'Bad Night on the Prairie'
#
The cowboy finished his cup of stale coffee.
Then... A last smoke, before turning in for
the Night. His compadres had already gone
to count sheep... or lost cows... perhaps?
#
Just as he put out the stub of his hand-rolled
cigarette... Something in the distance caught
his attention. A blue-green flash of light, in
the direction of the nearby mountains...
There were tales of Indian Caves, and
even of lost Spanish treasure, that one
might stumble upon. But that light was
very odd. So odd, he just had to go and
see what the heck it was. If it was maybe
a lost treasure... He'd grab it... and then 'Go'.
#
Justin was as quiet as he could be. He got his
horse... and rode out without waking his buddies.
Well, maybe not his true friends, but they were
really not such a bad lot. They shared the many
hardships and occasional dangers of the long cattle
drive... The heat and cold here. A sidewinder there...
Well, if he did find a treasure trove... Maybe, just...
Maybe... He'd think of sharing what gold was 'Got'.
#
Yes, the light was indeed from the mouth of a cave.
The faded sign outside, near the entrance, was all
written in a poor, sloppy hand. Must have been some
Old Timer... Just before he passed into the Next World.
The sign read: "Bewares... Whoever dares enter... Here!"
Well, Justin was daring. Just enough and curious enough.
He tied off his trusty horse at a tree, just outside the cave.
#
The light got even brighter, as Justin followed the winding
path inside the cave. He passed a few rusted tools, likely left by
that Old Timer. Maybe a lonely prospector, and the Gold... was Gone?
Whoever had left the sign outside, was clearly long departed: had left.
"Nothing to show that anybody else has been here for some Time, it seems"
Justin thought out loud to Himself. "Golly... I hope there's something still...
Here!" The colorful light changed to a golden-silver color. Like... It was Alive!
He had some matches ready on hand, in case the Light... Went 'Out'. But then...
#
Suddenly, it was as if a great hole had opened up, in the floor of the deep cave.
And Justin... Fell through... Landing somewhere... Far, far... Away? Yup!
He passed out, after hitting 'bottom'. He woke up, hours later. But...
"Dang... I was in a cave, and now... I see a different bunch of mountains.
This ain't near where I left my horse, 'Gingersnap'. This place is Strange!"
And it was, to a cowboy of the late 1800's. For the trail was not dirt now,
but was covered in a black material. And from aways off, a new light did
appear. It was still Night. At least that was consistent. Justin... was scared.
#
Justin waved at the approaching light... And loud sound... Of a Mustang.
Not the horse kind... Black, yes... But made of metal, running on 4 wheels.
The driver luckily saw the walking man in time... Pulled to a stop.
"Hey buddy... You trying to get killed? Walking in the middle of
the highway. Good for you my girlfriend stopped tickling my ear just
about half a minute ago. I don't need a manslaughter charge. Heck no!"
#
Justin noticed the odd clothes this stranger wore. This male was clearly
much younger than he was... And his mechanical 'horse' was like nothing
he'd ever read about. yeah, the iron horse (train) was fast. But ran on tracks.
"Hey, mister... What in tarnation... Is that?" Justin asked, pointing at the 'Thing'.
Teenage male: "You drunk or something, man? This is the 1967 Mustang. With
the big block engine... And glass-pack twin muffler pipes. You lost, or ya' crazy?"
The girlfriend got out of the passenger side. Looked over the cowboy-attired man.
"Cliff... This guy must be from that rodeo show we passed 50 miles back, I'd guess?"
"Tracy... You get back in the car. This guy's clearly off his rocker. Maybe on loco weed!"
Justin took offense, to any suggestion that he was 'crazy'... Or any other 'idea' they offered.
#
"My horse seems to have up and disappeared. Can you take me to the next town?"
asked Justin, albeit more than a little bit nervously. He felt strange... Not too good.
"Well... OK. But sit behind me. And no staring at Tracy, my Girl!" said the young man.
Justin was maybe 5 or 10 years older... About 35. But the hard years in the hot sun had
left him looking more like 40 or even 50. Life of a Cowboy was not as romantic as told.
#
The three stopped at an all-night Mexican Diner down the road.
The senorita waitress, very pretty, took their order: Tacos & Beers.
