DEATH IS AT THE GATES
CRASH… Jack slammed the car door to his FORD pickup truck in a frustrated disappointment.
Cursing to himself for wasting his time in trying to solve the problems that were affecting his small farm. He heard water splashing underneath his tire and knew he was covering Detective Hawkins’s feet. He snarled, “Good riddance!” He passed the only other vehicle on Main Street, a black van with no distraction. His family always had difficulty in making a decent living on the family farm and nearby ranch that was currently requiring all his attention. The Walker Kinfolk monopolized all the famous “Idaho” potato plantations in the community of Clint for generations. However, they seemed to dry up other business wherever they seemed to be living. Jack’s once thriving cattle farm had all but dwindled to just a few heads of steer. His hands gripped the wheel in anger as the Walkers’ other businesses had nearly bankrupted him into object poverty.
The Walker Kinfolk seemed to always be getting away with everything in Clint. Jack remembered the meeting he attended several months ago with Sheriff “Hands On” Hanson and Detective Jayson Hawkins. He remembered Sheriff Hanson assigning him the Walker Kinfolk case to help loosen their grip on the town of Clint.
[August 3, 2022]
KNOCK… KNOCK… Sheriff Hanson’s door creaked open to reveal a head full of matted black hair. “Y-you wanted to see me, Sheriff Hanson?” Detective Hawkins was surprised to find the only other seat in the room occupied. “Jack…” he said forgetting to add the town nickname for him as
“mountain”. “Yes, Mr. Hawkins I am so glad that you are so prompt in your response to my request.
Had I known you would have been so prompt I would have brought a tea pot and crumpets for Mr.
White and I here to converse over. After all, sheriff of Clint is such a laid-back job don’t you know?”
Working with Sheriff Hanson for so many years, Jayson had become used to his sarcasm and condescending remarks. “I do apologize sheriff I was taking care of the K-9 unit. Pepper apparently relieved herself in Denver’s boots again. He is extremely upset…” “Denver is always upset or bothered by something. However, he better not harm a hair on Pepper’s head I’ll tell you! If he does, I will fire him faster than the Governor changing his damn mind. Now close that God damn door and get in here.” With a quick SNAP of the door Jayson moved into the room feeling claustrophobic. The endless manilla folders piled with brown binders were packed to the brim with adjacent walls lined with overflowing file cabinets.
“First of all, let me congratulate you on your passing of the Detective’s exam.” “Thank you, I just found out about it myself…” “That is absolutely fascinating Detective, and I am sure when the tell all book comes out. I assure you I will be the first in line to purchase it. In the meantime, I am assigning you your first real case considering our budgetary cuts, it will require long hours of dedication. Possibly THE biggest case that the town of Clint has faced including the Timber Saw Incident that Pepper single handily helped bust. You know Jack White am I correct?” Without waiting for a response, he continued his sagging cheeks or demeanor never wavered. “He has been sitting here telling me some very interesting information. And with your newly acquired assignment would think invaluable on missing out on. If this is the last case that this station investigates before it is closed. I’d like to close it on top.”
“Sheriff, I know Jayson. Still remember when he was called Jay Hawk after that game with Eastern. Jasper they are poisoning the water. The fish…the frogs…even my livestock, they are doing something upriver, and it is polluting down to me.” “Have you gone up there too…” Jack’s stone face furrowed in disbelief, “ME…go up to Beau Walker and the Walker Kinfolk? I know I’m a big guy, but you must be crazy! They already made me sign over the land of my family’s potato farm to them. If it
weren’t for the few remaining heads of cattle, I would lose my ranch!” Sheriff Hanson, seemingly seizing on this began to jab his finger. “You see this Detective! This…this right here is why you are to take this case. I don’t care how big or dangerous the Walker Kinfolk is. This city and land belong to the people of Clint and NOT to the Kinfolk. Despite their insistence and protests of true ownership and possession of these lands. I want you to dismantle the entire family and work with the attorney general! Mr. White will provide you with enough statements and evidence to make sure your investigation pushes off with a good start. With the addition of this station’s backlog, evidence, and testimony I am sure conviction will be a slam dunk.”
NOW LEAVING THE TOWNSHIP OF CLINT
SEE YOU AGAIN SPUD!
The rain began to lessen in intensity slowing to a drizzle. The light brown exit sign of Clint passed in a flash. Being a local resident, Jack barely noticed it as it passed. He tried not to notice the happy little caricature of a waving potato next to the sign. It always reminded him of his family farm.
The farm that his father and him had taken care of all those years ago. Now, the oncoming foreclosure of his few remaining acres of land seemed eminent. It was only a matter of time before he lost his ranch too. The Walker Kinfolk seemed just as desperate to hang onto what they claimed was theirs too.
