This story is a work of FICTION. The events described are my own invention. Any similarities to actual events or persons are strictly coincidental. The author retains the copyright, and any other rights, to this original story. You may not publish it or any part of it without my explicit authorization.
Comments are always welcome at: hailcaesar2011@hotmail.com
The Saddleback Horror Part 2
That night, mom made a big diner, roast chicken, mashed potatoes, creamed spinach and apple crisp for dessert. It was my favorite meal and mom said I'd earned it by helping her take care of the horses and looking after Sammy. I hadn't done it for any kind of reward, despite the problems we'd had, I'd grown to love life at Saddleback Manor and the more I spent time with Sammy, the more I realized what a cool little brother I had. Still, I wasn't about to turn down my mom's roast chicken. Mr. Moody joined us that night, he'd been putting in a lot of extra time dealing with the sick mare and mom said he'd earned a home cooked meal.
Mr. Moody had grown up at Saddleback Manor, his father had been the stable manager and that's where he'd learned to ride. Mr. Moody was drafted into the Navy and after the Vietnam War, he'd found himself working at a ranch in Montana. It wasn't supposed to be forever but eventually his father died, the owners of the manor died and the place deteriorated to the condition it was in when my parents bought it. A great horseman, he ended up making his home in Butte and spent years driving cattle to their grazing grounds. Eventually the owner of the ranch passed away and his son turned it from a serious cattle ranch into a dude ranch. It was the kind of place where, "city slickers went to play cowboy," Mr. Moody explained. That wasn't the life for him so he'd returned to New Hampshire and was happy to be working for us, on the estate that had been his boyhood home.
Mom beamed when he complimented me, and even Sammy, on our ridding skills. He entertained Sammy with his cowboy stories and I blushed when he told me that he'd never seen a polo match before but the way I rode Archer, he was looking forward to seeing what we would do when the season started in the spring. After dinner, I surprised myself by offering to help mom with the dishes, she washed and I dried. I was standing there, drying one of her china plates, when she kissed me on the cheek and ruffled my hair.
"What's that all about?" I asked.
"I'm very proud of you, Sterling," she replied.
"Thanks mom," I blushed.
We finished the dishes without saying much else, then we went into the family room and watched a movie with Sammy. It was a perfect day, a day that, even considering how it ended, I'll always remember as special. When the movie ended, mom kissed me good night and carried Sammy up to bed. Half an hour later, I felt myself getting drowsy and trudged up to bed. I quickly stripped down to my boxerbriefs and jumped under the covers. I thought I'd fall asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow but my thoughts drifted to Logan. He made me so happy, we were so in sync, I felt my eyes flutter as I pictured his pretty face, and just as I dropped off to sleep, the quiet of the night was shattered by Sammy's screaming.
"MOMMY! MOMMY HELP ME MOMMY!" screamed Sammy.
I bolted from my bed and ran out into the hall, I didn't even think to stop and put pants on. I've been Sammy's brother for 9 years, I've heard him wake up from nightmares before, this was different, there was terror in his voice and all I could think about was getting to him. Mom met me in the hall and tried opening Sammy's door but the knob wouldn't turn, the whole time, Sammy screamed.
"MOMMY, STERLING, HELP ME, HELP!"
"The damn door won't open," mom shouted, she was in a panic.
"Move, just move," I instructed.
The doorknob wouldn't budge.
"HELP ME, HELP ME, I WANT MY MOMMY!" Sammy cried.
I was on the verge of tears myself, I was desperate to help him.
"Sammy, unlock the door," mom shouted.
"There's no lock on this door," I reminded her.
"HELP ME!"
That was it, I couldn't take that screaming anymore, I had to get to him. I pushed mom gently aside then jammed my shoulder into the door. It hurt, it felt like trying to tackle a tree, but I didn't care. I rammed the door again and again and finally on the third try, the doorjamb broke and it swung back on its hinges. Mom raced past me and threw her arms around Sammy, who was sitting on his knees on his bed, crying hard on her shoulder. I took a quick survey of the room, we were alone, then I sat on the other side and put my hand on his shoulder.
"Why didn't you come get me, why?" he sniffled.
"The door, it wouldn't open," I explained, while mom tried to sooth him.
It took ten minutes for Sammy to finally calm down enough to tell us what happened.
"There was a little boy in my room, he said it was going to get us," Sammy sniffled.
"Oh, Sammy," mom sighed, "no one is going to get you, you just had a bad dream."
"But mommy, it wasn't a dream, it was real," he insisted.
"Sammy, I know you think it was real but ..." mom began, but she was cut off by the ringing phone.
"What now," mom sighed, "Sammy, I'll be right back and then we'll talk about this."
Mom got up and went back to her room to answer the phone, leaving me alone with Sammy. As soon as she let him go, he latched on to me, clung to me for dear life. He was shaking so hard, it felt like he'd been naked in a blizzard.
"What happened Sammy?" I asked.
"The little boy, he said it was going to get us, then he was gonna play with me and he laughed," Sammy sniffled.
"The little boy said he was going to get you?" I asked, seeking clarification.
"No Sterling, he said IT was going to get us, then we could play and he laughed."
