Red Ghost

The town was silent as Decker Carr led his horse down the dusty street of Pistolcross. The sun was just beginning to disappear behind the canyon horizon. The wooden buildings seemed to have a red glow. Decker had patrolled the endless and empty desert for days. This was the first town he had come across. But where was everyone?

               As Decker traveled further down the street, he began to hear the uplifting sound of a piano coming from the lit building. He could hear raunchy laughter and the clinking of glasses as he approached. 

               “Well, Bumbles, I believe we found the town,” the horse whinnied in agreement as Decker stepped off to tie the horse to the post. Bumbles dipped her head to drink the fresh and much needed water. Decker tightened his belt and positioned his wide brimmed hat and sauntered towards the door. His worn-out boots sounded heavy upon the old wooden floors. He pushed open the swinging doors and stepped in.

               The music stopped as Decker walked through. It seemed the whole town was in the small tavern. The men looked to Decker and squinted their eyes at him. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed one at the bar made a slow motion to the holster which held the rifle. The women in their flowy skirts turned from the men they were talking too and crossed their legs to look towards him appraisingly. 

               “Aw come now folks, you are acting like you haven’t seen a traveler before!” the young blonde woman at the bar shouted at the crowd. Her hands lay upon her hips. She shook her head in disapproval and turned back to Decker, “My apologies, Mr….?”

“Decker Carr ma’am,” he replied and took off his hat to her.

“Decker huh? Well, we don’t get too many visitors around here except roving bands of outlaws. Apologies for the lack of welcome. Here pull up a stool! I’ll get you a cold beer on the house!” 

Decker sat down on the bar stool as the group of cowboys watched him closely. In between their circle was an older man. He wore a large hat and peered curiously at Decker from under the brim.

               After a long sip of the alcohol, Decker turned to the bartender, “This is really hits the spot.”

               “Thank you! I brewed it myself,” she smiled with pride, “Alice McCarthy, by the way, owner of this fine establishment.”

               Decker held up his glass to her then took a sip of the beer. He continued to sit in silence as the saloon filled with noise and music again.

               “So, Decker, tell me about yourself. We don’t get too many visitors” Alice continued as she cocked her head towards him and placed her hand on her hip. 

               “Nothing much to tell, just passing through,” Decker replied and met Alice’s eye.

               Alice smirked, “I see. You are one of those dark and mysterious types…” 

               “Abner you old coot! Enough about this damn ghost!” yelled one of the men from the other side of the bar. A group of cowboys were circling an elderly man whose wrinkled features were obscured under a wide hat. He was stooped over the bar and sipped on a frothy beer. 

               “I saw it with my own two eyes before it disappeared out of thin air,” the man looked up at them all. He had a stern expression plastered upon his face, “It had just left its last victim, a poor woman who had been trampled into the dirt. The furry devil upon the giants back bore its glowing eyes into my face as I ran to the scene. My body trembled, but I still picked up my gun and shot at the demon. Yet, it vanished leaving nothing behind.”

               “Yeah, Gramps we heard this all before…” another of the men spoke up to another round of laughter. 

               “I’ve been after it ever since. I failed that woman and all other victims of the Red Ghost as a sheriff,” Abner continued and took a long sip of the beer.

               “Is that why you resigned?” Alice spoke again and looked at the group as she wiped down the glasses behind the bar.

               “Partly, though I am not as young as I used to be either. My quest will not stop in retirement. I will search for that devil until the end of my day,” Abner took another swig.

               “So that is why you sit here every night and get drunk huh?” Alice shook her head and continued to put away the glasses.        Decker watched as the old man shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

               “Alice, this time I have heard rumors the Red Ghost is back around these parts. I am determined to find it,” he nods while the other cowboys patted his shoulder.

               Decker stood up and stepped towards the group smiling. “Howdy, I couldn’t help but hear…” The cowboys at the bar stood up as if to defend the older man.

               “Aw sit down boys,” Abner waved his hands and motioned for them to sit, “Abner Stout, and you?” Abner stretched out his shaky hand for Decker to take.

               “Decker Carr, Sir,” Decker completed the handshake, “It sounds like you have a bounty on your hands.”

               “Do you even know who you are talking to?” one of the cowboys asked Decker, “Abner Stout is legend.”

               “Apparently, not enough to catch one ghost,” Decker responded, and the bar fell silent.

Abner clicked his tongue, “You don’t believe in ghosts young man?” He met Decker’s eyes then continued, “I didn’t either until I saw this beast and what it did to that poor woman. You want to help so much? Why? What are you trying to prove?”

Decker smiled, “For honor and glory? Maybe your story just intrigued me.” 

Abner nodded, “You want to help? Alight, tomorrow at dawn the. We ride.”

