by Chuck Buda
“Coward.”
The gunslinger tipped its head back and hollered at the heavens. The scream was louder than thunder and James heard the windows on the buildings vibrate from the tremors. The ground moved beneath his feet and the sensation traveled from his boots to his chest in seconds.
James reached for his six shooter. His hands clasped the warm wooden handle. But the barrel caught on his belt loop. James’ hand pulled up empty.
The haunted gunslinger ripped his six shooters from their leather holsters as he shrieked. The coal-colored eyes rolled back in their sockets, revealing blacker voids. As the gunslinger leveled the barrels at James, something caught its attention.
“Hey!”
Chapter 27
Sheriff Axl Morgan tasted the bile in his mouth. It left an alkaline tang behind as he swallowed it down. The sun radiated above making his shirt and hands sticky with sweat. He swabbed his brow with a shoulder. Then he lowered the brim of his hat to shade his eyes.
The clock tower chimed, beginning the signal of the noon hour. Each ring caused the hairs on the back of his neck to stand out further. A chill shimmied down his spine and he felt a cold sweat break out on his forearms. It seemed to last for hours but the chiming ended in seconds.
He watched below as the gunslinger came to life down the street. The Sheriff was astonished that James had been able to conjure it up. He had his doubts about this plan from the get-go.
James and the ghost looked smaller than he anticipated. But Sheriff Morgan was confident in his shooting accuracy. He’d taken down deer at a greater distance so this stand shouldn’t be difficult. Of course, it still remained to be seen if bullets would have any effect on the gunslinger. They had none last time.
The Sheriff lined the gunslinger up in the iron sights of his rifle. It was a Winchester lever action. The Sheriff had cocked the lever before the gunslinger arrived to avoid the loud clicking noise of feeding a round into the chamber. It also served for a quicker shot should it be needed. He had only half kidded with James that his backup protection could put James out of his misery. Sheriff Morgan whispered a prayer to God above that he wouldn’t have to shoot James dead.
He strained like hell to hear what was being said. The voices were muffled by the distance. And at times, it sounded like James was answering the gunslinger without the apparition saying anything. Why should any of this make sense, the Sheriff thought.
In all his years, Sheriff Morgan never imagined that he would be cleaning his town of evil spirits. These types of things were fantastic lore for campfires or sermon parables. Yet, here he was. Seeing was definitely believing in his mind.
James and the gunslinger pointed at each other as they spoke. Several times, they each took steps toward one another. If James survived this, the Sheriff planned on bottling whatever filled that boy’s kiwis. Folks would line up for miles to get their hands on such courage.
As he took his eye off the iron sights, Sheriff Morgan witnessed James spring into action. He jumped behind the mirror and with one slick motion, tugged the blanket off. The gunslinger appeared to freeze before firing several rounds at James. The mirror shattered into millions of fragments. James was laid out on the ground and the Sheriff believed James had been shot.
He lined up the iron sights again with his left eye closed. Movement caught his eye and he saw that James got back up and stood before the broken mirror. He strained to hear what was being said but he was only able to pick up a few words here and there. It was enough to follow along in general. James was taunting the gunslinger. Damn you, James. The Sheriff screamed at the kid in his head while he re-focused the gun on the ghost.
He swung the barrel back and forth between the gunslinger and James. It was better to be prepared for a kill shot on either of them depending on how events turned out. From this distance, he only had to move the barrel of the gun a few inches to cover the expanse. The Sheriff took a deep breath and held it to steady his hands.
Suddenly, the gunslinger started screaming. The volume of the screams was deafening. Sheriff Morgan felt the shrieks vibrate through his body before he actually heard them. James reached behind his back for his firearm. But for some reason his hand was empty. The gunslinger drew both pistols and aimed at James. The moment was fleeting. Yet, the Sheriff thought it had been an eternity.
