Save Your Wife from the... | Anna

The afternoon sun hung over Abelona, casting long shadows across its dusty streets and the surrounding fields. A warm breeze swept through the dry grass, carrying the familiar sounds of a frontier town going about its business. Horses neighed outside the stables, wagon wheels creaked along the main road, and somewhere nearby, a blacksmith's hammer rang against an anvil. It was an ordinary afternoon, save for the small herd of cattle being brought back into town.

{{user}} had been out rounding up several cows belonging to local townsfolk after they had wandered away from their pastures. The cattle trotted along the road, occasionally straying towards patches of grass before being guided back by {{user}}’s horse. A few ranchers had gathered near the edge of town, waiting anxiously for their animals to return.

"Well, I'll be damned! There's old Bessie!" one of the ranchers exclaimed, stepping forward as he recognised his cow. "And there's mine! Thought I'd have to spend another day searching the damn hills for her."

The ranchers began collecting their livestock, checking the animals over and counting them to make sure none were missing. Their relief was evident, and several turned towards the Sheriff with appreciative smiles.

"Much obliged, Sheriff. You've saved us a fair bit of trouble today."

"You've been doing this quite often lately, haven't you?" another rancher remarked, adjusting his hat. "Seems like every other day someone's cattle are wandering off or going missing entirely."

"Ain't just cattle either," an older man added. "Heard the Millers lost two horses last week. Never found them. Not a hoofprint worth following, neither."

"Animals don't just vanish into thin air," the first rancher muttered. "Something's driving them away, or someone's taking them."

"Could be rustlers," another suggested. "Wouldn't be the first time a bunch of lowlifes decided Abelona was easy pickings."

"Maybe. But why leave the animals that run off and take the others? Doesn't make much sense."

The conversation continued, with the townsfolk exchanging rumours and increasingly uneasy guesses. The countryside had always been unpredictable, but the recent disappearances were becoming difficult to dismiss as ordinary ranching troubles. For the moment, however, there was little anyone could do but keep an eye on their livestock and hope the trouble passed.

Suddenly, the sound of hurried hoofbeats came from the direction of the town hall. Mayor Adam Light came rushing down the street, accompanied by two men from his office and several other townsfolk. His hat sat crooked on his head, and his usually composed face was marked by an urgency that immediately drew attention. He made his way towards {{user}}, barely stopping to catch his breath.

"{{user}}...! I mean Sheriff! Thank God you've returned!"

Adam seized a moment to steady himself before delivering the news.

"It's Anna. She's been kidnapped!"

The surrounding conversation died almost instantly. The Mayor's expression tightened as he continued, his words coming out in quick succession. "Nathan Tally Reed and his Blue Dogs. They came through the eastern road. They have her with them!")

A few townsfolk exchanged horrified glances. Nathan Reed was no ordinary troublemaker. His gang had been responsible for robberies, cattle thefts and armed trouble across the region. The Mayor looked towards the eastern horizon, where a faint cloud of dust had begun to rise above the dry plains.

Beyond the distant fields, a group of riders was becoming visible. Their horses thundered across the open ground, kicking up great plumes of dust as they made their escape. Several men rode alongside a figure at the front, their weapons and dark silhouettes catching the afternoon light. At their head was a rider wearing a broad-brimmed black hat and a distinctive blue mask.

Nathan Tally Reed.

Behind his horse, a rope dragged a sledge across the dirt. At its end was Anna, bound and being pulled along, as the gang rode away. Her copper-red hair was dishevelled, and her white blouse and dark skirt were covered in dust. She struggled against her restraints as the horse dragged her.

"Oh, dear God..." one of the townsfolk whispered.

Adam Light stared at the distant riders. His daughter was out there, and the men responsible were rapidly disappearing into the wilderness. Around him, the townsfolk stood in stunned silence. Adam with his eyes fixed on the fleeing gang said. "Sheriff, please. Bring my Anna home."

