed to have the face of a witch, wart and all. Johnny pulled his collar closer
to his neck. He wished he were home already, for it was not a night to be out.
Back in Mexico ,when they celebrated the dead, he had always stayed at home. He
hated the masks and the whole idea, or the nightmares as a kid. He felt something with wings flap
by his head, and he heard a leathery sound. He brushed at it, as it screeched and hit his hat.
He saw the red eyes. Barranca wasn't thrilled with the visitor either, but he didn't run.
Johnny swatted at the bat, as it moved away, He drew and shot it, how he hated bats.
He came to a line of trees, and knew he was almost home .He entered the woods.
Barranca tried to pull back from going in. Johnny reached and brushed the horses neck. He
felt something too, at least he thought he did. Maybe it was the bat. He was alert as they
entered the woods.
A voice spoke on the wind, a mans voice. "Hold it right there mister. You can hand
over your money, jewelry, and your hardware, and I think your horse too." Four men were
around him, one faced him. It was too dark to make out much, except his voice sounded
young. "Now hand me your gun first."Johnny took the gun and reached towards the man with
it. As the other man reached out for it. Like a striking snake he grabbed his wrist with his other hand, and pulled him off his horse. At the same time bringing his gun up and around. Firing at the guy on the right. The man went down with a cry , grabbing his shoulder. Lancer felt a bullet sting his neck as he dropped from his horse. He fired upon another desperado and hit him in the
stomach. The man rolled up and moaned on the ground. Clutching his stomach trying to keep
his insides in.
Rifle butte hit Johnny in the back and he went down on one knee. He saw a shadow
and rolled to the right, he came up to fire, and his gun was struck by the same rifle butte. His
hand stung from the blow, a mountain of a man stood over him. He blocked out the moon and
Johnnys' horse. Johnnys' mind was working fast, his hand came up a handful of sand flung
into the big mans eyes. The man roared and dropped the rifle, but he smiled at Johnny. He
pulled out the longest, knife and waved at Johnny, who began to sweat.
"Come on boy, now you made me mad, that wasn't nice of you. Now I shall cut up that
pretty face of yours, then gut you."Johnny was on his feet ,he pulled his own knife that
looked puny compared to the other. "Why boy ,wont your moma let you have a real knife? he was mad now, His temper boiling. He made a swipe at him and he found himself
cutting only air. The man was quick on his toes. The mountain moved in and carved the air by
Johnnys stomach, it left a red line on his shirt. The man danced back.
"Yungun you'd better do better than that."Johnny moved with the speed he had with a
gun, his hand swept up and under the mans ribs. He felt it stick and he shoved up, and in. The
man grabbed his hand and pulled his hand away. He shoved him to the ground, then he
ran a hand over his stomach and grinned.
"Better ,boy. But now I am mad, you cut my favorite shirt." He came at Johnny just as
Johnny rose to his feet. His hand cutting the man across the arm, as the man came near.
Johnny danced out of reached, and moved in again. As he tried to get in close he felt the other
knife cut into his shoulder ,with a burning fire. He cut the mans leg, but he didn't go down.
Johnny didn't know how this would turn out. The mountain of a man, kicked him in the leg,
and then moved in and again struck the younger man.. This time he caught him in the side. and,again fire burned through his body. He felt light headed and he knew he had to finish it quick. He feigned a attack to the mans left side, which predictably he moved to the left and left himself open to Johnny coming on his right. Who drove his knife straight up and into his neck,
blood gushed. The man stopped and looked at the smaller man in surprise. Handed him his knife and fell like a giant oak, and was still.
Johnny looked around at the scene .No one was movin,.and he wasn't certain if he could
fight any one else now. He picked up his gun. He turned to the moon, she seemed to be
laughing at him. He mounted Barannca and headed off towards home. He had only to go a
mile, but it seemed to be one with no end, he rode. He turned back and saw the horses still
there. But he also saw two red eyes watching him...that and a face. It looked like a woman
with long pale hair, long flowing gown. He turned, a chill going up his back.
