Cowboy Crushed

 It's a hot summer day, the sun blazing onto the crowd while the crowd is cheering and having fun. In the arena the bull rider, Lane Madison, was riding the bull yelling and hollering having a good time while the other bull riders, Doc, Matt and Rusty, watched from the other side of the fence laughing and cheering him on. The rodeo clown, Jack, is making people laugh by doing funny moves and imitating the bulls moves all with a  grumpy expression. Lane's bright blonde hair shined in the sun until everyone heard a loud snap and a body jarring hard thud. A shrill and blood curdling scream came from Lane as he fell off the bull and was trampled to death. Blood splattered the light brown sand turning it into a mud like consistency in places. The other bull riders got the bull back in its pin while the clown looked at Lane but it was too late, Lane was gone. The rodeo was shut down and the crowd left while Doc, Matt, Rusty, and the rodeo clown, Jack, stood over Lane's trampled body. Rusty and one of the other bull riders looked at the bull strap Lane was using while he was riding the bull. 

“It looks like the strap broke and caused him to fall off”, Rusty said.

“I told him his obliviousness was going to kill him, he was so excited to ride the bull he forgot to check his strap”, Doc replied with a sigh. 

“I’ll call the ambulance” Rusty responded while taking his cowboy hat off, bowing his head in respect and saying a small prayer. The ambulance came and took Lane's body away. The rodeo manager called his family while the other bull riders sat at the bar talking and drinking, at least Rusty and Matt were, Doc was looking over the equipment. Doc was always very serious about this job making sure everything is perfect.

“So what happens now with Lane gone?” asked the newest and youngest bull rider named Matt. 

 “Well one of us will probably do more rides until they get a new rider.” Rusty replied.

“Does this happen often?” Matt asked with a slightly worried sound in his voice.

“Well the year I've been here this is the first time we had an accident that led to more than a serious injury but years of watching my dad it usually happens at least once or twice a year.” Rusty grew up with a father that was a legend and famous bull rider. Rusty had a lot of knowledge about rodeo’s being only a year into his career but when you've grown up with his father I guess that's expected. He always wore his lucky cowboy hat that he said it was his fathers. Matt on the other hand was only 4 months into this new bull riding job and he had only seen one on the tv before he got here. Matt was always ready for a new challenge even though most of the time he’s confused. 

Matt takes a drink then looks around, “where is jack?”  The crowd seemed to think he was funny tonight huh? What a great clown.” he says with a chuckle

“He’s helping Doc check over the equipment. For a retired bull rider he has a sharp memory” replied Rusty. Rusty and Matt finish their drinks and say good night. Rusty walks past Doc and Jack talking to each other then they both glance at him and then looked away quickly. 

“Odd” Rusty thought but shrugged it off and went to his trailer to go to bed. As he was getting to bed he noticed his handkerchief with his initials on it was gone from his pocket 

“Damn it, oh well, I’ll look for it tomorrow”, Rusty thought. 

Early in the morning before the sun even came up the bull riders got up for breakfast and riding practice for a few hours. 

“Gosh it's hot” huffed Matt

“Stop complaining” Doc answered with his normal grumpy voice as he walked away with a bag of bull feed, “I'll be right back” Doc said. 

“Okay” Matt replied.

A few minutes go by and there was a scream and then an eerie silence. Matt ran quickly to where the scream was but when he got to the pin where they keep the bulls he froze seeing Docs body….. Well most of it, there was a huge hole in Doc's stomach with blood seeping out of it. Then a bull walked past his body with blood dripping from one of its horns. Matt called Rusty immediately. As soon as Rusty got the call he ran over to the pin.

“Well that didn't take you long” Matt said as Rusty arrived also noticing Rusty didn’t have his lucky hat on. 

Rusty looked at him then at Doc's body in the pin “how did this happen?”, he asked. 

“I don’t know he shouldn't have even needed to go in the pin to feed them he could’ve just done it out…..” he stops mid sentence noticing the food bin was moved and it looked like Doc was in the middle of moving it back when the accident happened. “Odd why was it moved?” Matt asked. 

“I don’t know but I'll call the ambulance and the police so maybe they can figure out what exactly happened.”

