#Team Mama Cow y'all

[bywandandsword]

So I was on a wiki dive, as you do, and I ended up reading about the Loa of Louisiana Voodoo, and like, I knew Maman Brigitte existed of course, and that her saint equivalent is St. Brigid. But until now, I didn't know her Yoruba equivalent was Ọya. So naturally I start reading about Ọya. She's the orisha of winds, lightning, and violent storms, of children, and the Niger river and the African buffalo is her sacred animal, and just the more I read about her the more it makes sense why Ọya and Brighid were syncretized Low-key, I imagine them meeting up in the Caribbean and just immediately clicking with each other

[sapphirelycoris]

Ship: Wakatoshi Ushijima x fem!reader (she/her)

Warnings: Slaughter house, unsweetened tea drinking, one mention of horse abuse, lazy drabble

Author's note: I’m a sucker for a man in a cowboy hat. I have a black one and I wear it all the time. I HATE fanon Ushijima with a burning passion but these just go so well with him. So if this does well, I'll make more for other characters too. This is just crack, don't take anything seriously. Headcannons + Drabble at the end.

Country/cowboy Ushijima

Willingly drinks unsweetened tea.

Like straight up drinks that cardboard tasting shit so his grandmother makes a separate gallon of specifically unsweet tea just for him.

He still plays volleyball but that's just for fun. During high school, he was on the team but he quit once he graduated. He gets together with old teammates and plays now.

Works on his family's ranch for sure.

Grey appaloosa gelding that he got from an auction. That he named either Flint or Smokey.

Probably saved him from the slaughter house because I can see him helping rescue horses and giving them a chance at life.

He'd be the sweetest thing to them and be vigilant during their recovery. Checking up on them 24/7, making sure that they eat if they're underweight, grooming them and making sure that they're always clean.

The vet is on speed dial because he calls if he thinks anything is wrong. Nothing is too minor.

Horse anatomy is fucked up and he isn't taking any chances. No steed is getting hurt on his watch.

The weather suddenly changes? He watches the horses like a hawk for any signs of colic.

Ushijima would work mainly with the horses taking care of them for his parents who take care of the other livestock.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but they don't have a lot of cattle.

He probably has one and her name would 100% be Betsy or Bessie.

Hey, I don't make the rules.

This man has had her forever. Ever since his dad brought her home from the livestock auction, she's been his best friend.

Treats her like a pet. Grooms her, made a whole ass box stall just for her among the horses in his barn, big pasture for her to roam around in with her goat companion.

Now you met Ushijima at a bar downtown. He really didn't want to go because he spends 90% of his nights in the barn.

The only significant women in his life have been his mom, grandmother, and his cow.

But his mama raised him right and he knows how to treat a lady.

So eventually you end up with his number and go on a few dates with him.

Once you're officially together, he brings you to meet his family.

His mother is less welcoming than the rest of his family. Eventually she warmed up to you. You didn't meet his dad until the holidays because he lived somewhere else.

You can expect long romantic trail rides on his property.

Picnics with a really nice view.

His dad probably makes moonshine with his grandfather whenever he comes to visit so y'all try some together.

Barn chores. Y'all's quality time is doing barn chores together. He ultimately ends up re-doing them if you've never worked like this before.

You get to fill up water buckets, distribute hay, and organize the tack room. That's probably all he trusts anyone else to do. He's in charge of grain and giving medicine.

If you have worked in a barn before, then he'll allow you to do a bit more.

Long drives on back roads and dirt roads with country music competing against the air conditioning of his old truck. It's probably old and beat up as hell but he says, "It's reliable. It get's me from point A to point B without any complications."

And not that modern pop/country shit. I'm convinced he'd have almost 99% of Carrie Underwood's songs memorized he just doesn't sing them out loud.

Originally, Ushijima took you out to help him fix some broken fences. It was on one far out from any buildings so he drove you in his truck. With two people working, it didn't take too long.

You were done by noon but you didn't want to go back yet. He went to pick up horses from a home that neglected them and it was pretty far away. Ushijima’s grandfather had to hold him back when he caught sight of the owners.

"I think I should be rewarded for my hard work today." You claimed, sliding the tool box into the tiny backseat.

