This Ain't No Rodeo

Zach sits in his jail cell awaiting his release. His facial hair has grown long and his hair shaggy from the long years he spent behind these solid bars. His wife, Amy the bar maiden of the town, once longed for his release, but now fears it more than she ever longed for it.

Long ago, before Zach had been incarcerated, Amy and Zach had a family. Three young boys below the age of ten and a daughter aged twelve. He was a cattle rancher and had a decent penny to his name when a rival cattle rancher decided that he'd make a deal with Zach he couldn't turn down. The deal was simple, his cattle for his kids lives.

Zach didn't take the deal. He needed to provide for his family and he couldn't afford a new stock of cattle, especially if it ran the risk of the same thing happening again. He stood his ground, and then, with the help of several of the other cattle rancher's men he was held down while they murdered every one of his children in front of him.

The mayor of the town, Tom Hinchcliffer, backed the new cattle rancher. It all got spun that Zach went crazy and murdered his own family after his wife rode their horse into town for food. The trial was quick, and Zach spent the next lifetime behind those bars.

Amy originally believed Zach's side of the story, but the longer she was away from him the more crazy he became, at least in her mind.

Still, Zach's only two cares were getting back to his wife and getting back at that rancher and Tom Hinchcliffer. They were the only two things that kept him going.

Tom Hinchcliffer was voted out of being mayor five years ago and now spends his days in his home listening to silence and getting a financial reward for keeping the authority off of the door of that unnamed cattle rancher that Zach so longed to get his hands on.

Amy had stopped visiting Zach a couple years ago after her frequent visits gradually decreased over time. At first she visited as frequently as she could, but as time progressed she visited less and less frequently until, finally, she stopped coming altogether. She had found comfort in the various men that would frequent her establishment – the establishment she setup with Zach's money. She was making more money selling spirits in her tavern than Zach ever did with cattle, and she had no intention on letting him have any of it.

Zach still spent every day thinking about starting a new family after avenging his previous family with Amy.

The day had finally come for Zach's freedom, and freedom he craved. The sheriff slid the key into the lock, twisted, and said, “off you go now. We'll be watchin' ya so don't do nuthin' stupid.”

First thing was first for Zach, he had to trim his wretched beard. He began his long walk to his home on the outskirts of town. He had no idea that Amy had sold the place, or that she had even opened up a tavern in town. When he arrived to his previous home he found it abandoned of all life. He leaned against the outside, thought for a moment, then kicked the front door in and walked to the bathroom.

Most everything inside the house had been sold off long ago, but things that couldn't sell remained. There was broken dishes in the kitchen, a chair that was heavily worn in the living room, a broken mirror in the bathroom, and his shaving equipment in the medicine cabinet – just where he left it.

He started shaving off his beard, but after it had fallen into the sink he kept going and removed the hair atop his head as well.

He left the bathroom and started walking towards the front door, but stopped when he came to the hallway. His bedroom, or what used to be his bedroom, door is wide open. He walks down the hall half expecting someone to pop out and attack him, this is where he was attacked all those years ago.

The memories flooded into his mind. They started with his youngest son, Andrew. They made it quick by shooting him in the head. Next was the next youngest son, Allen, with the same story. The oldest son, and second oldest overall, Adam, tried to fight back to save his sister and Zach. Adam bit the arm of the one holding him down and almost managed to make it to his sister before one of the other men kicked him in the side of his head and knocked him to the ground. They pulled Adam back and held him down beside his father while they had their way with the oldest child, Andrea.

The first man raped her while forcing Adam and Zach to watch, then when she laid there crying – Zach and Adam also full of tears, helpless as the six men stood there laughing at their victory – they shot Adam in the head. “She isn't done suffering yet,” the ring leader said.

“Take all the fucking cattle!” Zach had been yelling it for what seemed to be an eternity, perhaps since Andrew had first been shot, but he couldn't tell in his mental state. Zach thought for a moment that it all had to be a bad dream, but it wasn't. The rope around his wrists caused pain, real pain, and there was a gun pointed at his head as he yelled for them to stop and save his daughter.

They didn't stop. They took turns hitting her over and over. Then when they stopped looking as though they enjoyed it they shot Andrea in the head. All of Zach's children had died in front of his eyes.

The men cut Zach's hands loose and sat the gun down a few feet from him, then walked out of the house and into the distance.

Zach stared at the gun, waiting for it to move, waiting for it to shoot him dead, waiting for it to do anything. It didn't do anything. It sat there staring at him and him staring back at it.

Zach picked the gun up and placed the barrel into his mouth. Tears were streaming down his face faster than any river in the world. He heard the door open in the distance, but it didn't register as anything of this world.

“Honey! What....!!!!” Amy stood in the doorway with her jaw on the floor as she saw her four children laying in the room dead and her husband with a gun firmly in his mouth.

“They... they... they...they... kill... they... killed... they killed them all.... in... front... of... me...” The gun dropped to the ground.

Zach is searching through his old bedroom. Even the bed has disappeared, leaving nothing but a dust rectangle in the middle of the floor. A cowboy hat was laying in the corner – the one he used to wear. He walked to the corner, picked it up, and put it on before leaving the house for the last time.

