The Light and The Bull

Frank closed his eyes tighter. The fence gate rattled again, followed by snorting and loud huffing. Hoofs were beating against the ground making the dinner bell slightly ding. “All right, All right.” He groaned.

“Don't cows know it’s daylight savings time?” His wife turned over, not giving any sign of coming out of the bed to help.

He bent over and gave her a peck on the cheek, the alarm clock turned to 3:10. He shook his head while slipping on his boots. These past few cold mornings he had to root them up to be milked, and now they are waking him up?

Bang!

He jumped up and looked out the window.

Bang! He could see the Bull rearing back for another attack on the gate. He quickly snatched his coat from the hook and the screen door snapped shut behind him.

Bang! The wood bar on the gate of the bull pen splintered. He ran to the barn and grabbed the first piece of lumber he saw.

Bang! One more hit and the gate will give. The Bull reared back, Frank jammed the new piece of wood in the gate's latch and he stumbled back just before it was hit again. Pieces splintered off the already cracked wood. The bull shook his head in defeat snorting short bursts. Circling the pen, looking for another weakness in the fence.

Sarah was behind him now petting the cows and hushing them. She handed him a flashlight. Frank shone the light around the bull’s pen and the cow’s pen. There wasn’t a snake hiding in the corners. He flashed the light around the chicken coop. They were cooing no more than normal. He shrugged at Sarah, she looked around making sure it was okay to talk. “Maybe he was trying to get to Betsy?” patting her snout.

Betsy was one of the newer cows they got earlier this year and the Bull seemed to be in love. He didn’t pay enough attention to the others if she was around, and Frank had to keep her separated from the herd for awhile.

He put his arm around her “Put on some coffee will ya? Might as well get my morning started.”

“Do you want-” she yawned. Frank put up his hand to stop her. There was a rustle in the woods behind them. Frank shot the light at the bushes.

“Get my gun” he patted her butt to hurry. She came out with it, not letting the screen door slam this time. He nodded for her to go back inside. He crept to the edge of the woods slowly sliding his hand in his pocket to grab a bullet to load the gun.

Click

The woods rustled again, he paused and looked around with his light. Sarah saw his breath in the morning air before he entered the woods. She squinted and shielded her eyes from the light to see better. The leaves on the bushes moved, the only sound she could hear was the cows stepping, and the bell dinging in the wind.

Bang! A shot echoed out.

Bang! Birds flitted from the branches into the sky.

Frank stepped out of the woods holding a rabbit by its feet and held it up. “Stew for dinner!”

Wiping the sweat and dirt from his brow just finishing fixing he latch on the Bull’s pen. He stepped inside hoping to smell dinner cooking, but he saw that Sarah was on the phone she had extended the cord all the way from the kitchen to the living room window. Frank had to pull the cord up to go underneath it. She waved at him to stop before he reached the stairs.

“I gotta go Martha, I’ll see you tomorrow morning, I’ll pick you up early. It’ll be alright, yeah, yes. Goodnight.” She hung up the phone. And propped herself in the doorway.

She crossed her arms. “Dani is gone again. I swear that girl is going to give her mother a short life.” She looked up to Frank. “She wants me to help her post missing fliers in town.” He put his arm around her and brought her close. He thought of all the times they tried for a baby, he knew she was thinking the same. If the kid came out anything like him he would be placing missing fliers in town too.

“Seems different this time. Martha said she didn’t pack any clothes. Like she vanished.” She placed her hand on his.

“She will turn up.” He rubbed her arm “Not the first time ya’ know.”

The phone rang again. Frank picked it up this time and rubbed his belly and Sarah hurried to put the stew in the oven.

“Hello? John, Hi.” He took out his handkerchief and wiped his face. “We are fine over here. How-” he stopped to let John speak. “A wolf? Are you sure? We haven’t had wolves up here in years. Are you sure it wasn’t Terry’s dog that was loose?” Sarah looked over to him. “Mhhm okay. Will do. You too.” He hung up. He wiped his face again. “John saw a wolf about a mile or two up the road. Maybe that's what spooked the cows this morning.”

Frank turned around to go back outside.

Sarah looked out the window she looked back at Frank. “I’ll put on some more coffee after dinner.”