"What's IT?" I asked.
"I don't know, Sterling I'm scared," said Sammy, burying his face against me and starting to cry again.
"It's alright Sammy, I'm here now, I won't let anything hurt you," I comforted.
"Promise," he asked, looking up at me with his big blue eyes, rimmed in red from his tears.
"I promise Sammy, I swear on my life."
"Well, that was Mr. Moody," said Mom, walking back into the room, "Morning Glory's taken a turn for the worse, I have to go down to the stable and I'll probably be there all night."
"But mommy, the little boy..." Sammy started.
"Sammy honey, I know you had a bad dream but I have to go take care of Morning Glory, she's very sick, we'll talk about this in the morning," said Mom.
"But what if IT comes to get it us," Sammy whined.
"Sammy, that's enough, nothing is going to get you," said Mom, more from frustration than irritation, "Sterling, I need you to look after your brother."
"Sure mom, I'll watch him."
"Thank you," said mom, then she kissed each of us on the top of the head, and walked out, "I'll see you boys in the morning."
"No one believes me," Sammy whined.
"I believe you Sammy," I stated.
"Really?"
"Yeah, you bet I believe you," I replied.
"Oh thank you Sterling," said Sammy, throwing his arms around my neck.
"Alright, I believe you but you need to get some sleep, let's get you back in your bed," I stated.
"NO!" Sammy shouted, "Can I sleep with you?"
"Yeah, fine, come on."
It took a few minutes but eventually Sammy's breathing slowed and he fell asleep. I tried to sleep but I couldn't stop thinking about what Sammy had said. He'd seen the little boy that I was sure was the source of all the antics in the stable. I'd heard it laugh before and I'd been the victim of some of its pranks but Sammy had actually spoken too it. That's what freaked me out the most, "IT" was going to get us? What was IT? Was it the doglike animal Logan and I had seen? And what did the little ghost mean about IT "getting" us? It sounded like a threat and there was no one to protect us, my parents didn't want to hear about it and if they wouldn't believe me or Sammy, who could we turn to? Eventually I did fall asleep, but it was restless, in the morning, I woke up to my cell phone ringing and Sammy's knee pushing into my stomach.
"Hello?" I answered groggily.
"Sterling?" said Mom.
"Yeah mom, what's up?" I asked.
"Is Sammy ok?"
"Yeah, he's fine, he's asleep," I replied.
"Thank God, I was so worried about him last night," said Mom.
Sure you were, I thought to myself, you don't believe either of us. I immediately chastised myself for that thought. If there was one thing I was sure of, it was that my parents loved Sammy and I, with all their hearts. I was just upset that they wouldn't take us seriously about what seemed to be sharing our home.
"Anything else mom, it's early?" I whined.
"Morning Glory got out, I need you to get your brother ready then come help us look for her," said mom.
"Got out? How did she get out of her stall?" I asked.
"I'm not sure, I sent Mr. Moody to get some sleep and then I fell asleep in the stable office, it must have happened then," said Mom.
"Ok, I'll be right down," I replied, then hung up.
I woke Sammy and was a little tense but more or less ok, I was afraid he'd be traumatized by the night's events. I sent him back to his room to get dressed and he went, but only under the condition that I leave my door open while I change, just in case. When we were ready, we put on our coats and walked down to the stable, we found mom and Mr. Moody there, drinking coffee. Mom was pretty upset and as soon as she saw us, she grabbed Sammy and hugged him tight. I think she felt a little guilty about having to leave him when he was so frightened the night before.
I went and saddled Archer, then headed out to look for Morning Glory. She couldn't have gone far, she'd been so sick, I couldn't figure out how she'd gotten out at all. It was a cold November morning and I wished I'd brought a pair of gloves with me, after an hour of searching, I was about to head back, that's when I spotted horse tracks in the mud. I followed the tracks until they ended at a drop off overlooking the creek. Archer wouldn't get close to the edge, I had to dismount to see where the tracks led. When I reached the edge of the small cliff, I found Morning Glory, ten feet below, lying in the shallow creek, a wound in her abdomen and blood coming from her nostrils.
I suppressed the urge to cry, but it was hard, Morning Glory was a sweet horse and I'm an animal lover, I hated to see her in pain. I tied Archer to a tree, then found a way down to the water. The water came up to my calves and it was as cold as ice, but I didn't care, I had to get to the injured horse. She was nervous and twitched when I got close, but she let me kneel down and put my hand on her face.
"Oh girl, what happened to you?" I sniffled.
"Animal got her, you can tell from the teeth marks on that wound," said Mr. Moody.
I bolted upright, he startled me, I thought I was alone. He was on the ledge above, sitting atop Vengeance, a black stallion I had tried to ride for polo, before we got Archer, but he was to aggressive for me. In fact, Mr. Moody was the only one who seemed able to ride him without any trouble. Mr. Moody dismounted and climbed down the ledge, he followed the same path I'd taken myself, Two-by-four close behind. I couldn't help but notice the riffle slung over his shoulder.
"What's that for?" I asked, afraid of the answer.
"I was afraid of something like this," said Mr. Moody, looking sadly at Morning Glory, "she's suffering son, she can't do it herself, we've got to put her out of her misery."
