#western #action #adventure

Chapter 1

The sudden shout of her husband’s voice shattered the quiet morning. “Come inside!” he called, urgency thick in his tone. Jolted from her thoughts, she spun around to see him bursting through the front door, gripping a hunting rifle with white-knuckled hands. His eyes were wide with fear as they darted towards something moving in the shadows beyond the house.

Before either of them could fully comprehend the danger, they were surrounded. A scream pierced the air, sharp and panicked. “Mother! Father!” Their son’s voice rang out, desperate.

“Get back inside! Hide with your brothers and sisters!” the father barked, the command filled with terror. The boy froze for a moment, trembling with indecision, before finally retreating into the house.

The couple stood side by side, their hearts pounding, fear and adrenaline coursing through them as they braced for whatever was lurking in the darkness beyond the threshold.

Five years later, the same nightmare still haunted Martin. Week after week, the memories of that terrible night returned, slipping into his dreams as vivid flashes. His father’s frantic shout, the terror in his mother’s eyes, the oppressive sense of danger—those fragments still clung to him, no longer startling him awake but settling in like an old wound.

This morning, like so many others, he woke before the dawn, the first rays of sunlight creeping through the cabin window. Early mornings had become a habit. They gave him a head start on the day’s heavy load, but more importantly, they allowed him time for his morning target practice, his one escape.

He glanced around the small two-room cabin, ensuring his younger brothers and sisters were still sleeping. His gaze moved over each of them, counting: two boys, three girls, all tucked in tightly, one cramped room for the girls, the other for the boys. His heart sank as he noticed Joseph’s absence. His older brother hadn’t come home last night. Again.

Joseph was always finding trouble, though he usually made his way back eventually. Despite his promises to quit gambling, rumors had reached Martin’s ears that Joseph still spent his nights at the tavern, squandering what little they had on cards and drink. It left Martin to bear the burden of keeping the family afloat, working extra shifts and taking on any odd jobs he could find. It wasn’t easy, but he did it without complaint. Family was everything to him.

Quietly, Martin grabbed his rifle—a cherished heirloom from his father—and slung his two shotguns over his shoulder. The guns were his pride, paid for with his own hard-earned savings. Today, like every morning, he’d head out to his makeshift shooting range, just a short distance from the cabin. From there, he could still hear his younger siblings if they needed him, their laughter carrying on the wind as they played.

As dawn broke, Martin took aim at the largest target: a depiction of one of the demons that now roamed the grasslands. These creatures had become far too common, driven from their hiding places by the encroaching city. What once were safe fields were now dangerous, and Martin had sworn to protect his family from the same fate that claimed his parents.

He hit each target with practiced precision, the crack of gunfire echoing across the quiet morning. In two weeks, a shooting competition in town would give him a chance to win a much-needed cash prize. It was more than a contest to him—it was a chance for something better, a rare opportunity for hope. With each shot, his determination grew. He wouldn’t let this slip through his fingers. For his family’s sake, he needed to win.

When his practice was finished, Martin returned home to prepare breakfast for his siblings, only to find his little sister already at work in the kitchen. She greeted him with a cheerful voice, her bright eyes sparkling.

“I made your lunch for you, big brother,” she said, her excitement clear in her smile. Martin couldn’t help but smile back, his heart swelling with both love and sorrow. She was too young to carry such burdens, but she took care of him in her own small way.

They sat together for a quick breakfast, laughter mixing with the smell of fresh bread. It was a brief moment of warmth before Martin set out to prepare the wagon for his first job of the day—delivering hay to a nearby farm. He had five jobs lined up today, and he wouldn’t be back until well after dinner. As he left, he glanced back at the cabin, knowing his siblings would be on their own until nightfall.