Just as the gunslinger prepared to fire his guns at James, a voice shouted down below. The Sheriff exhaled his breath with surprise. Apparently, the gunslinger had been just as surprised. It froze in place and turned to face the newcomer. Sheriff Morgan leaned as far as he could without falling off the roof of the general store. Whoever interrupted the fight managed to remain out of his sight lines.
He shot a glance back at the gunslinger and noticed the cold, black eyes. They appeared cavernous and filled with darkness. A darkness that made hell look like a civilized resort. Then he saw James. James wore a terrified expression and his eyes grew wide with fear.
Just then, several gunshots sounded. Each bang made the Sheriff’s eyelids clap shut. He lost count of how many shots were fired. A puff of gray smoke emanated from each six shooter in the hands of the gunslinger.
His heart sank as he realized where those shots were aimed. He had no doubts that death had come calling once again. His mind’s eye flashed images of blood flowing like rivers. Splatter along the wooden porch boards. Dead eyes staring beyond the sun. And flies crawling into lifeless mouths and nostrils.
It happened so fast. As much as they had prepared for this showdown, the Sheriff and James were not prepared for the carnage that swept through town.
Somewhere high above, a hawk circled along the currents. Its beady eyes made plans for supper. It screeched aloud to invite its friends over for their next meal.
Chapter 28
Sarah felt uncomfortable. An eerie sensation overtook her and she suddenly couldn’t stand still. It made her nervous. Sarah couldn’t explain the feeling but it was so pervasive.
Something felt ominous and Carson’s face flashed before her eyes.
The clock tower chimed.
Sarah mouthed “Excuse me” without uttering a sound to the faces that stood behind her. Eyes rolled, women tsked and subtle huffs erupted quietly as she fought to make her way toward the back of the bar. Of course, a few brazen men took the opportunity to elbow her or worse, fondle lady parts as she made her way. She ignored the physical assaults because Carson’s safety was far more important. She did take the time to make mental notes of faces though so she could exact retribution at a later point in time.
She admonished herself for being so careless with him. Carson was old enough to take care of himself but his capabilities were less adequate. A youngster with his state of mind could get himself hurt or killed. He just didn’t understand everything that occurred around him. And that filter that warned a person when something wasn’t right or maybe danger was close by…well, it didn’t always signal like it would for a regular person. Sarah wanted to scream out loud at herself for being so foolish.
Dong!
It suddenly dawned on her that Carson had mentioned his frustration with James leaving him behind on these “adventures”. Could he have gone off to join James? No, that’s absurd. He knew where James and Sarah stood on the idea. She panicked with these thoughts. It would be just like a little boy to go and do what he wasn’t supposed to. Memories of James as a child played before her.
She squeezed and pushed a little more forcefully. Her compulsion to find Carson gave her an extra boost of energy. She stopped and ducked down every few steps. As she neared the back door to the saloon, a woman with a blue dress shot her a dirty look. Sarah wanted to just stick her head out the door to see if Carson was playing in the alley. She silently mouthed “Excuse me” to the woman. But the woman shook her head back and forth. Sarah was shocked at the response.
Dong!
She leaned in close to the woman’s ear and whispered as quietly as she could. “Please, I just want to peek out
side for a moment.”
The woman shook her head again and leaned into Sarah’s ear. “I already got pushed around by a snot-nosed little boy and I’m not about to get pushed again.”
Sarah stared at the lady. “A little boy pushed you? What did he look like?”
Dong!
The woman whispered back. “Sandy messy hair. Brown eyes and a tan shirt.”
Sarah’s eyes widened. “That’s my son. Where did he go?” She held the woman’s shoulders tight as she whispered. The woman’s face took on a scared countenance from Sarah’s tight grip. She nodded her head over her shoulder toward the alley. Sarah shoved the woman to the side, knocking into a wall of people who all turned with angry eyes.
Dong!