After Decker had returned to his original seat towards the end of the bar, Alice turned to him quickly. Her face displayed a stern expression without a hint of sarcasm. “Why would you encourage him?” she snapped, “He has spent his whole life searching for some fairy tale when really he is just trying to cover up his own guilt.” 

Decker cocked his head to the side, “What are you talking about Alice? I have seen strange things in my time in the desert, maybe not “ghosts”, but it seems that Abner is sincere.” 

Alice scoffed, “You don’t understand. You are new to these parts. It wasn’t a ghost who trampled a woman on the street. It was Abner who shot her. He was losing his eyesight due to aging and old gunfight injuries. He did not see her. Yet, he had to make up some fantastical story to cover it up. That's how he was forced to resign as sheriff.” 

Decker frowned, “Then how does he have all these followers around him?” 

Alice shook her head, “Those fools all moved to Pistolcross after the incident. I have lived here my whole life, inherited this saloon from my Daddy. I know the truth.” She sighed then continued, “I feel bad for the old man. It was an accident. You should not encourage this fantasy of his. Why are you even interested?” 

Decker grinned, “Honor and glory?” 

“Who are you Decker Carr? Why do I get the feeling you are up to something?” Alice responded and refilled his beer. 

Decker and Abner rode their horses into the desert as the sun began to rise. The temperature would be heating up soon, so every hour was going to be a much more difficult trek. Decker could feel Abner’s gaze upon him.

               “What is it Mr. Stout?” Decker asked but did not turn his head from the road.

               “Ah, nothing Carr. I just thought...have we met before?” Abner asked hesitantly. 

Calmly, Decker responded, “Possibly, I have had the unfortunate pleasure of running into many sheriffs.” 

“Ah, so you’re some kind of outlaw?” 

“I would just say unlucky,” Decker turned and grinned at the old man. Abner still looked at Decker as if something was missing from this whole situation. 

“So, Mr. Stout, how would you go about tracking a “Red Ghost”?” Decker asked. 

“Well, if the rumors are true, at dawn it will awaken to begin its search for prey,” Abner continued, “If my sources are true, there have been sightings of this strange creature just outside Pistolcross.” 

Hours late, Decker was feeling slightly dizzy from the heat and dehydration. Abner was looking even worse. His breathing was heavy, and he was slumped over on his horse.

“Mr. Stout, maybe we should call it a day?” Decker asked, but Abner quickly shot up and shook his head.

“No, we must keep going Carr,” he responded.

“Well, let’s take a seat and take a drink of water,” Decker said as he hopped off his horse and began to pull out the dwindling water flasks. Abner followed suit and together they sat upon the sand in the shade of a cactus plant. 

They were silent for a bit when Decker finally got up the courage to ask, “Mr. Stout, we’ve been searching most of the day for this ghost thing, but I am quickly concluding that we may never find it. I want you to tell me what really happened that day. What really happened to Ethel Carr?”

Abner Stout seized up at the mention of Ethel’s name. His heart rate quickened, and Decker could hear the old man’s breathing speed up, “How do you know her name?” 

“It wasn't a coincidence that you thought I looked familiar. Daddy and I were out on a hunting trip that day and we come back to find Mama dead,” Decker sighed and looked away from Abner, “It has been a long time and I have finally come to terms with it, but I want to hear it from you. I want an apology for what happened Abner.” 

The old man stood up crazed, “You too?! They poisoned your mind as well! No! I will not apologize for something I did not do. Your mother’s death has ruined my life. Not a day goes by when I don’t think of that murderous creature! I have searched for it all my life to try and avenge poor Ethel. I was trying to protect her, and I failed in that duty.”

Decker stood and towered over the old man, “Abner, I understand that you feel guilty about this and you would rather cover it up with some fantastical story instead of telling the truth. Now is the time to come clean, to me, and I won’t tell anyone else. I want to close this chapter of both our lives right here and now. Tell me the truth.”

“I have!” yelled the man, his voice echoed through the open space. 

“You are pathetic!” Decker was beginning to lose his cool and his voice rose with his emotions. These were emotions that he thought he had left in the past. 

A low moan rumbled in the distance. 

“What did you say?” Decker snapped as he believed the mumble had come from Abner. When he turned, the old man’s face had seized up. Abner was looking out into the flat desert and slowly lifted his hand to point in front of him.

               “I told you I wasn’t lying,” he whispered. Decker turned his head towards the direction of Abner’s arm. Decker did not know if it was him or the extreme heat of the day, but as he turned the world started to become hazier. The colors and the landscape began to blend together, and Decker blinked. He squinted noticing something new on the horizon. It was a dark figure, abnormally tall and stood on four legs. A dark mound sat upon the dark creatures back, but Decker could not make out any distinct features.

