Summary: A short story written for a Cowboy Lingo challenge and the Pinecone Challenge on Brand (had to use Psycho as title). It was inspired by a similar real event.<\/p>\n
Rating: G, Word Count 500<\/p>\n
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Psycho<\/strong><\/div>\n
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Ben sat at his desk working on some paperwork when a noise suddenly caught his attention. Looking out the small window, he saw the tops of the tall pine trees swaying in the wind a sure sign that a storm was arriving.However, this wasn\u2019t just an ordinary storm. No thunder or lightning or rain. Just wind. Within a matter of minutes, the wind had reached the ground, beginning to blow over anything that wasn\u2019t anchored down.<\/p>\n
Ben rushed to the main door, grabbing his coat before heading outside to try to secure as much as he could. Just fifteen minutes ago, the air was calm; now it was as if he was caught in the middle of a hurricane.<\/p>\n
He latched down a few barrels and made sure the barn door was locked. He quickly realized, though, that he was battling a losing game. They\u2019ve had strong winds before, but they usually only lasted several minutes, maybe an hour at most.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, storm! Why do you have to be such a\u00a0jo-fired<\/strong>\u00a0strong storm this time? Can\u2019t you just\u00a0pull in your horns<\/strong>\u00a0and leave already?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ben talked as if the storm could hear him. Maybe it could because just then he heard an awful creak and turned towards the house just in time to see some shingles starting to loosen and fly off the roof. It was then that he knew the winds weren\u2019t going to diminish anytime soon and he needed to get out of this psychotic storm.<\/p>\n
For ten hours he listened to the wind howl and the house moan under the stress of the wind. Occasionally he saw a small pine branch scream by the window. He constantly prayed the storm would end soon before any significant damage could be done. Luckily, he didn\u2019t have to worry about his sons as they were all on a trip together, well away from the storm and any danger.<\/p>\n
But worry was still warranted not only for his house and property, but also for the horses in the barn and the cattle out on the range. He guessed the winds were blowing up to 60 miles per hour, speeds that could easily take down the barn or send a large limb soaring through the sky hurting the livestock outside. One thing he learned a long time ago was that Mother Nature had no favorites. When she became furious, it didn\u2019t matter who or what stood in her way.<\/p>\n
Just as Ben was losing all hope of the storm ending, the winds ceased as suddenly as they began. Cautiously moving to the front door, he glanced around the yard noting that the barn would need some repairs as well as the roof of the house. As strong as the winds were, the damage could have been much worse. He only hoped the cattle fared as well.<\/p>\n
He shook his head in bewilderment as he pondered, not for the first time, that the weather sure could be psycho sometimes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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From the Brandsters.\u00a0 The story was originally written and published on the Bonanza Trail Riders site.\u00a0 Brand is happy to offer this story a new home.<\/span><\/div>\n