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Wild Thang

No Bull-

By Jasmine SmithPublished 3 years ago Updated 3 years ago 6 min read
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In all of her life, she’d never found joy the way she did when the wind was flying over her scalp and all eyes were on her. She grew up on a farm and had been to plenty of these kinds of events throughout her life. She’d become a master at holding on and even perfected a method to control her body weight and adjust to the random jerks and shakes. Her daddy dubbed her, Wild Thang after she broke the record twice by the time she was fifteen.

Liz couldn’t believe how much she still enjoyed it. The way her adrenaline coursed through her veins. How her mind always quieted as the joy anchored her to the spot. She clenched her thighs tight and squeezed screaming. “OH, MY Stars!” She could almost imagine the bull she had as a child. She grinds harder repeatedly, she didn’t care what anyone thought of her. Liz needed this.

Liz continued to grind up and down squeezing her fingers tighter. There was so much on the line. Liz felt like she had to do it, had to return and try again. It was for her family’s future. “I have to do what I have to do.” She chanted in her mind when her doubts arose.

She couldn’t stop now, she was so close to her ending that her large smile and wild grunts and screams. “I can’t believe I’m doing it!” Almost scared herself.

Her joy had her forgetting what she needed to be doing and before she could utter another word the mechanical bull tossed her across the aired-up ring. Her terrified shrieks whaled through the eyes bar stopping everyone in the place. Which wasn’t hard to do, the only patron was her son, William.

Remembering her son Liz looked around frazzled and slightly discombobulated. “Good job Lizzy! You beat your own record again, Beth can you get Liz and Willy an extra-large all meat special.”

An hour passed and Liz was ready to go again, “No mom, we can’t tonight.” Her expression dropped. Will was right. She knew that ignoring the pain that constantly rained from her brain down her back would eventually become unbearable. Liz just never wanted it to end.

She feared that once she’d said the words aloud that it would all be too real and she wasn’t ready to accept her reality. “Willy let her go one more time.” the man asked but Will shook his head no. “Sorry granddaddy but I have to get her back home. The curfew is eleven and it's only half an hour until then."

The man released a mournful sigh and nodded understanding that the time had come and that she had to leave. “I sure hate that this has happened.” Beth says to her before pulling her into a tight hug and kissing her cheek. It makes no sense to continue punishing you when the good Lord has already done that.”

“We get it granny but some crimes have to involve the police.” William started but she shushed him, giving him a small tight hug and kissing his cheek.

“Please learn how to forgive your mother.” She muttered to him making Liz’s mind start whirring.

On the long drive home, Liz couldn’t hold back any of her questions, “Why are you mad at me William?” She asked and her son sighed loudly turning into some unfamiliar facility. “Mom I don’t want to do this again.” He says causing Liz’s eyes to get wide. “Do what son? I’m simply asking you to explain what I have done to deserve your contempt.

The man sighs, “Let me tell you a story.” Liz smiles wide at him, “I love your stories.” she mused and he gave her his soft smile then began.

“One night I went to the rodeo with pop who had just started working as a ranch hand on a well known farm. On this farm lived a girl who raised many of the livestock and cared for them until they died. The woman was very passionate about animals to the point where she left her home and child for college and where she became a vet.” Liz noted that he took in a very deep breath then continued the story, she was intrigued.

“While the woman was away she began to have visions of the animals she cared for. An obsession with Bulls. An undisclosed incident at University sent the woman into a psychotic break. She was forced to routinely go visit a psychiatrist." Her son stared at her with sad eyes for a long moment and she wrinkled a brow, "What is it?" He doesn't respond, instead he continues.

"The woman decided to return home neglecting to ask for any assistance or let any of her family know that she was ill." He pauses again and Liz notices his nose leaking blood. "Son, your nose is bleeding." He ignores her, continuing his story.

"The rest is history as the news footage shows the woman smiling as she was lead out of her home in cuffs after killing her family. She was wearing a yellow dress, but the front was covered in blood. She smiled as they placed her in the car." Liz gasped in shock, "Why did she do that?" She grasps her son's hand. His explanation sent fear coursing through her.

"She’d gone through a day of watching her father and son show her how they humanely put down the sick or elderly livestock. One of which was an old bull that she loved. Not a regular love, a love that disgusts most of the world."William sighed heavily and she looked over to him.

Liz’s eyes widened to the sizes of golf balls as she watched her son cry bloody tears. “William what’s wrong?” Liz’s voice trembles as she speaks, “Stop crying. Stop talking.” She begins to panic, her shaky hands move to remove the seatbelt.

Maniacal laughter fills the car, making her skin crawl. “Be quiet William!” Liz yelps. But the man continues he smiles as if it's getting better. His mouth and face a bloody mess he continues, “Courts said it was another psychotic break. The woman used that same rifle to put her family down later that night. She shouted, 'SAVAGES!' As she pulled the trigger putting a slug into each of their skulls.” William's voice is flat as if he's lost his life as he finishes his haunting story.

Liz rocks back and forth whispering for him to stop his story. Her ears felt like they would start bleeding. “What’s happened to you, William?” She asked her son. Their eyes locked, both of them now somehow covered in blood. “You did mother.” He looked away staring at the blood puddling in his palms. His laughter began again, “You did mother! You did, Mother! You did, you did!” His voice cracked as he continued laughing.

Liz popped up quickly from her bed looking around frantically, right, left then saw nothing but the blank white walls of a familiar bedroom. She looked around the blank space then saw the one thing she saw: the poster of the beautiful bull in motion but still the eye of the storm destroying everything in its vicinity. She could relate.

"I'm sorry William," Liz whispered into the empty space.

Horror
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About the Creator

Jasmine Smith

Eat-Pray-Write, repeat.

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