The Western Weird

By Jon Coley

Young misfit Simoriah's life changed with a thunderbolt ...

 

Now she must track down two mysterious strangers ...

 

She has to find out if they are like her, or even worse, if she is like them ...

 

Join her as she embarks on an adventure facing impossible odds on the rugged terrain of the Mogollon Rim. In the process she must face her grew fear, herself. All she knows and loves hangs in the balance.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jon Coley
• Release date: Jun 30, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223127918

Jon Coley

Jon Coley lives in Georgia with his wife, daughters, an orange cat, an eccentric husky, and an overly affectionate a Great Dane. He has been a school teacher for more than twenty-five years. That's probably what's wrong with him..

Book preview

Chapter 1

The Strangers

When meeting strangers, it is of utmost importance to have two things, a winning smile and a shotgun.

Edward

She did not know why she did this to herself. Simoriah washed her hands in the basin. Dinner had been finished and the boys had gone out to play. Being five years older than the youngest and always a dutiful, she and her adoptive mother, Shannon, tidied the kitchen. As she poured the water over her palms, it beaded and rolled off into the basin leaving her hands bone dry, as always. Her mind went through the same routines. There was no need of it. Dirt, even mud, was repelled without exception. Her hands were clean anyway. She was so different, so weird. She had been born with a rare skin condition, which made her skin less porous than most normal people. Perhaps she was the only such case in the world. The doctor had told her parents that it wasn’t connected to any syndrome he knew of, and they should not worry on it. For her part, Simoriah was upset that the family had spent so much money on her, money they all needed. She pushed the thoughts from her mind and wiped her hands, though they were already completely dry, on her apron.

I’lll go check on the boys, Shan.

Thanky Dear, she muttered as she sat down to snap peas.

It was a lovely evening in Rim Country. There was a light scent in the air from the flowers and the Ponderosa Pines. A gentle breeze danced on the scrub brush and the sparse, tall grasses waved gently. Simoriah looked across the field until she spied her brothers, Abe and Jack. She didn’t plan on calling them back to the cabin right away, but their peculiar body language caught her eye. Her brothers had vivid imaginations and were prone to fancies, so she did not hurry, until she felt the presence.

Suddenly, the air seemed heavier to her. Every fiber of her body wished to recoil. It felt strangely familiar, though she could not specifically remember the experience in any of her fourteen years. Instinctively she knew that if she shouldn’t be there, her little brothers definitely needed to go too. Simoriah pushed against the uneasy sensation, and ran across the field to them.

As she came up behind her brothers, the heavy air palpable on her skin, they both turned with their index fingers in front of their mouths. Simoriah took the queue, and crouched down next to them behind the shrubs that they had been using for cover. They pointed into the distance, but it wasn’t really necessary, for her senses came alive and were immediately drawn to the scene unfolding before them. Her eyesight and hearing had always been better than most, so she knew she could pick out details that the boys would miss. She could hear what was  being said too. It was a moment she would never forget.

Two men were standing at the crossroads about an acre away from them. They were both tall, probably the tallest men she had ever seen. One was muscular and dressed in a ragged coat, though he did not look dirty. The other was even taller, but had a considerably thinner build. It was the latter that was speaking.

You know it ain’t right, Ham. Leave it be!

His speech was heavily accented, but Sim could not place it. The other muscle bound man seemed to take an aggressive stance upon hearing the thin man’s remarks.

And since when do I take my orders from you?

Don’t do it Ham!

The muscle bound man threw a mighty hay bailer punch, but the thin man jumped back, barely dodging it. Then they began to grapple.

Simoriah felt the hairs on her arm stand up. Instinctively, she grabbed at the boys’ overall straps and beckoned