Where Hearts Run Wild Read online

  The door opened, revealing Armos as he peered into the darkened room. “Bobby, are you asleep?” Armos received no response. “Bobby, you here?” Armos said curiously.

  Armos flicked the light switch beside the door, lighting up the room revealing Bobby’s empty bunk bed. Armos gazed around the room with genuine concern. He noticed the letter Bobby had written Mary Lou crumpled in a ball on the floor. Armos crossed the room and picked up the letter. He straightened out the paper and read some of it. He looked up shaking his head with half a smile. He knew Bobby was knocked off his feet just looking at Mary Lou. But would he be so brave as to try to get to The 115—Best Colorado Burger Cafe during the night? Chance runaway charges and the discipline that goes with it? Armos tucked the letter in his pocket. He then moved to Bobby’s locker and opened it. Bobby’s clothes were missing. His backpack was not there. Frustration began to overcome Armos. The incident with J. R. and the fork on Rebel’s back brought this on, he thought. It was just the push Bobby needed to jump over the edge and disappear from the ranch. Armos quickly walked from the room switching off the light and closing the door behind himself. The breeze continued to blow through the small window, and the absence of Bobby could somehow be felt in the tiny and humble bunkhouse.

  Chapter 12

  Even though it was still summer, the open plains and foothills that covered much of the state of Colorado can become chilly at night. And in the winter months, snow and cold are the order of nature’s day. This night showed the promise of a mild temperature as the coyotes could be heard singing their nightly siren songs which communicated either danger or the longing for a friend and partner if one were nearby and were so inclined. Nonetheless, and although peaceful, a night alone in the open country could be lonely and create a sense of fear for a human being.

  Bobby appeared as he moved up and over a small hill, his figure but a small shadow against a hazy moon. He walked at a good pace with his backpack strapped to his back. Bobby was riddled with apprehension. He glanced over his shoulder now and then in the direction from which he came as though someone might be following him. The howls of the coyotes visibly shook Bobby as he paced along, not sure where he was headed. But he was sure of one thing—he had to get away from the ranch and the humiliating circumstances it had created for him.

  Bobby pressed on as the night unfolded. He began to grow weary and tired as hours had passed and he had not taken time out to rest. Bobby stopped walking and looked about for a moment. He wrestled his backpack from his back and tossed it to the ground. He then sat beside it and withdrew a map he had taken from the compound office from one of its pockets. He didn’t steal the map. There was a pile of them for the taking. And so he picked one up, just in case.

  Bobby spread the map out on the ground and retrieved a book of matches from another compartment on the backpack.

  He then peeled a match from the book and struck it to life, lighting up a small area around himself and the map. The map glowed as Bobby studied it in an attempt to gain a sense of direction.

  The map revealed Highway 115 winding its way through the desolate Colorado countryside. Bobby remembered the highway and could not help but think of Mary Lou and The 115—Best Colorado Burger Cafe. And boy, what a super treat that would be right now. Not to mention one of those “famous chocolate shakes.” And of course, Bobby mused wistfully, the sight of Mary Lou herself would transform the cool moonlight into warm sunshine if she were with him right now.

  Suddenly, a gust of wind whipped through the area and blew out Bobby’s match. Then, with another onslaught of the breeze, the map went flying off the ground and into the air. The map whirled around as though caught in the vortex of a tornado. Bobby jumped to his feet and attempted to snatch the map from the grip of the wind. But the map went higher and higher. Bobby jumped frantically in the air reaching for the map. But it was to no avail as the map soon disappeared off into the darkened sky, held tightly in the clutches of the wind.

  Bobby looked to the sky, mortified by what had just taken place. He was lost, and he knew it. But with no map, he was without hope. How would he ever figure out what to do? What direction to go? A coyote shrieked out a call of the wild at probably the most inconvenient time for Bobby. The breeze continued, and for some unexplained reason, it was much cooler.

  Bobby was crouched in the center of a cluster of boulders attempting to light a small stack of broken branches and small twigs with his matches. But the wood refused to catch fire, and a breeze kept blowing the matches out. Bobby continued to strike the matches and place them quickly under the wood. But his attempts were futile as the woodpile failed to ignite.