“I brought food.” Ushijima slapped the cooler with the lunch he had prepared for you.

The bed of the truck was emptied out and you sat across from him on the picnic blanket. There weren’t any people around and the horses were in the other corner of the pasture so everything was peaceful.

“Your grandpa should’ve let you at ‘em. I would’ve beat the shit out of them too.” Once you were done eating, you rested up against him.

“He said it wouldn’t be ‘appropriate’ and that karma would get them back.” He sighed.

“I suppose he didn’t want you to be charged with manslaughter. I’ve seen you angry and you nearly killed a man.”

“I was supposed to let him treat you that way?” Ushijima remarked.

“No but you didn’t have to send him to the hospital.” You laughed.

Ushijima laid his chin on your shoulder and tighten the hold he had around your chest. It was a nice afternoon that you got to enjoy with him.

[wylnprtchtt]

[ jason dohring, thirty-six, cis male, he/him ] ━ did y'all see [ waylon pritchett ] walkin’ into [ splittin’ hairs? ]. they’ve lived in frostford for [ thirty-six years, ] and you can catch ‘em around town working as a [ garbage man.] I reckon they’re pretty [ straightforward & loyal ] but I hear they can also be kinda [ dogmatic & nosy ]. if ya see ‘em around, be sure to say hi.. ━ [ ooc: autumn, 25+, est, she/her] 

greetings, i’m autumn. i like cheese and dogs. let’s go.

teen pregnancy tw btw, just in case

my main man waylon, way way, the wayster. to know his story and not just his name, i must take you back to the golden years of high school.

waylon was, shocker, a football player. he was a running back not a qb because i’m NOT a total cliche.

so imagine sixteen year old waylon, walking around school, letterman’s jacket. body checking nerds into lockers just because he can, knocking books out of people’s hands just because he can and walking along like nothing.

that’s just jock aesthetic.

he was that guy.

he was born and raised in FROSTFORD. does the name pritchett seem familiar? that’s because his mother, the queen, the only woman he loves, the only woman he TRUSTS, owns splittin’ hairs.

splittin’ hairs is his fave place in town because when he goes there all the gossiping old ladies are like, oh waylon you’re so handsome, oh my how you’ve grown, if only i was twenty years younger. you get it. lorraine’s his woman, gimme dat aquanet

loves a good ego stroke.

anyway back to high school.

the football team was all about beers and bonfires, duh. and waylon here was king of saying “ain’t nothing to do in this town but get drunk and have sex haha!”

it was 1999 so like, you think frostford is tiny now? imagine it back then. they didn’t even have the whole enchilada around yet

so friday nights were wild, the falcons would bring home the W, then have a big party and try not to get arrested when the sheriff inevitably rolled up like why yall like this

sexual relations occurred

and occurred

and occurred

do you think waylon was being safe about it? he wasn’t. boom, we all love a cheeky #teenpregnancy

she was a frostford local herself. their parents went back and forth about what to do, while trying to keep things hush hush? 

that didn’t work. you think wanda pritchett could resist talking about the little minx that seduced her sweet innocent waylon? no way

it was a big town rumor~ because, in classic let’s hide the pregnancy moves, the girl moved away to spend some time with her aunt.

nine months specifically 

bada bing bada boom, waylon is not a father, the girl came back, everyone pretended it didnt happen because thats the healthy reaction

the baby actually went to live with baby mama’s older sister who was like 25 living in sc

waylon has like a baby pic and a second grade pic of the child and thats all

throughout high school it was like a godsend that he didnt have to take responsibility for a CHILD

during high school and college it was a dream, then as he got older he had regrets~ and was contemplating what could’ve been~

melodramatic

now he’s broody af because he’s old and can’t party anymore and peaked in high school and blah blah blah

he was a mailman at one point but people expected him to be happy and chatty and that got annoying

now he picks up your garbage but makes more money than you

he only gets joy out of playing the alumni game at the high school for homecoming

and dressing up like frankenstein, with painted face and all, for the haunted hayride to scare children

thinks luke bryan and thomas rhett are sell outs what is that pop country SHIT, but his go to karaoke song is honky tonk badonkadonk so..