He walks to the shed behind the house, opens the door, and walks to the back of the empty area. He opens a cabinet door and feels the top of the opening. He pulls out a pistol then reaches back in and pulls out a second pistol, the exact same as the first, places them on top of a shelf, and then pulls out a belt with two holsters attached to it. He puts the belt on and drops the pistols into the pockets.

Amy is serving beers to the same men she serves beers to every night. The biggest decision she has to make tonight is which of these men she will take back to her place. She wants all three of them, she'd even take two at once if they'd let her, but she'll have to settle for just one.

Her cleavage hangs out as much as she can let it without totally being exposed. She flirts with every man she can, they are all fun to her.

A woman walks into the tavern, a real looker. She carries about her a level of sophistication that no one in the bar is used to seeing and they all begin to berate her by hurling insults towards her to make her feel out of place, which is to say that she belongs in the kitchen. She is the new physician of the town, replacing the previous male doctor who retired a couple months ago. The whole town knew who she was and hated her since she came across as better than the rest of them.

“What can I get ye?”

“I'll have whatever they are having down there.”

“Now, woman, you don't look like ya can handle yer liquor like dem men can.” Amy says to the proper woman.

“I'll have what they have, please.” the physician lady said with a level of self assured tone that couldn't be rivaled by anyone in the room.

“Now, listen here, lady. If you can drink that beer faster than I can then I'll give you ten cents.” A man sitting a couple stools down from the physician said.

“Start drinking.”

She finished before he did, took her ten cents, and walked out of the bar.

“That Brandi is a real bitch, huh, Amy?”

“Yeah. She thinks she's better than the rest 'a us little folks.”

“I'd take her out back and show her what a real man's 'a made of.” A laugh bellowed out of the deepest part of the man's stomach. “Give me 'nother round, Amy!”

Zach stumbled into Amy's tavern by accident while looking for a drink. As soon as his eyes hit her behind the bar he felt his heart sink to the floor and shoot back up into his throat as though it was attached to a rubber band. She glanced at him but clearly had no idea who he was. He sat down at one of the tables near the door.

“What can I getcha?” Amy's voice had never sounded more enthusiastic and for a moment Zach swore she was just happy to see him.

“Amy... I've missed you.”

The look in her eyes ruined everything positive he felt. “What... I didn't recognize ya, hun.”

“I've missed you so much. It is so good to see you again.”

“I... I can't do this, Zach.”

“What... do you... mean?”

“I don't know you.”

Zach found himself in the bad part of town where the gamblers ran the tables and the prostitutes took less than they were worth. He managed to weasel himself into a few coins and was now gambling them on games he only hoped he could win.

After winning several hands of black jack and gathering up information on Tom Hinchcliffer's where abouts he decided to spend some of his earned money on some of the cheaper women He didn't have the money for the high priced women so he went for what he could afford, which was the cheapest woman there.

Several days had passed when Zach noticed that he had a milky discharge coming from his dick. He had to see a doctor so he made his way to the only place in town.

“My name is Brandi and, as I'm sure you've figured out, I'm a female physician. Let's just get that out of the way now. So what problems are you having?”

“I've got a dripping dong, ma'am.”

“Oh.. well... let's take a look, shall we?”

As she is looking over Zach he asks, “so how does a woman become a doc anyway?”

“The same way a man does.” Her eyes don't even lift.

“I didn't mean that to be offensive. I've just never seen a woman do your job before.”

“Expect it to start happening more often.”

“Good.” A smile grew on Zach's face as Brandi peered her eyes up towards him from between his legs. “I'd rather you be doing this than any man.”

“You're the first person who seems alright with me being their physician.”

“You seem like you're good at it.”

Brandi's touch had lightened as she prodded at Zach. “I'll get you some antibiotics that should clear this up within a week. Try to keep your drippy dong out of cheap thrills from now on.”

Zach had been staying with one of those cheap thrills. It was the only place he could find, but he had no intentions on going back there and risking another infection. “Say, Brandi, I don't suppose you know of a cheap place to stay, do ya? I'm sorta homeless right now.”

Her face tilted to one side, then to the other side, then back again. “You can stay with me.” Her eyes still looked confused, “but you have to fix some things around my house for me.”

“Deal.”

“And you can't be bringing home drippy dongs.”

“Definitely deal.”

During the days, while Brandi was working, Zach started digging into finding out as much as he could about the cattle rancher that stole his life. The cattle rancher was Tom Hinchcliffer's brother, Brian. Zach started developing a plan to get his revenge, but as time progressed he found himself more and more patient and careful with his plotting.

Brandi and Zach grew ever closer. Brandi had already fallen in love with Zach, though he didn't see it. He was also still very in love with Amy though he knew it was over.

“So what happened in your life to make you homeless?” Brandi asked – it had been months of living together.

Zach told her everything. He knew at this point that he could trust her entirely. He watched her reactions as he told her everything. They were full of sadness for everything that had happened, and she didn't have any doubt that he was telling the truth.

