PUMPKINSEED (Cabo 12/2018)

Our Hero between Monster Encounters

Since there was a second encounter, it must be true that Our Hero survived this first encounter. He woke up outside the resort. Yes, Our Hero was bruised and sore, but his spirit was more bruised and sore than his body. He had been bested but not conquered. There was no glory in such survival. Willie and Daniel had perished. He could not return to Cabo. They would think him weak. Somehow he signaled to The Monster that he should leave, that he chose life over death. How confusing. Especially since he plunked The Monster straight between the eyes with a PUMPKINSEED.

Denied Glory, Our Hero continued living, and like most people who continue living, he became older.  No longer a mercenary, Our Hero traveled until he came across Sedona, Arizona. Something about the orange earth and the blue skies pleased him as much as the ocean. He started driving for Pink Jeep Tours.  One day he drove a tour that included a remarkable woman.  This woman found him remarkable too.  Not so remarkably they became a couple and even less remarkably they were soon with child.  Now what would be really remarkable would be if the child's name was Mark or Able.  But the child was a girl, and they named her Cable. 

Our Hero was happy to see that the Modern Barnum gave up on TBD and his resort fiasco.  MB was soon working on a space station, an underwater city, or maybe it was the the parking garage of the future.

Our Hero, and he is still Our Hero, loved his wife and doted on his daughter Cable. Does that make him a dolt? If you asked him, he would not care what you called him. A Dolt! His pride was no longer individual, but a union. So, when Cable wanted to ride horses, he made it happen. Eventually, they bought some land and were able to care for some horses of their own. Cable brought joy to all she did, whether it was excelling playing the saxophone at a local Italian restaurant or riding her horse, Playa.  Cable had a special way with that horse and could get Playa to prance and to turn while jumping.  Such a sight was joyous.  At those moments, Our Hero and his wife (Our Heroine, why not?) looked upon their daughter with great care and affection.

Our Hero was working in the stable one night.  His Wife and Cable had long gone to bed.  Our Hero was just fussing, in the bliss of someone fussing around their own home.

Like a dousing of unexpected cold water, like rear ending a car that stopped too quickly, like learning of a close childhood friend who passed away suddenly, Our Hero felt the lasso around his neck and knew immediately that it was The Monster.