"Welcome To My Life"

        It was a hot day in Kansas and a little twelve year old, with round puppy eyes, was frantically trying to duck the stones flying at him. He was not bullied on a daily basis. No. But today happened to be the day when the gang decided to pick on the son of the rich rancher in the locality. Plus, the said son said he could not swim. 

      That's where it started. It started with teasing, then went to poking, then to yelling and finally to mild beating and stoning. The boy ran away from them until he came to a big rock beside the lake. He decided to hide behind it. Hiding was the best solution. He was alone and they were five. That was not a balanced number right? So yeah. He ran and sat behind the rock. 

      It was eerily silent for some time. Just the silent whirling of the warm breeze and some birds chirping somewhere. The boy thought they lost him. So he stealthily stood up to see the other side of the rock. But in an instant, he was snatched by a strong pair of arms and thrown to the ground. "Did you by chance think you could hide? You can't!" The gang started laughing and teasing him. The boy was absolutely scared and the tears threatened to fall from his eyes. 

       "Will you let me ing sleep?!!" An angry alien voice was heard and everyone started to look around for the source of it. They couldn't, until a lean boy with chubby cheeks stood behind them on top of the rock. God knows how he mounted that rock double in his height, but he looked rather cool stretching his arms on top of it. 

        "Why are you bothering the kid?" The boy asked. "None of your business Tuan." The rowdy one in the gang said. "Well. It happens to be my ing business if you are not letting me have my peaceful nap." He said rubbing his eyes and continued, "Now leave him alone and go home." "What if I say we won't?" The reply came and the boy on rock clucked his tongue and jumped from the rock without even flinching when his feet hit the ground. He started popping his fingers while saying, "Well then. You must have heard how badly Adam and John and their friends were beaten right? They were seven. You are five. Just imagine what I can do to you..." He trailed his voice trying to warn them through the information. The boys looked at each other and then started retreating. "You will pay one day Tuan." The rowdy one said before completely vanishing from the sight.

      The one on the ground looked at the boy totally dumbfounded. He finally stood up and bowed his head a bit muttering an incomprehensible 'thank you'. "Why were they even picking on you? You look like a lost pup." The boy, who looked around three to four years older than the other, said chuckling, showing his long set of teeth. "Don't call me that you horse teeth" was the reply. "Oh shall I call them back?" The boy asked and the other violently shook his head side from side. "They said I was a for not knowing how to swim." He said, carefully sitting near the lake.

"I'll teach you. Come here tomorrow and I show you how to do it." 

The other looked at him in surprise and the boy looked back and smiled. Then he gave him his so called horse smile and stood up to leave. "Don't forget. Tomorrow same time. I'll teach you in a day." He said, already leaving, not even looking back once. The little boy stared at his figure untill it got so small that he had to narrow his eyes. Then he looked at the lake and dipped his finger in the water making ripples. He decided that he just met his hero. 

         Jackson bolted up from his bed and clutched his pillow as he heard the galloping of hooves mixed with haughty laughters. Then they were followed by painful groans and it scared him. He ran towards his parent's room mounting their bed. "Dad! What's going on? I'm scared." He cried while crawling to get between his father and mother. "You don't have to be afraid son. It's just some sinners are getting punishment for their sins." His father said. It was not all reassuring for little Jackson but he shut his eyes tightly and he finally fell asleep when his mother ran her fingers through his hair. 

      The next day he was really excited to go meet the boy to learn swimming. He actually took some trouble dress himself properly and comb his hair, so he would look presentable. He excitedly entered the kitchen to tell his parents that he was leaving to play but his father beat him, "Woah. Look who's all ready to go to the Sunday mass." . Jackson had forgotten it was Sunday and they had to go to church. He knew he could never avoid it but he made an attempt, "Dad. Can I pass today? I really have to be somewhere." His father narrowed his eyes and flatly replied. "No."