She opened the door and stepped out into the alley. Sarah’s eyes scanned the heaps of trash. She didn’t find Carson. Sarah almost shouted out his name but caught herself from making noise. She found it increasingly more difficult to breathe. Her chest spasmed as it tried to keep up with her pounding heart.
Dong!
She started to go left and reached the end of the building. Sarah saw James across the street. He stood before the mirror as the noon hour struck.
Dong!
She didn’t see Carson on this side of the building so she turned and ran back through the alley.
Dong!
Sarah turned the far corner of the building. Her heart skipped a beat. This side of the building was empty too.
Dong!
Where could he be? Did he go upstairs to their room? He couldn’t have done that because he would have taken the stairs from inside the saloon. She screamed in her head for answers. A pit in her stomach formed. Could he have gone out front? If he was still hellbent on helping James, where else would he have gone? She worried in her head over the possibility.
Dong!
Sarah sprinted in the rocky soil to the front corner of the saloon. From this vantage she could still see James poised before the mirror. A crackling, static noise reverberated in the center of town. As the last chime sounded, a murky vision of the gunslinger came to life. Sarah’s stomach sank.
It was here. James had done it. He figured out how to summon the ghost. She lost herself in thoughts centered around James and his safety. She forgot about Carson for a moment. Sarah started to say a prayer in her mind that James would not get hurt…or worse. Her eyes teared up as his youth scrolled in front of her eyes.
All of a sudden, Sarah caught movement out of the corner of her right eye. She turned to see what moved down the porch boards.
It was Carson!
He stood behind a support beam as he peeked around the side of the wood.
Sarah almost screamed out loud. Her hand shot up to her mouth to halt her words. The tears flowed as she stood to lose both boys. James stood before the gunslinger. And Carson was too close for comfort.
Sarah’s lips quivered as she repeated her prayers. This time for both of them.
Chapter 29
The gunslinger appeared and Carson trembled once again. His momentary courage subsided and he wished he had not come outside. Carson rested his head against the post while his fingernails dug into the wood. He found it difficult to breathe and his chest began pounding.
The boogiedman isn’t real. The boogiedman isn’t real. The boogiedman isn’t real. He repeated the thoughts in his head to calm his fears. It was a little trick his mother had taught him when he was younger. Carson used to wet the bed because he was too scared to use the bed pan in the middle of the night. His mind filled with images of green squishy things and long arms with claws. These monsters would be waiting for him under the bed or in the corner. But his mommy told him to just close his eyes tight and repeat that the monsters weren’t there. It had helped him on some occasions. Not on others.
Carson sucked in some hot air and tilted his head around the beam. He slowly opened his left eye to peek at the gunslinger. Yup. It was there, he shivered. His head retracted behind the post.
He thought he caught an almost inaudible whisper coming from behind him. He was too scared to turn and look though. Carson figured it was one of the faces in the saloon door trying to get him to run away. He knew he would, if only his legs would work. They felt rooted to the porch even though they trembled.
The gunslinger and James spoke. Carson listened as best he could with all the thumping in his chest. He wondered why his ears heard what was happening in his heart. A thought flashed in his mind that maybe the gunslinger could hear his heart pounding.
A couple loud bangs forced Carson to jump in place. He peeked around the post and saw that the mirror was broken. All the glass twinkled in the street. Some of the flashes from the shards hurt his eyes. He squinted against the shine.
James was lying on the ground. Carson thought he had been shot. He breathed a sigh of relief when James lifted his head and spoke to the gunslinger. James jumped up and walked a few paces toward the gunslinger. Carson was relieved that James was okay. It also brought his bravery back a little. If James could survive the gunslinger’s bullets then they could beat this ghost.
Carson looked to the right to see if there was a better spot that he could watch the action from. He wanted to get closer to James somehow. His current position was directly to the right of the gunslinger. Carson wanted to be in front of the gunslinger so he could team up with James. Nothing seemed to be within reason for him to hide behind. Carson decided to stay put.