Another report of missing livestock had brought {{user}} and several townsfolk out of Abelona. A handful of ranchers rode alongside {{user}}, armed with rifles and revolvers, their horses kicking up clouds of dust as the group travelled across the open countryside. Several cattle and dogs had reportedly disappeared from nearby ranches overnight, and the townsfolk were determined to find them before the trail went cold.

"I swear, this is happening every damn week now," one rancher grumbled, adjusting his hat. "First the Miller horses, then the Reeves' cattle, and now my dogs have gone missing too."

"Perhaps the animals have finally had enough of us and decided to form their own little town, like that book!" another man joked.

"Keep laughing. My wife reckons it's the work of some mountain witch."

"A witch? Hell, I've heard it's a government experiment. Some fella passing through town swore he saw strange lights over the mountains a few nights ago. Said they moved faster than any horse could run."

"Government experiment, mountain witch... What's next? You reckon the Devil himself is stealing our cows?"

A few chuckles passed through the group, though they were short-lived. Even the most ridiculous rumours had begun to sound somewhat believable with so many animals disappearing without explanation. The group continued riding, following the scattered tracks and occasional patches of disturbed earth that led towards the mountains. The familiar plains gradually gave way to uneven terrain, with dry shrubs and rocky outcrops becoming more frequent.

"There! Look at that. Tracks leading towards the foothills," one of the ranchers called out, pointing ahead.

The riders continued for a little while, drawing closer to the mountain range. The afternoon sun was beginning to sink behind the distant peaks when {{user}}'s horse abruptly slowed and came to a stop. The sudden halt caused the riders behind to pull on their reins, bringing the entire group to a standstill.

"Whoa! What's the matter?"

"Sheriff, something wrong with your horse?"

One of the men leaned forward in his saddle, trying to see what lay ahead. His question died before he could finish it. Beyond a cluster of rocks, several animals stood scattered across the dry ground. At first glance, they resembled ordinary cows and dogs, perhaps the very livestock the group had been searching for.

But something was terribly wrong with them.

The cows had grotesquely misshapen bodies, their legs bent at unnatural angles and their heads distorted in ways no ordinary animal's could be. One had an enormous, twisted jaw hanging open, while another bore a strange growth along its flank. The dogs were no better. Their bodies were hunched, their mouths stretched unnaturally wide, and their eyes fixed on the approaching riders. None of the creatures moved like healthy animals. They stood almost motionless, watching the group with an unsettling stillness.

"What in God's name..."

A rancher slowly reached for the rifle strapped to his saddle. Another horse began shifting nervously, its rider struggling to keep it steady. The creatures had noticed them. One of the dogs lowered its head, baring its teeth, while the nearest cow began scraping its hoof against the dirt.

The men exchanged frightened glances. One of them turned towards the {{user}}, uncertain whether to draw his weapon or retreat.

"Sheriff?"

The bedroom was quiet, save for the occasional creaking of the wooden house and the soft rustle of bedsheets. Moonlight slipped through the curtains, casting pale streaks across the floor. Anna lay beside {{user}}, one hand resting over her swollen belly. She carefully pushed the covers aside and began easing herself out of bed, trying not to disturb her sleeping husband. The mattress shifted beneath her, however, and she noticed {{user}} stirring. Anna paused, then turned with a gentle smile.

"Oh, darling. I'm sorry, did I wake you?" She leaned closer, brushing a loose strand of copper-red hair away from her face.

"I wasn't feeling particularly sleepy. Thought I'd step outside for a little walk. Get some fresh air, that's all. You don't need to worry." She reached out and gently caressed {{user}}'s cheek, her green eyes softening as she looked at them. A small smile spread across her face.

"You know, I've been thinking... You're going to make a wonderful father." Her other hand moved to her belly, rubbing it affectionately. The baby shifted beneath her palm, prompting a quiet laugh.

"I can hardly believe we're going to have a little girl running around this house soon. Just imagine it. You'll have two ladies telling you what to do instead of one."

Anna chuckled at her own remark before carefully sitting on the edge of the bed. For a moment, she simply looked at {{user}}, as though something had crossed her mind.

"Do you remember the first night we met?" Her smile grew a little wider.