  Without warning, the growl of a wild animal was heard from only a short distance away from Bobby. He straightened up fearfully and stood, looking about to see where the growling came from. He froze in shock as his wide eyes came to rest on a teeth-baring, snarling mountain lion standing atop one of the boulders that surrounded Bobby. The boy and the beast locked eyes. Bobby was horrified! The lion, who sensed Bobby’s fear, jumped from the rock and slammed into Bobby, knocking him to the ground with brute force. With the snarling cat atop him, Bobby cried out in fear and pain as he attempted to wrestle the mountain lion off himself and away. However, Bobby’s resistance was futile as the mountain cat was a born fighter and agile as could be. Bobby screamed. The cat growled back, and the dusty wrestling match continued. Soon blood appeared on Bobby’s face and clothes from the scratching and biting lion, and it appeared the fearsome animal was going for the kill. Suddenly, Bobby passed out from fear and the fatigue of the battle. The mountain lion became confused and ceased its assault—perhaps because the challenge his opponent had provided was now gone. The lion backed away and off Bobby and prowled carefully and quietly around the bloodied youth. The cat calmed with his triumph over. He had not attacked Bobby as a food source. Bobby had simply invaded the lion’s space. Or maybe the cat had a litter nearby. In any event, since Bobby appeared dead he was rendered no longer a threat. The mighty cat walked away and disappeared into the darkness of the night.

  * * * *

  The moon continued his watch over Bobby and the would-be campsite. Bobby lay still, sleeping on the ground where the merciful mountain lion had left him. Then, he awakened. He rolled his head slightly and opened his eyes, looking about in somewhat of a daze.

  Bobby saw something that grabbed his full attention without pause. An unusually large but plain brown owl sat still on a branch high atop a twisted, leaf-stripped tree nearby. The owl stared down on Bobby without a flinch. Bobby gaped at the bird in wonder. The two contemplated each other silently for a few eerie seconds.

  Then, and to Bobby’s shock, the rather drab-looking owl began to transform itself into a bright, glowing silver and white color. A bright light encircled the owl as it spread its wings with a span of eight feet or perhaps more. The wings gracefully waved to and fro, giving the owl an angelic like appearance against the light blue sky. The bird’s facial features became somewhat human-like with an expression that was soft and kindly while it continued to look down upon an amazed Bobby.

  Bobby jumped to his feet, having forgotten his pains for the moment. He was ready to run away, but he knew he had no place to go, and the owl, like the mountain lion, would easily chase after him and catch him if so desired. Bobby and the owl locked eyes.

  “Bobby.” The owl spoke with a pleasant, inviting and feminine voice. “You can survive if you’ll do what I say.”

  Upon hearing the owl speak, Bobby was stunned to the point of panic as he continued to gape at the bird.

  “Don’t be afraid, Bobby,” said the owl. “I am here to see you through. You must believe that and trust me.”

  Bobby drew in a breath as he attempted to pull himself together and gain at least a tad of confidence in this wildest of circumstances, even though he was still in a state of mild shock over the speaking owl.

  “Who—who are you?” said Bobby. “Or, maybe, what are yo
u?”

  “Let’s just say I was sent to look over you,” the owl said with a touch of pride in its voice. “You need to learn right from—”

  Suddenly, from outside the campsite, a fierce and loud hissing sound interrupted and shook the ground Bobby stood on and the tree the owl sat in. Bobby spun quickly in the direction of the sound. Bobby was horror-stricken seeing a large horse the golden-red color of Rebel. But it surely was not Rebel as this horse had the head of a huge snake! The head was green. Its mouth was wide open, revealing knife-like fangs that dripped with steaming saliva. The snake’s eyes were fiery red, seething with a hatred look Bobby had never seen the likes of. The horse trotted quickly up to Bobby in a brazen manner.

  “Bobby,” the horse said in a guttural voice, “you’re mine! You always will be! Understand?”

  Bobby stepped back and away from the horse, numb for words.

  “What’s the matter, tough guy!” shouted the horse. “Don’t you like me now that you can see me?” The horse then spat out a mean laugh.

