A story I wrote in College

Death Sentence ?
By Nanette Sage
May 1989

On the 10th of May 1989 Dr. Downs, a Creative Writing Instructor at CSU Chico assigned a project to his class. He gave the students a copy of an original Death Sentence, from 1881. It was a Verbatim Transcript. The students were to take this transcript and create a story around it. The story provided here is my (Nanette Sage) answer to the project. I can only hope you enjoy the story as much as I did creating it.
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Death Sentence, 1881: Verbatim Transcript;

Jose Manuel Miguel Xavier Gonzales, in a few short weeks, it will be spring. The snows of winter will flee away, the ice will vanish, and the air will become soft and balmy. In short, Jose Manuel Miguel Gonzales, the annual miracle of the years will awaken and come to pass, but you won't be there.

The rivulet will run its soaring course to the sea. The timid desert flowers will put forth their tender shoots, the glorious valleys of this imperial domain will blossom as the rose. Still, you won't be here to see.

From every tree top some wild woods songster will carol his mating song, butterflies will sport in the sunshine, the busy bee will hum happily as it pursues its accustomed vocation. The gentle breeze will tease the tassels of the wild grasses, and all nature, Jose Manuel Miguel Xavier Gonzales, will be glad but you. You won't be here to enjoy it because I command the sheriff or some other officer of this country to lead you out to some remote spot, swing you by the neck from a knotting bough of a sturdy oak, and let you hang until you are dead.

And then, Jose Manuel Miguel Xavier Gonzales, further I command that such officer or officers retire quickly from your dangling corpse, that vultures may, descend from the heavens upon your filthy body until nothing shall remain but bare, bleached bones of a coldblooded, copper-colored, bloodthirsty, throatcutting, chilieating, sheepherding, murdering sonofabitch.

—United States of America v. Gonzales (18S1), United States District Court, New Mexico Territory Sessions. Submitted by Cleopatra .Mathis.

--------- ---------- And NOW the Story Starts ------------

Death Sentence?

It's a cool March day in 1881. A small one horse carriage is moving quickly along a narrow winding road on the outskirts of a town called Aches in the state of New Mexico.

The rider is a young Mexican man known as Jose Gonzales. His eyes are wide with fear, for today, Jose witnessed the savage slaying of his employer by a creature from hell.

The small carriage, as durable as it appeared, rattled and shook, nearly ready to fall apart as Jose raced along. It was obvious that he was not worried about the holes in the dirt road or the small boulders in his path. Judging by the speed he so desperately is trying to achieve, only the horses seemed concerned about where the carriage went, but they too were getting clumsy. For' they have been pulling the carriage and Jose at a full gallop for nearly a 2 miles and fatigue was catching up quickly. Their tongues were hanging out of their mouths' dry and chapping, their eyes were already beginning to show signs of unconsciousness as they began to start rolling back. As Jose entered the town they finally gave out. No longer could they keep up the pace, their legs quivered and buckled as they collapsed taking the carriage to its side as they went down.

Jose, slightly dazed from the fall quickly recovered to his feet and began howling and screaming for the Sheriff as he ran down the main street, apparently unconcerned with the horses or carriage

The people on the sidewalks and in the street stood in confusion, wondering why this man is acting the way he is, almost as if he were mad or something. Some of the town folk went to the carriage to see if the horses were injured or not, while others followed Jose to the Sheriffs office. He ran so hard and fast that when he approached the office he lost his balance and fell through the door and on to the floor of the office. Luckily the door was ajar a bit already

The office was old and run down with squeaky doors and splintered floors. The Jai1 was in a different room to allow the Sheriff some piece and quiet when he had a prisoner or two. There was a table and a desk, both of which needed to be reworked very badly. The table was very roughly made, almost as if it was made by a child. There were three chairs in the room, one of which the Sheriff was using, the other two were in front of the desk facing him. Jose, still shaking from both exhaustion and fear slowly stood up. He wasn't sure how to start. He knew that the Sheriff didn't like Mexicans, in particular, the ones that wanted him to do something for them. Jose's eyes were still wide as he stared at the Sheriff. The Sheriff is a large man in both height and weight, he looked to be about thirty (30) years old or so with light freckled skin and red hair. He had a big bushy bright red mustache that almost covered his mouth down to the lower lip. His voice was deep and sounded very harsh and husky.