he doesnt do karaoke though, only when he’s blackout drunk and he forgets it happened

but it’s always honky tonk badonkadonk and nothing else

tell me how he is mostly quiet and keeps to himself but is nosy af and loves to gossip with his MOTHER

he’s always like “you learn a lot from people’s trash”

like yeah playboy waylon KNOWS you gotta use that real top shelf viagra to do what you gotta do

he also knows every middle aged gal who thinks shes fooling people coloring out the gray

only wears black, dark gray, and navy

loves a good plum

somehow wins all the cow milking competitions, he just knows how to get ol’ bessie to fill that can up

went to a miranda lambert concert and cried when she touched his hand, we don’t talk about that though

doesn’t have a vehicle because he just walks places, he’ll break out his old mountain bike if he’s feeling wild

used to eat spiders on dares

pretends he hates when people talk about plays he made in high school/college, secretly loves it

older folks call him waylon, obviously that’s his name, people around his age know him as “pritch” anyone significantly younger he doesnt want to associate with you, so you may call him mr pritchett and nothing else

scared of turkeys

i’m done now this is too long

bye

[ranthrewrising]

Hello Children

So over the year, I have been collecting quotes and sayings so I could pick one for my senior quote. Now that my senior year is near, I thought I would share. Enjoy mother fuckers "Oh good, peaches at a strip bar" "There are so many churches in this town because there are so many sinners" "I'd love to see Jesus, but I'm so hungry" "I got the picture, now let's go before we get shot" "I had a crush on a guy once, then another guy went and shot up his house. Good times" "The struggle is real bitches" "This is not a clothing optional class" - Mr.Buttner "don't let me school you on trap music." "Girl, I got more guns than Jesus" "yaaaasssss" - Mr.Buttner "I'm gonna unlike Mary though" Mr.Buttner "I can't even do dumbass chemistry" Grandeddy "Wait. You actually do work in this class?" "You can't put your problems In a tiny backpack" “You’re gonna die anyway, so just set your house on fire and drink snake venom. "Pay attention to John green" "Cow boys have always been in use, I know because I've used them" "God I love madonna" "From the womb to the tomb" "Put down im strong as a mofo". "Guess what, you have a father" "WABAM" -Buttner "*drops baby*"- Cathleen "Old age is for sissys" "375 bitches" "Why not sexy elbows" "The best part is when the black chick starts singing" "Brittney spears is my jam, toxic is my anthem" "Beer pong is an art" "So, there was a little caesers pizza on the side walk" "It's like nanny McPhee but with drinking" "He's driving through sheets getting cheese curds, he's so full of shit" "It takes two to procreate" "I am a snan if you will" "Screw the patriarchy" "Speaking of spicy, do you guys have any water" "Living with regret is a bitch" "I could do keg stands in a minute" "Those kids couldn't do shit. I drove my mustang off the dock of lochmere" "Settle down my toasted wheat thins" "Oh no ive been inconvinced" "I must call my family! *bird noise* " "If I get a concussion. I will find out where Greg lives and send him the bill" "Let's go sit on the apron *giddy laughter*" "If you don't give me this god damn candy corn, I will eat your hand" "Everyone had lumps and bumps" "Cool beans, beans of cool" -You are a fishmonger -Well, here is my leg -Take you me for a sponge, my lord? -Do you see yonder cloud that’s almost in the shape of a camel? -Eat my leek "Attack? More like give candy aggressively" "Oh yeah? I told you not to do something and you did it anyway? Go fuck your self" "There will be no furries in my household" "Shooty shoot shoot" LMM "Oh god there are things that are happening" "Well the thing is...I don't know" "Look lady, I was on pain meds. I don't even know what happened yesterday" "Are you just being a dick on purpose now ?" "For a second, I forgot what a leaf was" "I'm gonna punch her right in the tits" "This is some catastrophe shit" "Could y'all do me a favor and make a lot of noise to drive her crazy?" -Could you stand in front of my bus so I can run you over?" "I loved Spanish, of course I had a hot teacher. God she was smokin. Damn shame she married the gym teacher" "Pumpkin pie and jack Daniels, never again" "Of course this is a fashion show, everywhere I go is a fashion show" "Well that's just you showin that you're a racist bitch" "I had mace in highschool" "Imagine this, a hot room with sweaty contorsanists" "Hell run his smart ass mouth, and when he turns around,I'll stab him" "I....I don't even know" "And Jesus was like, boi, give this man a break" "They've been gone a long ass time my guy" "Those Scottish men are very angry" "The website said I was sexually frustrated, I am going to die a virgin, so I guess it's right" “What an ass am I!”
—Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2 “I am not a slut,”
—As You Like It, Act 3, Scene 3
(Not that there’s anything wrong with that.) “Hell is empty and all the devils are here,”
—The Tempest, Act 1, Scene 2 “Commit the oldest sins the newest kind of ways,”
—Henry IV Part 2, Act 4, Scene 5 “This is the excellent foppery of the world,” –King Lear, Act 1, Scene 2 “Making the beast with two backs,”
—mOthello, Act 1, Scene 1 “The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool,”
—As You Like It, Act 5, Scene 1 “To tell thee plain, I aim to lie with thee,”
—Henry VI Part 3, Act 3, Scene 2
(Works great for courting hot widows.) “I would rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me,”
—Much Ado About Nothing, Act 1, Scene 1 “I wasted time, and now doth time waste me,”
—Richard II, Act 5, Scene 5 “Marry, sir, in her buttocks.”
—A Comedy of Errors, Act 2, Scene 5
(No judgement here.) “My horse is my mistress,”
—Henry V, Act 3, Scene 7
(Uh, there might be something wrong with that.) “Thou dost infect my eyes,”
—Richard III, Act 1, Scene 2 “Better a witty fool, than a foolish wit,”
—Twelfth Night, Act 1, Scene 5
(“Wit” is Shakespearean slang for penis.) “[Wine] provokes the desire, but it takes away the performance,”
—Macbeth, Act 2, Scene 3 “I had rather live with cheese and garlic in a windmill, far, than feed on cates and have him talk to me in any summer-house in Christendom,”
—Henry IV Part 2, Act 4 Scene 1 “Now, gods, stand up for bastards!”
—King Lear, Act 1, Scene 2 “Villain, I have done thy mother!”
—Titus Andronicus, Act 4, Scene 2
(This means exactly what you think it does.) “And thou unfit for any place but hell,”
—Richard III, Act 1, Scene 2 “The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers,”
—Henry VI Part 2, Act 4, Scene 2 “Heaven truly knows that thou art false as hell.”
—Othello, Act 4, Scene 2 “Out, dunghill!”
—King John, Act 4, Scene 3 “This is too long.”
—Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2 "That's the same guy, he's just on a different corner. *like a hooker* he's selling bonsai, not bushes" "Team thucc for the win" "no hoochie mamas on the field" "God can't help you now" "Jesus used the vostros" "Don't bring a gun to a knife fight" “Suck my dick Confucius, because you have been declined bitch.” "He's 18 years old, that's illegal" "What's a vise? Oh the clampy thing" "You can go to a website called suck it.com" "I'm throwing fire and grabbing titties" "He kept coming like an asshole" "Us being the white people in there" "I am not a smart man" "frank sinatra is a cryptid and he gave me a blow job behind an applebees" "Which one is the salad fork and which one is the one I kill myself with" "Sometimes, I have an urge to stab people who pass the ball right to the goalies stick" "Shooting high to high makes me want to kick puppies" "I stabbed a kid in the neck with a pencil when I was 11, so I'm not afraid to stab you when you shoot high to high" "Smoke god, pray to weed, and respect women, Solomon 4:20" "I'm Mary fricken poppins!" "That happened 31 years ago, you need to let it go" "The oldest wasn't any help, she would sneak out at 2 in the morning to go horse riding" "He never called me by my name, it was either slick or the n word" "Mothman is real and he offered me cocaine in a dimly lit jc penny’s" "Aw no honey, you need to try all types of flavors"-my mother on dating "Who said just said daddy, get out" "If you ain't eat at a hooters, then you ain't shit" "I want it all" -cobra command "Luckily, im a messy bitch who loves drama"- Shea coulee "Let's change shit up!" Sasha Valour "Change the motherfucking world" Sasha Valour "Oh my god, he's gonna shit his pants" "Impress them with your lovemaking, then impress them with your lawmaking" "I have some bad news, but before I tell you, keep in mind that the wright bros could only stay airborne for 12 seconds" "-you blew it -super hard -complete buffoonery" "...tampons, what the hell is that? A wad of dry fucking cotton stuffed up there?" "Benedict Cumberbatch, who the fuck is that?"