      That was it. Jackson couldn't argue with his father even if he was young. So he did what he could. He made a pouty and angry face all through thier drive to the church, through the mass prayers and through lunch. His father noticed. 

      He took a different route back home and stopped the car in a rocky area. "Jackson. I'm gonna show you what happens to people who don't follow their God." He said, trying to avoid his wife's glare. He held his son's hand and took him a bit down the road. Something stunk and Jackson covered his nose. His father pointed at something and Jackson furrowed his brows to make out what was being shown. He could finally see two brutally mutilated bodies, clothes all worn out, hands tied and their front skin visibly scraped out. Jackson felt the need to puke. "See son. These two tried to go against the church. They wanted to stain procreation. They were sinners and really weak men. So they were punished." His father said while kneeling down in front of him, placing his hands on Jackson's shoulders. "I want you to do something. Grow up into a strong man. Don't be a passive sissy. Snatch what you want and don't let your dignity down. And don't ever dare to go against your religion."

       Jackson had a nightmare that night. He saw that a horseman was racing and behind him was someone whose hand was tied and roped, the other end of which the horseman held. As the horse ran, the person behind was dragged and his chest was covered with blood and his face too. His skin was all opened due to the cuts from pebbles from the ground and he groaned in pain. The horseman ran round and round on the horse until the person behind the lost all blood and stopped groaning all together. Jackson went to study the dead and horseman. What he saw made his heart stop. On the horse was seated his father with a stern look and on the ground lay he himself. 

     The next morning Jackson tried to put aside the disturbing dream and got ready for school. As he was on his way, he remembered the boy from the other day. He changed his way and went to the lake instead. He really wanted to see him. And learn swimming. He sat near the rock and waited. He stood up when the sun was finally close to the west and it was time for school to get over. He had waited the whole day and saved one sandwich from his lunchbox in case the boy showed up. But he didn't. And Jackson went home with a heavy heart. 

                                    -×××××××××××××××××××-

           Jackson couldn't really believe that his parents would throw a party for his twentieth birthday. But they did. He was so happy and hyped up. He enjoyed a lot, trying to flirt here and there. The party seemed to end with a horse race. The racers had to ride up to one particular hill and come back from another way. All the interested people in the party could join. As they were readying themselves for the race, Jackson noticed a guy, not that he was really unnoticeable. He was the only one without a shirt but a t-shirt with a huge cross over the front. His face was half covered with a black skeleton scarf and his red hair was showing as some tufts of his hair came out from his hat. He was the only one with a dyed hair in the whole crowd. 

         The race begun and the onlookers even started to bet. Most put their bet on Jackson. Not because he was the birthday boy. But because he had grown up to be a really good horseman, even helping his father to look after the ranch. He had grown up to be the strong man his father had told him to and was pretty appreciated by people. And ladies.

        The result seemed clear. Jackson really left all the others behind. He knew he was going to win as he reached the hill first. As he was mounting the hill on his galloping horse, Jake, he heard the sound of hooves behind. He turned to see the red hair guy following him, no other horsemen in sight. Jackson stopped on impulse and his follower slowed his pace to stand near Jackson. 

"How are you lost pup?" The guy said and Jackson's eyes went wide in shock.

He had not forgotten this person. Even though it had been eight years, he still remembered. He still remembered how he had bunked school for three days in the hopes of seeing him again. He remembers the disappointment of not seeing him. And now he was in front of him, and he softly mumbled 'horse teeth' as the guy pulled down his scarf, finally giving him his flashing smile. "Happy birthday." The boy said placing his hat on Jackson's head. "Thank you." He softly said. "Now c'mon. Go. I would like to see the birthday boy win the race." Jackson properly put the hat, nodded and hit the horse once and then swiftly left downhill. 

      He could somehow feel his heart beating louder and harder than the hooves of his horse hitting the ground. 

Author's note:First chapter. Hope ya all like it.

I'm so excited to write this one. But it is equally difficult too to create a cowboy setting. If I fail at some point, do forgive me.