“What the hell is going on, can't a man get any work done in this town?!” exclaimed the sheriff going on.

“Well, what do you want that seems to be so important?”, the Sheriff asks Jose.

Jose wasn't sure how to start to tell him what had happened, he was so confused and scared

Taking a fast breath Jose began,

“It's Mr. and Mrs. Weaver Sheriff, their dead, killed by a demon from hell”, cried Jose in very bad English.

“Sit down and tell me what you know?” said the Sheriff in a questioning voice.

Jose knew that he had to get the Sheriff out to the ranch quickly if the creature that got the Weavers was to be destroyed. Fear pulling at him he began to get frantic for time.

The Sheriff calmed Jose down enough to get him to sit down. Then out of the lower right hand drawer he pulled out a bottle of whisky and two small glasses of which he poured a bit for himself and some for Jose.

“Here, drink this, it will settle you a bit, then tell me. again”, said the Sheriff.

Jose took the drink but rather than drinking it he begins to explain the situation to the Sheriff, but this time the Sheriff cut him off before he got to the important part.

“In English you dam Mexican, tel1 me in English,” the sheriff barked.

Jose didn't even realize that he was speaking in Spanish. Once again Jose starts, but this time he tells the Sheriff his story in English.

“It's horrible, their body parts are every where! It just came out of no where and grabbed them, the both of them, They tried to struggle but it was to no avail, it just ripped them to pieces “

“Who?”, asked the sheriff, “Who got ripped up and by what, your just babbling on, I need details to know what's going on.”

Jose went on, “Just come out there to see for your self, to see the horror that has taken place.”

Jose then swallowed the whisky he was given in one gulp. The Sheriff told him that he cant just get up and take off when some Mexican comes running in to his office and tells him a monster is loose and it ate his boss. The story seemed a bit far fetched already. He wanted to know the facts first and then he would determine if it is feasible enough or not to check it out.

“Now then, start at the beginning”, asked the Sheriff.

Jose sat for a few minutes to get himself to calm down a little and to congregate his thoughts. “This thing,” he said “a creature or demon of some sort got the Weavers. I was in the stable getting the carriage ready for a ride to town. I had just finished preparing the carriage for the ride and went to open the door to the stable to bring it out when all of a sudden I herd a loud scream out front, a scream of terror by a women. Mrs. Weaver was the first person who came to mind since the Weavers and myself were supposed to be the only ones on the ranch at the time. I wasn't sure what to do because I didn't have a gun, so I went to the window to look thinking that Mr. Weaver would go to help her. That's when I saw it. The gigantic festering thing “

“Go on”, said the Sheriff, so Jose did so.

“It stood about twelve (12) feet high and it looked like an enormous insect with a writhing mass of black snake like tentacles all over its back It had suction like mouths all over it's body with green slimy ooze coming out of them. The ooze was kind of clear like water, dirty slimy water. The ooze was all over it and dripping down on to the ground. The insect like body was grayish green and it had six (6) legs each of which had padded hooves and long claws at their ends.”

By now Jose had gotten out of his chair and was trying to emphasize what he saw physically by acting out what he saw that had happened to the Weavers. The Sheriffs deputy came in to the office to listen as well as Jose went on.

“When it moved it made a really sickening sound, like it had to break its bones to move. No matter what it did I was able to hear the sound of bones snapping and breaking. But the smell was the worst part, it smelled like decaying human flesh, decrepit, maggot infested rotting flesh. It had a dark, blood red underside and bright red eyes with green ooze dripping from them.”

As Jose explained his tale he realized that the Sheriff was believing him less and less. The deputy on the other hand seemed to be quite enthralled Judging by the loss of color in his face,… Jose went on.

“As I said, when I herd the scream I went to the window to see what was happening; that's when I saw that creature. It had both Mr. and Mrs. Weaver in its snake like tentacles It lowered its head down to Mrs. Weavers calf and gigantic pinchers came out of it's mouth and grabbed her leg. She began to scream from the pain as it slowly and viscously tore a large chunk of flesh from her calf and ate it. She fainted and at that point I also noticed that Mr. Weaver appeared to be unconscious and totally helpless as well. As it resumed feasting on Mrs. Weaver the tentacle things brought Mr. Weaver against it's body where the suction mouths began to bite in to him and suck out his blood.”