I knew he was right. Usually if a horse breaks it's leg, you have to put it down, this was far worse.
"I'll do it," I said, once I'd found the courage.
"You don't have to, I'll do it," said Mr. Moody.
"She's my mom's horse, I should do it, besides, I found her, I should do it," I stated.
Mr. Moody let out a breath, then handed me his riffle.
"Point it at her head, just below her ear, you don't want to have to shoot twice," Mr. Moody advised.
I waded back out into the water, raised the riffle to my shoulder, took careful aim, then closed my eyes and pulled the trigger. The sound of the shot reverberated off the small canyon. I knew I hit her because the sound of her heavy breathing stopped, leaving nothing but the sound of the slowly tickling water. I didn't want to look, I turned my head before I opened my eyes. I didn't want to see the carnage I'd caused, no matter how merciful shooting her may have been.
"You got her," said Mr. Moody, putting his hand on my shoulder as if he were proud of me, "Don't cry now, you did the right thing."
"Thanks," I sniffled, "I hated doing that."
"Not supposed to like it, but its part of being a man, doing what you have to do," said Mr. Moody.
"Yeah, any idea what did this?" I asked, changing the subject.
"Wolf," said Mr. Moody, confidently.
"A wolf, but there are no wolves in New Hampshire," I replied.
"Sometimes a wolf gets separated from its pack, makes its' way down from Canada," said Mr. Moody, "you can tell from the tracks, too big for a dog or coyote."
I hadn't noticed the tracks before, I was too concerned about the horse, but there they were in the sand, on the little beach, tracks that looked just like the ones I'd found in the stable and seen in that graveyard.
"Why don't you ride back and let your maw know what's happened, tell her I'll bring the truck down and take care of the body," said Mr. Moody.
I said that I would, then mounted Archer and headed back. I couldn't stop thinking of those tracks, no matter how hard I tried, I was scared. When I returned to the stables, I tied Archer to the trough, so he could get a drink, and then went into the office. Mom and Sammy had gone to look for Morning Glory on their own, but returned when they came up empty handed. My mom's expression changed the moment she saw my face.
"Sammy, go check on Crackerjack, ok honey?" said mom.
"Alright mommy."
When Sammy was gone, mom crossed the room and embraced me, pulling me tight against her.
"Is she dead?" asked mom.
"I found her, something attacked her. She wasn't dead but she was in pain, I, I had to shot her," I sniffled.
I'm not sure what made me start crying. I was upset about Morning Glory, upset that I'd had to be the one to shoot her, even if I'd asked for the responsibility, upset about the animal that was loose on our property and upset by my parent's lack of faith in Sammy and I. I guess any number of those reasons was enough to bring me to tears and I was glad my mom was holding me and letting me cry it out of my system.
"It's alright Sterling, I'm sure she was grateful, she was near the end when I last saw her, she had to be suffering," said mom.
"I know, she was just such a nice horse and I think she knew she was dying, she looked so said," I wept.
"It's alright baby, let it all out," mom soothed.
"Mommy, why's Sterling crying?" asked Sammy, neither of us had heard him come back into the room.
"He's alright Sammy, he just found Morning Glory and unfortunately she passed away," said Mom, leaving out the part of me putting a bullet through her head.
"Oh, I'll miss her," said Sammy, his lower lip trembling a little.
Mom hugged us both and once I recovered my emotions, she asked me to take Sammy up to the house and make sure he got some breakfast. I knew my mom, she wanted to cry but she wanted to do it alone. I obliged her and took Sammy home, Mr. Moody road up on Vengeance and as soon as the horse was back in his stall, he set out in the truck, to dispose of Morning Glory's remains. Back at school on Monday, I told Logan about everything that had happened over the weekend, while we waited for our parents to pick us up.
"Jesus Sterling," Logan exclaimed.
"I know, it was intense," I agreed.
"Are you ok, I know how much you love animals, I can't imagine you shooting a horse," said Logan.
"It was probably the hardest thing I've ever done but Mr. Moody said we had to do it, and he was right, she was suffering," I explained, holding back tears.
"Who would do that to a horse?" asked Logan, referring to the wound I'd told him about.
"Not who, what," I stated.
"Yeah, IT," said Logan.
"Sammy talked to the ghost, he said that it told him "IT" was going to get us, then this happened and I found animal tracks where I found her body. Mr. Moody says it was a wolf, did that thing we saw in the stable look like a wolf to you?" I asked.
"It happened so fast that I don't know what it looked like," said Logan, "Sterling, I think maybe you should talk to your mom."
"What's the use, she doesn't believe me, neither does dad," I replied sadly.
"It's not that they don't believe you, I'm sure it's just that they..." Logan began.
"I know, I know," I agreed, unenthusiastically.
"I wish there was something I could do," said Logan.
"You're still coming over Saturday, you're not afraid, are you?" I asked.
"Sure I'm coming, it would take more than some ghost and his dog to keep me away from you," Logan smiled.