Lost in thought, it took Jack’s eyes several seconds to focus onto a mysterious object in the distance. Main Street was a lonely road with thick patches of forest running along it portraying an almost impenetrability. “What the…” Jack muttered to himself approaching a mysterious object that grew more into focus. Jack began to slow his large pickup truck which let out a squeal from the brakes desperate for replacement. His truck slowed as he saw to his surprise a dark overturned van. The van
lay on its back motionless as if it had been lost to time. A modern piece of architecture or landmark guiding people into town.
Hesitating, Jack ran his hand through his beard scratching himself deep in thought. His eyes focused on the wreckage examining it over. Eyes widening, he realized whose van it was and became half tempted to drive away. His humanitarian feelings overwhelmed his dismissiveness and his door opened with a loud SQUEAK! “JED…” bellowed Jack as he began to approach the overturned van.
Broken glass, scattered clothes, and trash littered around the vehicle. The broken glass crunched underneath his boots as he continued to approach. “Hello Jed Walker, are you okay?” The van lay silent as Jack bent over to pick up a pair of broken black coke bottle sized glasses. His head raised in realization that maybe Jed was not alone. “Colt…Colt Walker are you here?”
Thunder cracked above him as the sky threatened to downpour again. Jack examined the inside of the van and discovered blood covering the entire inside. His eyes followed the blood which seemed to make a trail out towards the back. Running around to the back he saw the trail of blood head towards the broken rear doors. His eyes darted across it as if trying to put the pieces together.
Scanning the trail of blood one more time he realized that either Jed or Colt dragged their way towards the back, or something had taken them. The trail of blood reached a few feet passed the doors before the rain had seemingly swallowed up the red color. Eyes retreating up, Jack’s mouth opened wide in near shock as large claw marks littered the inside of the van.
He ran his finger over one of the large jagged gashes, realizing that an animal had been there.
Had the animal caused Jed or Colt to crash the van? “Arrrrooorrr…” A low growl could be heard from somewhere within the depths of the trees. Jack knew that sound and immediately retreated from the back of the van. His eyes scanned the trees and bushes unable to detect the movement of an approaching predator. The growling could be heard again, growing closer and louder. Realizing that it was a bear, he retreated, hearing a soft CRUNCH underneath him. Colt’s glasses shattered under his
boot. He continued to retreat back to his pickup truck. “I need to warn the sheriff.” He climbed inside and immediately turned around to head back into Clint.
Mind racing as he become lost in his thoughts. Lost in his panic wondering how a bear could cause such devastation. The rain began to patter harder against the window, nearly blinding his visibility. Flipping on the windshield wipers, Jack was just able to clear the rain to see a large dark figure dart out in front of his truck. “OH SHIT…” He bellowed loudly.
SCREECH… The brakes to Jack’s pickup truck squealed on the ancient road. Loose asphalt splattered and clattered underneath his truck. Gripping the wheel tighter to try and reclaim control of the now fishtailing back end. Smoke billowed out from behind him and under the tires that tried desperately to stop in its tracks. However, the speed of the truck was too much for it. The miles of road that it had driven, the years of service it had provided, experience that it had achieved meant nothing. The tires wobbled under the rapid change in speed. The steering wheel spun under Jack’s grip a final time before his truck tittered onto two wheels hitting the slopping sides of the road.
The truck flipped onto his side sliding several feet into the earth before flipping over one final time. The air bag had popped open smashing him in the face like a kick from a horse. He felt his nose immediately break and his eyes popped like fireworks. Sliding to a grinding halt he felt his consciousness go in and out. His eyes flickered between light and dark as he groaned in confusion and delayed pain. Shattered glass sprinkled onto the ground. The silence of the forest was only broken by the creaking from the metal of his truck. He could feel the wheels still spinning above him as the blood rushed to his head. The seatbelt seemed to cut into his body plastering him in the driver’s seat. His head swam in his head like a boat on a lake.
The air bag obscured most of his view as he continued to drift in and out. It seemed to take a lifetime for his mind to reconnect with his body. His head turned a fraction as the world had flipped
upside down. Despite the tree line pointing down something re-righted in his head.
He remembered a large black blob, an almost large boulder shaped object barely visible in the spattering of rain. The rain had paused again, but he was unsure of how long he had been unconscious.
His eyes fluttered when he heard the faintest of tinkles. The heavy shuffles of something stepping over the broken glass around his overturned pickup truck. The sound of footsteps grew more audible, “H-hello…is somebody out there?” Motionless he waited for a response. However, the response was not what he had expected. It was a snort from a familiar animal and then his memory clicked on. He remembered swerving to avoid hitting something in the middle of the road. An unidentifiable animal that had appeared from out of the mist like an unknown rock in the ocean.
Jack remembered his hands sliding over the wheel desperate to keep his pickup truck’s stability.
Another loud snort came from outside the truck as it suddenly jostled with a metallic SQUEAK! His body began to tense realizing that the mysterious animal was not something cute and furry. The strength of the large animal jostled the jeep again. His hand desperately trying to get his seatbelt to come off. His fingers struggled to find the release as his eyes traveled from broken window to broken window.
