The Adventure I didn't know I needed

Ryan slammed on the brakes, causing his car to scratch to a halt on the dirt road.

He'd just tried to navigate his '99 Honda through a washed out part of the road, twisting the steering wheel left and right in an attempt to dodge the rocks. But he'd hit something and it made a heavy thud which shook everything.

Please don't be leaking. He begged as he put the car in park. I'm in my nice slacks.

He retrieved his cell phone off the floor of the passenger side and climbed out to assess the damage.

“I'm late for my interview!” He complained out loud choking on the dust

He looked at the ground for a moment and then pulled out his floor mat and knelt on it to look under his car. He couldn't see anything except dust caked over the rust.

“Hey Ryan, we'd love to chat with, come out to our facility. It's a little bit of a drive.” He grumbled.

He stood up, still muttering, and tried to switch back to his map on his phone. A blank screen greeted him and he tapped his screen, then swiped to close the program and reopen it. He looked around, to his right was the open valley with nothing, and to his left was a gathering of horses grazing.

“Of course...no signal.”

He dropped his hands to his side and lowered his head. He'd been driving for over an hour following what he believed were the instructions. The company was Pony Express Trail House. He found them on the map, out miles away from any civilization, and almost too long of a drive.

Okay, gotta reset for a second.

Ryan sat on a large rock and looked out over the prairie. They were covered with a purple velvet with a green undercoat. It covered the entire valley from the dark volcanic rock mountain to his right all the way to the distant, gray-violet mountains with snow dusted peaks.

He had passed a single juniper tree near the road about seven miles back. The dirt road was rough with every dip and valley being nearly washed out. A clear cerulean sky with a burning golden sun shone down on him.

Ryan wiped the sweat from his brow and took a long drink from his water bottle. A breeze danced across the purple, like an ocean wave, bringing a pungent earthy scent of the flowers and the sage brush.

“Yep, I'm lost.” He shook his head.

His eyes locked on the herd of mustangs that lingered in the prairie, their heads dipped to the ground. Their muscles rippled underneath their skin as they moved. Some of them kicked and pranced, playing a game as they ate.

He watched them for a few minutes, admiring their freedom and the colorful variations on their coats. A brushing noise sounded behind him, he started and stood up.

A herd of sheep, their gray cottony blobs nearly blending with the sagebrush, made their way towards him.

Ryan felt unnerved at how close the sheep had gotten to him without him hearing them. They pressed towards him and one of them gave a nervous bleat.

“Stupid sheep. Go away!”

A great, white head rose up from the edge of the herd, standing out from the gray, and let out a bone chilling growl.

“Wolf!” Ryan screamed in surprise and ran for his car.

Another head rose, followed by ten others, and suddenly the air was rent with snarls and barks.

He could see he wasn't going to make the door so he leaped with all his might and clambered onto the trunk of his car. He spun in time to kick at one of them that was trying to climb up.

The cacophony of barks and growls forced him to cover his ears.

“Get back! Down!” He yelled at them, his hands shaking with panic.

The creatures surrounded him, some rising up to put their front paws on the windows, and reach for him. They bit at him, leaving streaks of slobber on the trunk and windows.

Ryan tried to climb onto the roof to get as far away as possible, but his legs were unstable and shaking. He fought against it, kicking and crawling to the roof of his car, his water bottle clanking against the metal.

His car pitched and shifted under him as the crowd of white beasts lunged and snarled. Then his car dipped at the front end. He turned and found one had climbed onto the hood, it's head low, ears back. It's lips curled back to reveal black lips and massive teeth.

It took a step forward, it's eyes locked on him.

Ryan felt a horrible feeling in his chest as he saw the intensity in the animals eyes. It intended to kill him. It was going to drag him off the roof and they'd feast on him. No one would find him, his bones would be scattered by the pack. Maybe some day they'd find his car, and his mother would be...

It was the thought of his mother that changed something. A rage at the injustice of trying to make something of himself, and being met with this situation shook the fear that gripped him. He dug deep into his courage, and a new feeling rose into his chest.

“GET BACK!” He roared, a primal rage burning outward, “I WILL KILL YOU!”

He crouched and swung the water bottle back and forth at the great white monster. It stopped advancing. He took a step towards it, eyes locked, and swung again. This time the beast ducked.

“GO!” He commanded.

He turned and saw that the others were trying to climb the trunk. He stepped to swing at them when his feet slipped and he fell, striking the edge of his back window with his water bottle. The window popped and crumbled into a splash of broken bits.

Something closed on his left shoe and Ryan gripped the edge the roof, into the now open hole, the glass chunks biting into his hand. The monster tried to pull him off as two others tried to climb onto the hood. The excited barks and growls grew in intensity as the pack sensed his demise.

In desperation he threw his water bottle at the animal's head. It jerked away, taking his shoe. He grabbed with both hands and pulled himself across the roof and down into the hole that was left be the destroyed window. The glass tore and ripped at his clothes but he didn't stop his wild scramble.

Diving into the drivers seat he thumbed the door lock switch as he turned on the car. He didn't wait, slammed it into gear and floored it.

The Honda lurched ahead, bouncing the monsters off the hood and fenders as he raced off. The creatures gave chase for only a moment before they disappeared behind him in a cloud of dust.

Ryan didn't stop as he flew across the old, dirt road, skipping over bumps and dips, and barely keeping the car on the road.

A few minutes later he slowed and then brought the car to stop. It's engine hissed and groaned from the mistreatment. He sat watching the road behind him for a few moments, blood slowly dripping on his pants from the cuts in his arm. Some of them were covered in dust and looked like orange mud.

Ryan felt his heart start to slow and he took his foot off the brake to start moving again.

The door to the Pony Express Trail House gave off a ring as Ryan pushed it open. The secretary eyed him carefully. Standing next to the desk was a man in jeans, cowboy boots, and a collared shirt.

“Sorry I'm late. I'm Ryan.”

“Good heavens, son, you get in a fight or something.” The man asked.

“It was a pack of, uh, wolves. I...uh, got ambushed.”

“Wolves?”

“Yeah, like ten of them. Big white ones.”

The man looked Ryan up and down, pausing at his sock.

“Sounds like you took the long way around.”

“The long way?”

“Yeah, on maps, the Pony Express Trail House is a popular historical monument out in the desert. If you put in Pony Express Manufacturing, that brings you here.”

Ryan forced a smile.

“But those dogs shouldn't be attacking you. They're mean little turds when it comes to the sheep.”

“Dogs?” Ryan muttered.

The man walked over and slapped his hand on Ryan's shoulder, sending a small cloud of dust into the air.

“Son, I like you. You're hired.”