Prompt 

A cowboy during the 1800s in the American West runs into a flying saucer.  

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The ranch plains were baking in the summer heat and people unfortunate enough to be out in the middle of it could literally feel their skin burn as the last drop of sweat was squeezed out of their skin. The breeze could offer no comfort as it too was set on fire by the scorching sun. The hot breeze coupled with the unrelenting fire from the sky roasted the daylight out of a normal human. But the cowboys of the west were different. It was as if they had evolved more than a normal human to handle the harsh climate. And Jason was the best of the lot who had learned that a constant feeling of euphoria could beat the heat in ways science couldn’t explain. However, today was different for Jason too. 

“They don’t need none of us cowboys,” it wasn’t difficult to know that Jason was upset, “the new rail line will take the cows to the slaughterhouse.” 

“Who told you that?” Jason’s grandma was his only family left. The wild west had the least of support for cowboys and less-so for Jason. 

“Mr. Richard.” 

“That slimy old retard,” Cherry had the choicest of swear words for Mr. Richard which she refrained from using in front of Jason. She did not want the child to be spoiled. But still, somedays, the words just flow. “

Did you not tell me not to swear?”  

“Yes, you don’t. I can. Well, sometimes,” Cherry was visibly upset, “say your prior (prayer). Things will be fine.” Cherry wasn’t so sure about the future. Mr. Richard was a kind of leech that sucked the well-being out of well-being. He was a friend of her husband but she never got a sense of calm around him. She was right as he ended up betraying Phil’s trust. Now that Richard was the mayor, Cherry wondered how many more Phils would have lost their lives trusting him. 

For a twenty-three year old Jason was a fine young man raised by Cherry since he was thirteen. In a world devoid of people to lean on, there was only Lord Jesus and grandma and grandma encouraged him to talk to Jesus as much as and as often as possible. He liked it. He found a sense of calm he couldn’t explain. Jason knelt for praying. He remembered his grandpa’s words – don’t never say a prior with your hat on – kind of respect that he ought to give the Almighty. 

“This is Jason, Sir. I need your calm and help,” he then continued seeking his calm from the only one who could provide. 

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“Grandma, there’s news and it’s a good one.” 

“What is it?” 

“They want us to continue at the ranch.” 

“Well, that’s a nice thing. What changed?” 

“Someone is stealing the cattle. No one knows how and when it happens. So, they want us to keep watch.” 

“Isn’t that dangerous? What if they are armed?” 

“We will get arms too but I don’t think we will be needing it. From what I have heard, there were people at the ranch and it still happened. They need more eyes now.” 

“That’s good. You be safe,” Cherry was a bit disappointed, “and don’t forget to thank Jesus.” This had to be a stop-gap arrangement and as soon as the thief was caught, he would be removed again. It wasn’t too difficult for Cherry to see that. She, however, did not intend to pour water over Jason’s excitement. 

“I will. And the best part is that I will be going to work in the night. No morning sun.” 

“That’s good. When do you start?” 

“Today. Tonight will be my first day.” 

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The night was a welcome contrast to the day. The breeze was getting cooler with every gust, as if it was gathering its wits, now that the tormenting fireball had taken a break. The night was silent and barring the ranch lights the only thing bright at night were the stars. The new moon was not bright enough to light the night. 

Keeping watch with nothing happening was a sure recipe to put the strongest-willed soul to sleep. So it did happen to all the young cowboys. Jason, though, was fighting his sleep as much as he could. Then he saw it. 

There was a blinding light that emanated from the west, whizzed past him overhead and ran out of sight to the east. That was enough to set him up to his most alert level. He woke up his compatriots but nothing happened thereafter.  

They all went to sleep again but he knew what he saw and slumber was the last thing on his mind that night. 

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“So, how was it?” Cherry asked Jason as he entered. 

“Nothing happened. No stealing under my watch,” Jason was in two minds if he should tell his grandma about the episode but then he himself was not sure of what he saw. Moreover, he wanted her to be the least bothered when he went out in the night. 

“Good. You take your nap and get some strength for the night.” 

“Yes, grandma.” 

That night too was quite uneventful so he thought of walking around the ranch just to be sure. Others were in the ranch anyway. The air was cold and enough to contract every muscle in his body. He was soon shivering while standing at the edge of the man-made pond. Those were made specifically for the cattle to handle the extremely punishing days. 

Jason noticed some kind of a glow at the edge of the pond. Whatever it was he could see it mixing with the water. He wasn’t sure if he was seeing right and he decided to take a closer look. Then it happened again. The light appeared out of nowhere and buzzed overhead. It then started to descend and came to rest near him. He hoped that the guys at the ranch would wake up at the sound.  