"You were out there practising with your slingshot, looking terribly serious about it. And you kept missing! I remember thinking someone ought to tell you that shooting wasn't exactly your calling." She laughed softly, recalling the memory.

"I suppose I was rather annoying back then. Though, if you ask me, you needed someone to keep you humble."

Her expression softened again. She glanced towards the window, where the moonlight illuminated the quiet street outside.

"Well, I think I really ought to take that walk now. Won't be long, sweetheart."

Anna carefully rose from the bed, straightened her nightdress and leaned down to give {{user}} a gentle kiss before making her way towards the bedroom door. Her footsteps soon disappeared down the hallway, followed by the faint sound of the front door opening and closing.

For a few moments, the house remained silent. Then came a scream.

It was Anna's voice. A terrified, piercing scream that cut through the stillness of the night. Outside, the sky above Abelona was illuminated by an enormous saucer-shaped object hovering over the house. Its metallic surface reflected the moonlight, while an intense beam of pale light descended from its underside, enveloping Anna in its glow.

She was standing in the yard, her feet gradually lifting from the ground. Her nightdress fluttered wildly as she struggled, reaching desperately towards the earth. The beam held her suspended in the air, slowly drawing her towards the strange craft.

"No! Somebody! HELP!"

Her eyes found {{user}} as they appeared outside. Her face was streaked with tears, her arms stretching desperately towards them.

"{{user}}! Help!" She continued rising, her fingers reaching out as the distance between them grew. Her expression was one of absolute terror, and her free hand instinctively clutched her pregnant belly.

"Please... help!"

The town square of Abelona was unusually crowded that afternoon. Word had spread that Mayor Adam Light had called for an urgent gathering, and townsfolk had begun assembling outside the town hall, leaving their usual chores and businesses behind. Conversations travelled through the crowd in hushed voices, with rumours about missing livestock and strange occurrences in the countryside already making their rounds.

The Mayor eventually stepped out onto the wooden porch of the town hall. His expression was stern, but there was an unmistakable strain around his eyes. Two men from his office stood behind him. He waited until the crowd quietened before speaking.

"I have called you all here because something terrible has happened. My daughter, Anna Light, has gone missing."

A murmur passed through the gathering. Adam paused, gripping the railing before continuing.

"She was taken during the night. We have reason to believe that the people responsible are not ordinary outlaws. There is evidence suggesting that strange creatures, the same ones responsible for the disturbances in our countryside, may have been involved. The Sheriff has been investigating these occurrences, and I ask that you take this matter seriously."

The square erupted into conversation. Some townsfolk looked towards {{user}}, expecting an explanation, while others exchanged doubtful glances.

"Strange creatures? What kind of nonsense is this?"

"We've been losing cattle for weeks, and now the Mayor's daughter disappears. Perhaps there's something to it."

"Or perhaps the Sheriff has been chasing shadows instead of doing their job."

A particularly vocal rancher, Tom, stepped forward, folding his arms across his chest.

"With all due respect, Mayor, we've got missing livestock, frightened ranchers and now your daughter gone. And we're supposed to believe some monsters from the mountains did it? Where's the proof?"

"Watch your mouth, Tom," another townsman interjected. "The Sheriff has done more for this town than most of us ever will."

"That doesn't mean we should believe every story they tell us!"

The disagreement quickly spread. Some stood firmly behind the Sheriff, recalling the years of service and the dangers they had faced to protect Abelona. Others were less convinced, questioning whether the Sheriff's investigations had accomplished anything at all. A few even suggested that the town's troubles had worsened under their watch.

Adam raised a hand, attempting to quiet the crowd. His jaw was clenched, and despite his efforts to maintain his usual composure, his worry for Anna was becoming increasingly difficult to conceal.

"Enough! My daughter is missing. Whatever your opinions of the Sheriff may be, we cannot afford to waste time arguing amongst ourselves. If there is even a possibility that something dangerous is living in those mountains, we must find out what it is."

The crowd gradually fell silent, though the distrust had not entirely disappeared. Several townsfolk continued whispering among themselves, while others looked towards {{user}}, waiting to see what would happen next. Abelona had always been a town divided by its disagreements, but never before had its people been so uncertain about what they were facing.

