Farm Girl Has Bad Boy (#3)

Chapter Fourteen

The animals are only fifty feet away when I pull Silver to a nervous stop. Finally, I realize I have my flashlight and mentally yell at myself for not using it before. I shut my eyes tightly, pointing the flashlight in the direction of the barking and Patch’s screams. Clenching my teeth, I flick on my light and for a moment, the barking stops. My eyes fly open and the scene I see before me makes me gasp.

Seven pairs of glowing yellow eyes stare at me as their brown bodies stay completely still. Behind them, Patch moves around abruptly, as if he’s doing some strange dance. Three more coyotes bite at him as he moves from side to side, trying to take down my sister’s horse. Blood stains his coat, mostly to be seen in the white parts of his coat. However, what really makes me scream, are his eyes.

They’re the same, scared, terrified eyes that I saw when Vince shot him. They look to me for help as I scream, causing the coyotes to stop attacking briefly to acknowledge my presence. Ten pairs of eyes stare at me as my father’s words from years ago make their way into my head.

“They can sense fear,” he had said, polishing his gun at the kitchen table. “So the number one thing you can do is show no fear.”

“Show no fear,” I mutter, my hands clenching into fists. However, as my grip in the flashlight begins to tremble, I start to realize that the coyote’s calm is completely unsettling. They’re not moving as they stare at me, waiting to attack at any given moment. Then, Patch runs.

He sprints away, limping as he heads towards home. He speeds past me when I urge Silver to follow. Maybe we can make it back home before the coyotes to catch up, that is, if they even follow. I lean forward onto Silver’s neck like a jockey, giving her the speed we need to catch up to Patch and guide him towards the house.

I look over my shoulder to see if the coyotes are chasing us and gasp. All of them are running at once, are working together as they flank the alpha and approach us. I quickly turn back around to see that Patch has moved far to the left, heading towards the field where Ocean’s grave is. I steer Silver towards him and plan to cut him off and guide him towards home when the worst possible thing happens. Patch slips.

I watch in horror as his legs slip in the mud beneath him and he tumbles painfully onto his side. As much as I am for being hopeful, I think for the worst. The chances of Patch surviving if he doesn’t get up are extremely slim and by the time I’m at his side, he’s only struggling to attempt to stand.

“Come on, Patch!” I cry, staring into his terrified eyes as he fights to get his footing. I realize there’s nothing I can do but get off Silver when a howl breaks through the night.

Silver neighs, bouncing onto her hind legs. I lean forward, holding on for dear life until she settles back on all fours. I look to my left to see the coyotes standing there, watching us. The alpha sits at the front of the pack; it’s snout in the air as its call gets louder. Silver backs up and I’m unable to control her as her ears turn back in fright. Patch lies on the ground, crying as he struggles to get to his feet, the blood dripping painfully from his muddy wounds.

Suddenly, the howl ends abruptly and everything turns into slow motion as my brain fights to comprehend what’s going on. The coyotes all run towards Patch, Silver and I at once. Coyotes bite and fight each other for Patch while a few circle Silver and I. She kicks and bucks when she has a chance of getting moving them farther away while I hold on as tight as I possibly can, getting pulled this way and that. Then, the alpha jumps in front of us, sending Silver onto her hind legs.

I feel my hands loosen, unable to grasp at the reigns or Silver’s mane in attempt to stay on. I somersault over her back and land in a heap behind her rear legs as she falls back onto all hooves again. Then, as a coyote approaches her from behind and my right, she kicks her back legs out in attempt to keep us both safe. Though she hits the coyote like planned, I cry out in pain as her hoof comes into contact with my shoulder.

Disoriented, in pain and completely terrified, my survival instincts kick in. I jump to my feet, picking up the flashlight that had fallen out of my hand in the darkness. Silver neighs as she gallops, startling the animals and running as fast as she can towards the barn and home.

Briefly, I wonder where my parents are or the others. However it’s guaranteed extremely difficult to find anything in giant, multiple fields in the pitch black darkness. Though before I can come up with a good extraction plan, the coyotes are walking towards me and I’m backing into Patch. I can’t really see much in the darkness, so as I hold my breath, I flick on the flashing.

The animals are snarling, liquid dripping from their barred teeth as they stalk towards Patch and I, eyes glowing from the light. I gently stroke Patch, frozen in fear as I realize there isn’t really a way out of this for me. Running is impossible; Patch can’t get up and so far, no sign of anyone coming to my rescue.
So as the alpha coyote lunges towards me, my scream pierces the night.