the Bear By joSh deStefano

her Letter froM hIS Pocket. “What SeeMS to Be the ProBLeM,” he aSked. the WIdoW BruShed a Lock of BroWn haIr froM her forehead. “a dark ShaPe haS Been oBServed By the neIghBorS In the area around our faMILy ’ S cryPt. I’ve conSuLted augurS of Many kIndS, and they have foretoLd that It coMeS for hIS Body. Protect hIM for Me.” gâLvIn roSe froM hIS Seat and PoInted to the cryPt through the WIndoW. “Where exactLy haS thIS ShaPe Been oBServed,” he aSked. “the door on the north SIde,” rePLIed Mouen. “PatcheS of dead graSS Mark ItS footStePS. It coMeS at nIght, When the Sun dIPS In the eaSt.” darIen caMe to the WIdoW, cLearIng hIS throat for the ProcLaMatIon. “fIx uS WIth rooMIng for the nIght and We can oBLIge, dear WIdoW.” WIth that, Mouen nodded and dISaPPeared to the uPStaIrS. gâLvIn roSe too, aLBeIt WIth a dISaPProvIng gLance at hIS frIend. the evenIng MeaL and nIghttIMe caMe quIckLy after that, and aLL three Moved for the outSIde. “I’ve Left you tWo LanternS,” SaId the WIdoW aS She Left the houSe. “the key to the MauSoLeuM IS By the door. I hoPe for My Sake that you Succeed.” aS the WIdoW Moved out of earShot, darIen retrIeved hIS thIngS froM the cart. “I’ve got the Book,” he SaId. “graB a feW of thoSe BottLeS; SPrInkLe theM By the door. Make It Look good. aS for Me, I’LL read SoMethIng out of thIS Book.” gâLvIn Moved to coMPLy, LookIng Back at hIS frIend for SuPPort. darIen, hoWever, WaS engroSSed In the Book. at the toP of hIS LungS, he Began readIng froM the Book. the PaSSage WaS In the archaIc tongue, So gâLvIn underStood LIttLe of What WaS SaId. he dId, hoWever, catch a feW MISPronuncIatIonS and thought he heard a PhraSe aBout a “dark creature.” eventuaLLy, hoWever, the ShaM joB caMe to an end, and gâLvIn WaS gLad that the joB WaS fInIShed. and So It WaS that darIen Moved toWard the cart, reSoLvIng to retrIeve theIr PayMent In the MornIng. But, aS he Moved the reInS, he heard a ruStLIng froM on hIgh. “What WaS that,” he aSked gâLvIn. “I don’ t knoW”, rePLIed hIS frIend. “ProBaBLy a Bat or SoMe other crePuScuLar creature of nIght. hurry noW.” But darIen dIdn’ t hurry. InStead he Sat MeSMerIzed aS the creature gaIned forM and BuLk, and then quIckLy Moved Into the LIght. and once It dId, darIen WIShed that he had Left the vILLa. the MonSter had aLL of the ProPortIonS of a Man, and aLL the eSSentIaL featureS of a Bat. WIngS reSeMBLIng SoMe kInd of Leathery canoPy jutted froM ItS Back, WhILe It Searched darIen’ S SouL WIth eyeS LIttLe More than BLack BeadS. PoInted earS tWItched atoP ItS head aS It Searched for any Sound froM the PaIr. SLoWLy, noISeLeSSLy, darIen turned to hIS LongtIMe coMPatrIot, the cart’ S Seat creakIng ever SoSLIghtLy aS he dId So. “run,” he WhISPered, and SuddenLy the creature WaS uPon hIM. gáLvIn readILy coMPLIed, SPrIntIng aS faSt aS PoSSIBLe to the dILaPIdated vILLa’ S door. he Looked Back at hIS LongtIMe frIend juSt In tIMe to See the creature’ S Long, BroWn fangS reveaLed In the MoonLIght. the Sound of SPLInterIng Wood aWoke gâLvIn froM hIS reverIe. turnIng around, he WItneSSed the creature’ S fur-Laden arM Break through the Wooden door, cLaWIng aBout In a vaIn atteMPt to fInd PurchaSe. the frenchMan Shrunk Into a corner aS the BeaSt ’ S torSo Broke through the door. aS the fouL thIng hISSed at hIM, a cry for heLP aroSe In hIS throat. regretfuL WaS hIS dISPoSItIon aS the BeaSt Broke through the door and coMPLeteLy enveLoPed the SMaLL encLoSure. and yet, a SMaLL Part of gâLvIn Wondered If It WouLdn’ t turn out aLrIght In the end.

The Bounty

Tim McClatchy

aS the hot Sun Started to SInk BeLoW the horIzon, there WaS What Looked to Be a Lone traMP rIdIng froM the WeSt. the toWn of IronSnag dIdn’ t get too Many vISItorS, and the oneS It dId Weren’ t there to SIghtSee. thoSe Who LIve In IronSnag are hard WorkIng foLkS Who Work on the raIL LIneS that PaSS through or keeP the toWn MaIntaIned. the Lone SaLoon In the toWn WaS Where aLL go after a Long day WorkIng on the LIneS. the PLace WaS aS LIveLy aS an enraged BuLL By the tIMe the Lone traveLer got there. the toWn WaS What Looked to Be a PeacefuL one, If a LIttLe run doWn - SoMe of the BoardS on the fLoorS of BuILdIngS torn or MISSIng, SoMe SIgnS fadIng and hangIng By a SIngLe chaIn. not Many PaId attentIon to the dISheveLed Stranger. It Looked aS If the Man had not Been In a toWn In WeekS; hIS cLotheS torn. none couLd teLL the coLor of hIS SkIn BecauSe of the dIrt and Sand caked onto hIS Body. the Stranger WaLked rIght uP to the Bar to get a drInk.

“gIve Me a BarBed WIre and SoMe feed for croWBaIt out there,” the deeP and grISLed voIce eScaPed froM the Stranger’ S Mouth.

Bardog WaLked over to the WhISkey on the Bar, 52

Started to Pour a Shot, and aSked, “you got the rockS for thIS?” the Man PuLLed out an oLd Leather Sack and threW out a coIn for the Bardog.

“noW, Why dId ya coMe to our LIttLe toWn? not Much for traveLerS here,” the Bardog aSked. the Stranger anSWered, “there’ S a hIgh Bounty on a Man naMed La jInete PáLIda; heard he WaS ‘round theSe PartS.” the Bardog’ S face Sunk Into a MeLanchoLy one: “he’ S Been ‘round here, But I WouLdn’ t go after ‘IM,” SaId the Bardog, “‘e’ S Been roBBIn’ the traIn ‘round ‘ere for aBout a feW WeekS.” the Stranger toSSed over another coIn to the Bardog, “don ’ t knoW hoW Long he WILL Be ‘round here, MoveS after a feW hItS to try and LoSe a taIL.” the Stranger fInIShed the WhISkey and toLd the Bardog, “thankS Pardner.” the Bardog reSPonded, “hey Pardner, What’ S your naMe? Wanna naMe to Put on a toMBStone for ya.” the Stranger chuckLed to hIMSeLf and toLd the Bardog, “I forgot MIne a Long tIMe ago.” the Stranger WaS WaLkIng out of the Bar Where B ’hoy WaS StartIng a fIght WIth a Back-Leg ShoutIng, “hey, you ’ve Been cheatIn’ you yeLLoW BeLLy drunk!” the Back-Leg dIdn’ t take thIS taLk kIndLy and Started to reach for hIS BarkIng-Iron. the