His smile was so reassuring, I was actually feeling better when my mom drove up and honked. Logan and I traded smiles, we wanted to hug and kiss but we were on campus, you never knew who was watching, and we just wanted to love each other, not bring down any trouble on ourselves. When I got into the car, I could tell something was wrong, my mom is a really happy person, she loves our family, loves her life and her horses, I was afraid to ask why she looked so unhappy but I never got the chance.
"Darcy's sick, same symptoms as Morning Glory," said Mom.
Darcy was a mare that belonged to one of mom's students.
"I'm sorry mom, that really sucks," I replied, for lack of a better response.
"I don't know what to do, I'd rather close the equestrian center then have another horse die," said mom, "I wish your dad was here."
"Yeah, me to," I agreed.
Mom was pretty busy the rest of the week. She and Mr. Moody spent a lot of time tending to Darcy and though she wasn't getting better, she wasn't getting worse, they took that as a good sign. I once again helped out by feeding the horses and making sure they got their exercise. Everything was going fine, until Thursday night.
We had a long drive to school each morning, then I had swimming practice and a long drive home. On top of that, I had homework and my stable chores, by Thursday night I was exhausted and went to bed at nine, when mom put Sammy to bed. Normally I stayed up till at least eleven, sometimes later. I was sound asleep when I heard his voice.
"Sterling," he said, Steeeeeeerling."
"Sammy, go back to bed, I'm tired," I groaned.
"Sterling, Steeeeeeerling," he said again.
"Damn it, what?" I asked, as I rolled over, wide awake.
It definitely wasn't Sammy. There, next to my bed stood a small boy, about Sammy's age and size. He looked like something out of the 50's, he had short dark hair, a white t-shirt, blue jeans rolled up at the cuff and little red sneakers. The thing that distinguished him from any other little boy I'd ever seen was his translucent glow.
"Jesus Christ," I exclaimed and pulled back against my headboard.
"Hahahaha," he laughed.
"It's going to get you Sterling," said the ghost.
"What, what is it, what's going to get me?" I demanded.
"It got Morning Glory, it's going to get Sammy and then it's going to get you," said the ghost, "hahahahaha."
"Tell me what it is, tell me how I stop it?" I demanded.
"No," the ghost pouted.
"Why not?" I asked.
"Because, I want to play with Sammy and I want to play with you," said the ghost with another giggle.
"What is it, tell me what it is," I demanded again.
"You'll know soon, then we can play," said the ghost, as it vanished, it's laughter lingering after it's form vanished into thin air.
I bolted from my bed and ran into Sammy's room. I was scared to death that IT, had come for him while I'd been arguing with that cackling little monster. To my great relief, he was sleeping soundly. There was no way I was going back to my room, not after what just happened, instead, I crawled into bed with Sammy. It was a tight fit in his twin bed.
"Sterling, what are you doing?" Sammy asked groggily, I'd woken him.
"Sorry midget, I didn't mean to wake you, move over."
"You saw him, didn't you, you saw the little boy?" asked Sammy.
"I'm tired Sam, just move over."
Sammy moved as far over as he could, then I slipped in next to him and pulled him tight against me. I held on to him and it calmed my nerves.
"Yeah, I saw him," I admitted.
"I knew it," said Sammy.
We fell asleep after that, though I kept waking up from nightmares about one hideous thing or another trying to harm my brother. School sucked the next day but at least it was Friday. Logan sensed that something was bothering me and I'm ashamed to say that I didn't tell him what it was. I needed him, I was scared that if I told him about my most resent encounter that he'd be afraid to come over on Saturday and I couldn't stand the idea of him being scared to be with me. More than anything, I thought his being there would help me, I had to put on a brave face for him, had to be strong for my boyfriend. You know what they say, fake it till you make it.
Friday night, I waited until mom went to bed and then slipped into Sammy's room. I not only wanted to protect him but I didn't think the ghost would come back if we were together. It was bitterly cold the next day but the sun was out and it warmed up quite a bit by late afternoon, so I took Sammy out to ride again. I took him to the polo field and showed him how to score goals with a spare mallet I kept in the stable. Sammy was having a good time, trotting Crackerjack up and down the field and shooting the ball at the makeshift goal I'd erected. I was having fun too, when I saw Logan's moms Mercedes pull up to the barn.
Mom came out to greet them, but Mrs. Baker wasn't staying, she had an appointment in town and had to run. Logan grabbed his overnight bag, I saw mom point to Sammy and I, out on the field, we exchanged waves and then they disappeared into the stable. I was sure that Logan would be saddling Shadow, so I told Sammy I'd be right back, and headed for the stable. No sooner had I pulled up to the horse trough, Logan walked Shadow out onto the grass and mounted him.
I was just about to say hi, when we heard a loud, frightened whinny. Mom instantly stuck her head out of her office, she was running towards the field before I even got Archer turned around.
"Oh my God, Sammy!" Logan exclaimed.
Back on the field, Crackerjack was up on two legs, he whinnied again then bucked, knocking Sammy off. At his feet, I saw it, a dark shape, it looked like a wolf. Logan and I set off at a full gallop, mom may have seen it first but we quickly over took her. I reached the field in record time, Logan right behind me. There was no sign of the wolf now, I jumped off of Archer before he even came to a halt and slide next to Sammy as though I was sliding into home plate. Sammy lie there, unconscious, I reached out to him but I stopped in my tracks when I heard my mom in the distance.