The deputy was also somewhat in disbelief but unfortunately for him his mind was quite creative and visual as his stomach let him know so right away. He quickly retreated from the office to the back room where Jose and the Sheriff could hear the gut wrenching sounds of his vomiting.

“Is that all?” asked the Sheriff, anger displayed in his eyes.

“No, there is a little more”, answered Jose

“Well”, said the Sheriff “ it sounds like quite a story, but do you really expect me to believe there is some gigantic creature stalking the ranchers?”.

“You must believe me”, cried Jose. “Just come out to the ranch and see for your self.”

The Sheriff asked him how come he didn't get eaten as well. Jose explained that the creature carried the remaining body parts to the back of the house. When Jose didn’t see it, he quickly took the carriage out of the stable and took off. He explained that he too could not refrain from vomiting when he noticed Mr. and Mrs. Weavers arms and legs in his way as he rushed to get on the road. He couldn't avoid going over some of them. All he asked was that the Sheriff come up and look, just to see for himself.

“I know your kind Jose, thieves and bandits hopping to scare people away so that you can do as you wish. Your little tall tale may have worked on getting my deputy going but not I, because I am a real man, not a weak stomached boy. Yes, I will come with you but , just to make sure your not up to any tricks, I shall bring my other deputy.” The Sheriff told him.

Then the Sheriff told the deputy that herd the story to stay incase someone needed the law. He then went over to the general store to retrieve his other deputy.

The Sheriff had the carriage that Jose rode in on sent to the town stable to be held and to have the horses cared for. Then he had a wagon brought to him for he and Jose to ride on while the deputy used his own horse.

As the Sheriff and Jose came to the ranch the Sheriff asked Jose to show him where the bodies are at. Jose explained that the creature had the bodies with it when it went to the back of the house, but that they would be coming up to where the limbs are that he tried to avoid.

As they came up to the house the Sheriff pulled out his gun and advised the deputy to do the same. Jose was starting to get confused, he was positive that he ran over Mr. Weavers leg.

“Well, where is it that you encountered the body parts?”, demanded the Sheriff.

“I'm telling you the truth, they were right here. Perhaps the demon came back and ate them,” answered Jose.

“Well then lets check things out and see what we find. deputy check the house inside,” ordered the Sheriff.

They looked all over the ranch out side as the deputy went inside.

“Sheriff”, yelled the deputy, “This house has been ransacked, some one went through everything.”

Jose looked everywhere he could remember but, he couldn't even find a drop of blood.

“Listen to me Jose,” the Sheriff said in an angry voice' “I'm not in the mood to play any games with you! Where are the Weavers?”.

“I'm telling the truth,” begged Jose, “I didn't do anything with them, I don't understand this. The creature was here I tell you' it was right here and it attacked and ate the Weavers.”

The deputy then came out of the house and over to the Sheriff, “The whole place has been turned inside out. Someone was looking for something but I haven't a clue to what it was. From the looks of it, I would say there were at least three or four men, going by the damage in there.”

The Sheriff glared at Jose and asked him what he was up to, but Jose just stood there scared and confused. He knew what he saw and he knew that the creature was real and that it may have even seen him. To the Sheriff on the other hand this 1ooked very suspicious and Jose's story sounded less and less interesting.

“Jose”, the Sheriff said, “I want you to come with me to town. I want to check this out more thoroughly and I don't want you going any where.”

Jose responded with a scent of fear in his voice, “But Sheriff, I think the creature may have seen me take off in the carriage and I fear it may come after me. It may still be around, it may be watching US right now.”

“I don't know why you pursue this little game but I am not going to tolerate it any longer, either you go with me voluntarily or I'm going to arrest you and you can spend the night in Jail,” exclaimed the Sheriff while desperately holding in his anger.

“I do not like being made a fool of, especially by a God dammed Mexican and his Low life buddies, now get your ass on that wagon, and I mean now,” yelled the Sheriff.

