Skinning the Coyote: A Horror Western Novel by Nick McAnulty & Wicked House Publishing

Author:Nick McAnulty & Wicked House Publishing [McAnulty, Nick & Publishing, Wicked House]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wicked House Publishing
Published: 2023-10-02T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

THE CRIMSON STREETS OF ARKELL

i. Shane

Things were different after the barn.

A fresh burst of life had been injected into the group, bringing the three men closer together, despite the very different interests they held. Before the horrors of the barn, every word and reaction between them was closely guarded and calculated. But after escaping that hellish place, it was easier to enjoy the journey and their surroundings. They could appreciate the outside world, share a couple stories and even laugh here and there. Shane learned that the kid had seen and done some interesting things in his life, some of them even hinting at a bit of a decent side under his skewed view of morality. He was able to see the kid as a person, not just a monster in a story. His personality shined in a way that made it pretty easy for Shane to grow to kind of like him. The new lease on life and view of their prisoner made the ride relatively pleasant, a blessing they all appreciated after what they'd been through.

But growing to enjoy the kid as a person created a new problem, one that bubbled to the surface as they approached the outskirts of Arkell. How do you claim to enjoy a man's company only to drop him off to be hung for your own monetary gain? The relationships had changed, but their end destination sure as shit hadn’t. The air became thicker among them the closer they drew to Arkell, the sunny sentiment fading by the minute. Everybody had the same thing on their mind, a sense of finality beginning to weigh on their shoulders. Eli and Kit seemed to be hiding it pretty well, but Shane could read it behind their eyes. He felt a lump of guilt in his throat, a feeling that only reminded him of the noose that would soon be around the kid’s neck.

When they eventually reached the edge of town, they stopped to soak in the night air of their final stop. The sky was clear, littered with endless stars above them, paired with the glow of the moon. The beauty of it felt mixed, contradicting the despair growing in their guts. Shane wished he had the courage to say something, anything, but couldn’t get the words out. He felt even worse when it was Kit who broke the silence.

“You know, it’s not too late,” the kid said, as if it were all as easy as that. “There’s nothing that says you boys can’t cut me loose.”

“I’m afraid this is the last stop for you, my friend,” Eli told him solemnly.

“It doesn’t have to be,” Kit reasoned. “We could forget everything and all go our separate ways.”

He managed to make the proposal sound elegant, like they were having a casual negotiation over goods instead of a man pleading for his life.

“Sorry kid,” Shane responded, hardly believing the bitter words were his, “but we can’t give up this reward.”

The kid scoffed with amusement at the mention of money.

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