The release had become buried between the console and seat. A large fur covered leg had dropped in front of the passenger side window. The thick fur and large dark claws were indistinguishable from an apex predator. His last hope of the animal being friendly had disappeared with an intake of breath. The bear snorted as the body of the beast smacked against the side. Four large legs began to walk past the window softly pattering over the dirt.
Holding his breath, Jack realized that it was a large brown bear. He noticed its coat was covered in caked on dark brown mud and dried blood. He was unsure of its gender and tried to catch a glimpse before it disappeared behind his air bag. His fingers drew closer to his seatbelt release
beginning to trace the tips against the top. His body shifted against the restricting seatbelt trying to reposition his body. His eyes focused on the small pool of blood and droplets that spattered over the roof.
Fingers began to push the release as he prepared to fall into his own blood. However, his eyes flicked to this left as a low growl could be heard. The bear had come to the driver’s side door. The truck lurched to the side several inches as the bear began to make its way inside the cabin. The air bag impeded its way and the bear let out a massive roar of frustration. He couldn’t scream as his mouth opened wordlessly protesting. POW… Its claws easily popped into the bag causing the air bag to explode in its face.
The back of his head hit the headrest as lights began to pop in his eyes. The entire world seemed to be shaking as he felt his body jerking side to side. His eyes refocused when his ears picked up the faint sounds of LAP…LAP… LAP. His mouth trembled open as he struggled to remain calm.
The bear’s barrel head protruded through the window directly under him. He could feel the mangled fur brushing against the top of his head. Realizing his mistake, Jack waited with abated breath hoping his seatbelt would keep him from falling. The seatbelt release he had pushed had become a ticking time bomb preparing for his demise. The bear, either unaware of his presence, believing him dead, or uninterested, lapped its tongue across the roof in an almost lazy way. Its tongue ran over the pool of blood like a snake caught in a small puddle.
The more blood its tongue took in, the more it seemed to want. The bear let out a frustrated groan as it tried desperately to reposition itself better. It seemed desperate to lap up every drop as Jack’s body tried desperately not to tremble. Droplets of his blood dripped like the slowest leaking faucet from his nose. Death was inches from his face lapping at his blood and enjoying it.
Jack’s shaking intensified as the droplet fell from him and landed on the top of the bear’s head.
The bear froze and its breathing had grown quiet. It backed out of the cabin slowly recoiling as if knowing something was above him. Its head tilted a fraction of an inch and Jack caught the bear’s one coal black eye. The other had turned milky white and appeared dead. The bear lapped at the blood dripping from his broken nose. He flinched as the bear’s breath smelled of fragrances no human should know. Thick slobber ran down its jowls as it realized Jack was still alive. The bear snarled with fangs as long as a pocketknife. Teeth stained dark yellow as its mouth widened, able to fit his face easily.
The bear’s head was lined with deep cuts and blood scabbed wounds that looked hours old.
Jack did not have time to admire the horror that approached his face for too long. Under the snarling oncoming of death, there came the faintest CLICK. The seatbelt recoiled and he fell onto the roof of the car. A fresh piece of meat having been slapped on the bear’s dinner platter. The bear’s massive body immediately overwhelmed and overtook him. Its jaws latched onto his face with a blood curdling scream. Legs frantically kicking as his hands gripped helplessly into the bear’s thick fur. The neck of the bear arched as the muffles in its neck flexed. The bear tore into his face as a loud CRACK
that seemed undisguisable with the one from the sky above. Rain began to pour in a downpour dulling out his final pained cries. Bones cracked and his body immediately became lifeless. The muscles in the bear remained stiff as the bear’s jaws continued digging into its victim.
Jack’s lifeless arm thumped against the broken glass of his pickup truck. His body continued to jerk sporadically as the bear seemed unconvinced of its victim’s mortality. Convinced it was playing opossum despite rivers of blood now running down the side of its face. Jack’s face began disappearing more into the bear’s mouth. Locked onto him, the bear gave one final jerk as if to add more insult to injury. It pulled out of the window with a snarl that desired a continued thirst for blood. Chunks of flesh dangled from every corner of its mouth, jowls, and in between its teeth.
The bear turned upwards towards the thundering sky above it. The rain drenched its fur unable to clean the caked on mud and dried blood. Water ran through its wounds and between its claws as it
climbed onto the top of the overturned pickup truck. The bear’s heavy body forced the metal on the truck’s undercarriage to groan in protest. The truck’s frame began to waiver as the bear began stomping its front paws into the undercarriage. Repeatedly stomping as if trying desperately to smash parts of the truck further into itself.
The remaining glass of the front window blew out with a CRASH! Glass showered as the rain poured across the town and surrounding area of Clint in buckets. The bear leaned back recoiling its head and roared loudly to the world. Roared into its lungs would empty of every ounce of oxygen.
Mouth wide as parts of flesh flew with every second of its ire warning. A warning that death was coming, and it was just outside the town of Clint.