Revenge is Sweet
Chapter 1 - The Coyote and the Cow
Soon after night fell, the farmer tucked himself into bed, and the animals of the barnyard were truly up and about, their night had begun in a tragedy like it always has.
Otis, a young black and white bull, and predecessor of Texas Long Horn and proud leader of the barnyard, Ben, were having another squabble about something small and insignificant; but it was always Otis who started the fights due to his snobbish behavior.
"Otis, listen to me," Ben growled threateningly, his magnificent horns gleaming.
"Why should I?" Otis scoffed and crossed his arms, completely avoiding eye contact.
"Because you are my son."
"Puh! You only took me in because you liked my mom, but you'll never be my real dad."
Ben gritted his teeth and his eyes reddened with rage, as he scowled down at the calf; true to Otis' word, Ben had fallen in love with Otis' late mother, who was divorced, and took him under his wing when she was captured and killed by coyotes.
But Ben expected nothing less than complete obedience and attention from his adoptive son, yet it was easier said than done to get Otis to listen. So, the only way he knew how to discipline him was to strike, kicking him against a tree with a lot of force. As soon as Otis' back hit the bark, he shouted in agony, finally showing true fear in his eyes when he looked up at his father.
"You're right—the only reason I kept you around was 'cause of your damn mother," Ben began, "But she ain't around anymore, is she? You'd better watch you back."
With that, Ben gave Otis a gentle yet humiliating slap to the face before turning and leaving to begin his patrol around the fence. Petrified and shaken, Otis didn't want to stick around for much longer and made a run for it, even running beyond the borders of the farm and into the wild.
Ben never knew that Otis came out here, and he would skin him alive if he did. So, he always made sure to be careful and keep it a secret, to which he was successful. Little did Otis know that his secret would not only be compromised, but that he wasn't along out here tonight.
Just as Otis stepped through the old wooden fence, something whooshed through the tall grass; the calf was instantly spooked, especially when a gentle breeze rustle the grass and add to the creep factor. The usual party noises that came from the barn at night too far away, so it was completely quiet, sans the occasional lone cricket chirp.
"H-Hello?" Otis nervously called out, only for a loud snap and pained whine to respond. He pushed the grass away and ran to the source of the whimpering and straining and soon found it, but he gasped at the sight before him.
It was a coyote pup, not much older than Otis, with fur and eyes as red as blood; his left hind leg was caught in a small bear trap, and he whimpered in agony while trying to free his limb. As soon as the pup noticed Otis, he growled and flattened his ears against his neck, trying to scare him away.
At first, Otis did want to flee and tell Ben, but something deep within his conscious told him to stay, to help even. So, he remained still, no matter how much the coyote tried to slash and bite at him.
"Need some help?" Otis asked nonchalantly.
"Help? From a fatty like you? No, thank you!" the pup snarled, "Now get outta here before I make you my dinner!"
"Yeah, good luck with that." With that, Otis walked around, keeping a safe distance from the coyote's teeth and claws, and kneeled down to get a closer look at the trap.
The calf looked into the coyote's eyes sternly, "If I free you, you have to promise not to eat me."
"You're an idiot if you think I'd keep that promise," the pup cackled in amusement, but was instantly hushed when Otis yanked on the trap, causing him more pain.
"I'm serious," Otis threatened, pausing before looking down in shame, "My dad's always beating up coyotes, even if they don't get too close to the fence. I know you're my natural enemy, but I can't stand to see anymore of you get hurt. So, please, let me help you just this once."
The coyote's eyes widened with realization, "Wait. Your dad is Ben? As in, The Ben?"
"Well, he's not my actual dad. He just took me in—and I hate his guts."
"Oh, someone's livin' a happy childhood," the coyote remarked sarcastically.
"I know," Otis began while grabbing both sides of the trap firmly, "I'm not gonna lie. This is gonna hurt like hell."
And without warning, the calf yanked the trap open, freeing the coyote's leg but also opening a new wound. The red pup whimpered even louder and limped a few feet away, instantly licking his wound.
"Feel better?" Otis questioned with concern.
"Hell no!" the coyote snapped, "I'm only gonna warn you one last time: Get away from me! Do you have any idea who my dad is?!"
"No," Otis replied with a shrug.
"He's Dagger, leader of the Junkyard Pack, and a ruthless fighter—he's the one who's been leading all of the attacks on your farm."
Suddenly, a chilled and long howl rang through the air, immediately alerting the two young animals.
"That's him now. If he sees you, you're dead," the pup warned before limping off in the direction of his father's howling.
Otis was surprised, "Wait, you're actually gonna let me live?"
"No! I'm just…" The coyote nervously searched for the right words. "…saving you for a rainy day."
The red coyote the limped off even faster, but Otis couldn't help but be thankful this random coyote spared his life. This was certainly one adventure he would never forget.
I'm going for something that's more realistic, but also not, than the movie. In this story, the male cows don't have udders like in the cartoon and movie. You'll see why the other main plot point of this isn't as realistic in a bit.
Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD, bye-bye!