Frank rocked in his chair on the porch with his gun. Sarah brought out a blanket and a cup of coffee. She kissed him goodnight and he saw her worried face. He could hear the cows in the barn piling up to keep warm, the chickens were softly cooing, he could hear Sarah praying before bed. The crickets chirped and the stars were out shining brightly. He loaded his gun and rocked back and forth, waiting.

He dreamed of a bright light, the city he thought. Calling him back. He couldn’t move away from the light it, was pulling him in.

Bang! His eyes popped open, his heart was racing. Everything was dark, he could only see his breath from the cold air. He tried to get up but he was stiff, he felt frozen to the chair. He gripped onto his gun, slowly things came back into view.

Bang! His eyes darted to the Bull’s pen. The cows were calling to each other and stomping. He managed to bend his knees and pull himself up. He grabbed the flashlight. The Bull stopped then reared back towards the fence towards him. Bang! Frank inched towards the fence with his hand up trying to calm him. He knew if he continued the Bull would break through. His flashlight flashed on the Bull’s face and his eyes glowed green. He reared back for another attack on the fence. Frank stepped back and as the light turned down and the Bull stopped. He stared at him recognizing Frank's face then turned huffing towards the woods. Frank shone the light all around, he saw nothing out of the ordinary. He heard Sarah open the door, he looked back and held his hand up. He checked around the farm one more time before he joined her on the porch.

“Did you see anything?” She tightened her jacket around her. Frank shook his head and stretched. “Will you come inside?”

“Not yet.” He kissed the side of her head. “I’m just going to stay out a little while longer.” He sat back in his chair watching the edge of the woods with the Bull.

Morning finally came. Sarah stepped outside with a blanket wrapped around her. She gave him a kiss and he pulled her in. They stayed silent for a moment.

She looked up at him “I gotta get ready to go to town with Martha. Will you be okay here by yourself?”

Frank scoffed and patted his gun. “Will you rustle me up some breakfast before you go?”

She rolled her eyes back. “Don’t I always?” and headed back inside.

He waved at her as she pulled off. He turned towards the house looking forward to the hot shower and his worn in bed. A caw sounded in the distance, birds were circling in the air. He huffed, his bed will still be there when he gets back, he thought. He knew his curiosity wouldn’t let him rest and he started walking away from the house.

The smell of burnt hair filled his nose, He saw white peeking out over the hill. He swallowed and hoped that it wasn’t a white nightgown waiting for him. Flies buzzed in his ears as he got closer.

It was Betsy.

Her eyes were white and she looked skinny, not bloated like you see normally when an animal dies. Her stomach was open, it didn’t look as if an animal got to her. Frank picked up a stick and peeled back the skin. Her intestines spilled out, Frank covered his nose with his shirt. He leaned in closer and saw that the cut was straight. Surgical almost. He looked around, there were no tracks on the ground except for his own.

Frank was glad to see Sarah back before dark. He heated some left overs for their dinner then he told her what he found.

“Weren’t they in the barn? How did she get out?” She grabbed his hand on the table.

Frank shrugged, “Maybe she got out earlier and I didn’t see.” He knew the cow couldn’t jump over the fence but he tried not to worry her more than she already was.

That night Frank locked the door to his house for the first time. He crawled up the stairs to join Sarah in the bed who was happy to see that he wasn’t spending another night outdoors.

The blinding light was back in his dream. He could hear unfamiliar clicking noises. The city was calling or was it headlights? He couldn’t move his arm to shield his eyes. The light was so bright, it was consuming him pulling him in he struggled to move back. The light dimmed slowly and he awoke. His heart was pounding. He still couldn’t move yet.

“Sarah..” he called out but it sounded like a whisper. She didn’t answer. He slowly got mobility back to turn his head. She wasn’t there. He forced his body to move one part at a time. It felt like he was covered in cement and he was breaking free.

The bathroom light wasn’t on. He stumbled down the stairs, she wasn’t in the kitchen or in the living room. He put on his jacket and unlocked the door, her car was still in the driveway.

“Sarah!” he yelled but no one answered. He banged his fists on the porch. The Bull was staring at him, and Frank now understood.