"DON'T TOUCH HIM, STERLING, DON'T TOUCH HIM!" she shouted.
I sat there, trembling, not knowing what to do. The ghost was right, IT had come for Sammy, I'd seen it with my own two eyes. I was scared to death that my little brother lie there, dead, because I'd been too excited to see Logan, because I'd left him alone. Mom cleared the distance fast and I saw Mr. Moody running far behind her, he must have heard all the shouting and raced toward the commotion.
"Did you touch him?" asked mom, as she ran up and knelt next to Sammy.
"You said not to," I stated.
"Good, good, if he's broken his neck any movement might paralyze him," said mom, sounding much calmer then she appeared.
Logan hadn't said anything, he stayed back and put his hands on my shoulders while mom checked Sammy for injuries. First she confirmed that he was breathing, then she carefully felt around his neck.
"I don't feel anything broken," said Mom.
"What in the name of Jesus..." said Mr. Moody, when he arrived on the scene.
"Something spooked the horse and Sammy fell," said Mom, then handed Mr. Moody her keys, "Go get my car, I'm taking him to the hospital."
"Shouldn't we call an ambulance?" asked Mr. Moody.
"Take them 20 minutes to get here, another 20 to get back to the hospital, we don't have time to wait," said Mom.
That's when I started crying. Logan rubbed my back reassuringly but it was no use, Sammy was lying there, hurt, maybe dying, and it was my fault.
"Sterling, he'll be alright," said mom.
"I'm sorry mom, I'm sorry," I wept.
"It's alright Sterling, it's not your fault," said mom, pulling me into a hug.
"I shouldn't have left him, I shouldn't have gone back to the stable, if I'd stayed he'd me ok," I cried.
"Sterling it's not your fault, it was an accident," mom assured me.
"Yeah Sterling, it could have happened to anyone," said Logan.
Mr. Moody pulled up in mom's Volvo station wagon and screeched to a halt, just feet from where we were gathered.
"Sterling, I have to take Sammy to the hospital, I promise I'll call you as soon as the doctors tell us anything," said mom, "are you going to be alright?"
"Go, just go, hurry," I replied.
"We'll be ok Mrs. Thomas," said Logan, "I'll get Sterling calmed down and then we'll get the horses back in the stable."
Mr. Moody lifted Sammy as gently as he could, then handed him to my mother and helped her into the backseat so that she could hold him still while he drove. He sped off the field, sending dirt and grass flying as the tires tried to gain traction. When they were gone, I stood up and whistled for Archer, he ran up to me and I quickly climbed atop the saddle.
"Sterling, what are you doing?" said Logan.
"Yaw, yaw," I shouted and squeezed him with my knees, he broke into a trot and then into a run," that's it, get up boy, get up!"
We raced toward the edge of the field, towards the woods that skirted it's northern side. Logan had to catch Shadow, but he mounted and chased after us, catching up when we were forced to slow down due to the density of the trees.
"Sterling, where are you going?" Logan demand.
"If it wants me, here I am" I replied.
"What are you talking about?" said Logan.
The horses stopped dead in their tracks, it was the same place they'd stopped the last time we were here. I dismounted and ran the few steps to the ancient graveyard, there were fresh animal prints in the mood.
"Well, you got Sammy you mother fucker, here I am, come and get me!" I shouted.
"Sterling, what are you doing, you're scaring me," said Logan.
"You think it's funny to hurt horses and little boys, come on you son of a bitch, come face me!"
I was enraged, I kicked at the leaves, shouted at the trees and then, I grabbed one of the rocks that served as a grave marker.
"Sterling I think you should put that down," said Logan, "that's not a good idea."
"Fuck it," I shouted, then threw the rock, watching the old piece of granite crack against a birch tree.
I dropped down on my knees and cried into my hands. The anger passed from my body, leaving nothing but fear, fear that I'd never see Sammy again. Logan dropped down beside me and held me until I stopped sobbing, when I was done, I told him everything, about seeing the ghost boy and the cryptic threat he'd delivered.
"It's not your fault, chances are your parents would have just brushed it off as another incident of overactive imagination, you couldn't have done anything," said Logan.
"I shouldn't have left him, I should have stayed with him," I sniffled.
"Who knows what would have happened if you did, maybe your mom would be rushing you both to the hospital," said Logan, reasonably, "let's go back to the estate, we'll get Crackerjack, put the horses in the stable and wait for your mom to call, I'm sure everything is going to be alright."
He was making a lot of sense. I got up, dusted my pants off, then hugged Logan tight.
"I'm so lucky to have you," I whispered.
"I love you Sterling, it's going to be ok," said Logan, "let's go back."
"Yeah, I'm ready now," I sniffled, I was done crying, for now.
It didn't take long for us to get Crackerjack under control. He'd been spooked but he was used to us and I think the presence of the other horses, Shadow and Archer, put him at ease. We got our animals back to the stable, I wanted to go back to the house but Logan insisted we groom them like normal. I protested, I was worried about Sammy but Logan reminded me that we both had our cell phones and there was a phone in the stable, if there was any news, we'd have heard by now. He didn't want me sitting around the house, making myself feel miserable, he thought tending to the horses would keep my mind off of the accident.