What he saw was enormous. It was like a disc, more like the saucer that his grandma never used. It was taller than anything in town and wider than the whole town. Something began to move and it opened outwards. It was a door and the thing that came out was his worst nightmare.  

“Oh my Jesus, what have I done to deserve a visit from the devil?” Jason was shivering in fear and yelling at the top of his voice.

“You've been a bad kid and Jesus sent me to test your intestine,” the devil said.

Jason passed out. 

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“Jason. Jason, bud.” It was morning and Jim was sprinkling water on him and waking him up, “You could have slept back there. Why here in the open?” 

“Oh, sweet Jesus save me,” Jason woke up with a start and tried to push away from Jill. 

“Save you from what?” 

“Jill. It’s you.” 

“Yes, I am Jill and you are Jason,” Jill was not sure what had gotten into Jason, “you want me to take you home? It’s morning.” 

“No, no, I am fine. I will go.”  Jason reached home and went straight to prayer. He had heard of the good being tested but hoped Lord Jesus would be kind enough not to test him with those devilish looking devils. 

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That night Jason was on the edge. He did not want to venture out for any reason. As usual, by an hour past midnight, everyone was asleep. It happened again. This time the entire barn was filled with light and noise so loud that Jason was sure everyone would wake up. Then three devils entered the barn. Jason was about to pass out. 

“Will you stop trying to pass out,” the devil said. 

Jason was shaken, “what?” 

“We are not your nanny to watch over you every time you pass out.”  

Jason was distraught. He never thought devils would watch over him. He must have done something to deserve kindness from the dark side. 

“And for your information, we are not a devil. We have names.” 

“Who.. who are you? What are you doing here?”

“The thing talks,” one of the being said to the other and they all appeared to laugh which to Jason sounded like shrieks. He hoped at least Jill would wake up.  

“We are Azmethirs and are inhabitants of the Andromeda galaxy,” one of them said. 

“The Andro what?” “Never mind. We are here to take some of your cattle.” 

“No, you can’t do that under my watch.” 

“No problem, we can put you to sleep,” the shrieks followed again between the three. 

“You can’t take the cattle. I will lose my job.”

“Oh, don’t you worry kiddo. We will take few and replace them with the ones that we had already taken. No one will know.” 

“What? What’s happening here? Why did you take them in the first place? Why are your taking more and returning the ones you took?” Jason was finding his feet and some confidence in talking to the beings. 

“Ta…ta..tarampa..ta..ra…mapa,” one of the beings responded. And all of them shrieked again. “

What?”

“Well, your barrage of questions sounded like that to us,” the beings shrieked again. Unlike humans, they appeared to be made of funny bones alone. Jason was not amused. “You see, we keep coming to your home every thousand years. This time, however, we had a small mishap and one of our liquids fell close to that pond over there.” 

“The glowing liquid.” 

“Yes, you remember, don’t you? Now, the problem was that few of your cattle drank water with the liquid. It will not kill them but over a period of time it will change their genes.” 

“Cattle don’t wear jeans. What are you talking about?”

“You must be the smartest of your variety, right?” one of the being said and the shrieks followed. “Keep it simple for him.” 

“Alright, look, your cattle may change and may become monsters if we didn’t remove the liquid from their intestine. Soon, they would affect you and all other beings on your planet. The next time we come here a thousand years later, you would all be monsters or you would have been wiped out. So, we had to remove the liquid.” 

“So, you are not here to steal?” 

“No, we don’t even want to talk to you people. The last of the cattle will be cleansed today and will be returned in a few days. You can go and be the hero.” 

“Why me? Why didn’t you tell any of them?”

“Well, we didn’t have to. You were on the verge of drinking that liquid the other day and hence we had to stop you. Otherwise, even you wouldn’t have known.” 

“Oh..” 

“So don’t talk about us with anyone. Not that they will believe you but may send you to an asylum for the mentally unhealthy.” 

“Madman. You mean they will think that I have lost my mind.” 

“Yes. You don’t want that, now do you?” 

“No.” 

“Good, so go be a hero and be silent about us. And yes, we may have to take your leader with us.” 

“Leader? Mr. Richard?” 

“Yes. He can’t be treated. He will have to be taken to our planet. But, of course, we will return him after a thousand years.” 

“He drank from the cattle pond?” 

“No, silly. He ate one of the cattle which drank from the pond.” 

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Epilogue 

Jason became an overnight hero with all the cattle being found. Mr. Richard was heard of no more. Jason was unanimously voted to be the Mayor.  

Ten days in office, he found all the fudged documents of Mr. Richard and returned to the kin of the rightful owners. That also made him one of the richest in town as he got his grandfather's property. 

Lastly, he found a way to have the cowboys and rail lines coexist! 

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This story is written in response to @mctiller's short story contest which can be found here. 

Image Courtesy: Pixabay