There wasn't much Jose could do, so he gathered up some of his belongings from the back room in the stable and went with the sheriff.

He couldn't figure it out. He saw the creature, he knows it was there and he saw it kill the Weavers, “Why can't any one believe him and where is all the blood and ooz and the body parts the thing threw everywhere? Could he be going out of his mind,” he thought.

The Sheriff set him up a room in the saloon up stairs where, if he went somewhere, he would be seen, and if he had a visitor they too would be seen.

Jose finally relaxed in the room by sundown and decided to go to sleep. The room was rather nice, far better than the back room in the stable where he had to live while working for the Weavers. The room in the saloon had a real bed and not a cot, a dresser, a washtub, and even a large mirror.

“Now this is living”, he thought, before looking towards the window of the room. Fear began creeping up his spine a bit.

The owner of the saloon was not very enthusiastic about Jose using the bed and clean sheets without a bath. So a young blond woman with soft white skin and bright blue eyes was sent to his room. She was to give him a bath. Initially Jose was quite embarrassed but, after a few minutes the young woman helped him calm down and enjoy the luxuries he is being given “Now”, Jose thought, “now I am really enjoying the good life.”

While the young woman gave him a bath Jose attempted to forget about the incident regarding the creature and instead began a conversation with the beautiful blond.

“Someday” Jose said, “I will be able to afford to take a hot bath and sleep on a nice bed whenever I want to.”

He went on, “There are many ways to make good money and to spend it, I shall go west to California and make something for myself there.”

Because the bath was so warm and the beautiful women had such a soft touch, Jose began to get very sleepy. The young girl decided to let Jose finish his bath himself.

As soon as she left the room Jose decided to climb out of the bath and dry off. He then walked over to the window in the room and opened it. He decided to relax and watch the stars out the window. As he watched, he noticed that he had a front room and could see all the way down the main street. He noticed the young blue eyed blond that bathed him walking down the street and going into one of the buildings, the Sheriffs Office.

Immediately Jose tried to remember what he said, “but it's all so fuzzy” he thought. He assumed that whatever he said would probably get him in trouble, but what could he do. He realized that if he goes out, everyone will see him leave, and if he stays he will be taken away and never be able to prove his innocence

As he watched out the window he saw the woman come out of the Sheriffs Office and point in his direction, the Sheriff came out at that moment. He looked up in Jose's direction and instantly eye contact was made. It was almost as if they were only a foot away from each other. Only one thought went through Jose 's mind, “Why? Why doesn't he want to believe.”

He decided it would be best to sleep a little while and try something later, perhaps when everybody was a sleep.

As he got ready for bed he heard a noise outside his door, a voice telling someone to keep watch on room nine (9), Joses’ room. “A guard”, he thought, “What does he do now?” He only had one option, thus choose it, for now he will sleep.

It was about onethirty in the morning when Jose awakened from a horrible nightmare. He was drenched in sweat, his body was shaking and he felt exhausted as if he were running or something. His head was pounding with pain and the image of the creature kept coming back to him. He realized now that he had to get away. He was sure the creature saw him and is even now thinking of how to get him. If at the very least it would be better to die at someone else’s hand than to let the creature eat, him alive

Perhaps he may even be able to lure it away from the town. He got dressed and carefully peeked out the window. The street was empty other than a few drunks in the gutter

Before making any kind of action to escape he felt it would be best to see if the guard was really outside the door. If so he needed to know where the guard was at. Jose slowly and very carefully opened the door enough not to make any noise. The door began to creek a bit but, only for a moment His luck was not as good as he had hoped but it was good enough. For the guard was there but, he was asleep with an empty whisky bottle on the floor next to him

Jose took one of the dark blankets and wrapped it around himself and over his head like a cloak, hoping no one would recognize him. Then, very carefully he tip toed out of the roam and down the hall, making as little noise as the floor and the creaking wood would allow. He avoided the railing as much as possible thus eliminating any long term exposure to any observers that might be below.

