the hell?” I mutter and stumble back, bumping into Mystery. He nervously sidesteps and presses his head on my back. I’m shaking and feel like I’m going to throw up. A surge in electromagnetic energy tends to do that to me.
The sound of hooves on cement startles me, and I turn to see Leslie leading Sundance to the outdoor wash rack. She looks up and smiles, opening her mouth to say hi, no doubt, but stops. “Are you bleeding?” She quickly ties up Sundance and comes over.
“Oh, yeah, but I’m fine,” I rush out, pressing my trembling hand against Mystery’s side. “There was, a, uh, a coyote out there and Mystery sidestepped off the path.” I blink my eyes closed, shaking my head. I’m not a good liar, and the shock that’s running through my system isn’t helping. It’s hard enough to form a coherent thought right now, let alone come up with a lie that actually makes sense. “We probably crashed right through one of those trees with prickly branches.”
“Ugh those are the worst. I’ll have to go out and make sure they’re trimmed if they’re that close to the path.”
“Not now. The, uh, coyote might still be out there.” I swallow hard, not sure what else to say to keep Leslie—and anyone for that matter—from going out in the woods.
“I’m sure it’s gone. They’re not usually out during the day like that anyway. Are you sure you’re okay? You look…pale.”
I’m far from okay, and it’s taking everything I have not to freak the fuck out. First Bob wigs out on me and then something attacks me in the woods.
Blood drips down my face but I nod. “Yeah. Just a little shaken up. Mystery doesn’t spook like that often.”
“No, he’s pretty calm for an Arabian,” she jokes. “Want me to put him out in the pasture for you so you can clean that cut up?”
The thought of putting Mystery out in the pasture with that…that…thing makes my stomach twist. “I don’t want the coyote to come back.”
“It would be really freaking stupid to go after the herd.”
“Right.” I wipe some of the blood from my forehead. “Thanks.”
Leslie takes Mystery from me and heads to the pasture. I shut my eyes and let out a slow breath, giving myself a minute before going into the barn. I try to keep my head down so no one else sees and questions me. I make it to the bathroom without notice, and turn on the water to warm it up. I stare at the water coming out of the faucet, not ready to look at my reflection just yet.
I blink, and get a flash of that thing. My heart speeds up and I grip the edges of the sink. It was real. I know what I saw, and more importantly, Mystery saw it. But what in the actual fuck? It was dog-like, that’s for sure. But its face was all wrong and dogs have paws, not finger-like talons. That thing was like a Tim Burton nightmare come to life, and I know without a doubt if Mystery hadn’t clipped it in the face with his hoof, it would have attacked me. And for some reason—that makes no freaking sense, I know—I have a strong feeling that thing was there for me and me alone. It was the way it looked at me as if it knew me.
Fingers trembling, I tear off a paper towel and wet it with warm water. I lean over the sink, carefully rinsing the blood off my forehead. The cut isn’t as bad as it looks, but I’m sure it’ll get nice and swollen with some bruising later. I don’t need stitches at least.
Turning off the sink, I grab the first-aid kit from under the bathroom sink and wince as I blot an alcohol pad over the cut. I press a piece of gauze over the wound next and do my best to tape it to my forehead. It’s right along my hairline, making it hard to get the tape to stick, but at least I can cover it with my hair once the wound has scabbed over.
Leslie is walking back into the barn as I leave the bathroom.
“Mystery’s out with the herd, and everyone is calm,” she says.
“Thanks,” I reply, voice thin.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” she asks again. “You look like you saw a ghost?” She sharply inhales. “Did you?” she whispers. Leslie and I have gotten close over the years and she knows the truth