[sethraziel]

See the Moon Rising

This story was related to me by a veteran of the Second World War. Names have been changed for legal reasons but the story I'm about to present is, at least to the man telling me this, accurate and true.

I met him in a retirement home for vets as part of a community service order. I was to go and help out anyway I could to work off the two hundred hours I was supposed to complete. I met him about forty hours into my service. The lady who worked there asked me to keep him company as his best friend from the war had passed on two weeks prior and he was keeping to himself. She thought since I was liked around the place by the others he might take a liking to me and open up a bit. I agreed and went over to him.

For the first two hours or so I tried to get him to talk but he just sat there looking out the window, like he was lost in thought. I talked about different things, but he just didn't seem to care. I asked him about the war, and he just kept looking out that window. I was going to give up when I decided to try one last thing. I told him my grandfather was also a veteran, but he fought in Korea. He seemed to stir at this and I kept going. Told him he was wounded trying to take a hill he was ordered to capture. A medic saved his life. After that he was shipped back home and swore off war. The old vet looked at me and gave me a slight smile. Then he spoke.

"Your granddad was a smart man. I swore off war when I finally got home. But I'm going to let you in on something. You can swear off war, but you never really let it go."

We then talked all the time after that. He told me of those days back then and how much time had changed. He talked about women he loved and lost, the struggles and benefits of a post war life, what it was like during the Cold War, etc. One thing I noticed was his reluctance to talk about the war itself he fought in. I mentioned it a couple of times, but he always said maybe one day. This went on till my last week of community service. The final day we sat down as usual in his favorite spot by the window. He told me he was sad I would be going and that he enjoyed his time talking with me. Then he said he wanted to tell one last story before I left. He had never told anyone outside who was there that day this story. Not even his late wife. He said whether I believed it or not was up to me. I was interested and listened up. He took a drink from his mug, cleared his throat, and started to spin me his tale.

I was part of the landing team that hit Omaha beach that fateful day in June. The Airborne guys took off first ahead of us earlier and landed in the early hours that morning. The ship ride over was tense. Feelings all around were of fear and anxiousness. But we were a proud bunch, and we weren't going to let something like death get in our way. At least that's what we told ourselves. That morning the first wave of men hit the beach. It was an intense situation. I was part of the third wave that assaulted the beach. By then we were starting to gain a foothold and start our way into the bluffs themselves. The fighting had been raging on for a few hours by that point. I made my way to the other troops at the sand wall that separated us from them. We eventually broke through and took the bluffs, then were ordered inland to make a perimeter to repeal any counter attack the krouts might throw at us to retake the bluffs. Half the day in and we had established a beachhead.

I was lucky to survive that day. It was also my first time killing another human being. Wouldn't be my last. I stayed on that beach for the next week. During that time I was sent on small patrols to make sure Fritz wasn't sneaking up on us. On the fourteenth day I was summoned by a Captain to be part of a nine man team to go check out an abandoned cemetery reported to have enemy activity. Locals that were fleeing the area had reported seeing a small German squad holed up at a cemetery about nine miles west of our beachhead. The cemetery was just that: a cemetery out in the middle of nowhere. There was no sounding village within miles of that cemetery. The Captains orders were to go and clear out that squad. He then assembled a team. Besides myself and the Captain, there was Johnny Toudur, a rifleman, Rizzo Caprice, a rifleman, Donald Watlick, our radioman, Michael Espinoza, our BAR man, Eugene Cardinal, a rifleman, Tony LaRuche, a rifleman, and last was Rene LaDupre, a rifleman. This made up our nazi hunting squad.