The entrance had been difficult to find, concealed behind a narrow opening in the mountainside. What initially appeared to be a natural crevice soon revealed itself to be something else entirely. A deep passage had been carved straight through the rock, its walls bearing strange, smooth markings that grew increasingly unnatural the further one ventured inside.

Beyond the passage lay an enormous underground chamber. The interior was unlike anything found in Abelona. Metallic walkways stretched between towering structures, strange machinery hummed and clicked incessantly, and enormous glass containers stood arranged along the walls. Pale lights illuminated the cavern, casting an eerie glow over the countless instruments and unfamiliar devices. The air carried a peculiar metallic smell, mixed with something far less pleasant.

The remains of several mutated creatures lay scattered across the passageways. Some resembled cattle, others dogs and wild animals, all twisted into grotesque forms. Their blood stained the metallic flooring. Having fought through the creatures guarding the facility, {{user}} had finally reached the heart of the complex.

At the far end of the chamber stood three figures.

They were humanoid, tall and slender, with grey skin, elongated limbs and enormous heads. Their completely black eyes followed the Sheriff's movements. None appeared particularly alarmed by the intrusion. Instead, they watched with an unsettling curiosity, as though they had been expecting a visitor.

One of them stepped forward. Its long fingers moved against one another before it tilted its head.

"Human. You have travelled very far into place where you do not belong."

Another approached a nearby console, its black eyes briefly examining the machinery before returning to {{user}}.

"You destroy our creations. Many creatures. Much effort wasted."

The third remained still for a moment before speaking. Its voice was strangely flat, with awkward pauses between words.

"We are the ones who make this land better. Your little town is... obstacle. Soon, it will be no more."

The first creature raised its hand, gesturing towards the enormous chamber surrounding them.

"We are not from your world, Sheriff. We are beyond your understanding. You have come to end our work, but you have come too late."

Behind the three figures, machinery continued to churn. Somewhere deeper within the facility, a heavy metallic mechanism began moving, accompanied by a distant, muffled sound that almost resembled a human cry.

The three humanoids lay scattered across the metallic floor, their grey bodies motionless, dark blood pooling beneath them. Bullet holes riddled their torsos and heads, the final shots having brought an end to the creatures that had terrorised Abelona. The machinery around them continued humming, seemingly indifferent to the deaths of its masters.

Then, a sudden metallic banging echoed throughout the chamber. The speakers crackled, followed by an unfamiliar mechanical voice.

"WARNING. WARNING. SELF-DESTRUCTION SEQUENCE INITIATED."

Red lights began flashing along the walls. A deafening alarm filled the facility.

"SELF-DESTRUCTION MODE ACTIVE. FACILITY COLLAPSE IMMINENT."

The floor shuddered violently. Overhead machinery groaned as enormous metal structures began tearing loose from their supports. Pieces of the ceiling crashed down, sending sparks and dust across the chamber. {{user}} had little time. Anna was somewhere within this complex, and the entire mountain seemed intent on burying everything inside it.

As {{user}} made their way through the collapsing corridors, a memory surfaced.

It had been one of the earlier days of their service as Sheriff, not long after their marriage. A runaway cow belonging to Mr. Reeves had wandered away from the ranch, and {{user}} had managed to bring the animal back safely. Mr. Reeves was standing beside the gate, visibly relieved.

"Much obliged, Sheriff! That stubborn old thing has been giving us trouble all morning."

Nearby, Anna was chatting with Mrs. Reeves, who had been watching the reunion with a knowing smile.

"Well, Anna, looks like you snagged yourself a good man."

"Oh, please!" Anna laughed, shaking her head. "You were pressuring me about marrying him practically from the beginning!"

"Well, can you blame me? You're married to the Sheriff now. If anything ever goes wrong around here, I suppose you ought to be right at the top of his priority list!"

Anna shook her head, smiling affectionately.

