down the porch stairs. “Oh God!”
He marched into the house and placed Quinn’s motionless body on his bed.
“What happened?” Amanda cried, running to get a cloth.
Samuel undid the boy’s jacket and took off his boots. Amanda leaned over him and wiped his face. His swollen eye, split bloody lip, and a bruise on his cheek told the story of what had happened. Samuel could feel his rage pulsing through his veins.
Only cowards and bullies would pick on a child, and by the scuffle and footsteps in the snow, Quinn had been outnumbered. What surprised him was the wolf creature. It sure seemed like the beast knew the boy…but how would that be possible. His mind drifted quickly to the superstitions that floated around Bandit Creek and Lost Lake.
“He said he was going to visit a new friend,” Amanda stammered between sobs and tears. “I shouldn’t have let him go.” She shook her head.
Samuel placed his arms around her shoulders. “A friend wouldn’t do this,” he stated with clenched teeth.
Shouts and yelling could be heard coming closer to the house. Samuel stood and exited the bedroom. Amanda followed with a puzzled look.
“What’s all the ruckus?” she asked, trying to peer out the window of the sitting room. George Ellis and a few other men approached Amanda’s home.
Samuel moved towards the door, pushing Amanda behind him. He pulled it open.
Standing at the bottom of the stairs George Ellis seethed with anger. His jacket remained open and his rifle rested on his hip.
“You! What are you doing here?” George spit out with hostility.
With his jacket and boots still on, Samuel stomped down the stairs without a care. George pointed the gun at him. Samuel thrust the barrel of the rifle away with his arm, glaring at the balding man.
“Men like you don’t deserve to crawl on this earth,” Samuel seethed, stepping closer to the man and pushing him in the chest.
George cocked the rifle and Samuel heard Amanda’s muffled scream. “George leave him alone,” she pleaded.
The rotund man gave an evil laugh, pushing Samuel back with the end of the barrel. “I warned you, Amanda. If you would marry me like I’ve said all along, things would be so much easier.”
Unable to control his temper any further, Samuel knocked the rifle sideways. The shot rang out through the cold night air. His fist connected with the man’s face and he held him by the neck, twisting his arm behind his back.
He heard the other rifles cock. “Stay away from Amanda and Quinn. If you, or your son, ever touch either of them again, you’ll deal with me. Then the nightmares surrounding this hellish town will seem like a pleasant dream compared to what I’m gonna do to you.” Samuel shoved him forward with a giant push.
George stumbled, falling on his knees.
He felt Amanda grabbing him by the arm, pulling him back. “Leave him, Samuel,” she begged.
George stood wiping the blood from his lip. “That was a mistake,” he said, spitting blood in the snow. “Let’s see what the rest of the town folk have to say about that boy of yours, Amanda. He is evil, and my boy and the other boys are the proof. Quinn’s beast creature speaks and has made threats, swearing to tear their throats out. Quinn needs to die just like that wolf creature.”
Amanda gasped. Samuel could hear the disbelief in her voice. “Why are you so cruel? Haven’t I been through enough, George Ellis! You could have anyone else, please just leave us alone.”
He smiled. “You are what I want, Amanda, and one way or the other, you will come to me.”
Samuel lunged toward him once again, but Amanda’s arm held him back.
George’s sinister laugh made him sick.
“Come on, boys, we’ve got a wolf to shoot and skin.” He smirked turning on his heel.
Amanda stood unmoving and numb, watching the monsters wander down the street.
Samuel ushered her back up the porch stairs and into the house. He removed his boots and grabbed a shawl from the coat
He marched into the house and placed Quinn’s motionless body on his bed.
“What happened?” Amanda cried, running to get a cloth.
Samuel undid the boy’s jacket and took off his boots. Amanda leaned over him and wiped his face. His swollen eye, split bloody lip, and a bruise on his cheek told the story of what had happened. Samuel could feel his rage pulsing through his veins.
Only cowards and bullies would pick on a child, and by the scuffle and footsteps in the snow, Quinn had been outnumbered. What surprised him was the wolf creature. It sure seemed like the beast knew the boy…but how would that be possible. His mind drifted quickly to the superstitions that floated around Bandit Creek and Lost Lake.
“He said he was going to visit a new friend,” Amanda stammered between sobs and tears. “I shouldn’t have let him go.” She shook her head.
Samuel placed his arms around her shoulders. “A friend wouldn’t do this,” he stated with clenched teeth.
Shouts and yelling could be heard coming closer to the house. Samuel stood and exited the bedroom. Amanda followed with a puzzled look.
“What’s all the ruckus?” she asked, trying to peer out the window of the sitting room. George Ellis and a few other men approached Amanda’s home.
Samuel moved towards the door, pushing Amanda behind him. He pulled it open.
Standing at the bottom of the stairs George Ellis seethed with anger. His jacket remained open and his rifle rested on his hip.
“You! What are you doing here?” George spit out with hostility.
With his jacket and boots still on, Samuel stomped down the stairs without a care. George pointed the gun at him. Samuel thrust the barrel of the rifle away with his arm, glaring at the balding man.
“Men like you don’t deserve to crawl on this earth,” Samuel seethed, stepping closer to the man and pushing him in the chest.
George cocked the rifle and Samuel heard Amanda’s muffled scream. “George leave him alone,” she pleaded.
The rotund man gave an evil laugh, pushing Samuel back with the end of the barrel. “I warned you, Amanda. If you would marry me like I’ve said all along, things would be so much easier.”
Unable to control his temper any further, Samuel knocked the rifle sideways. The shot rang out through the cold night air. His fist connected with the man’s face and he held him by the neck, twisting his arm behind his back.
He heard the other rifles cock. “Stay away from Amanda and Quinn. If you, or your son, ever touch either of them again, you’ll deal with me. Then the nightmares surrounding this hellish town will seem like a pleasant dream compared to what I’m gonna do to you.” Samuel shoved him forward with a giant push.
George stumbled, falling on his knees.
He felt Amanda grabbing him by the arm, pulling him back. “Leave him, Samuel,” she begged.
George stood wiping the blood from his lip. “That was a mistake,” he said, spitting blood in the snow. “Let’s see what the rest of the town folk have to say about that boy of yours, Amanda. He is evil, and my boy and the other boys are the proof. Quinn’s beast creature speaks and has made threats, swearing to tear their throats out. Quinn needs to die just like that wolf creature.”
Amanda gasped. Samuel could hear the disbelief in her voice. “Why are you so cruel? Haven’t I been through enough, George Ellis! You could have anyone else, please just leave us alone.”
He smiled. “You are what I want, Amanda, and one way or the other, you will come to me.”
Samuel lunged toward him once again, but Amanda’s arm held him back.
George’s sinister laugh made him sick.
“Come on, boys, we’ve got a wolf to shoot and skin.” He smirked turning on his heel.
Amanda stood unmoving and numb, watching the monsters wander down the street.
Samuel ushered her back up the porch stairs and into the house. He removed his boots and grabbed a shawl from the coat
Similar Books
