Stranger in the Desert

I looked up into those grey eyes, eyes that had seen things nobody should have, and a few things that everyone should have. Those eyes held both sides of every coin of life…from cruelty to kindness. It was hard to look away from those eyes, but I did. And that is when I got scared.

He had no face. No nose. No lips. No ears. Just those gray eyes that saw everything and a strong jaw without a mouth in it. I thought I was scared before but now, well, I haven’t cried since I was four years old. I didn’t even cry when they pulled that bullet out of my thigh. Or when that arrow went through my shoulder. Or when my horse went down in a gopher hole, and trapped me under him. I broke all the ribs on one side, an an ankle…and still didn’t cry. Tears didn’t help get things done.

I cried now. ★★★★★ “It’s alright. I am hear to help you. Not hurt you.”

He walked towards me. I can’t tell you what it felt like to watch him come closer. I just looked at his eyes. If I looked anywhere else on his face, fear rose up on me like a fever. I couldn’t stop the tears. My legs wouldn’t move.

My arms wouldn’t move. I once saw a sheep cornered by a cougar - just stop and watch as the cougar moved in for the kill. I now knew what that sheep was feeling. Why run ?

What a strange dream. That was my first thought. My second one, well, it consisted of one word. And it washed away any hope of it being a dream. My third thought was better: “At least I am not dead.”

The grey eyes were watching me. I could see them on the other side of the small fire. A hunter’s fire. No smoke. Not much light. Just enough heat to make coffee and beans, and both were ready. My stomach let me know it had enough of fear, and wanted its fill of beans and coffee. My arms and legs seemed to be working again, although my mind was frozen somewhere in between “What the Hell” and “Why”.

The shapeless face with the grey eyes nodded towards the plate of beans, and the cup of coffee. It was pretty clear he didn’t need either a cup, or a plate. For some reason known only to God and Curiosity, that thought made me chuckle.

“I guess you won’t be joining me for supper?”

I don’t know how he did