Melinda West by KC Grifant

Author:KC Grifant [Grifant, KC]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: monsters, demon, western horror, supernatural, horror western, gunslinger, old west
Publisher: Brigids Gate Press, LLC
Published: 2023-02-01T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

Between trekking on foot and sharing rides on Mud and Pepper, they didn’t get to Red Cliffs until nearly twilight. The slushy, narrow path was empty of other riders. Air blew and the grit pricked their eyes and stuck in their teeth. Not as bad as being stranded out on the train tracks yesterday, Melinda thought, though they were all covered in snow and shivering besides.

Angelo paused, staring at the ground. “Solo horse came through a few hours ago it looks like. Light tracks, so one passenger. Could be the outlaw.”

The group pressed forward, following Angelo past adobe houses and tents. He yanked his horse to a stop a minute later.

“What’s wrong?” Topaz pulled alongside him.

“Trail’s cold. But ...” Angelo’s gaze shot around. “Doesn’t make sense,” he grunted. “A horse can’t just disappear.”

“We’re not dealing with something natural,” Lance said. “Eloise has help. Someone who doesn’t want us to find her.”

Angelo sat back in his saddle in frustration.

“Gene, you got anything?” Lance asked.

“No, siree.” Gene wiped his nose. His head titled; he looked more than dazed.

“You all right?” Melinda asked.

“Maybe if I ate a bit, warmed up ...” Gene trailed off.

“How long til your power comes back?” Angelo barked.

“Not sure if I got any left in me today,” Gene all but whispered. “Maybe in the morning.”

“We don’t have time for that,” Angelo said.

“It’s the ...” Gene gestured toward the mountain ridges behind them and smiled weakly. “The Edge, I think. Giving me a bout of something. Y’all feel it?”

Melinda scrutinized him. “Little bit. Not like you. Think your sight makes you more sensitive to it?”

Gene nodded slowly.

“Well, not a bad idea to stop and dry off anyway.” Melinda’s heart fell but she kept her voice even; Gene clearly felt bad enough as it was. “Let’s find the standing saloon and get our bearings.”

“That’s the first decent thing I’ve heard all day,” Topaz declared, and even Angelo didn’t argue. They were all shivering, and the horses were lagging. “Something about facing imminent doom makes me hungry enough to eat a cow.”

As they walked, Melinda didn’t see the normal signs of a working town. Something was off. No mills, no blacksmith, nothing. Just homes and a few saloons. Not even a butcher. No signs of kids anywhere. Laughter floated through the air, normally a good sign in a town, but this laughter sounded unhinged, two screws short of a full pack. They passed white bugs big as their hands scuttling along the dirt and a toad, light blue in color, staring at them.

“Edge creatures,” Gene shuddered.

“How can you tell?” Lance flicked his rolled cigarette butt at the toad. “Your special sight?”

Gene shook his head. “Anyone can tell. They have a weird luminescence. If you squint, you can see it.”

Melinda narrowed her eyes and could just make out a faint halo around the toad. “How about that.” In all their time monster hunting, she had never really stopped to consider the critters. It made sense: Aunt B always said they had odd properties.

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