Widowmaker

Billy Bold is on a mission, crossing the desert on his horse with no name. For two days the range of mountains had sometimes been floating closer, sometimes heat-hazed it had blended with sky.

On the third day of his journey, as the sun sets he enters the foothills where saguaros give way to sage-grass and creosote bushes. The path climbs upwards until it plateaus into grassland.

He unseats tying his horse to a fence-post, waits as darkness descends.

Billy has settled as suddenly a cow is screaming across the arroyo below.

Karma!

Cocking the Winchester he licks his lips.

A farm-door opens, and Rick’s despicable silhouette is sharply inked against lights of evening comfort.

Billy aims carefully taking pleasure in completing his mission. A coyote start howling to the echo of shots.

Now he has a date with his mistress, Mary the widow.

For Prosery at dVerse 144 words including the line “a cow is screaming across the arroyo below” from the poem Cow by Jim Harrison. Linda is hosting and I hope little bit of wild-west is fitting.
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December 9, 2019

18 responses to “Widowmaker”

Excellent twist at the end Bjorn!

Björn Rudberg (brudberg) December 9, 2019 at 22:35 · · Reply →

🙂

Your widowmaker prosery is imbued with the essence of the wild west, Björn, and you included words and ideas from a song by America I used to love! You’ve also captured the heat in: ‘the range of mountains had sometimes been floating closer, sometimes heat-hazed it had blended with sky’.

Very nice Western flash fiction. Old Billy was thinking with his small head it seems, I wonder how much sweet Mary contributed to this murderous scenario?

Bravo, Bjorn, told in the spirit of Jim Harrison. He would be so pleased with your story!

Oh, despicable Rick and the premeditated murder. Yikes! I love the detailed descriptions of the landscape, the three-day journey to fulfill his mission.