He was right, I groomed Archer and then Logan helped me with Crackerjack, by the time we were finished, the sun was setting and I felt a lot calmer. I closed the stable door and Logan held my hand, as we walked towards the house, my cell started ringing.
"Mom?" I answered.
"Hi honey," said Mom.
"Is Sammy ok?"
"He's fine Sterling, he's going to be just fine," said mom, sounding relieved.
"Going to be?" I asked nervously.
"He's got a nasty bump on his head and a concussion, so the doctor is keeping him in the hospital overnight, but he should be released tomorrow," mom explained.
"Oh thank God," I replied, breathing a sigh of relief.
Logan was listening to my conversation and when he heard me say that and saw the smile on my face, he hugged me tight and held me while I finished with mom.
"Listen Sterling, I'm sending Mr. Moody back with the car, I called dad and he'll be here first thing in the morning. He'll pick you up and bring you to the hospital so you can see Sammy, but you and Logan are going to be on your own tonight, will you be ok?" said mom.
"Sure mom, we'll be fine."
"Alright, I have to get back to Sammy," said mom, "Sterling?"
"Yeah mom?"
"I love you," said mom.
"Thanks mom, I love you too," I stated, then hung up.
"So he's ok?" asked Logan.
"Yeap, mom says he has a concussion but he'll be fine."
"Well that's the best news I've ever heard," Logan smiled, "and you're alright?"
"Yeah, I'm ok, it's just, he's my little brother, you know?"
"I understand," said Logan.
"Come on, let's go up to the house."
I held Logan's hand as we walked up to the main house, when we walked in, I stopped in the foyer and when Logan kept walking, I pulled him back.
"Something wrong?" asked Logan.
I pulled him against me, wrapped my arms around him and squeezed him tight while my lips met his and I kissed him, hard.
"Mmm, that was nice," Logan smiled, when we stopped for breath.
I kissed him again, if anything, that kiss was more passionate then the first. I walked forward, arms around my boyfriend, forcing him to back into the living room. We tumbled over the couch without breaking our kiss and Logan went straight for my pants. We were both wearing ridding pants, they were skin tight and Logan pulled them down to my knees with my underwear. He grabbed my cock and stroked it, then I rolled on top of him.
We finally broke our kiss when I stopped to pull Logan's pants off. The damn things were so tight that I ended up leaving them around his ankles with his briefs. Logan grabbed me by the neck and pulled me back down against him, we kissed hard and fast, our dicks grinding against each other.
"Fuck me," Logan moaned as I sucked on his neck and he nibbled my earlobe.
"Logan, you never say that word," I giggled.
"I know, now fuck me," he said in a lusty voice.
"Ok, let's stop and get these stupid ridding pants off."
"No, fuck me now," Logan panted, then threw his legs over my shoulders.
"Someone's a horny boy," I giggled.
"Mmm hmmm," said Logan, then he pulled me against him again.
We kissed and my cock found his opening. I pushed against him and it was just as tight as before, but we were both so turned on that I slipped into him with a firm thrust. Logan groaned when I entered him but I knew he was ok because he sucked my tongue harder and used his legs to pull me into him. I slid deeper and deeper and when I felt my pelvic bone resting against his bottom, I didn't wait for him to urge me on, I began to fuck him, slow at first, then faster, harder.
"Oh, God Sterling, don't stop," Logan moaned.
He rubbed up and down my back, massaged my neck with his slender fingers. I nuzzled his neck, kissed it, then sucked on the tender skin. I don't know what came over me but when Logan let out that intense whimper, announcing his cum, I bit down on his neck and slammed my body against his as I filled him with my seed.
"That was incredible," said Logan, "you bit my neck."
"I'm sorry sweetheart, I was just..."
"Turned on. I was too, that was so hot!" Logan exclaimed.
"So it didn't hurt?" I asked.
"Of course not, it was a love bite," Logan smiled and pulled me back against him.
"I needed that," I stated.
"We both did, now let's get some rest," said Logan.
It's a good thing we had the house to ourselves, as accepting as my parents are of me and my relationship with Logan, I doubt they would have liked finding us asleep on the couch, our pants down and our legs entwined while we slept. We slept for a couple of hours and when we woke, the full moon was high in the night sky, filling the living room with silver light.
"I guess we were out for a while," Logan yawned.
"Hmmm, I never noticed that before," I stated.
"What's that?" asked Logan.
"The moon, now that I think about it, every time we've seen that thing, the wolf or whatever it is, the moon's been full," I explained.
"Let's not talk about that tonight," said Logan.
"No?"
"No, let's kiss some more and see where that leads us," said Logan.
We started making out again and we were both instantly hard. I was so focused on Logan and how good he made me feel, that it took me a few minutes to notice that the moonlight was being replaced by a soft orange glow. I lifted my eyes, lips still locked with Logan's, and that's when I saw it, the stable in flames.
"Logan, Logan get up," I spluttered, as I got up and tried to pull my pants up.