He rode up to the house and stopped.Too tired to move. He felt weak and dizzy.He
heard the door and looked up. There was Scott. His brother hurried over. "Johnny?"
"Help me down brother."Scott reached up and his brother practically fell into his arms.
He stood on his feet shaky,as Scott guided him to the house. Inside he sat his brother down on
the sofa.He took a good look at his brother and went to get some things to fix him up. He
hurried back and found Johnny looking towards the glass doors, with a strange look on his face.
"What happened Johnny?" He reached and helped removed his brothers jacket and
shirt.
"I ran into some thieves. About a mile out where those trees are, up the hill. Four of
them, one was into knieves. "Scott took the towel and dipped in the warm water and wrung it
out. Then started cleaning the gash along the shoulder, it was deep and open. Scott took a
deep breath. He picked up the whiskey bottle, and looked at his younger brother. Johnny
steeled himself, as his brother poured the stuff in the open wound. Johnnys head came up, he
gritted his teeth and a moan escaped his lips. His eyes closed. Scott bandanged the shoulder
.Then moved on to the other wound.
"Maybe you should lay on your side for this one". Johnny lay on his good side, as Scott
cleaned the side.A round hole in the middle of the gash, warm red blood pulsed out of it. Scott
picked up the whiskey bottle again, his brother didn't even look at him. He poured the
whiskey and Johnny came off the sofa in a yell of pain. Scott fell on his brother to keep him
down.
"Easy brother. The worse is over.But you can explain to Murdock how his bottle got to
be empty."He wrapped that wound up, then wiped the one on the neck. He thought about it
and knew Johnny just might shoot him if he poured anything on him again tonight. So he put
the towel with the whiskey on his neck and back up. His brother began to turn the rooms air
blue with his language.
Quickly Johnny calmed down and sat up. Scott poured him a tall whiskey from another
bottle, he took it and swollowed it down quickly. He looked at his brother, eyes filled with pain. "I think I'll go to bed." He started to get up and found his brother there. Leaning on him they left the room.
To be conti
The wind was howling and the air had a chill to it. The trees bare of leaves, seemed to
sway in the wind. Their branches like long fingers reaching out to grab the unwary. The moon
was full and seemed to have the face of a witch, wart and all. Johnny pulled his collar closer
to his neck. He wished he were home already, for it was not a night to be out.
Back in Mexico ,when they celebrated the dead, he had always stayed at home. He
hated the masks and the whole idea, or the nightmares as a kid. He felt something with wings flap
by his head, and he heard a leathery sound. He brushed at it, as it screeched and hit his hat.
He saw the red eyes. Barranca wasn't thrilled with the visitor either, but he didn't run.
Johnny swatted at the bat, as it moved away, He drew and shot it, how he hated bats.
He came to a line of trees, and knew he was almost home .He entered the woods.
Barranca tried to pull back from going in. Johnny reached and brushed the horses neck. He
felt something too, at least he thought he did. Maybe it was the bat. He was alert as they
entered the woods.
A voice spoke on the wind, a mans voice. "Hold it right there mister. You can hand
over your money, jewelry, and your hardware, and I think your horse too." Four men were
around him, one faced him. It was too dark to make out much, except his voice sounded
young. "Now hand me your gun first."Johnny took the gun and reached towards the man with
it. As the other man reached out for it. Like a striking snake he grabbed his wrist with his other hand, and pulled him off his horse. At the same time bringing his gun up and around. Firing at the guy on the right. The man went down with a cry , grabbing his shoulder. Lancer felt a bullet sting his neck as he dropped from his horse. He fired upon another desperado and hit him in the
stomach. The man rolled up and moaned on the ground. Clutching his stomach trying to keep
his insides in.
Rifle butte hit Johnny in the back and he went down on one knee. He saw a shadow
and rolled to the right, he came up to fire, and his gun was struck by the same rifle butte. His
hand stung from the blow, a mountain of a man stood over him. He blocked out the moon and
Johnnys' horse. Johnnys' mind was working fast, his hand came up a handful of sand flung
into the big mans eyes. The man roared and dropped the rifle, but he smiled at Johnny. He
pulled out the longest, knife and waved at Johnny, who began to sweat.