Toudur and Cardinal were from Tennessee, living in the same small town. Caprice, LaRuche and Espinoza all trained together in bootcamp and all ended up in the same company, same unit, and now the same squad. Watlick was pulled to serve as our radioman. He also spoke French and German. None of us had known him before then. The Captains origins were a mystery to us all. And then there was the Cajun, a one Rene LaDupre. He was the most queer out of us all. He and I were in the same Higgins when we landed. We both took out a machine gun team and were together when we held a line from a possible German reinforcement. He was, all in all, a good soldier.

We were to only take weapons and ammo. Anything that we didn't need was left. We were to be light as the Captain, whose name was Howard Wright, wanted to attack quick and swift. We were to set out just before dawn and use the cover of darkness. At least that was the plan. There was a full moon out that night, so we tried to stick to the shadows as much as possible. We were to reach our destination in around a few hours, but had pauses along the way. Sometimes we thought we heard movement, most of the time it being a sheep or cow. About an hour in and Johnny started speaking first.

"The moon makes things look eerie out here," he said.

"What's the matter Johnny? Spooked?" Michael chimed in.

"Not really. Well," Johnny started before he paused. I could tell he looked a little nervous in the moons glow. "Y'all remember that movie where that man turns into a wolf?"

"Yes I do," Rene answered. "What about it?"

"Well, that movie scared me a bit. I was sixteen when I saw it, and it has stuck with me. When the moons full, I get spooked a bit." Everyone but the Captain laughed at that.

"So let me get this straight," I said, "you have no fear of a man with a rifle trying to kill you, but have a fear of a made up movie monster?"

"No, that's not it," Johnny said in reply. "I don't want to die. Hell, dying out here scares me greatly. It's just, you know, that movie spooked me. That's all."

"That monster isn't made up," Rene said. "It's a real thing. At least where I'm from." A awkward silence fell on us.

"What do you mean?" Johnny finally said.

"My mama used to tell us stories about them growing up," Rene replied. "She used to tell us not to wander too far in the woods or near the swamps or the loo garoo would get us."

"What's a loo garoo?" Johnny asked.

"Its the creole word for werewolf. It's a man that can transform into a wolf. A wolf man if you will. Mama used to tell us about her encounters with a few growing up herself. And it's not like in the movie. They don’t turn just because the moon is full. Though it does influence them a lot more to come during that time. No, mama said they can turn whenever. Those that are more attuned to it can control when and where they become one. But it can also trigger during extreme distress."

"Like what kind of distress?" I butted in, completely drawn into Renes story.

"Well, mama said one time when she was a young woman she was coming back home from her cousin who lived on the same street as her. As she was crossing the road near where it turns down her lonely dirt road she heard a couple men arguing. The sun hadn't gone down all the way and she it was still bright enough to see. She said she saw the two men yelling about something when one of them pulled out a knife. The other man started to run from him yelling not to do it. The man with the knife proceeded to chase him. He tackled the man not too far and proceeded to stab him. The man fell, writhing in pain. The other man started to walk away from him when all of a sudden the man on the ground started turning into this beast. The other man ran into the surrounding woods as the beast man got up and sniffed the air. It howled something fierce before turning to look at mama, then it ran into the woods in chase of the man."

"Bullshit!" chimed in Tony. "That's a lie if I ever heard one."

"Mama don't lie!" Rene said in defense. "She has never lied to us. Besides, if you lived where I do you would be inclined to start believing in some of the things that go on out there. They got the voodoo out there. Witchcraft, vampires, ghosts, and things that will give you the heebee jeebees."

"Quiet!" the Captain ordered. "Keep your eyes peeled."

