The Western Weird
Jon Coley
©️ 2023
For Raymond, the best father-in-law I’ve ever had.
Any similarities between the characters in this book and anyone else, either real or imagined, are purely coincidental. Chapter 1
The Strangers
When meeting strangers, it is of utmost importance to have two things, a winning smile and a shotgun.
Edward
She did not know why she did this to herself. Simoriah washed her hands in the basin. Dinner had been finished and the boys had gone out to play. Being five years older than the youngest and always a dutiful daughter, she and her adoptive mother, Shannon, tidied the kitchen. As she poured the water over her palms, it beaded and rolled off into the basin leaving her hands bone dry, as always. Her mind went through the same routines. There was no need of it. Dirt, even mud, was repelled without exception. Her hands were clean anyway. She was so different, so weird. She had been born with a rare skin condition, which made her skin less porous than most normal people. Perhaps she was the only such case in the world. The doctor had told her parents that it wasn’t connected to any syndrome he knew of, and they should not worry on it. For her part, Simoriah was upset that the family had spent so much money on her, money they all needed. She pushed the thoughts from her mind and wiped her hands, though they were already completely dry, on her apron.
“I’lll go check on the boys, Shan.”
“Thanky Dear,” she muttered as she sat down to snap peas.
It was a lovely evening in Rim Country. There was a light scent in the air from the flowers and the Ponderosa Pines. A gentle breeze danced on the scrub brush and the sparse, tall grasses waved gently. Simoriah looked across the field until she spied her brothers, Abe and Jack. She didn’t plan on calling them back to the cabin right away, but their peculiar body language caught her eye. Her brothers had vivid imaginations and were prone to fancies, so she did not hurry, until she felt the presence.
Suddenly, the air seemed heavier to her. Every fiber of her body wished to recoil. It felt strangely familiar, though she could not specifically remember the experience in any of her fourteen years. Instinctively she knew that if she shouldn’t be there, her little brothers definitely needed to go too. Simoriah pushed against the uneasy sensation, and ran across the field to them.
As she came up behind her brothers, the heavy air palpable on her skin, they both turned with their index fingers in front of their mouths. Simoriah took the queue, and crouched down next to them behind the shrubs that they had been using for cover. They pointed into the distance, but it wasn’t really necessary, for her senses came alive and were immediately drawn to the scene unfolding before them. Her eyesight and hearing had always been better than most, so she knew she could pick out details that the boys would miss. She could hear what was being said too. It was a moment she would never forget.
Two men were standing at the crossroads about an acre away from them. They were both tall, probably the tallest men she had ever seen. One was muscular and dressed in a ragged coat, though he did not look dirty. The other was even taller, but had a considerably thinner build. It was the latter that was speaking.
“You know it ain’t right, Ham. Leave it be!”
His speech was heavily accented, but Sim could not place it. The other muscle bound man seemed to take an aggressive stance upon hearing the thin man’s remarks.
“And since when do I take my orders from you?”
“Don’t do it Ham!”
The muscle bound man threw a mighty hay bailer punch, but the thin man jumped back, barely dodging it. Then they began to grapple.
Simoriah felt the hairs on her arm stand up. Instinctively, she grabbed at the boys’ overall straps and beckoned them to get back to the cabin. Just as they began to comply, a bolt of lightning flashed, the thunder booming like a war cannon with it. The blast was so hard that the three youths fell to their knees, grasping their ears. Simoriah recovered first. After seeing that the boys were alright, she crept up low along the ground behind the shrubs.
The two men were lying flat on their backs about thirty yards apart from each other. It had been a direct hit, their bodies were smoking. The smell of burning flesh wafted in the air, making Simoriah sick to her stomach. Her blood ran cold when they slowly sat up.
“Looks like someone still has some favor,” the man called Ham grumbled.
“I’ve got nothin’ to do with the storming. That be your family tradition.”
“Regardless, the message is received. This is over for now, but stay out of my way. You’ll be regrettin’ it otherwise.”
With that, the two men got up and walked in opposite directions. Simoriah couldn’t believe what she’d just seen.
“Sim … Sim!” It was Shan calling from the cabin door.
“Oh no! Mah will skin us for sure,” Jack, the youngest, wailed to his big brother.
Simoriah was just happy that they could both still hear. Her own ears hadn’t yet stopped ringing. None of them had ever been so close to a lightning strike in their lives. The odd smell of ozone and burnt dust filled her nostrils, driving home the eerie atmosphere of the scene.
“She’s just worried about that thunder boomer, Jack,” Sim consoled him. “Let’s get back to the house. I think we’ve had enough adventure for one evening. “
The three young people made haste back to their mother’s door and ran inside. Shannon ushered the boys in, obviously relieved that they were well. Before Simoriah could go in, however, she had to turn back and look. Both men were gone from the crossroads. Her unique vision allowed her to sense that one had traveled back toward the village, the other toward the rim. She hoped that was the last she would ever see of them, but a small intuitive fear gripped her heart.