"What is it, what's the matter?" said Logan, as he joined me.
"Look!" I exclaimed and pointed out the window at the blaze.
"Oh my God, the horses!" said Logan.
"We've got to get them out of there, come on," I replied, and we ran for the door.
I pulled out my phone and as we ran for the fire, I called 911.
"911 Emergency," answered the operator.
"I need help, the stables are on fire," I blurted out, as if she would understand what stables I was talking about.
We'd reached the stable by that point and I could feel the heat from the fire and hear the panic in the whinnying of the horses within. Logan wanted to rush in, but I grabbed his wrist and held him back.
"What is your address sir?" asked the 911 Operator.
"It's 213 Willow Road, hurry!" I replied.
"I'm dispatching fire units now, please stay on the line until they arrive."
The sound of falling debris filled the night air, followed by more whinnying that sounded like screaming.
"Shadow!" Logan shouted, then broke free of my grasp and ran inside.
"Shit," I shouted, then dropped the phone and ran after him.
The south wall of the stable was in flame, the fire was spreading along the roofline and filling the building with smoke. Logan had Shadow's stall open and the powerful animal raced from the stables toward fresh air. With his horse safe, Logan ran to my side and helped me get Archer and Crackerjack moving towards the exit.
"Fire department is on the way, we've got to get the rest of the horses out of here," I stated.
"I'll go up the left side, you go up the right, we'll meet out front," said Logan.
"Alright, and Logan, be careful," I replied.
He gave me a quick kiss, then disappeared in the smoke. I pulled my t-shirt up over my nose and mouth, then started moving along the right side of the stable, opening stalls as I went. Most of the horses ran for the fresh air, some were so afraid that I had to go in and grab them by the bit. Once they were out of their stalls and in the open, they ran for the opening at the end of the hall.
"Logan?" I called out, when I'd freed the last horse on my side.
There was no answer.
"LOGAN!" I shouted.
I heard a low, rumbling growl, then Logan's voice, barely above a whisper.
"Sterling, Sterling help," said Logan.
I ran up the left side of the stable, searching the empty stalls. I found Logan in the last one, Darcy, the mare who got sick after Morning Glory died, lie on her side, Logan was backed into a corner. I heard the growling again and saw yellow eyes glowing in the darkness.
"Holy shit," I muttered.
Logan was scared to move, he reached along the stall wall, as far as he could. I reached out to him and had to strain to feel his fingers wrap around mine. I yanked on his arm and pulled him across the distance, the growling stopped and the hulking creature sprang at us, it's massive body closing the distance in a single leap. I pulled Logan out of the stall and we ran for it, IT right behind us, I could feel it's breath on my neck. IT jumped at us and knocked our legs out from under us, when I rolled onto my back, I found myself staring into the snarling face of a wolf.
There was no time to study the animal, it attacked Logan. The animal had him by the shirt and was pawing violently at his chest. Logan was screaming and we both kicked and punched at the animal but that only made it angry. I spotted a pitch fork in one of the empty stalls and ran for it. I grabbed the farm tool and using it as a weapon, I jammed it into the wolf's body, over and over again. I didn't even realize I was screaming as the blood spattered my face.
The wolf's body tumbled over, the pitchfork sticking in its side. It released Logan and I grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet.
"Are you alright?" I shouted over the popping sound of the roaring fire.
"Yeah," Logan coughed, "let's get out of here."
I took his hand and we ran for it. Outside, there were confused horses running all around the property. Logan and I didn't stop until we got to the house, we didn't even notice my mom's car parked out front, we just sprinted for the door. When we were inside, I locked and bolted the door, then hugged Logan tight.
"Are you alright, are you ok?" I asked.
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine, it didn't get a chance to bite me," Logan panted.
"The fire departments on the way, they'll be here any minute," I stated, still holding him close.
"What the hell was that thing?" asked Logan.
"The wolf, the thing the ghost warned me about," I said.
We held on to each other, both of us scared, afraid to let go. The light from the fire filled the room and we could hear the sirens from the fire trucks in the distance.
"Sterling, Sterling look!" Logan shouted, and pointed out the window in a panic.
I turned just in time to see the wolf, pitchfork still dug in its side, charging toward the window. It leapt, and shattered the glass, tackling us to the floor. It resumed the attack that I'd broken in the stable, only this time I was the one fighting it's paws and dodging it's teeth. Logan grabbed the pitchfork handle but I'd jammed it hard on my last thrust and it got stuck. Logan kicked and punched at the animal but it ignored him and focused on me. I wrestled with the beast and we rolled around the floor.
Desperate to help, Logan searched for a weapon, then spotted a heavy candlestick on the mantle. Logan grabbed the candlestick and launched himself bravely at the wolf. He landed on its back and while I kicked at its body, he beat it over the head, striking it with the candlestick over and over again. The wolf let out a cry of pain, then it staggered away from me and collapsed on the floor. Logan helped me to my feet then threw his arms around me, his face spattered in blood.
Is it dead?" asked Logan.
I looked at the body and couldn't believe my eyes.
"Logan, look," I practically whispered.