We walked on in silence until we reached the outer perimeter of the cemetery. In the moonlight we could see the old chapel like structure. There were no lights on or any sound coming from the cemetery. Headstones lined the way up. Motioning us to take a defensive position we found points of fire and waited. Captain wanted to see if the enemy was still around. After about twenty minutes of listening and watching, the Captain decided to send someone up to check it out. I was volunteered. I was already on the side of the road the cemetery was on and quickly made my way to the first headstone. Peeking over, I saw rows of gravestones and not much else. Slowly, I made my way through the forest of stones, keeping a desperate ear out for sounds of anything. After a bit I was close enough to the church house to notice nothing was there. As I crossed the open field towards the church house I noticed one of the graves had been dug up. A big hole was where there should have been dirt. I kept on moving till I reached the church. From what I could see in the moonlight it was small. There was the wide open door leading in. On either side of the door were windows. Peeking in I saw moonlight coming in. There was a hole in the roof. Besides a few broken chairs and debris from the roof the church was completely empty. The back of the church had a single window at the center. I could tell the windows still had glass. Checking around the church I noticed nothing. On the other side was forest. I went back a ways and motioned to others it was safe. I waited by the first set of headstones as the others came up.

Everyone came rushing up to the church house as the Captain asked for a report. Several of the boys were looking in the church while the others were looking out into the cemetery. Rene walked over to the dug up grave and started to kick some dirt in it.

"What happened here?" he said.

"Dunno," I replied. "Was like that when I walked up here. Whatever they was doing they seemed to have left in a hurry." As I watched him kicked some more dirt in he looked up at the sky.

"Pretty, isn't it?" he asked. "See the moon rising..."

Before he could finish shots started ringing out. I saw Rene get hit twice and fall into the open grave. We all took cover and started shooting back. Muzzle flash was coming from the tree line. We started hearing German voices and the Captain quickly started issuing orders. A grenade went off somewhere and we all took cover. Captain ordered us into the church house and take up defensive positions. As we all ran inside the Germans were yelling out something and the muzzle flash started to get closer to us. Bullets and broken glass were raining on us. Eugene and Donald tossed a couple of grenades out the front windows as Michael and myself got the front doors shut. We put a few of the broken chairs in front of it to hinder the enemy trying to enter in that way. We were all panicking as the barrage of bullets were seeming to overwhelm us.

The first screams came right outside the door. The German soldiers that were outside the church door started screaming and shooting at something outside. That was quickly followed by the other Germans shooting at something that wasn't us. Soon we heard yelling and screaming as gun fire was being shot all around us. We all looked at each other with frightened confused looks on our faces. The shooting suddenly stopped as did the screams and shouting. We listened for a few seconds for any sort of noise or sign that someone was still out there. A body jumped through the window as we all reacted and pointed our weapons at it. It was a German soldier. He was bloody and looked like he was attacked by something. The captain quickly went over to him and picked him up by his collar to his feet.

"What's going on damn it!" he yelled at the German. The Soldier looked visibly frightened and was shaking. Captain yelled the same words again at the boy. "Watlick, get over here. Tudor and Caprice, watch those windows, Cardinal, watch that back window." Donald went over to the Captain. "Ask this piece of shit what the fuck they were shooting at out there," Captain ordered. Donald told the man in German. The soldier looked at Watlick and said only one word.

"Wolfsbestie."

"What the fuck did he say?" Captain demanded. Donald turned to him with a confused expression.

"He said wolf beast."

"Wolf beast?" Captain said in a confused tone.

"Fuck!" Johnny exclaimed. "Did he just say wolf..." He didn't get to finish his sentence as something grabbed him and tried to pull him out the window. He screamed, holding onto the window beam as we rushed to help him. Something had a hold of Johnny’s legs as we tried to pull him back in. He was begging us not to let him go as his grip was slowly being pulled away from the beam. I went to the side of the window and stuck my rifle out. Something grabbed a hold of it, trying to pull it out. I reached for my pistol and fired blindly outside. Nothing happened. I then peeked out. Looking back at me were two orange eyes inside the head of what I can only describe as a huge wolf. Its teeth I remember were stained in blood as was its mouth. I let go of the rifle and jumped back in horror, yelling what the fuck was that thing. In one swift pull, poor Johnny was yanked out the window, his screams now blood curdling. Everyone backed away from the windows. Johnny continued to scream for a few seconds more before it abruptly stopped.

We all stared at the windows before the Captain shouted "fuck, the prisoner." We all turned, expecting not to see him there. Instead, not only was he there, in a corner, but he was shaking profusly and crying. He was, for lack of a better phrase, scared shitless. Tony goes over to secure him as the rest of us take up defensive positions. We are staring at the windows now. Michael sets his BAR up pointing to the back window. Myself and Eugene each have our rifles pointed at a front window. Donald has his pointed at the door. Rizzo and the Captain are at the center of the room.