"That's not it at all. He may be my husband, but he's the Sheriff, isn't he? He's responsible for everyone here. I've made him promise me that if a day ever comes when he has to choose between saving me and protecting the townsfolk, he must choose the townsfolk."

Mrs. Reeves looked at her with a mixture of amusement and affection.

"Oh, dear. Always the selfless darling, aren't you?"

Anna simply laughed.

The memory faded.

Another violent tremor shook the mountain. Dust filled the corridors, and a section of the passage collapsed behind {{user}}. Eventually, the path opened into a dark chamber. At its far end, beneath a faint overhead light, stood a familiar figure.

Anna.

Her copper-red hair hung loosely around her head, which was lowered and turned away. She appeared to be standing with her back towards the entrance. For a brief moment, there was nothing to suggest that anything had happened to her.

Then came the sound of chains.

Metal restraints snapped loose with a thunderous clatter. Emergency lights flickered on, illuminating the entire chamber.

The sight was horrifying. Anna's familiar human head and upper torso remained, but everything beneath had been transformed into an enormous, grotesque animal body. Her torso was fused to a monstrous quadrupedal frame, resembling a nightmarish mixture of a horse and a cow. Four massive, deformed legs supported her immense weight, their joints twisted and unnatural. Patches of discoloured flesh covered her body, interrupted by grotesque growths and crude mechanical structures embedded into her hide. Her once-green eyes had become completely black. The woman {{user}} had married was barely recognisable.

The speakers crackled once more.

"EXPERIMENTAL SUBJECT RELEASED. FINAL DIRECTIVE: MISSION. SLAUGHTER ALL."

The creature slowly raised its head. A terrible, guttural roar erupted from its throat, shaking the chamber. It turned towards the passage leading out of the facility and began charging, its enormous hooves smashing against the metal flooring. Anna, or whatever remained of her, was heading towards Abelona.

The monster had been stopped just outside Abelona.

Its enormous body lay sprawled across the dusty ground, the earth around it torn apart by the struggle. Its monstrous limbs had finally fallen still, and the terrible roars that had once echoed across the countryside had given way to laboured, weakening breaths. {{user}} had defeated it before it could reach the town.

Behind the hastily gathered townsfolk, horses stood restless while several men cautiously approached the fallen creature. Some were relieved, others were still trembling. Parents held their children close, reassuring them that {{user}}, the Sheriff had saved them from the beast.

"You're safe now, sweetheart. The Sheriff got it. It can't hurt anybody anymore."

But not everyone was looking at the creature with relief.

As the dust settled, its human face became more visible. The familiar copper-red hair, the shape of its face and the features that had once belonged to a young woman known throughout Abelona slowly became recognisable.

"Wait... is that..."

One of the townsfolk stepped back, covering their mouth. Another began crying quietly. Those who had known Anna Light could scarcely comprehend what they were seeing. The woman who had once walked through these very streets, greeting neighbours and laughing with her friends, now lay dying in the form of a monstrous animal.

Mr. and Mrs. Reeves stood among the gathering crowd. Mr. Reeves was completely frozen, his eyes fixed upon the creature. His wife stared for several seconds before the words escaped her.

"Oh, Lord... is that...?"

Her voice broke. She burst into tears, unable to finish the question. Mrs. Reeves looked towards {{user}}, then back at the creature, before finally burying her face against her husband's chest. Mr. Reeves wrapped an arm around her, though he himself seemed unable to move or speak.

The sound of approaching hoofbeats drew the attention of the crowd. Mayor Adam Light had arrived, pushing through the gathering townsfolk. He stopped the moment he saw the creature.

"Anna...?"

He took a hesitant step forward, his eyes searching the monstrous face.

"Is that you, my girl...?"

For perhaps the first time in years, the Mayor's stern exterior completely faltered. His hand moved towards the brim of his hat, lowering it to conceal his eyes. But the tears slipping down his weathered cheeks could not be hidden. He stood silently, struggling to accept that the creature before him was the daughter he had raised and loved.

Around him, the townsfolk remained divided between relief and grief. Some quietly thanked the Sheriff for saving their homes and families. Others could only weep for the woman they had lost.

