Attack of the Beast
by Anon Allsop
Part 6

Chapter 21

It had been almost three years since Parker was home. I studied the floor under the pew as the elderly Pastor gave his sermon. My mind had come quite a long way since that day when Park left, growing more and more accepting to the way my body was behaving. It had taken me almost three months to finally shave my legs. Once I had done it, I realized that there were several reasons why I should have been doing it all along. After that little step, another hurdle would come up.

One by one the little nuances of what makes a girl into a woman transpired over my life, each one taking me closer and closer to the result that most women learn when they are my age. It is almost as if going up a great long stairway, each step, closer to the final result. My mind reeled with these confusing thoughts when I should have been listening to the sermon, so drawn into these ideas and theory's that I was startled when the entire church stood with a thunderous roar. I glanced around; some were hugging, crying profusely while others were clapping and singing their praises toward the heavens.

Daphne and Sion are out of hospital. The threat from Arfon still looms but this chapter mainly describes Daphne and Briony moving forward emotionally.

The Welsh Mountain Ram 30

Briony... Betrayed wife and mother.
Sion... Her eight-year-old son.
Ellairy... Her nine-month--old daughter.
Arfon... Brionys’ abusive and unfaithful husband.
Dave Cadwalloder... Welsh bachelor hill-farmer.
Jenny and Lassie... Daves’ sheepdog bitches.
Laddie... Daves’ sheepdog.
Jessica and Pansy... Daves’ sows.
Angel... Daves’ mare.
Gabriella (Gabby)... Angels’ foal (Gift to Sion.)

Chapter 9

January snow blew hard against the cabin, building a thick blanket over the mountain, covering it in white. Kodiak had left the cabin and was heading to the smokehouse for meat that had been cured late in the fall. It was unmistakable that I was pregnant; there was no way to doubt the fact that our kicking child was growing inside of me.

Kodiak had become quite the caretaker of me. He wouldn't allow me to do anything physical. Though we had been forced to sleep in the same bed, only to stay warm...he never once had done anything to take advantage of our predicament...though, why would it matter now. I waited at the kitchen window for him to return, slowly sipping on my coffee. I too had grown accustomed to the fact that I would be a mother, slowly warming up to the undeniable truth that it would happen whether I liked it or not.

This story takes place just after Kodiak escorted Samantha down from his mountain where she would eventually meet and marry Quin. This story is Kodiak’s story.

Chapter 1

The short beady-eyed man reached back under the decking of the porch and dragged me out. "Let go of me, you asshole!" I hissed and swung at him. He pulled me up onto the steps and with a firm grasp of my hair and hauled me inside his saloon.

As we passed the bartender, he spoke as though it was any other day, "Snuff out the candle that this street rat had lit under my porch, I don't want this little shit causing a fire!"

Forcibly, I was thrown into a small room, knocking over a single chair. Behind me I heard the door slam shut and lock, with a very audible click.

Chapter 26

I came inside from the barn, stood at the threshold of the door, and hung my hat. Grandfather was sipping his cup of coffee. The shaft of morning light split the darkness of the interior as I stepped through the doorway. Grandfather looked up at me and winked, at that same moment, Samantha stepped from the bedroom wearing the yellow dress that I bought her some time ago. "I trust you slept well?" he asked her.

She blushed and patted his shoulder as she passed, again he winked at me. "Yes, and I trust that you also slept as well, Grandfather." she replied coyly.

He almost spit out his coffee and began laughing, "Honey, it's been quite a long time since I've slept THAT well!" She shot me a smirk and I smiled back, it wouldn't take one of those big eastern college professors to know what had happened between us last night.

Chapter 20

I was up before the sun had risen; I silently brushed my teeth using the light that was from glowing coals in the fireplace. After spitting outside, I carried two logs to the hearth, and placed them in, banking the red embers around them. I quietly stood and paused at her door, looking in, gazing upon the woman I treasured. Samantha was asleep, her golden hair fanned around her face like the warm rays of the sun. I caught my breath; her look was so serene and peaceful. It was all I could do to not approach her slumbering form and smother her with kisses. It was best that I left and busied myself with chores.

Chapter 8

"No kidding? You saw him naked?" I whistled, "What did you do?"

Sam glared at me, "I did just what anyone would have done..."