There on the floor, the wolf's body began to transform. The hair retracted into the skin, the limbs shrank and took on a human form. Mr. Moody lie there, naked, with pitchfork wounds to his abdomen and blood pouring from his head.
"Oh, my, God," said Logan.
I leaned over the body to see if he was still breathing and jumped when it grabbed my leg. It didn't pull on me, it didn't try to attack me, it just held tightly to my ankle and waited for me to stop screaming.
"Thank you," groaned Mr. Moody, then he released me and his arm dropped to the ground.
"He's gone," I said to Logan.
"Are you sure, he's not going to pop up again?" asked Logan.
"He won't, that candlestick, it's silver," I explained.
"What do you mean?" said Logan.
"Haven't you ever seen a horror movie? It takes silver to kill a werewolf," I replied.
Logan and I held each other until the firemen arrived and found us inside. They put a sheet over Mr. Moody's body and led us out to their truck. We sat there, shivering under a blanket, while they doused the flames. When the police arrived, I told them that when we ran out to the stable to free the horses, Mr. Moody attacked us and we stabbed him with the pitchfork. We left him there and returned to the house, where he ended up busting through the window and attacked me and that if it hadn't been for Logan, I'd probably be dead. The stable was in ashes, it would smolder for days, but the signs of struggle in the house seemed to confirm our story. We didn't dare tell them the truth.
In the days that passed, the police learned that there had been a series of unsolved murders and mysterious deaths that had taken place in Butt, Montana, over the 30 years Mr. Moody had lived there. I didn't need them to tell me that he was responsible, yet I can't bring myself to condemn Mr. Moody. He was kind to us when he was himself and I can't blame him for the things that were done by the thing living inside him. I think back to his last words, he thanked us, maybe we set him free? Regardless, I hope he and his victims are now resting in peace.
In the aftermath of the events at Saddleback Manor, my parents tried hard to make it up to Sammy and me. They felt guilty for hiring a murdering psychopath and letting him get so close to us. I never told them the truth, they didn't believe, they wouldn't understand. I didn't let them go on feeling guilty either, they offered to sell the house and move back into town, but I said no. Saddleback Manor was our home now, and we couldn't let someone drive us from it, no matter what they did. In the end, they agreed and once the repairs were made to the house, they started on construction of a new stable. We even talked them into letting us keep Two-by-four, Mr. Moody's dog. The best part though, my dad won his case and he'd be returning to his Concord office, he'd be home every night and we'd be a family again.
Life has resumed it's normal routine of early morning drives to school, practice, and spending weekends with Logan. I love him and I know he loves me, I can see it in his eyes, he has a terrible poker face. We don't talk about what happened, but we're bonded for life by the secret we'll carry to our graves.
Sammy's fully recovered from his concussion, he doesn't even remember how it happened. He was still shaken by his encounter with the little ghost boy but after two weeks of sleeping in my bed, he finally went back to his own room, provided Two-by-four sleeps at the foot of his bed. When I got my room back to myself, I got another visit from the tiny apparition.
"Sterling," said the ghost, "Steeeeeeerling."
I was in bed, I hadn't drifted off to sleep yet and this time, I didn't jump when it called my name. Instead, I rolled over and looked at the little boy, knowing that he'd been one of the many victims of the thing that had take control of our hired man and wrecked havoc form New Hampshire to Montana and God knows where else.
"I have to go now," said the little ghost boy.
"Why?" I asked
"It's gone now, I have to go," he replied.
"He, he killed you didn't he?"
"It took me away from my mommy and daddy," said the little ghost.
"Where are you going?" I asked.
"Into the light," he sighed, "I hope there's someone to play with there."
"I hope so to," I replied, and I meant it, I wanted him to be at piece.
"Hahahahaha," he laughed, and just like that, he was gone.
I drifted into a deep sleep after that and slept more soundly then I had in months. In the morning, I was woken by Logan, who was jumping on my bed.
"Get up, getup!" he shouted.
"Logan, what are you doing here so early?" I asked.
"It's almost noon you lazy bum!" he admonished, and kept jumping.
I grabbed his ankle and pulled his leg out from under him, dropping him down on the mattress. I gave him a quick kiss and smiled but he made a face.
"Oh Sterling, from now on, no kissing until after you've brushed your teeth," Logan giggled.
"Shut up," I grinned, then whacked him with my pillow.
He giggled and it was like music to my ears.
"Hey, Sterling look out the window," Logan pointed.
I dreaded that phrase, in the weeks leading up to this point, I'd never looked up to see anything good when he said that. I just pulled the pillow over my face and groaned.
"What now?" I asked.
"Look," said Logan, "It's snowing!"
I sat up in bed and looked out the window, it was snowing, it was really coming down. The snow was quickly accumulating on the ground as it fell in sheets.
"Well, so much for ridding today," I yawned.
"That's ok, I got a better idea," said Logan, as he kicked off his shoes and got under my covers.
We kissed and snuggled close, until I heard the sound of a little boy's laughter.
"What was that?" asked Logan.
I heard the laughter again, then a dog's chipper bark. I smiled when I realized it was the sound of Sammy and Two-by-four, happily playing out in the snow.
"Nothing, nothing at all," I grinned.
THE END