stream. It would be nice, she decided suddenly, to kick off her tight satin slippers and wade in the cool water.
The gate opened and closed with a grating squeak, and she moved through the shadows toward the sound of the stream. Reaching the edge, she removed her shoes, then lifted her skirts waist-high, preparing to step into the water. A rumbling sound caused her to freeze.
She turned slowly, looking fearfully toward the thick, black woods beyond her. It had sounded almost like thunder. Just then she heard it again. She began to move back toward the gate, terror bubbling in her throat as the rumbling sound deepened and came closer.
Suddenly there was a crashing sound, and a huge black shadow lunged from the bushes. She screamed. Moonlight illuminated the deadly horns on the great beast’s head.
The bull was staring straight at her, eyes shining like red coals. He lifted his head, and the dread sound pierced the air once more, drowning out her cry of terror.
She turned and ran, but tripped and fell to the ground. Rolling quickly onto her back, she saw that he was raising a hoof, pawing at the ground. He lowered his head and bellowed angrily again. She knew instinctively that the beast was about to charge, to send one of those spearlike horns plunging into her flesh.
Hoisting herself up on her elbows, oblivious to the skin being scraped away as she moved, she dug her heels into the ground and began to scramble backward.
There was movement behind her, and she looked frantically around to see two men crawling cautiously over the fence.
“Do not move!” one of them ordered in a deliberately calm voice. “Stay where you are.”
“Watch him, Mendosa,” the other man said to his partner. “He’s a killer.”
In the eerie moonlight, she watched as the man who had first spoken removed his coat and moved forward. She did not want to look at the bull, for a fresh wave of terror ripped through her each time he bellowed. The man, however, did not take his eyes from the animal. The bull’s head was lowered in readiness for attack, but the man kept moving toward him, calmly and steadily.
The stranger spoke sharply to her in a thick Spanish accent. “When he moves, get to the gate as fast as you can. Do not hesitate for a second. Move quickly.”
Suddenly the bull charged, and Amber could feel the earth tremble beneath the thundering hooves.
“ Toro !” the man cried, leaping in front of Amber, snapping his coat sharply. “ Toro !” To her he yelled, “Run! Quickly!”
She scrambled to her knees and crawled a few feet before she felt strong hands grasp her around the waist and lift her high in the air. Her rescuer swung her over the fence and dropped her on the ground with a painful thud.
“She’s safe,” she heard him shout. “Get the hell out of there.”
“Ahhh, the evening has been so boring,” was the laughing reply. “I think I will make a few passes.”
“Mendosa, you’re crazy,” the other man shouted. “He’s not one to play with.”
Amber got to her feet shakily, feeling a shadow of anger over being treated so roughly. Dusting off her long skirt, she moved to the gate. She could see the man called Mendosa flicking his coat, stepping quickly to one side just as the bull charged the coat.
“You’re a stubborn fool!”
She looked up at the man who had lifted her over the fence as she moved to stand beside him. He felt her presence and turned to give her an angry grimace. “Will you just get out of here? You’ve caused enough trouble.” He turned away, dismissing her.
“I only wanted to go wading,” she said shakily. “I’m sorry if I caused any trouble. I didn’t know there was a bull—”
“I don’t give a damn,” the man growled.
Stung, Amber looked away to where the other man was dancing about the charging bull. Incredulous, she could hear him laughing. “Why, I think he’s enjoying this!” she gasped.
“Of course he is. He doesn’t have any sense. Now, get out
The gate opened and closed with a grating squeak, and she moved through the shadows toward the sound of the stream. Reaching the edge, she removed her shoes, then lifted her skirts waist-high, preparing to step into the water. A rumbling sound caused her to freeze.
She turned slowly, looking fearfully toward the thick, black woods beyond her. It had sounded almost like thunder. Just then she heard it again. She began to move back toward the gate, terror bubbling in her throat as the rumbling sound deepened and came closer.
Suddenly there was a crashing sound, and a huge black shadow lunged from the bushes. She screamed. Moonlight illuminated the deadly horns on the great beast’s head.
The bull was staring straight at her, eyes shining like red coals. He lifted his head, and the dread sound pierced the air once more, drowning out her cry of terror.
She turned and ran, but tripped and fell to the ground. Rolling quickly onto her back, she saw that he was raising a hoof, pawing at the ground. He lowered his head and bellowed angrily again. She knew instinctively that the beast was about to charge, to send one of those spearlike horns plunging into her flesh.
Hoisting herself up on her elbows, oblivious to the skin being scraped away as she moved, she dug her heels into the ground and began to scramble backward.
There was movement behind her, and she looked frantically around to see two men crawling cautiously over the fence.
“Do not move!” one of them ordered in a deliberately calm voice. “Stay where you are.”
“Watch him, Mendosa,” the other man said to his partner. “He’s a killer.”
In the eerie moonlight, she watched as the man who had first spoken removed his coat and moved forward. She did not want to look at the bull, for a fresh wave of terror ripped through her each time he bellowed. The man, however, did not take his eyes from the animal. The bull’s head was lowered in readiness for attack, but the man kept moving toward him, calmly and steadily.
The stranger spoke sharply to her in a thick Spanish accent. “When he moves, get to the gate as fast as you can. Do not hesitate for a second. Move quickly.”
Suddenly the bull charged, and Amber could feel the earth tremble beneath the thundering hooves.
“ Toro !” the man cried, leaping in front of Amber, snapping his coat sharply. “ Toro !” To her he yelled, “Run! Quickly!”
She scrambled to her knees and crawled a few feet before she felt strong hands grasp her around the waist and lift her high in the air. Her rescuer swung her over the fence and dropped her on the ground with a painful thud.
“She’s safe,” she heard him shout. “Get the hell out of there.”
“Ahhh, the evening has been so boring,” was the laughing reply. “I think I will make a few passes.”
“Mendosa, you’re crazy,” the other man shouted. “He’s not one to play with.”
Amber got to her feet shakily, feeling a shadow of anger over being treated so roughly. Dusting off her long skirt, she moved to the gate. She could see the man called Mendosa flicking his coat, stepping quickly to one side just as the bull charged the coat.
“You’re a stubborn fool!”
She looked up at the man who had lifted her over the fence as she moved to stand beside him. He felt her presence and turned to give her an angry grimace. “Will you just get out of here? You’ve caused enough trouble.” He turned away, dismissing her.
“I only wanted to go wading,” she said shakily. “I’m sorry if I caused any trouble. I didn’t know there was a bull—”
“I don’t give a damn,” the man growled.
Stung, Amber looked away to where the other man was dancing about the charging bull. Incredulous, she could hear him laughing. “Why, I think he’s enjoying this!” she gasped.
“Of course he is. He doesn’t have any sense. Now, get out
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