*I screamed in surprise, as he realized that we were facing each other. He spun quickly, placing his chiseled backside toward me. I felt my heart race, as my eyes drank in the vision I had been so afraid to witness!

He quickly dashed behind the steps, "Damn, Samantha! I didn't mean for that to happen!" He hid himself behind a small chest of drawers, "It ain't like I planned that! I just forgot!"

This story is written in two 'books'. The first half is titled 'The Homestead', the second is simply called 'Kodiak'. The sequel was written as a result of people wanting to know more of the mountain man and 'Kodiak' is his story.

I wish to sincerely thank Jim P. for his assistance in editing my story. His insights and suggestions helped me to make 'The Homestead' one of my most favorite stories I've ever written. I also appreciate the time he took to not only go over this story once, but three times! Thank you!

“Take off that silly disguise, Verentsu, and tell me what's going on! And you, Shalasan — if that's really your name — what are you doing here?”

Set in the backdrop of Tennessee during the American Civil War, a young, underage soldier is separated from his unit after a fierce battle. While trying to locate them, he inadvertently stumbles into mortal danger on a very dark and quiet evening. With nowhere to run, Jeremy must learn to accept the changes that have been wrought upon his body... changes that may prevent him from ever returning home again!

Chapter 16

I caught them all off guard. Over the last several weeks they had relaxed their watch over me. So, the first chance I got, Samuel, Jonah and I took our little buggy and headed off for a quick visit to town. That was the story I had given them, but I had no intention of stopping there... nor ever returning home. The youngster, Jonah, was my driver and at about five miles away from the plantation, I had him stop the buggy.

"I can take it from here, Jonah." I took the reins from his hands.

"Ma'am?" He looked at me with astonishment as I pointed toward the side of the road with a nod of my head.

"You can get out here, and head back home." I waited as he climbed down to the ground, then, without a second glance, snapped the reins and drove away leaving the perplexed youth watching me as I disappeared.

Richard is in love with Alyssa, his classmate. Alyssa is stunning. Richard is not. He'll do anything to get her to speak to him. In fact, it's her that makes the first move, but not as he intended!

You're traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind; a journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of the imagination. Next stop: THE TWILIGHT ZONE." - Rod Serling

***

Kendra Allen tried to use an ancient magic book to cast a spell, a book he had no right of possessing. His intent was kindly, his motive honest...but somehow, I doubt if Kendra had intended for the outcome to be such as this. Kendra finds out what happens when you open the pages of a wondrous book...a book that should have been buried deeply within the walls of...THE TWILIGHT ZONE.

Set in the backdrop of Tennessee during the American Civil War, a young, underage soldier is separated from his unit after a fierce battle. While trying to locate them, he inadvertently stumbles into mortal danger on a very dark and quiet evening. With nowhere to run, Jeremy must learn to accept the changes that have been wrought upon his body... changes that may prevent him from ever returning home again!

This story has been two years in the making. I hope you find as much pleasure reading it, as I did writing, 'The Yankee Belle'.

"You're traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind; a journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of the imagination. Next stop: THE TWILIGHT ZONE." - Rod Serling

A lonely man makes an incredible find in a small antique shop. How could he know that within the confines of the ancient cabinet was a portal into another time? Come with us as he enters... THE TWILIGHT ZONE.

“I do need you,” she said, beginning to tremble. “I said — I said I didn't want to change back, and I don't, but I want even more to be with you, to make you happy. If the only way I can do that is to change —”

“Shh,” he said. “No, you don't have to change for me.”

"You're traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind; a journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of the imagination. Next stop: THE TWILIGHT ZONE." - Rod Serling

A young brave defends a friend from the verbal attacks of his sisters' friends. Hear-ka is angered by their inability to look beyond his friend's stature as a warrior, seeing that through his kind ways he can also be a respectable leader. They laugh, but the Spirits do not. Hear-ka is sent to the mountain, there in the circle of the ancients he will find and bring back 'La-Ana-ha, the Pale Deer' to become his friend's willing squaw. A willingness that could only be contrived inside...THE TWILIGHT ZONE.

I looked at her from the corner of my eye, she was definitely flustered but I could care less, she was their mother and the behavior of her children were her own concern...my problem was that they were most likely going to distract me with their constant banter and shenanigans throughout the entire church service.