The Cypress Trap

Chapter 12

Owen stood, rising from the cover of the brush. Rayanne couldn't hold him back, and she remained crouched in the bushes, hidden, watching her husband run toward the front of the truck behind Dru. He tackled the girl, bringing her to the ground and the rifle went flying. In the commotion, Cujo barked and clamped down on Owen's leg. Owen cried out in pain and grabbed the dog by its neck as Dru struggled to her feet.

Rayanne raised her head over the bushes, wishing there was she could do something for her husband. She watched helplessly as the dog knocked him to the ground on his back. She lurched forward, jumping out of the bushes, then stopped. The rifle lay in the weeds to the side of the dirt path, just a good twenty, thirty feet away. Holding her breath, she took off running.

Rayanne could see Dru in her peripheral. The girl slapped the hind quarters of her dog, calling it off Owen and pointing. Rayanne kept running though. She was just a few feet from the gun when she heard Dru yell, "Get her!"

The words left a ringing in Rayanne's ears as she skidded in the dirt, reaching for the rifle. Her fingers wrapped around the barrel. She felt the dog approaching. Heard it snarl as it came for her. She picked up the gun, spun around and ran back toward the trees. The Rottweiler was behind her.

Rayanne ran faster holding the rifle. She felt Cujo's jaws, its hot breath on the back of her calves. She didn't look back. Running through the underbrush, she slowed, her legs ripping through the branches. She reached the oak tree. She leapt onto the trunk, dug the finger nails of her left hand into the bark while her right hand gripped the rifle barrel, and she climbed. Her legs wrapped around the tree, forcing her body upwards. She could've climbed higher if she wasn't holding the gun.

Cujo snapped at her, just missing her butt. She felt the dog's teeth grazing her bare thigh, but it couldn't grab hold. Then it clamped down on the back edge of her shoe. She kicked her foot, and Cujo's head shook violently. She gripped tighter to the tree trunk, tried to inch herself higher. Cujo was pulling her down.

Her shoe slipped off her foot, and Cujo let go. The sudden release was like a rubber band breaking and it sent Rayanne upwards with a sudden force that surprised her. She dropped the gun.

Looking down, she watched it fall. It hit the ground beside the angry dog and discharged. The blast echoed loudly, ringing in her ears and sending birds screeching into the air from the trees above. 

Cujo cried out as if he had been shot, and then scrambled into the woods. His yelps of pain faded as he disappeared in the thick trees. Dru screamed for him, then ran after her dog, plowing into the underbrush. A moment later, she was gone too.

The gunshot brought silence and Rayanne looked back to the truck. The boys had stopped fighting. They were standing now, startled and looking to the tree line as if momentarily trying to understand what happened. Owen and Darryl stood back to back, both dirty and bloody, as the three teenage boys circled them. Nelson gripped the baseball bat, holding it up over his shoulder as if he were ready to swing. Rude Roddy gripped the hunting knife in his left hand. He pointed it toward Owen.

 Owen spit blood and leaned on his right leg, as his left leg was a mangle of skin and muscle where Cujo had bit him. Scut laughed. 

"You brought this on yourself." Scut pointed to Owen's bloody leg. "Give it back and this will all be over."

Owen shook his head and wiped his mouth. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Scut stared at him a moment. "I think you do."

"You attacked me and my wife and my buddy. Just tell me what you want." Owen struggled to stand, and leaned on Darryl for support. He shook his head and looked back at the kid. "You want my truck? Take it. Just take it and get outta here."