{"id":567,"date":"2004-08-17T22:47:30","date_gmt":"2004-08-18T02:47:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=567"},"modified":"2026-07-22T12:08:58","modified_gmt":"2026-07-22T16:08:58","slug":"deaths-letter-s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=567","title":{"rendered":"Death’s Letter S (by Karen)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary: A<\/span><\/span>\u00a0writer’s challenge.\u00a0 Joe plays a joke on Hoss.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rated:<\/span>\u00a0K (1,330 words)<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Death’s Letter S<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIt happened again last night.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong> Joe\u2019s voice sank to a funereal whisper.\u00a0 \u201cNight after night.\u00a0 It\u2019s always the same.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019s blue eyes were round as saucers and he glanced quickly over his shoulder at the gathering darkness.\u00a0 Surreptitiously he inched closer to the campfire.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe caught the movement however, and he coughed into his gloved hand to hide his grin.\u00a0 \u201cYessirre, Hoss.\u00a0 Every single night this whole week,\u201d he intoned.\u00a0 \u201cThe same dream.\u00a0 The same beautiful lady all veiled in white, whispering.\u00a0 Always whispering.\u201d\u00a0 He shivered dramatically.\u00a0 \u201cAnd she always says the same thing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss leaned forward intently.\u00a0 \u201cWhat?\u201d he demanded.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s she say, Joe?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe made a show of looking around the clearing, peering at the shadows suspiciously, allowing the silence to build to a fever pitch.\u00a0 He had to hide another grin when he saw Hoss was holding his breath as he waited for the answer.<\/span><\/p>\n

At last Joe spoke, leaning forward to whisper in Hoss\u2019s ear.\u00a0 \u201cShe lifts one hand and points right at me, and she speaks so softly I can\u2019t make out most of the words.\u00a0 But whatever she says, it ain\u2019t good.\u00a0 She kind of moans out something, and all I hear is the final word.\u201d\u00a0 He stopped, his eyes solemn.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss pounded his thigh in frustration.\u00a0 \u201cDadburn it, Joe.\u00a0 Spit it out.\u00a0 What\u2019s she say?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe says\u2026Death.\u201d\u00a0 Joe deliberately drew out the word, allowing the darkness and the flickering campfire to add to Hoss\u2019s wild-eyed terror.\u00a0 He had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing out loud as Hoss sucked in a deep gulp of air.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cD-d-death?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYep.\u00a0 Death.\u201d\u00a0 He allowed a quaver of fear to ripple through his words.\u00a0 \u201cBut whose?\u00a0 Mine?\u00a0 What d\u2019ya think, brother?\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t sound like she\u2019s saying my name.\u00a0 All that hissing.\u00a0 Could be a lot of S\u2019s.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss paled, his face assuming a ghastly blue tinge in the moonlight.\u00a0 \u201cS\u2019s?\u201d\u00a0 He gulped again.\u00a0 \u201cYa think she means me, Joe?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe smiled with obvious insincerity.\u00a0 \u201cYou?\u00a0 Why you?\u00a0 Hoss doesn\u2019t start with S.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss frowned, irritation written across the broad expanse of his face.\u00a0 \u201cOf course Hoss don\u2019t start with S, but it shore ends with a couple of \u2018em.\u00a0 Whad\u2019ya think, Joe.\u00a0 Is it me?\u201d\u00a0 He tugged at his shirt collar as if it had suddenly gotten too tight and again glanced over his shoulder.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe affected astonishment.\u00a0 \u201cWhy, you\u2019re right, brother.\u00a0 Hoss does end with a couple of those pesky S\u2019s.\u00a0 She just might mean you.\u201d\u00a0 He casually got up and yawned, stretching ostentatiously before lying down on his bedroll.\u00a0 \u201cWell, we\u2019ve gotta get up early to start the round-up.\u00a0 Best we get some shut eye.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He pretended to go to sleep, resting with his hat over his eyes, as he listened to Hoss\u2019s movements.\u00a0 His brother sat for a long while by the fire, and Joe could barely restrain his giddy laughter when he saw Hoss jerk and twitch with every rustle and pop in the night air.\u00a0 Even the familiar call of the night owls and the far distant yelps of the coyote made the big man jump.\u00a0 At long last, Hoss rolled himself up in his own bedroll, tiredness apparently winning out over fear.\u00a0 His snores soon echoed through the clearing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s wait was not in vain.\u00a0 Not long after Hoss began to snore, a white-clad figure drifted through the trees, hovering at the edge of the feeble circle of light provided by the dying campfire.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHoss-ss-ssssss–\u201d The voice was a sibilant hiss, the final syllables throbbing on the night air.\u00a0 \u201cHoss-ss-ssssssssssss–\u201c<\/span><\/p>\n

The figure drifted a little closer, Hoss\u2019s name slipping between its lips like a chill breeze.\u00a0 Hoss sat up with a gasp.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u00a0 W-What?\u00a0 Joe?\u00a0 Is that you?\u201d he quavered.<\/span><\/p>\n