               “The...the...demon...Abner?” Decker turned his head back towards the old man. He could feel drops of sweat begin to fall from his forehead.

               “Yes,” Abner said seriously, “It’s the Red Ghost.” Abner reached to his holster and pulled out his gun, “He won’t get away this time.”

               “Abner waits!” called Decker as he watched the elderly man begin to slowly walk towards the hazy creature. At Decker’s call, the head of the creature snapped towards the two cowboys. It appeared that its eyes flashed red. He heard another loud moan as the monsters feet kicked up dirt and began to charge full speed at Abner. 

               Without even a thought, Decker whipped out his pistol and took a shot. He had been known in other parts of the West as an excellent shot, even a perfect shot. He knew the bullet should have hit the creature in the long neck, but before he could blink the Red Ghost had vanished. Decker stared at the dust cloud of where the mysterious creature had been.

               After he returned to his senses, he called out, “Abner? Abner?” He ran out to into the dust cloud that had been left behind, “Abner! Answer me!” Decker heard a coughing from the left and he followed it. Abner lay on the ground clutching his calf. 

               “Abner?” Decker rushed to the man’s side and saw the blood that was running from his leg, “the Red Ghost? It hurt you?” Decker looked from side to side and attempted to remain vigilant for the creature to return. 

               “You did this to me,” Abner stuttered and yelped in pain, “You shot me. Why would you do something like that?”

               “The Ghost was charging you! I shot at it to try and save you from being trampled,” Decker replied and rummaged through one of his packs for a piece of cloth. 

               “Charging me? Boy it was nowhere near me! It was about to charge you! I was going to yell, but then I fell to the ground with a bullet in my calf!” 

               Decker grabbed the man’s leg and began to wrap a piece of old shirt around the leg to stop the bleeding. Once Abner stated this fact, Decker paused in tying the cloth. “It came to me? That’s impossible.” The creature had tricked them, and an illusion was created. The Ghost turned friends against each other. 

               “My mother…” Decker whispered and realized what happened that day so long ago, “You really were aiming to the Red Ghost...but it tricked you to shoot…”

               Abner moaned again in pain, “That is what I told you all. I never meant to hurt anyone! Only to protect!” 

Hot air blew against Decker’s neck as he finished the bandage. He froze afraid to look behind him. 

“Decker!” yelled Abner. Decker ducked and rolled out of the way just before a hoof struck him in the head. Now in close quarters, Decker could make out the features. It had four legs, reddish brown fur, and a large hump upon its back. Its eyes were bloodshot as they stared down at the wounded Abner. 

               “A camel?” Decker sputtered. How was a crazed camel in Arizona? It looked just like one of the images in his Arabian Nights book as a kid. Yet, it was more than that. The camel seemed to be the shell, but there some evil that seemed to have taken over its spirit. It loomed over Abner and watched with anticipation as the man struggled to pull away. It was toying with its prey.

               “What do you want!” yelled Decker at the creature. Its eerie head snapped to face him which allowed Abner more time to pull away. It understood him? It cocked its head and took a step forward. Decker backed off. He could hear Abner moan in fear in the corner. The creature stepped forward again and this time Decker did not move. He reached for his gun in preparation. The camel touched its head against his and he could smell the decay in its breath.

               “Shoot it Carr!” yelled the old man desperately, yet both the creature and Decker did not move. Decker could tell from the way it seemed to understand him it was trying to communicate.

            Scenes began to play in Decker’s mind. A herd of camels were being forced on a boat with ropes tied to their necks. The scene changed. There were camels pulling heavy military equipment across the uneven terrain to the crack of whips by the uniformed men. He could feel the exhaustion and thirst after hundreds of miles of travel. The Red Ghost stood by and watched as others of the herd were sold to butchers once their usefulness ran out. Violent fights broke out in the herd and against the humans. Red Ghost was running alone. He was alone. His whole family was destroyed by the ones who forced them here. He wanted to destroy humans and show the pain that he felt.

Decker broke the connection first. His breath was quick, but he understood now. This creature was forced to become this way as protection and revenge. They met eyes and Decker reached out to touch the fur upon its head.

A shot rang out. The camel fell to the ground.

“Ha! Take that you mongrel!” Abner yelled in glee. He lay on his stomach with his gun still pointed towards the creature. He laughed in relief.

Decker fell to his knees beside the animal, but it had already passed on. It never asked for this, yet here it was destroyed by another human. Decker shook his head in irritation, “Shut up Abner. The jobs done and its time to move on.”

“Quick let’s tie it to the horses, I have to show everyone! Now they’ll believe me!”

“Let it be Abner. You’ve done enough damage,” Decker said as he pulled the old man’s arm around his shoulder, “Let’s all be at peace now.” He looked back one more time to view the creature, last of its kind, now at peace as the sun began to dip lower in the sky.