A few minutes later the police arrived. Jake Williams, a local detective walked up to the scene. He had brown trousers on with a white button up shirt with 2 loose buttons on top and the sleeves rolled up showing a magnifying glass tattoo on his lower arm. He bent down, kneeling next to the body looking at the carnage before him and then looked over at  the bull. After a few minutes he slowly walked around the pin pausing for a few moments at different places looking ever so intensely. 

“Based on average bull behavior it looks like the bull didn’t want him in his area and charged at him, that's all I can really say based on what I’m seeing at the moment”, detective Williams said with his gray hair slightly reflecting the sun's bright rays. 

“Kinda odd that this is the 2nd accident in 2 days” Matt said with a worried expression. 

“I can look over the other accident scene if you like?” Detective Williams offered, he seemed like a nice man and very helpful. 

“Thanks detective” Rusty responded 

As the detective and cops look over the scene the entire crew of the rodeo came together. The only staff left were the two bull riders Rusty and Matt, the rodeo clown jack, and the show managers, all who waited together for more information. Everyone was talking and the detective asked to see people one at a time to ask questions. When everyone was done talking to the detective he pulled Matt and Rusty to the side to gain more information. 

“The bull strap you said it snapped?” the detective questioned

“Yep Lane was so excited to get the show started Doc said he forgot to check it.” Matt answered with certainty as Rusty just stood there listening

“Well it looks like to me it was cut” replied detective Williams. 

“Cut?!?” Matt exclaimed “who and why would someone cut it?”

I don't know but I think it would be safer if I stay the night just to look around a little more”, said Williams.

Rusty answered “ of course detective we have an extra trailer”

“Perfect thank you and goodnight gentlemen” the detective gave a quick nod then left Matt and Rusty. They were also tired from the day of events; it was clear they both walked slower and looked tired. The night began to set and everyone went to bed. That night there was a scream and everyone burst out of their trailers to search for where the noise came from. One of the female managers was talking to the detective and the detective walked over, finding Matt's body crushed under the trailer. The female manager explained she was laying on her bed when the trailer suddenly moved but not far before she heard a scream.  She got up quickly and came outside to see Matt crushed. She said all she saw was a tall figure with a cowboy hat. The detective knew she wasn’t lying as he could tell just by the distraught and panicked way she acted. He looked at the rest of the crew then said with a strict unforgiving voice “ Rusty you are under arrest.” 

Rusty answered in a panicked voice “why me, you don’t have proof.”

The detective pulled Rustys missing handkerchief out of his pocket “I found this where the bull straps are kept, Matt told me how fast you came after he called you and you admitted that you were near the area where Doc lay dead and now a few hours later this lady says she saw a cowboy hat and you don’t have yours on, do you know where it is right now?”

Rusty opened his mouth to answer but realized he doesn’t remember seeing it in his trailer when he went there for bed. He only remembers having it up till Matt's death. “I-I don’t but I’ve could have lost it” Rusty replied.

“Nice try” the detective said as he arrested him and took him away. Later Rusty was found guilty and was given the death penalty and only a few weeks later he was executed.  I remember watching it on the news. I felt slightly bad but I also felt glad I got my revenge. Most people would say I am a monster framing Rusty but maybe if his father the so-called “legend” wasn’t such an ass Rusty wouldn’t have been punished for what his father had done to me. His father took away my future a long time ago when we were young and learning to bull ride together. Seeing Matt and Rusty’s relationship reminded me of the relationship we had but when Rusty's father pulled a prank on me injuring me in the process and then just left me in the dirt I felt my heart shatter and seeing Rusty brought all that anger from 20 years ago back to the surface. Now 20 years later my revenge was taken, Rusty's dad took my future, my career so I’ll take his love, his son, and his legacy. The detective coming was unexpected but he wasn’t too hard to fool just laying the right clues down, stealing Rusty’s hat and only showing my shadow was enough to trick that stupid detective. Doc was just extra to get rid of he would have figured out it was me so he had to go. All those people laughing at me and my smile they never knew that behind the clown makeup there was a man who just wanted to get even. Most people will say I’m a monster and a vengeful bastard and maybe I am but I got away with it for 40 years now 80 years old laying in my bed tired and weak writing my final words my lesson to everyone, maybe you shouldn’t trust everyone with a smile.