And then he caught sight of the ghostly visitor.\u00a0 The color drained from his face as he scrambled to his feet.\u00a0 Unable to tear his eyes from the figure, he backed away, tripping over a log, but righting himself, banging a shin on a jutting rock without even noticing, always moving backward, away from the shining figure advancing toward him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJoe!\u201d he wailed, before he finally turned and fled for the trees as fast as his legs could carry him.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe lay convulsed with laughter on his bedroll, tears streaming from his eyes as he made no effort to restrain his cackling laugh.\u00a0 When he finally sat up and wiped his eyes, the figure had vanished.\u00a0 Still chuckling from time to time, he got up and peered into the darkness.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJamie?\u00a0 Where are you?\u00a0 C\u2019mon out.\u00a0 It worked just fine.\u00a0 C\u2019mon, you sure earned your money.\u201d\u00a0 He hesitated, listening to the nighttime sounds with his head cocked slightly.\u00a0 \u201cJamie?\u00a0 Where are you, boy?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

There was a rustling from the darkness, and Jamie emerged, clutching a bedraggled white bed sheet.\u00a0 \u201cShut up, Joe!\u201d he scolded.\u00a0 \u201cWhat are you yelling about?\u00a0 Hoss is gonna hear you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He looked around the campsite, taking in Hoss\u2019s scattered bedroll, the overturned coffeepot, and the tracks leading into the darkness.\u00a0 \u201cWhere is Hoss anyway?\u00a0 What\u2019s going on here?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe laughed and slapped the boy on the shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cRight.\u00a0 Good one, Jamie.\u00a0 You know what happened.\u00a0 After all, you\u2019re the one who scared the bejeebers out of that big lummox. \u00a0You did a good job; I\u2019ll bet he\u2019s halfway back to the Ponderosa by now.\u00a0 Probably hasn\u2019t even stopped to take a breath.\u00a0 I\u2019ll pay you what I promised you when I come back to the ranch tomorrow to pick up the chuck wagon and supplies.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Jamie eyed Joe with scorn.\u00a0 \u201cWhat are you talking about, Joe.\u00a0 I just got here to find you yelling.\u00a0 I haven\u2019t even had a chance to put the sheet on and try our plan.\u00a0 Now quit fooling around and tell me where Hoss is.\u201d\u00a0 He shook his red head in disgust.\u00a0 \u201cThis is what I get for goin\u2019 in on a plan with you.\u00a0 You start screaming too early and ruin everything.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He stopped, his eyes growing large as he saw Joe\u2019s face pale.\u00a0 \u201cY-you just got here?\u201d Joe asked.\u00a0 \u201cBut then who–?\u201d\u00a0 He moaned and then turned and began scrabbling for his boots.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve got to get back to the Ponderosa.\u00a0 If that wasn\u2019t you–\u201c<\/span><\/p>\n

He headed into the darkness along the same path Hoss had taken, never glancing back.\u00a0 His voice, still carrying on a quavering monologue drifted back over his shoulder.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jamie watched him go in amusement, finally giving in to a bout of hysterical laughter, bending double with the force of his mirth.\u00a0 The snap of a twig made him spin on his heel, and he laughed again as he came face to face with Hoss.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss wiped his own streaming eyes, his round face red with suppressed laughter.\u00a0 \u201cYa done it perfectly Jamie.\u00a0 Caught Joe with his own joke and turned it right back on him.\u201d\u00a0 He clapped the boy on the shoulder with such force that Jamie flew forward a couple of steps.\u00a0 Fishing in the pocket of his vest, he extracted a wad of folded bills.\u00a0 \u201cHere\u2019s double what Joe promised you.\u00a0 And worth every penny.\u00a0 That\u2019s the best laugh I\u2019ve had in months.\u00a0 It ain\u2019t often I get the best of Joe in a joke.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He gestured at Joe\u2019s abandoned bedroll.\u00a0 \u201cWanna spend the night out here, little brother?\u00a0 I\u2019d say there probably won\u2019t be much sleepin\u2019 goin\u2019 on at the house tonight.\u201d\u00a0 He stretched out on his own bedroll as he spoke, and grinned when Jamie followed suit on Joe\u2019s blanket.<\/span><\/p>\n

Soon all was quiet around the glowing embers of the dying fire.\u00a0 The only sound was the occasional snuffle of laughter throughout the night.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The End<\/span><\/p>\n

Disclaimer:\u00a0All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary: \u00a0 Joe plays a joke on Hoss.<\/p>\n

Rated:\u00a0K (1,330 words)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":568,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[4,40],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-567","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-humor","category-challenges","wpcat-4-id","wpcat-40-id"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Bankrun.jpg?fit=768%2C576&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/567","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/39"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=567"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/567\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/568"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=567"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=567"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=567"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}