  “You made your point,” said the owl. “Now go away and leave him alone!”

  “Oh, aren’t you just too nice!” said the horse, mocking the owl. “You’ve never did a thing for him! So do us all a favor and take a flight!” The horse gave another evil laugh. “Relax, Bobby boy. Hop on, and let’s continue the ride.”

  The owl spread her wings and fluttered down to a branch closer to the ground and Bobby. “Tell him to go away, Bobby,” the owl shouted. “If you do, he will!”

  Bobby continued to look at the horse, undecided as to what he could say or do. He glanced at the owl nervously. “Nothing’s that easy!”

  The horse piped in. “There, you see? The kid knows his lot in life. Besides, his mama already tried that ‘go away routine’.” Then, threateningly the horse said, “And Bobby’s right—I don’t go away that easy.”

  Without warning, the stack of wood Bobby was attempting to build a fire with burst into flames that shot six to eight feet into the air and brightly illuminated the area. All eyes shifted to the startling blaze.

  “Give it up!” the horse roared. “She was mine from the start!”

  “She never met me!” the owl shot back.

  With that, a ghost-like figure appeared from within the center of the crackling fire. It was a young woman.

  Terrified, Bobby gasped at the sight of the figure. The horse and the owl looked on calmly as if they knew who the ghost was.

  Although she was gaunt with a face of ashen sobriety, the young woman was attractive in a form-fitting black dress. She regarded Bobby with a faint smile. Bobby stared at the woman with startled recognition.

  “Mom! Mom!” Bobby cried out. “Help me, Mom!”

  With quiet desperation, Bobby’s mother spoke. “I can’t, son. But I love you very much.”

  Bobby’s mother turned toward the horse and said, “Can’t you stay away from him and leave him alone?”

  “Who are you to tell me what to do?” said the horse with a challenge. “You dropped the ball with the kid just like everybody else!”

  “I made my mistakes,” Bobby’s mother said as she turned her attention back to Bobby. “Bobby, you don’t have to make the same mistakes. You can change things while you are still young and strong.”

  Bobby’s mind whirled in a thousand directions as he stared at his pleading mother, the saintly owl, and the fearsome horse.

  “Tell him to go away, Bobby,” said the owl.

  “Don’t listen to either one of them, Bobby!” said the horse. “C’mon, jump on my back. It’s time to rock on like the good old days.”

  “I love you, son,” said Bobby’s mother. “You can win.”

  And with that, Bobby lost all control. He cried out at the top of his lungs and ran directly into the inferno-like bonfire, his arms outstretched for his mother’s ghostly figure. Bobby fell directly into the raging fire. However, his mother disappeared in a wisp of smoke.

  * * * *

  The morning was chilly as the golden sun peeked over the dark mountaintops, shining its light down on the plains and valleys below. All was silent.

  Bobby lay on the pile of unburned firewood he had gathered the night before. He opened his eyes. Groggy, he glanced about for a moment, realizing there never was a fire. His pile of branches never sparked with flame? Bobby slowly gained his composure and stood in the middle of the woodpile as he looked at the sticks and twigs, totally confused. A dream? No. A nightmare! He never saw the ghost of his mother. There was no monster of a horse with a snake’s head. But then again, maybe it wasn’t a bad dream. It felt…real! Like no other dream he had ever had.

  Bobby looked up to the tree where the angelic owl had perched. There sat a plain brown owl on a rickety twisted branch. The owl calmly regarded Bobby with curious eyes. Bobby inspected his clothes that were stained with blood here and there. The attack of the mountain lion was real—no dream there.

  Bobby was weak from the loss of blood and the entire traumatic experience he had suffered through the night before. Feeling faint, Bobby stepped from the pile of wood and lay down on the ground, face down and exhausted.

  Sadly, he regretted he had even woken up in the first place. Perhaps it would have been better for everyone if everything could have ended last night in a ball of flames, and this new day would have never been here waiting for him. Why the continuation of more pain, confusion, and loneliness. Nothing had changed for the better. And nothing was ever going to get better unless something did change! But what? And how? And who would change things to make a life for him? Or, was this whole dream, or whatever it was, a message? A message telling him he was the one who was going to have to make the changes in his life? And he was going to have to stop looking on the outside for answers and start looking inside at himself? Could that be it?

