The skies swept past the pane of glass in front of me. I watched the clouds form and fade for hours on end as we traveled to the countryside. I decided to rent a cabin and barn as a temporary home for me and my friend. We are both agriculture freaks and hoped we could raise some cattle out in the country. I continuously stared out at the fogged skyline, watching the sun melt into the horizon. I was memorized by the beautiful sight, wondering how my friend could stay focused on the road with a view like this. He sat next to me, his body outlined by the sun’s rays, hands on the wheel. I admired our decision to move to the country, we were just friends, but I knew he wouldn’t be interested in a relationship. We’re both guys after all.
I continued staring out the glass and nearly screamed with joy at the sight of the large barn. I’ve always been a little bizarre with emotions, which seemed to be my wildest quality; the view of the barn on the other hand, was marvelous, I had a right to be excited. My friend’s eyes gleamed with joy, but maintained focus on the sharp turn into the driveway. The driveway was rocky and scattered with overgrown grass and weeds, the tires sending sediment behind us. It took a minute to reach the cabin, as it was located halfway into a cornfield. I wondered how the corn grew, as the area has been abandoned for over a year. It slipped my mind as we pulled up to the cabin. It was a beautiful sight, the orange-yellow sunlight flooding over the porch. We strode up the stairs to the large cabin and I grasped the handle. Pushing open the door, a wash of disappointment flooded my expression.
The view inside was quite the opposite of the outside, as scattered books and papers were scouted in the cabin. We shifted around shelves and books, taking time to find little mysteries of previous owners. I grasped the drawer in a desk, wondering why the place was never cleaned out before our visit. I pulled the drawer and saw paperwork lining the inside. There were newspapers, with pictures of missing kids and information regarding the topic; other papers were lists of possible suspects and department heads responsible for the disappearances. I felt goosebumps align on the sides of my arms as I read the papers. Most disappearances were never solved, however there was some evidence collected in corn fields outside town borders.
I froze and looked outside at the cornfields surrounding the cabin. I remember hearing of a town out here that was burned down in 1958. The fear kept with me, but I brushed it off, after all it was 60 years ago. The forage continued until sundown, when we set up sleeping grounds in a seemed-to-be bedroom. The bedroom had a cool sweep to it; halfway into winter it would be expected. Since the area is located in Southern Texas, winters aren’t as snowy as most, however the climate gets strangely cold. The light faded completely from every room. It felt strange to be out in the middle of a corn field, with no contact to human activity, but I still felt comfort in the thought. I glanced at my friend, who was already in the midst of snoring; watching is flank rise and fall soothed me as I closed my eyes.
The next morning I woke up to a scream, which seemed more mad than fearful. I hopped up and ran to see my friend standing in the middle of the living room, which was scattered with the hundreds of papers we cleaned up the night before. My friend looked at me, the questioning look glazed over his bright blue eyes. My reaction gave enough for him to look away.
Later that day, after the papers were cleaned up once more, we headed to the barn. I grabbed the long bronze handle and the red barn door creaked as it was pulled open. As soon as it opened, a waft of something putrid engulfed both of us. The smell was so unexpected that we both backed up in shock. I’ve smelled it from somewhere before, but my nose was already clogged so it was hard to tell. After a while with the door open, I decided to enter; my friend refused due to his high allergen situation.
The barn was lightened from a hole in the rooftop, however some corners remained dark. I peered around and noticed a small portion in the center was enclosed by a large tractor. I stepped forward only to have the urge to run away. I ignored the urge and continued to the tractor. It was a large emerald green tractor, with rust forming under the rims where water collected. I never knew they’d leave a tractor, much less one at this size and value. I continued my trek around the emerald green mass, and I reached the fourth wheel when the smell grew stronger. It was sharper now, like ice cold air. I placed my hand on the wheel and peered in the trailer behind the tractor. I froze, my body sent alarming signals, sending my hair straight.
Inside the trailer laid a sow, it’s belly ripped halfway open, revealing tiny piglets. It’s head was puffed and pale from lack of light, and the blood was immense. There were no flies or maggots in sight, just the sow ripped almost in half. The marks looked inhumane, possibly ripped by an animal. I felt daggers sending into the back of my neck like sharp eyes, making the hairs on my neck stand on end. I turned around to get a glimpse of a larger creature rushing out of a hole in the barn. It looked similar to a coyote, but long legs that reached at least four feet in length. There was no tail as far as I could see as it disappeared into the cornfields.
A few days passed, with no other disturbances. The sow was removed and the barn is beginning it’s clean out. I walked around the barn, looking for loose wood to be nailed back up. The sun was slowly setting, and it was beginning to get slightly dimmer as time went on. As soon as the sun disappeared, I joined my friend in the cabin and set up for the night. I was placed in the corner, with my friend on the other side of the room. The light clicked off and we both slowly swept into sleep.
I awoke to a soft scratching somewhere in the room. It sounded like tree branches scraping the window above my head, the only thing though: there is no tree anywhere near the cabin. I slowly got up, my head aching from the awkward position I was placed in. I rubbed my eyes and looked towards the window. My whole body froze as I saw the silhouette of a figure within the cabin. The thought that struck me more was why the creature was scratching to get out if it got in itself.
I looked around for my friend, who was perched against the wall, slowly grabbing for the handle. He reached, but his fingernails came into contact with the metal and made a clank noise. The creature immediately turned around, its glowing yellow eyes piercing my friend’s. He lurched forward and pushed the door open, we both flung out of the cabin and ran into the corn. At first, we held each other to make sure we wouldn’t be lost, but the creature eventually came after us. It bit into my friend’s hand, causing him to cry out, but I kept running as that thing mutilated my friend, ripping him piece by piece.
A few minutes passed, and I continued running. My eyes were raw from the corn stalks constantly hitting against my face. By the time I reached an open area, my eyes were swollen and my head was pounding. I couldn’t hear the creature, if I could hear anything at all, so I decided to hide. I grabbed a few stalks and created a barrier. I sat within my barrier for what felt like hours until a small scratching sounded. It was against the corn. I felt claws reach into my barrier, sinking into my back, and it flung me out into the corn. Pain shot up through my body from my head to my feet. It was immense, as the creature must’ve had a strong grip of my flesh. I tried to walk, but my legs were corrupted, and one sent shots of severe pain any time it touched the floor. I could hear it behind me. It wants me to run so it can have a little entertainment, but I gave up. I heard its claws slash against the corn before a heavy weight slammed into my head.
Times Record News 4/11/2018
There were two men ages 20 and 21 pronounced missing as of 4:15am. Left at the scene of the crime were scattered pieces of cloth and blood. The whereabouts of the men are unknown. Disappearance occurred around a burned down cabin in the midst of a cornfield. If you have any information about the case, please contact your local police department.