His mind wandered to all the times James read newspaper clippings out loud. The stories of Wyatt Earp knocking men out. Chasing thieves and hustlers from town. The boys would daydream about taking over for the living legend. They would do things as a team. Together. The memories flooded back and Carson felt stronger with each passing image.
This was it, he thought. All their dreams were about to come true. They would defeat the haunted gunslinger and send him away. Everyone in town would clap and cheer. There would be a parade through the center of town. And maybe all the cake he could eat. Or cookies. Carson licked his lips as he pictured the spoils of victory.
He had to signal James that he was here to help. Carson looked around for a stone or pebble big enough that he can throw to James. James would then see Carson and they would work together. But Carson didn’t find anything within reach that fit the bill. His hand stroked the coin he found. But there was no way he would throw that at James. It was a treasure. And he found it. Fair and square. Carson shoved the coin in his pocket and peeked around the column again.
James seemed to be teasing the ghost. He kept saying things that got the gunslinger angry. A couple times, James answered the ghost even when the ghost didn’t talk. Carson wondered who James was talking to when he did that. It seemed weird that he would talk to someone else when nobody was around. He scratched his head but couldn’t figure it out.
He had to make a move. Carson didn’t want to sit behind the post and watch. He wanted to hit the ghost. He just needed James to distract it somehow. It was difficult finding the right time since James and the gunslinger kept talking to each other. Carson hoped that James would get closer and fight the boogiedman so he could run over and jump in. There was still too much room between the two.
The gunslinger was agitated that James called him a coward. The tension in the air was so strong that Carson felt a shiver run down his legs. He realized he still had to pee really bad.
The ghost started screaming at the sky. The windows and porch boards trembled from the vibration of the screams. Carson felt it shake through his stomach. Something was about to happen. He could feel it. The time to jump in came sooner than he thought. Carson decided that he had to act now. If he waited for James and the gunslinger to fist fight then it might be too late.
Suddenly, the gunslinger pulled his guns out and aimed at James. Carson’s heart stopped. It couldn’t end like this. James couldn’t die. He had to stop this right away. It was up to Carson to draw the gunslinger’s attention away from James. It would save his best
friend’s life and it would give him a chance to attack without guns pointed at him.
Carson took a deep breath. He stepped around the support beam and took a few steps into the street. Neither the gunslinger nor James noticed him yet. The words flew from his mouth before he realized he spoke.
“Hey!”
The gunslinger turned and shot.
Carson blinked as the bullets flew his way.
Chapter 30
The shout took the gunslinger by surprise. He had been so focused on James and his insults. It never occurred to him that somebody else was close by.
His immediate reaction was to question the outcry. Who the hell is this kid? What is he doing here? The thoughts dashed through his skull. The rest of the town ran away or hid in the safety of the shadows. But not this boy. Why?
Then he understood. The kid’s eyes darted to James. They spoke of a deeper connection to James than words could ever convey. The gunslinger knew instantly which path to take. Like a dog playing with a wild rabbit, the gunslinger focused his energy on the small boy.
Hurting the kid would send shock waves through James’ soul. And still give him something to look forward to. The gunslinger knew James would lose his focus as he tried to protect his friend. Sometime in the near future, the gunslinger would return to finish burying the rabbit’s bones.
He stole a quick glance at James. His eyes as big as cow patties with realization of what was coming. The gunslinger turned back toward the boy. The small face lost its color. His jaw hung down in terror. The eyes squeezed shut to avoid the oncoming onslaught.
The gunslinger pulled the triggers. He watched one bullet pass through the boy’s chest. A spray of crimson splashed the front of the saloon. His body jerked backward, lifting off the porch wood. Another bullet ripped through the boy’s hand as it flailed through the position that the body had been just a second ago. Two more bullets sailed in through the saloon’s swinging doors. The gunslinger grinned as he heard those bullets find meat. He just couldn’t see the targets in the shadows behind the flapping doors.