Once he got down the stairs he found the place totally vacant. He figured that the best thing for him to do would be to go out the back and avoid as many people as possible

The town was a bit bigger than he had realized when he found himself in a small dark ally that moved parallel to the main street. There was only one way out of the alley, going in the opposite direction from the entrance to the town,

Since he had to venture in to the town deeper than he had anticipated, he decided that his best opportunity to get far away fast is to steel a horse. The only place to do that is the town stable. This way he would have a much better chance to get to the Mexican border without getting caught, so he began to search for the stable

Jose figured he must have been walking for nearly twenty (20) minutes. As he searched around he thought he herd a faint sound behind him, but, getting nervous he decided it was just his mind playing tricks on him. He was not about to turn around and let his fear trick him. Then he herd it again, it seemed to be coming from somewhere behind him. He sped up to a slow casual walk rather than trying to be extra slow and quiet thinking that it was probably some merchant coming home drunk or something.

Then he realized it was getting louder and more distinct to hear. The sound was like bones cracking and breaking, then he remembered it, that very familiar sound that was made when the creature moved. Jose realized that the creature had come for him, it had started to look for him like an animal hunting its prey by scent, like a dog might do for a fox.

Jose’s adrenaline began to pump through him like a bolt of lightning. He no longer cared about the people that might see him or for the horse he needed to escape on, fear penetrated every bone in his body, every muscle, every ounce of blood in his veins.

He began to run, frantically, a man desperate for his life. As he ran his mind kept flashing back to the creature biting Mrs. Weaver, the flesh being torn from her while she was still alive.

“Oh God”, he begged, “Help me please, please God, help me.”

The creature was getting closer and Jose knew it had found him and it no longer needed to search very hard. As Jose rounded a corner he saw the creature way back behind him. But again his luck failed him for, while looking back to see if it was close or not as he ran for the main street, he tripped.

He fell at the base of a door to some building, the back door he assumed. Frantically he stood up to resume running when suddenly a very sharp pain shot through his right leg.

He hurt his ankle, twisted or broken it possibly. Again he fell, but he couldn't give up, “the door”, he thought, “perhaps the door was unlocked or something?!”.

He crawled to it and lifted himself up. Leaned against it and tried the handle, only to find it locked. Desperately he banged on the door, begging and pleading to be let in.

The creature was close, Jose could tell by the putrid smell of rotting flesh and the eerie bone breaking sound it made as it advanced. He couldn't see it yet but he knew it would be only moments before it came around the corner and got him. He kept banging on the door, yet, no longer did he yell, his voice had frozen from the fear he was feeling.

Suddenly the door opened and Jose fell, unbalanced, in to the dwelling. The floor was cold and hard, it was wooden with splinters and warps.

The door closed behind him and the light from the stars no longer permitted him vision. Then the occupant proceeded to lock the door and advance to what appeared to be the exit out of the room he had fallen in. In the next room a lamp was lit and Jose then realized who his savior was. it was the young women that had given him a bath, the one he saw go to the Sheriff's office.

“Please, I beg you to get some one here, quickly before it gets in to this place.” Jose cried.

He pleaded to the Women, ”The Sheriff, anyone, before it gets in'“

“What are you talking about,” she asks “what do you mean, it will get in, what will get in?”

Then without any warning she screamed. She backed up, away from Jose but not because of him, but rather what was behind him. The creature was inside the house, some how it got in without making any noise and without using any door or window.

Ignoring his injury and the incredible pain he should have felt. Jose stood up and ran for another room.

He wasn't sure really what to do or where he could hide. Not from an abomination like this, so he climbed under the nearest table he could find. From there he began praying as he watched and waited. Then he realized something, the young women was still out there.

As he watched he saw her slowly back up in to his view through the doorway. Then she stopped moving, frozen from the fear she was experiencing, staring and totally speechless now, frozen like a statue. As large as the creature was it moved around her with the delicacy of a dancer. It slowly advanced towards her then, almost as if it were confused and slightly unsure of itself it stopped moving.

Jose could only hope that it would leave, thinking she wasn't alive, like he was taught to do when he couldn’t escape a bear when he was a child. He decided to try and distract the thing by yelling but nothing came out, his scream was silent. He was to scared and his mind wanted to just pretend nothing was happening.

The creature lowered its head and stared in to the woman’s’ face, examining her features. Slowly it panned her body with it's eyes, until it came to her hands.