A couple weeks more passed and Brandi was treating a patient when Tom Hinchcliffer came into her office. “Go to the next room over, Tom.” Brandi finished up he bandages and sent the man on his way before going into the next room over to meet with Tom.

“It's always a pleasure to see you, Brandi.” Tom had a smirk on his face. “It is just too bad you're playing doctor every time I see you. You'd make a much better bedroom ornament.”

Brandi didn't say anything and started checking his vitals.

“When are you going to come back to my place and let me have my way with you, show you what you've been missing your whole life.”

Brandi continued to check the vitals without saying anything.

“I bet you'd be just as quiet for me in the bedroom, too, huh? Probably pretend to like it even if you didn't.”

“You check out just fine. Here is your medicine. Get out of my office.”

“Such a feisty little bitch, aren't ya? Don't worry, I'll get my chance with ya.”

“No. You won't.”

Later that night while Zach and Brandi were at the kitchen table eating, Brandi looked at Zach and says, “It is done. He took the pills. He'll start feeling sick tomorrow at the earliest, definitely by the day after. Do you know where he lives?”

“Yep. I know where he lives. I'll head out to him in two days.”

The days ticked by slowly as Zach finished the last of the repairs to Brandi's house. He even made himself a bed in one of the spare bedrooms, which was more comfortable than any place he could ever recall sleeping. Even Brandi was jealous by the comfort of the bed, though she would never tell him that she would sneak in there once in a while after he would leave in order to smell him.

Tom's house was a big place, but he lived alone. Zach sat off in the distance and watched while Tom blew out the candle light of his room, it was night. Zach then casually walked up to the front door, kicked it in, and walked directly up the stairs. He heard Tom's voice repeatedly asking who was there, but he said nothing in return.

“Hello, Tom. Do you remember me?” Zach said while slowly opening the door to the bedroom.

Tom coughed hard and weakly sat up in his bed. “...Zach...?”

“That's right, mother fucker. Do you remember what you did to me?”

“It was my brother!” Tom's voice was weak, but he yelled as loud as he could. “I had no choice!”

“There is always a choice.” Zach raised his gun towards Tom. “I want an apology.”

“I'm sorry!” Sweat was pouring off of Tom's face while his whole body trembled below the sheets. “I'm sorry! I didn't mean to ruin your life!”

BANG

“You're going to die on your own time, mother fucker. Just know that I could have killed you right now. You're not safe.” Zach turned around and walked out of the house while listening to Tom's cries fade the further he got from him.

Zach had also found out where Brian Hinchcliffer lived, and when the best time would be to get to him – which was right now. He hops onto one of Tom's horses and rides directly over to Brian's home, stopping just before he made it to the house itself. He goes to the gate that holds all the cattle in, opens it up, and fires a shot into the air.

The cattle run off into the darkness, and Brian shouts, “What the FUCK is going on out there?!?!?!”

BANG – Zach fires another shot.

Brian, in nothing but coveralls and carrying a shotgun, finds his way outside and points the gun directly at Zach. “What the fuck do you think you're doing here, boy?”

“Payback.”

“Zach...?”

“That's right, mother fucker. You took my life. Now I'm taking yours, you piece of shit.”

“You're not even pointing that gun in the right direction to be hitting me, boy.” He draws the shotgun up to shoulder level and plants it firmly into his body.

“You're stupid, old man.” A female voice from behind Brian drew his attention away from Zach while he felt a cold metal pressed against the side of his head. “Put the fucking gun down.”

Brian drops the gun to the ground. “Alright, you two got me. Now what?” The tone in his voice was sarcastic. Brian swings his right arm around and knocks the gun out of Brandi's hand, but before he can grab it – BANG – Zach fires a shot directly into his leg. “Alright! ALRIGHT!” Fuck.”

“Do you understand what you've done to me?”

“I put you in jail. I took your whole fucking life and made you my little bitch. Nothing you do today will change that. Nothing you do today with make you less of my bitch.”

“That is where you're wrong.” Zach shared a grin with his own world. “You didn't make me your bitch, you made me stronger than you. See. I'm the one with a gun to your head now. Would you have come back after everything you put me through? Would you? Would you have even stayed alive inside that cell for as long as I did, or would you have given up and killed yourself? I'm the stronger man and now you're my bitch.”

“And how do you figure that? You may have the upper hand, but my brother still has his hands in this town. I can still get away with anything.”

“That's what you think.” Another voice from the shadows calls out. It was the sheriff. “I didn't believe Zach at all, I'll be honest. I thought he was every bit as crazy as what you and your brother made him out to be. When Brandi came to me and told me everything she discovered about Zach I still had a hard time believing it, but I went out on a limb. You're coming with me.” The sheriff placed the hand cuffs around Brian's hands, threw him onto his horse, and then rode off back to town.

“I couldn't have done this without you, Brandi.” It was at this point in time that he noticed the way her smile and eyes created the most beautiful harmony he had ever seen. “I don't know that I'll ever be able to repay you.”

“I don't know how you will either.” The beauty grew. “You can start by kissing me, though.”

-Dustin S. Stover

For more of my short stories, check below.

Kindle: Happiness in a Void of Darkness

Nook: Happiness in a Void of Darkness