A Troubling Development (Changed Tomorrows excerpt)

After a lengthy hiatus, I’m back at work on Changed Tomorrows. I hope you’ll enjoy this wee excerpt.

Seconds after hearing the buzz of what he thought was an insect, Dustu heard the report of a rifle some distance rearward. Both boys instinctively laid forward on their horses necks and dug their heels into their flanks. After galloping at full tilt for a minute or so, Dust dared to steal a look behind them.

“Fly like the wind brother, he’s gaining on us!” Again, two pairs of heels urged the beasts to give more speed. The horses, sensing the urgency, responded by running even faster. At this speed the tiniest misstep would result in almost certain death for both horse and rider.

A stand of young pines beckoned, promising a little cover and the boys veered left in the hopes of disappearing in the trees. They would sacrifice some speed, but hoped the lack of visibility would make up for it. Just before they penetrated the copse another shot rang out. This time the shooter’s aim was a little better and Jim felt the hot lead ball searing into the meaty part of his right thigh.

“Dustu, I’m hit!”

“Where? Can you still ride?”

Jim knew he had to keep riding. Both their lives depended on it.

“I can, it’s only my leg!” he yelled as he urged his horse to carry him away.

Every step the horse made sent an electric jolt of pain up and down Jim’s leg. It wasn’t unbearable pain, but it was certainly making its presence known. There was a faint tingling sensation that seemed to be riding the pain like he was riding his horse.

In his preoccupation with the wound, he nearly failed to notice Dustu veering sharply to the left and disappearing into the trees. The hoofbeats softened and then stopped. Now, he could only hear his own horse trotting and breathing heavily. A thicker stand of trees just ahead looked like a promising spot to elude their pursuer, and he nudged the horse’s neck and headed in. As he did, he wondered; ‘Where did Dustu go?’

Don’t forget, New Yesterdays is available at Amazon. If you’d like me to send you a signed copy by mail just contact me and I’ll be happy to do it!

About Ol' Big Jim

Jim L Wright has been a storekeeper, an embalmer, a hospital orderly, and a pathology medical coder, and through it all, a teller of tall tales. Many of his stories, like his first book, New Yesterdays, are set in his hometown of Piedmont, Alabama. For seven years he lived in the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world, Amman, Jordan where he spent his time trying to visit every one of the thousands of Ammani coffee shops and scribbling in his ever-present notebook. These days he and his husband, Zeek, live in a cozy little house in Leeds, Alabama. He’s still scribbling in his notebooks when he isn’t gardening or refinishing a lovely bit of furniture. His book, New Yesterdays, can be found at Amazon US, Amazon UK, Smashwords, and Barnes and Noble.

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