"Watlick, where's the radio," Captain calls out.

"Sorry sir, I dropped it during the gunfight outside," he said.

"Son of a bitch Watlick. Do you know where?"

"Not far from the door here sir," he replied. We all tensed up as we knew what was coming next.

"Someone has to go out there and get it," Captain said. Audible fucks were said as we did not want to venture out of the church. As it turned out, we didn't have to. The radio came flying through the window, destroyed. A loud howl rang out. The thing bashed into the door that we had reinforced with debris from the church. Donald backed up a bit before firing a couple shots through the door.

We heard it run around the church. Michael started firing a few rounds while cursing. Eugene and myself started firing as it ran past the windows. It again bashed into the door. The door gave way a bit. Rizzo and Donald ran to it and tried to reinforce it again. Once again the beast bashed into it, pushing it a little further open. I ran over to help them. Together, we managed to get it to pushed closed before it bashed into it again. Tony ran over to the window and started firing in that direction before retreating from it. A growl was heard from the door and it started to run around the church again. We all took our positions again, waiting for it to attack again. Michael again lets off a few rounds as it passes his window.

Then, it got quiet. It didn't last long. But during that very brief moment I was really on edge. Tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Johnny’s body came flying in through the window. He fell a couple of feet from me. Rizzo ran and dragged him to the center of the room. He checked him for signs of life.

"He's still breathing yous guys," he said. Captain knelt down and checked on him.

"He's messed up pretty good," he said to no one in particular. "The son of a bitch out there cut him real bad. We need to get him back to HQ or he ain't going to make it." For the rest of the night the beast would bash the door and then run around the church.

I noticed it first that dawn was approaching. I let everyone know and we all just stared at the window. The beast was right there in front of it. We all saw it. Its matted blood soaked fur. Orange glowing eyes. Bare stained teeth. It let out this most awful howl before retreating. We heard it scream as if it were in pain before it fell silent. No one moved. We all had our ears on high alert, listening for any sound. None came.

I was volunteered to go check outside once the sun was out and shining. I did it hesitantly. Rizzo and Tony removed the debris from the door as Eugene secured the prisoner. Once the debris was removed I gave the signal to open the door. As soon as it opened I ran out, not knowing what to expect. What I saw was sure not expected. Blood, guts, and body parts scattered the front of the church as well as the cemetery. It was carnage that I'd only seen on the beach. That thing tore apart every German soldier out there that night. As I was comprehending what it was I was looking at I heard the rumbling of a tank approaching. I ran back into the church and let the Captain know. We all took up defensive positions, not knowing if they were friendly or the enemy. I had never felt so happy when a Sherman came into view. We all stood up as our boys came into the cemetery, setting up a defensive perimeter. Captain went up to his superior as the rest of us walked over to the Sherman. A few rows of jeeps lined up behind it.

"You boys had a hell of a night," some private said as he walked by us. We all were tired and frankly just wanted to get the hell away from here. Johnny was carried out on a stretcher onto one of the jeeps. The prisoner was brought out as well.

"We have a live one here," someone called out. We made our way over to the commotion when , to our surprise, Rene was brought out of the grave he had fallen into when he was shot. I noticed right off the bat that his clothes were in tatters. He was barley clothed. It looked like he was attacked as well. But he had no scratches nor any marks. On top of that, he looked like he hadn't been shot at all. There were no bullet wounds which I could see. Everyone else walked back to the Sherman but I stayed. I was trying to rationalize what I was seeing. As Rene was being carried away past me he opened his eyes, looking at me. He smiled and winked.

That was the story he told me as I remember it. He stated no one else knows what went down that night besides his squad that night. He doesn't know what went into the official report that his Captain made. He said I could take it or leave it as it was, but that is what he remembers of that night. We talked a bit more before I said goodbye to him for the last time. He wished me well and I went about my way. He passed away not long after. Makes you wonder just what the hell is really out there in this increasingly small world we have. I know one thing though. I will not be going near, around or directly to any place in Louisiana anytime soon.