"Come on boy, now you made me mad, that wasn't nice of you. Now I shall cut up that
pretty face of yours, then gut you."Johnny was on his feet ,he pulled his own knife that
looked puny compared to the other. "Why boy ,wont your moma let you have a real knife? he was mad now, His temper boiling. He made a swipe at him and he found himself
cutting only air. The man was quick on his toes. The mountain moved in and carved the air by
Johnnys stomach, it left a red line on his shirt. The man danced back.
"Yungun you'd better do better than that."Johnny moved with the speed he had with a
gun, his hand swept up and under the mans ribs. He felt it stick and he shoved up, and in. The
man grabbed his hand and pulled his hand away. He shoved him to the ground, then he
ran a hand over his stomach and grinned.
"Better ,boy. But now I am mad, you cut my favorite shirt." He came at Johnny just as
Johnny rose to his feet. His hand cutting the man across the arm, as the man came near.
Johnny danced out of reached, and moved in again. As he tried to get in close he felt the other
knife cut into his shoulder ,with a burning fire. He cut the mans leg, but he didn't go down.
Johnny didn't know how this would turn out. The mountain of a man, kicked him in the leg,
and then moved in and again struck the younger man.. This time he caught him in the side. and,again fire burned through his body. He felt light headed and he knew he had to finish it quick. He feigned a attack to the mans left side, which predictably he moved to the left and left himself open to Johnny coming on his right. Who drove his knife straight up and into his neck,
blood gushed. The man stopped and looked at the smaller man in surprise. Handed him his knife and fell like a giant oak, and was still.
Johnny looked around at the scene .No one was movin,.and he wasn't certain if he could
fight any one else now. He picked up his gun. He turned to the moon, she seemed to be
laughing at him. He mounted Barannca and headed off towards home. He had only to go a
mile, but it seemed to be one with no end, he rode. He turned back and saw the horses still
there. But he also saw two red eyes watching him...that and a face. It looked like a woman
with long pale hair, long flowing gown. He turned, a chill going up his back.
He rode up to the house and stopped.Too tired to move. He felt weak and dizzy.He
heard the door and looked up. There was Scott. His brother hurried over. "Johnny?"
"Help me down brother."Scott reached up and his brother practically fell into his arms.
He stood on his feet shaky,as Scott guided him to the house. Inside he sat his brother down on
the sofa.He took a good look at his brother and went to get some things to fix him up. He
hurried back and found Johnny looking towards the glass doors, with a strange look on his face.
"What happened Johnny?" He reached and helped removed his brothers jacket and
shirt.
"I ran into some thieves. About a mile out where those trees are, up the hill. Four of
them, one was into knieves. "Scott took the towel and dipped in the warm water and wrung it
out. Then started cleaning the gash along the shoulder, it was deep and open. Scott took a
deep breath. He picked up the whiskey bottle, and looked at his younger brother. Johnny
steeled himself, as his brother poured the stuff in the open wound. Johnnys head came up, he
gritted his teeth and a moan escaped his lips. His eyes closed. Scott bandanged the shoulder
.Then moved on to the other wound.
"Maybe you should lay on your side for this one". Johnny lay on his good side, as Scott
cleaned the side.A round hole in the middle of the gash, warm red blood pulsed out of it. Scott
picked up the whiskey bottle again, his brother didn't even look at him. He poured the
whiskey and Johnny came off the sofa in a yell of pain. Scott fell on his brother to keep him
down.
"Easy brother. The worse is over.But you can explain to Murdock how his bottle got to
be empty."He wrapped that wound up, then wiped the one on the neck. He thought about it
and knew Johnny just might shoot him if he poured anything on him again tonight. So he put
the towel with the whiskey on his neck and back up. His brother began to turn the rooms air
blue with his language.
Quickly Johnny calmed down and sat up. Scott poured him a tall whiskey from another
bottle, he took it and swollowed it down quickly. He looked at his brother, eyes filled with pain. "I think I'll go to bed." He started to get up and found his brother there. Leaning on him they left the room.
To be conti
