Serenity of Wildness


Genre: Western

Plot: A group of ranchers is hired to tame a scientifically engineered beast.

Words to use: wild, erratic, unpredictable, uncharted, beast, Frankenstein, subhuman, predator, food chain, lasso, boot, pulverize, herd, rugged, cowboy.

Jeb was looking out into the distance, rifle in hand, listening to the crickets and a wolf off in the distance howling at the full moon. His ranch was far off from town. His rugged hands held onto his rifle with a strong working man’s grip. 100 Acres of prime farm land. A traditional cowboy he was for as long as he could remember. It was a family business. He was a wild child. His father told him that he was even born amongst the wildness of nature. A steady man of predictable character. 

He had just had returned from a meeting with some other ranchers. Two of them were friends, Clay and Butch, who would often play poker on some free days which wasn’t often. The meeting was to discuss a problem that had arisen that was causin quite a headache for them and effecting their cattle. An unpredictable predator, an unknown beast. The herd of cattle had become part of this monster’s food chain. It was uncharted issue to be resolved for their living to be preserved and they needed to band together. There was a price on the head of the beast. It had become the job of the local ranchers to take care of this threat and they chose the toughest amongst them. Jeb, Clay and Butch. Their fearlessness was well known. 

That same evening, Jeb was up later than usual, keeping watch. Plannin on going out one more time to check on his property. His faithful dog at his side, striding to the barn to get on his horse, Ellie. Although they have seen the results, they were baffled at what this predator looked like and their was an element fear that effected even the hearts of these tough men of the western frontier. 

Out on the horse was where Jeb wanted to be all the time. It felt like freedom. Just him, his horse and his dog in the fresh open air and his land. He was confident in figuring out what was causing this dilemma, knowing with his skills with his lasso he would be at least able to capture it. 

While out, the cattle started to act erratic. Mooing and gettin skittish. The bead of sweat started to form on his forehead. It was the unknown that was the worst. 

A snarl was behind him. It was unnerving and he spun around, his horse didn’t want to cooperate with him. What flashed in his mind was the story about Frankenstein he read as a young man. Something subhuman was illuminated by the light of the full moon. As he stared at this beast, he was frozen. The sight was beyond his imagination. He drew out the rifle that was on his side and shot a warning just above the creature. It was undeterred. A manufactured lower animal that snared as the shot rang through the silence of the night. Jeb, grabbing his lasso, kicking Ellie and charged toward to the critter of indescribable horror in the distance, with a stubborn determination to protect at all costs. 

The morning light ascended again. The chilled mist rose off the foliage, returning to the atmosphere. In the field, all that was left was a pulverized boot and the bird chipping happily in the trees. A striking satisfaction of nature with the absence of humanity. 


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