Author’s note: I will not be posting on weekends as that is prime time for catching up or staying ahead of the rolling deadlines.

*************************
A lonely dust devil spun up and round the heels of the two men as they walked across the field toward the barn. The wind was picking up, a chilling breeze to accompany the full moon and clear night sky. Flashlight beams played across the uneven ground, one of them catching a chipmunk by surprise paralyzing it with fear before hurriedly scurrying away. Tormel kicked a rock after it, barely missing it as it disappeared down a hole. “Yeah! Git’ you little bastard.”

Winston shivered. The sky was clear and beautiful, a thousand little pin-pricks of light beside a full clear white moon. “Never saw much like this back where I’m from.” In the distance a wolf howl some ways away startled the unlistening Sheriff.

“God look how clear the sky is. And that moon. Jesus, it’s gigantic, We could barely even see the sky where I used to live.”

“Moon like that’ll make a man crazy. Real crazy. Stay alert, Deputy Winston. We don’ need to lose no more deputys this cycle.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well… nothin’ to concern yourself with but you’re the thirteenth this lunar cycle.”

“What happened to the others?”

“Posthumous medals for bravery.” Tormel snorted.

“Jesus, this could have been mentioned before I signed up.”

“No it couldn’t… Bad for recruitment…”

The sheriff played his flashlight across the large barn doors, one was hanging partly off it’s hinges. “Well that wraps up the strange and mysterious case of the cow run amuck.” He knelt down to examine some wood chips closer to the ground. “Green wood…These doors are fresh hung, this ain’t negligence.” he unsnapped his holster and put the palm of his hand on the revolver. “Something forced it’s way in here.”

The sound of something clanking against metal echoed inside the tin roofed barn.

“Someone’s in there!” Winston hissed.

Tormel tapped the door with his foot. As he drew his weapon, “Sullivan? That you in there? It’s Tormel.” His answer came in the form of another clank. “Alright, on three.”

“One.. Two-”

This time Sheriff Tormel kicked hard against the already injured door sending it crashing from it’s remaining hinge to the ground. Huge swells of dust and debris flew into the air and thick spills of moonlight pouring inside the now completely violated barn. A dangling end of metal chain below a knot clanked harder against an old rusty gasoline can.