“Those soft and delicate hands that so gently caressed his body early in the evening,” Jose thought.

A few tentacles began to slither around her delicate and sensuous body, as it slowly opened its mouth. It's mandibles grabbed her wrist but it hesitated.

“Why is it so confused” thought Jose, “why is it so interested in her hands.” Almost as if they were a separate part from her body.

Suddenly the women realized what was happening and where she was, she returned to reality. The reality of knowing she was about to die.

She began to scream at the top of her voice, the second scream of terror for Jose to hear.

“What to do” Jose thought , “What can I do?”

He crawled from under the table and began yelling and throwing what ever he could find,

“Leave her alone demon, she is not the one you want' I am?!!” He realized it was a desk he was under and threw everything he could find, a book, a lamp, scissors. As he pulled on a drawer to throw he found a small derringer. He quickly examined it and found that it was loaded

He ran at the creature hopping to get a good shot in to its head. Then, all of a sudden, as he charged at the thing it, ripped the woman’s’ hand off at the wrist and swallowed it whole. The women screamed from the pain and fainted.

“You bastard,” cried Jose in Spanish.

Then before Jose could shoot it, the creature reached out with it's tentacles and grabbed him.

Jose began to laugh hysterically, the kind of laugh a mad man would have. Mad from fear. Mad from knowing your about to die as well. The creature pulled Jose closer, and closer. He realized that he had only one chance, so he pointed the gun at the things head and fired.

The bullet seemed to go right through the things head. Greenish ooz began to pour out profusely but still the creature stood. Then it lowered its head to the woman’s’ other hand and with a gut wrenching sound, it tore her other hand off and swallowed it. Jose could see the bone of her arm sticking out, and the blood gushing out of her and on to the floor.

There were two bullets in the gun and one was gone, wasted on something without a brain in it's head. Jose realized the situation and knew what his choice was.

He lifted the derringer to his own skull, and as he got ready to pull the trigger he began to laugh again and told the creature,

“You will not have the satisfaction of my destruction demon, my lord God, Jesus Christ will protect my soul from you.” The creatures eyes and Jose’s eyes locked. Looking at each other as he pulled on the trigger.

Then, as if it understood what he said, the creature jolted and knocked Jose. His hand moved just a bit so that when the gun went off, the bullet only glazed his skull.

Then, holding Jose, pinned in it’s tentacle, the creature began to tear the woman’s’ body apart. Blood was everywhere, and different parts of her body were torn from her torso and tossed all over the room. As it tore her arms and legs off her body the sound was like that made when taking the drum stick from the turkey carcass at thanksgiving time. For Jose these sounds no longer bothered him, for he just laughed and watched and listened as the ripping and tearing of raw flesh went on. His mind had shut down and now it only observed with laughter.

The creature by now had the torso of the women on the ground and had it's head buried in her intestines. Then, all of a sudden it stopped and lifted its head, it became quiet. There were Voices out front, voices of men. The creature dropped all of the woman’s’ remains but kept hold of Jose.

“Surround the house men. Were not about to let that Mexican bastard escape this time,” hollered one of the voices.

Jose recognized the voice right off, the Sheriffs voice. Jose smiled; for he thought, “now you will see the truth Sheriff”. Then again he herd the voice, but this time it was directed at him, “Give up, the place is surrounded, just come out with your hands high and we will not shoot.”

Jose just hung, quiet and motionless in the creatures grip. It lifted Jose up and carried him as if he weighed as much as a feather. It moved slowly and quietly towards the back room where it came in. Then again it stopped and listened, it's head turned slowly from side to side as if trapped.

Jose began to speak to the thing in a low and menacing voice, “It's all over monster, they will see you and kill you, because there is no where for you to go or to hide”. Then he began to once again laugh.

The creature looked at him, waited a few moments, listening, almost as if it were timing its action. Then it slammed Jose against the wall and tossed him at the remains of what was left of the woman’s’ gored up torso.

Jose landed face first into the creatures’ feast. The woman’s’ exposed intestines. Not realizing what happened or where he landed, dazed, he had a hard time getting his head untangled from her organs. As he managed to finally get free he herd the voices outside, some one was about to come in. But the creature, where is it, Jose didn't see it anywhere.