Justin asked to see the money, that Cliff was about to pay for the meal.
"Is this... for real? This 20-dollar bill. The year on it... This cannot Be!"
spoke a bewildered cowboy (Justin) to himself, as much as to Cliff.
"Hey, my money's good as anybody else's. That beer too strong for you, Pardner?"
replied Cliff. Tracy said nothing... Just sipped on the rest of her glass of cold beer.
"Hey... that coin on the table. Can I see it?" Justin wanted a souvenir. It was a dime.
"Sure, what the heck. Take it. Not much of a tip... for a waitress" quipped Cliff.
#
After the meal was finished... They took a nap, there inside the 1967 Ford Mustang.
Cliff was taking Tracy back to her parents' house. They had been on a short road trip.
Her parents weren't too happy about it... No sir. But they learned to just let her 'Be'.
Just before the sun broke over a local mountain range, there in New Mexico, they
got back on the road... Before long, Justin, in the back seat, noticed a familiar and
odd blue-green light. It was in the local hills... Maybe, just maybe?
"Hey, Cliff. Could ya' pull over a spell... I need to take a 'whiz' and now!"
Cliff was in a hurry to get Tracy back but obliged the cowpoke cow-puncher.
He didn't want his car backseat to smell... of some leaky urine. No, mister!
Justin went behind a huge cactus, far enough from the road... and Cliff & Tracy.
He might just be a simple Cowboy, but he was hung like a bull... No bull-shot, Mr.
The sight of his 'manhood' likely would have made Cliff, almost still a boy... Jealous!
#
Justin finished... Man, that was a long one for sure! That beer was weak, but he had a lot.
He looked toward the low hills and mountains... Saw the blue-green flash again. Maybe?
Cliff was getting impatient. "Hey, Pardner... Let's get going. I got to get Tracy back, pronto!"
Cliff looked over to where Justin had been... Behind the big cactus. Then saw the guy run.
Justin took off... He guessed he had just minutes... Maybe less... To make it to the 'Light'.
"Damn crazy Cowboy... See ya' Later, Mr. Master-Baiter... He-he!" Cliff yelled out the window
of his Mustang car... as the tiny receding image of Justin went farther away. Tracy looked a
bit concerned. "That guy ain't right... But you shouldn't just abandon him. He'll die out here!"
Her words had little to no effect on her boyfriend, Cliff, who retorted: "Better Him... Than Us."
#
Justin got to a cave... It did look a little familiar. Maybe... Just maybe?
He ran in the mouth opening, toward the bluish light that changed to green.
Then to a silvery color... Then gold. Then, inside the cave, He fell... again!
Like before... He passed out. Woke up on the floor of the cave, near the entry. It was morning.
Justin found his horse 'Gingersnap'. She was OK. Was it all a wild, crazy 'Dream'? Perhaps...
#
He got back to the campfire, as Billy and Johnny were just yawning themselves awake.
"Hey, I just had the wildest and strangest dream. It seemed awfully real too. But how
I ended up in that cave... That is the oddest part of it all... I guess?" Justin said plainly.
Billy: "What ya' yapping on about, 'Justy'... You had a weird dream, did ya' now? Big deal!"
Johnny: "Yeah... I had one of a pretty blonde..."
Justin: "Ya' durn dudes... I tells ya'... There was a Thing called a Mustang... A moving vehicle!
Billy: "Man, that stale coffee and tobacco got you talkin' just crazy, 'Justy' - maybe forget it, huh?"
Just then, Justin recalled the coin... He felt for it. No... nothing there. Oh, wait... Yes. He found it.
"You don't believe me... Well look at this, darn... dudes!"
#
The coin had an unfamiliar image of a man. And the year stamped on the silvery coin was '1965'. Yup!
Justin: "The young man that gave me this coin said this image is of President Roosevelt. Or 'FDR'.
Ya' ever hear of anyone President after Lincoln with an odd name like that?"
Billy and Johnny said nothing... Just nodded a quiet 'No'. No siree.
Justin was proud that he had 'Proof' in this coin. It... was Real!
He tossed the dime up in the air... Before it came down...
It vanished in a small flash of Light... A bluish-green Light!
(The End)