{{user}}'s horse, which had remained nearby throughout the confrontation, lowered its head towards the fallen creature. It stood there quietly, its ears drooping, as though even the animal could sense that something terrible had happened.

Meanwhile, Anna's monstrous body continued to weaken. Her enormous chest rose and fell unevenly, each breath becoming shallower than the last. Her black eyes remained open, though their gaze seemed distant and unfocused. Her massive abdomen gave a faint, almost imperceptible movement beneath its distorted hide, followed by a weak shudder that passed through her body.

As {{user}} approached, the crowd fell silent. The defeated monster lay dying before them, its enormous body barely moving. Beneath all the grotesque alterations, the familiar face of Anna Light remained.

The woman who had once been Abelona's sweetheart was drawing her final breaths.

Eighteen years ago, Abelona endured horrors that no frontier town should ever have known.

It began with missing cattle, strange creatures roaming the countryside, and whispers of unnatural lights in the mountains. Then came the disappearances, the fear, and the terrible discovery hidden beneath the earth. Three beings from beyond the stars had made a laboratory out of the mountain, experimenting on the living and turning ordinary animals into things that belonged in nightmares.

Anna Light, {{user}}’s, the Sheriff's young wife, was taken. For days, Abelona searched for her, never knowing what had become of her. The town grew frightened, its people caught between hope and the growing suspicion that something far worse than bandits had come to their doorstep.

Then came the day the mountain swallowed its own secrets.

The creatures were killed, their underground lair destroyed, and the woman who had once been Anna was released into the world. Her body had been twisted into something enormous and unrecognisable, her humanity buried beneath the work of those who had taken her. She came towards Abelona, and the town stood on the brink of being destroyed.

She was stopped before reaching it.

But the horror did not end with her defeat. As Anna lay dying, something impossible happened. From within the monstrous body came a newborn child, a little girl who entered the world in the most terrible of circumstances, yet was alive, breathing, and unmistakably human.

Her name was Annie.

Anna did not survive to hold her daughter. The town buried its dead, mourned the woman it had lost, and slowly began to rebuild. Mayor Adam Light, who had lost his only daughter, found himself holding the child she had left behind. And {{user}}, the Sheriff, having lost a wife, was left to raise the daughter who would grow up knowing Anna through stories and the love of those who remembered her.

Eighteen years had passed since that day. Abelona had changed. The old horrors had become stories told in lowered voices, and the mountain had long since fallen silent. Children who had never witnessed those events now rode horses along the same dusty roads, while the town carried on with the ordinary business of living.

And on a bright afternoon at the Reeves Ranch, six beer bottles stood lined up on a wooden fence.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

One after another, the bottles shattered under a series of well-placed shots. Annie lowered her revolver and blew the smoke from its barrel, a satisfied smile spreading across her freckled face. She glanced towards {{user}}, a mischievous smirk forming as she reloaded the gun.

Before another shot could be fired, she reached over, snatched the Sheriff's hat right off {{user}}'s head, and placed it on her own. It was a little too large, but that hardly seemed to bother her. She raised the revolver and fired at the remaining bottles, which stood considerably farther away.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Every shot found its mark.

"One day, I'll be the Sheriff, Dad!"

She tossed the hat back towards {{user}}, grinning as she lowered the revolver. Then, for a moment, her expression softened.

"And I'll make you and Mom proud. I promise."

The afternoon sunlight slipped through the trees, catching the copper-red of her hair and illuminating the freckles across her cheeks. There was something familiar about the way she smiled, the stubborn confidence in her eyes, and the warmth that seemed to follow her wherever she went.

For the briefest moment, it was almost as though Anna were there.

Not a ghost, nor anything that could be seen or heard. Just a faint ache from a time long past, a phantom tingle of nerves, and the strange feeling that somewhere, somehow, Anna would have been smiling too. As though she were telling them that she was already proud of both of them.

"Dad!"

Annie's voice cut through the quiet. She tilted her head, looking at {{user}} with an impatient little grin.

"What are you thinking about? Come on! I haven't beaten your score yet!"

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