Who Am I?

Preface

Preface (1941)

It was a cold spring night and Jimmy was out hunting with his coon dogs. Jimmy found this time very comforting. The peace of the woods and the thrill of the hunt was all he needed since his parents passed away and left him the farm.He loved his parents deeply even if they were his adoptive parents. They raised him since he was one year old. Someone left him on their front porch one night. Since his parents could not have children, he was the miracle they had waited for.

They raised him to be an honorable man. Be kind and merciful to everyone until you can not anymore. When he became older they were always on him about finding a wife and having children. They wanted to be grandparents. None of the women ever intrigued him enough to hold his attention but all the local women wanted him. He never even noticed them. Since his parents died he has become more lonely at the house. He loved the solitude the hunt brought him but lately he deeply desired companionship.

Jimmy had allowed his mind to wander when he suddenly realized that his dogs had gotten way out in front of him. He started to jog in order to keep up with them. All of a sudden, there was a loud pop and the snapping of wood. Whatever it was, it sounded large. He took his gun from his shoulder and had it ready.

Jimmy started walking towards the sound. He had became an expert on sneaking up on game. Even though it was night there was a full moon to show him the way. He started walking up a hill when he heard some more sounds. Jimmy froze and listened; it sounded like someone crying. When he got to the top of the hill and peered down he saw a figure at the bottom on the other side of the hill. He started creeping down the hill. When he got a little closer, he realized it was crying that he heard. Not an animal crying but a human crying. He took a few more steps to get a better look and he realized the person was a mess. The person was not clothed and covered in dirt and grime.

"Can I help you? Are you ok?" Jimmy asked the stranger in a calm voice. The stranger jumped when he heard him talk. Then, the stranger jumped up and ran behind the tree that was nearest to it. When the stranger ran he could tell it was a female from the body shape.

The first thing that came to his mind was to protect her. " Ma'am, are you hurt?" While saying this Jimmy put his shotgun down on the ground. Then he took off his hat and laid it down also. He took a step closer to her with his hands up so she would not feel threatened.

"D-don't come any closer!" She stammered out. He stopped where he was and looked at her face. She was dirty but under that dirt she was a sight to behold. For the first time, Jimmy felt a stirring in him that he was not familiar with. Then he met her eyes. They were the greenest eyes he had ever seen. Even in the darkness of the night he could tell how green they were. He could get lost in those eyes all night. He took a deep breath and shook his head trying not to stare at her. He took off his jacket quickly.

"Ma'am, I am going to throw my jacket over you so that you can cover yourself up." He threw the jacket towards her. Without taking her eyes off of him, she grab the jacket and put it around her shoulders and buttoned it up. Jimmy took another step towards her and said, "Look I live just a few miles back, come follow me home, and I'll call the authorities for you, and they can help you."

"No, don't call anyone. I am just passing through. I will be off your land as soon as I can. I was just taking a break." She stammered out.

Jimmy took another step closer to her. "You don't need to be going through these woods by yourself. Come with me and I will take you wherever you need to go." He held his hand out to her.

She took a step backwards from him, and whispered "You must go, I'm running from some evil things, that you need no part of." She sniffed the air. Her facial expression had a look of horror on it. "You must go now or your life will be forfeited, please go!" She whispered louder begging him to leave.

Jimmy took another step toward her and said, "I'm sorry I can not leave you in this condition. If someone is after you and they come onto my land then I will get them for trespassing." Jimmy declared.

"No, you must go..." About that time somebody grabbed her from behind. She started screaming and fighting her kidnapper. Jimmy froze and did not move from where he was standing.

"Vos cepi . Dominus meus esse velis." the person said out loud. The woman started fighting against him even more but he pulled out an ancient looking blade from his belt. He pressed it against her throat. The blade was white with a ruby encrusted at the bottom. She stopped moving immediately when she felt the blade at her throat. Her eyes grew wide in fear.

Jimmy realized that her captor had not spotted him yet. He took several steps back until he had his gun in his sight. He bent down and picked it up. Jimmy raised the shotgun and aimed.

"Let her go! I promise you before you can do anything to her, your head will be blown off. Trust me, I never miss!" Jimmy yelled at the men. About that time, the clouds moved out of the way and the full moon shone on the man. Jimmy stared wide eyed. It was no man. His top half was man, but his bottom half was some kind of animal. The creature had horns coming out of the top of his head. "What the hell are you?"

"Puny human, you should run for your life. Once I have dealt with her, I will put you six feet under for interfering with things that you don't understand. My master wants her more than anything. Just for interfering, they will kill not only you but anybody you hold dear. Even in the afterlife you will regret it." The beast sneered at Jimmy.

"Pl...ea...se.. G...oo," the girl stammered out. "I'm tired of running. Don't waste your life on me." Seeing that she had given up only fed Jimmy's adrenaline.

Jimmy took a step closer, "I said, LET HER GO!" Jimmy fired his gun. The bullet hit the tree right beside the creature's head. "That was a warning." The monster gritted his teeth and came at an alarming speed toward Jimmy while keeping the woman in the other hand pinned to his body. He reached him in a matter of seconds. Jimmy went to shoot again but the creature yanked the gun from his hand. The beast pressed Jimmy against the tree with the knife at his throat now. The woman was still held close to the creature's body. She was struggling to get loose.

That's when the growling started. The coon dogs have made it back to their master. They were growling at the beast. The creature's eyes grew wide with fear for the first time. Jimmy whistled and the dogs attacked the half-man. The first dog went for the creature's hind leg. The beast screamed with pain when the dog bit down. This gave just enough distraction for Jimmy to grab the knife from the beast's hand and stab him in the chest. The ancient looking knife slid right in. The creature eyes rolled back into it's head and fell back onto the forest floor.

"Are you okay?" the woman asked Jimmy. He looked down at the beast and then at his hands which were covered in blood. He had this urge to bend down and drink the blood. "I said, are you okay?" Jimmy shook the feeling he had as he stared at her.

"What just happened? Why did he want you? What was he? Are you hurt?" Jimmy asked her in rapid fire. Then he really looked at her. He could tell earlier that she was pretty but she was the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. Those eyes. He leaned in toward her and put his hand on her face. When he touched her a feeling he could not explain went through his whole body. Her eyes grew wide, like she was feeling the same thing.

She leaned into his touch. "You saved me from a really bad man. He would have done bad things to me. Then he would have killed me. I am forever yours. But first you must take the blade and cut out his heart. Then you will see when he is really dead. Then you can take me home."

"Why cut his heart out? What will I see? Where is your home?"

"Cut his heart out so he can not come back to life. Home is wherever you are. You are mine forever now." She leaned in more and kissed him passionately. Jimmy knew right then that his heart would forever be hers.