The man from the Woods

Introduction.

I walk into Gail's backyard, and I'm astonished. From the front, her house seems like an ordinary old farmhouse, but from the back, it reveals a stunning horse ranch with breathtaking views of the woods. I'm here for a reason - I left my cowgirl hat here the other day, and I desperately need it back. The problem is, I borrowed it from my mother, and I have no idea where I last placed it. Now, I desperately need to find it

I climb over the wooden fence and walk through the pastures, searching for my hat. 'Where are you, you stupid hat?' I mutter to myself. Suddenly, a gunshot rings out, and I duck. The horses in the pasture get spooked and start to stampede. I see a disheveled man standing in the field, his body covered in scrapes and bruises. What is he doing here? Before I can finish my thought, I see Gail's father behind him, wearing crazy hunting goggles and screaming 'Chupacabra!' at the top of his lungs. A goat-blood-sucker? Where? I look back at the man, who appears to be at death's door, and then at Gail's father, who's aiming his gun at him. Is he crazy?

The thunder of hooves and the rumble beneath my feet snap me out of my thoughts. 'Shit,' I curse, as the horses charge towards me. I remember Gail's advice, to scream and scare them like in Cars, so I lift my arms and scream, but they're too panicked. I pinch my eyes shut and scream again, but the thunder drowns me out. I hunch down with my arms over my head. Just as I think I'm going to die, an arm folds over my head, and I see the man, who looks like he's about to faint, shielding me. What does this frail man think he can do?He clenches his jaw and looks up, in the direction of the horses. The horses instantly react and spare us, running around us instead. Once they pass, the man falls to his knees beside me.

As I look at him, I see Gail's father running towards us, his expression serious. Why is he trying to kill this man?

"I take a deep breath and stand up, looking down at the man, who's still kneeling and breathing shallowly. I look back at Gail's father. The way I see it, I have two options: hand him over to Gail's father and pretend I never saw anything, but that would mean certain death for this stranger, and prison for her father... or I can take matters into my own hands. I can whistle for Dex, my trusty stallion, and 'kidnap' this mysterious man, taking him to my secluded garden cottage on another farm to tend to his wounds and maybe find out who he is.

"I glance at Gail's father, who's getting closer, his expression unyielding.
Anyone that knows me knows... knows I'd rather sacrifice myself than steal another person's happiness. I'm just way too curious and stubborn for that. I made my decision; no matter how crazy it sounds.I place my fingers in my mouth and whistle loudly, and Dex responds, speeding around the house and jumping over the fence with little to no effort, galloping towards me. My eyes glance over at Gail's father.

He stumbles and falls, his silly goggles and hunting boots hindering his pursuit. He's still a distance away, but his voice carries: "No! Child, he's a monster!" he screams, his words laced with desperation. When Dex reaches us, I grab the reins and lock eyes with my trusty stallion. I can sense his hesitation, his uncertainty about the stranger. "It's okay, Dex; we'll save him," I reassure him, but he shakes his head, his ears folding back in discomfort. He kicks the ground, showing his reluctance. I clench my jaw, frustrated by Dex's disobedience. 'That wasn't a question, Dex; it's an order," I say firmly, and he reluctantly obeys.

As I think for a moment, a realization hits me - Dex is incredibly strong, capable of lifting the man to his feet with ease. I glance at the stranger, still kneeling, his eyes fixed on the ground with a mixture of worry and distress. I turn back to Dex and nod. "Lift him, Dex!" I command, and Dex carefully raises his head, trying to support the man. However, the man's legs buckle, and he collapses to his knees again, his eyes flashing with pain. I quickly reassess the situation. 'Lower, Dex,' I instruct, and Dex gently kneels down, allowing me to help the man onto his back. 'We need to get out of here, now,' I urge, feeling a sense of urgency as Gail's father closes in.

The man looks at me with a pleading expression, his eyes begging me to follow him. He weakly extends his hand, but I don't take it. Instead, I simply climb onto Dex's back behind him. Dex stands up, and I tap the heels of my boots against his sides. He launches into a gallop, racing through the field. I take the reins from the man's limp hands and steady us both as Dex leaps over the fence and thunders down the road. We've escaped.