  Suddenly, Bobby heard the sound of horse hooves walk up boldly, close to his head. Bobby lay still, terrified it was the return of the snake-headed horse in his dream!

  Was he still dreaming, he thought? He peeked slowly out of one eye and saw the huge front legs of the reddish-brown horse. Fear overcame Bobby like a flash of lightning.

  He began to sweat profusely. His body trembled. Then he suddenly remembered what the owl and his mother had said in his fiery dream.

  “Get away from me,” screamed Bobby. “Go away! I ’m not going with you anywhere!

  The horse neighed loudly.

  “Get out of here,” Bobby hollered. “Leave me alone! They were right, go away—now! I ain’t takin’ your stinkin’ ride no more!” Bobby gathered his courage and rolled onto his back and looked up to see—Rebel! The horse peered down at Bobby with a calm demeanor.

  Rebel shook his head as if to say, “Yeah, it's me.” Rebel sniffed, poking his big nose on Bobby’s clothes. He then buckled all four of his legs and rested on his knees beside Bobby.

  Rebel snorted softly and nudged Bobby with his nose as if to say, “C’mon, Bobby, this is a ride you need to take.”

  By now Bobby was dazed and bewildered but grateful at the sight Rebel. And he understood the message loud and clear. Bobby climbed painfully onto Rebel’s back and lay flat on his stomach. He hugged Rebel’s sides with his arms and legs, too weak to sit upright.

  “Take me away, Rebel. Take me where I belong!”

  Rebel stood and walked from the campsite with Bobby clinging to his back.

  High atop the twisted tree, the owl watched the departing Bobby and Rebel. A moment passed. Then, a silver-white light flashed and surrounded the owl. As quickly as the light appeared, it faded away. The owl expelled a joyful “hoot,” flapped its wings and with a burst of energy, flew off into the prairie sky and disappeared.

  Chapter 13

  A few cars and pickup trucks were parked in front of The 115—Best Colorado Burger Cafe.

  Inside the diner, Mary Lou was standing near a table taking an order from a local man and his wife. Other patrons sat at th
e counter and at various tables enjoying a lunchtime meal. Mary Lou finished writing on her order pad, smiled at the couple and walked toward the kitchen area. She clipped the order on the cook’s wheel and gave it a spin. The cook, Mary Lou’s father, Henry Butler, stepped up to the wheel, wiping his hands on his apron. He pulled the order down and studied it for a moment. Henry was a gentle soul in his fifties. His graying hair and somewhat sun-dried facial skin yielding a clue that he was once a farmer who toiled in the baking sun on the very land the cafe sat on. But after the untimely death of his wife, Mary Lou’s mother, Henry decided that instead of growing food, he would try his hand at cooking it. And with the help of Mary Lou and good neighbor support, the cafe was a favorite throughout the countryside.

  “I guess our milkshakes are getting more popular all the time,” Henry said with a proud grin. “This makes twelve of them today alone, and it’s only twelve-thirty.”

  “Is there going to be enough ice cream left to make one for me?” said Mary Lou.

  Henry winked at Mary Lou, beaming with pride and love for his daughter. “I’ll make sure, honey.”

  “Thanks, Dad,” Mary Lou said as she returned the look of love for her father.

  Mary Lou turned and began to walk back into the dining area when something out a side window of the cafe caught her attention. Surprise and shock overcame her.

  Rebel stood still at one side of the cafe with a passed-out Bobby draped over the horse’s back. Bobby’s bleeding had stopped, but he had fainted because of fatigue.

  Mary Lou dropped her order pad and pencil and ran toward the dining room front exit. Henry and the customers looked on with confusion.

  “Dad! Daddy! Hurry!” Mary Lou cried out as she ran out of the diner.

  Henry pushed the swinging kitchen door open and followed hurriedly after Mary Lou.

  Mary Lou approached Rebel and Bobby. She covered her mouth and screamed at the sight of the blood stains on Bobby’s face, arms, and his clothes.