THIRTEEN

When Baxter opened his eyes he was looking at his lovely June and the boy. He scanned his surroundings, instinctively looking for his gun to blast those fucking monsters again. There were no monsters though. Just a very sterile-looking white room. He was in a bed, a heart-monitor next to him.

“Where am I?”

June took his hand in hers. So soft. He loved those hands. They seemed to be able to heal anything.

“You’re in the hospital,” June told him.

“I got you here after your little brush with death after falling from that tree and getting your leg torn up. You’ll be okay though,” the boy said. He held up a white box with a ribbon around it. “I brought you some chocolates. Hope you like them.”

Baxter smiled. “Thanks, kid. You’re one of a kind. So your plan worked out okay?”

“Yes. That was some weird stuff we encountered over there, right?”

“I still believe it was a dream,” Baxter said.

“I’m afraid the dead bodies of your deputies show it wasn’t. There’s no trace from the Otherwordly anymore though. They just disappeared.”

“How are we going to explain those bodies then,” Baxter wondered. “There’s no way people are going to believe our story.”

The boy shrugged. “I’m afraid I have no idea either. People will probably think they were killed by some kind of wild animal. In a way they were.”

“That must have been some kind of coyote then. But you’re right. It will be the only thing that will make sense to people,” Baxter agreed.

“I just can’t believe the story the boy told me… But if you say it’s true as well it must be. And then I’m very grateful he saved you,” June said.

“What will you be doing now, kid? Want to stay at our place until you find a home and a job maybe?” Baxter asked the boy.

“No, sheriff… I think I’ve seen all I need to see here. It failed to scare me so I will need to move on. Go find something else that gets me to know the meaning of fear.”

Baxter scratched his head. He winced, the movement hurting him. “If that didn’t scare you I’m not sure anything will.”

“I’m not sure either. But I will have to try,” the boy said.

THE END

The Boy Without Fear will return in SKINWALKER VALLEY!