The last he remembered was that it was in the back room in the shadows, waiting. But it was light enough to see that it was no longer there. The only other room was where the desk and a bed was and he could see clearly that it wasn't in there as well “Where did it go,” he wondered.

Not thinking about the women and her body, he stood up quickly to look around, “were is it?”, he thought as he looked, when all of a sudden the pain in his ankle returned.

He had totally forgotten about his injury. He began to stagger and loose his balance. He staggered on one foot thinking he might get to the wall to help him stand up. As he tried to move he found the floor to be very slippery from all the blood and flesh. As be jumped around, his good foot landed on one of the woman’s’ dismembered arms and he fell.

Again his face landed in the woman’s’ abdomen. Just as Jose lifted his head from her body both the front and back door crashed open. At the front door was the Sheriff and at the back was the deputy. Both just stopped and stared in horror as while lifting his face out of the woman’s’ torso, Jose spat a piece of raw flesh out of his mouth.

The deputy and the Sheriff both began to vomit. Unable to control their stomachs, they backed out of the house and ordered no one else to enter The others were to just keep Jose from escaping.
“Kill him if he even looks like he is going to run”, the Sheriff hollered.

There wasn't much Jose could do, so he just crawled to a corner and closed his eyes. His body was covered in blood and there wasn't a bit of ooz to prove that the creature was the real killer. All over the room were bits and pieces of raw human flesh and only Jose knew how it got there. Sitting on the floor in the corner he just shut him self away. He didn't care any more, for sooner or later they would know the truth.

Eventually they will encounter it as well.

After a long time the Sheriff came back in to get Jose.

“I want so badly to kill you right here and now. That would be too easy though. No, you will die as horrible a death as the law will permit. Not a simple death that a bullet will permit you,” said the Sheriff. Then he took Jose and put him in jail.

Every foot step to the Jail, Jose could tell he wanted to just shoot him on the spot but he felt that would be to easy. He knew no one would question him about it after this but still he decided to wait. He knew Jose would hang for this kind of horror and that his death would be slow and painful.

The circuit Judge was coming to town that day and would be there for a while, the trial would be short and the punishment would be harsh and sweet.

Jose was taken to the Jai1 and shackled to the bed with a guard out side his cell as well as one in the office.

The Judge showed up really early that morning and the trial took place only a few hours later. After the Judge herd about what had gone on he could barely hold in his hatred and anger. Many of the town folk had come to the trial, watching and bewildered as to the horror that has taken place in their small town.

The Judge spoke, “Jose Manuel Miguel Xavier Gonzales, in a few short weeks, it will be spring. The snows of winter will flee away, the ice will vanish, and the air will become soft and balmy. In short, Jose Manuel Miguel Gonzales, the annual miracle of the years will awaken and come to pass, but you won't be there.

The rivulet will run its soaring course to the sea. The timid desert flowers will put forth their tender shoots, the glorious valleys of this imperial domain will blossom as the rose. Still, you won't be here to see.

From every tree top some wild woods songster will carol his mating song, butterflies will sport in the sunshine, the busy bee will hum happily as it pursues its accustomed vocation. The gentle breeze will tease the tassels of the wild grasses, and all nature, Jose Manuel Miguel Xavier Gonzales, will be glad but you. You won't be here to enjoy it because I command the sheriff or some other officer of this country to lead you out to some remote spot, swing you by the neck from a knotting bough of a sturdy oak, and let you hang until you are dead.

And then, Jose Manuel Miguel Xavier Gonzales, further I command that such officer or officers retire quickly from your dangling corpse, that vultures may, descend from the heavens upon your filthy body until nothing shall remain but bare, bleached bones of a coldblooded, copper-colored, bloodthirsty, throatcutting, chilieating, sheepherding, murdering sonofabitch.”

When the Judge finished, everyone looked at Jose. Jose was just staring out the window. His eyes were glossy and unmoving. He didn’t even notice that everyone was watching him, for he was watching out the window. There was something out there that only he noticed, something he had become very familiar with. He just smiled, a small but noticeable smile.

It smiled back.

At least, that is what Jose thought.



The End





















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