Dark Mountain

I awoke with a start. The sun wasn't up yet. I listened carefully to the sounds of nature outside my two-bedroom cabin. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but something had jerked me out of a fairly deep sleep. I rolled out of bed and donned my clothes and guns. Making no noise as I made my way in the darkness to the front door, I slipped my moccasins on and stepped outside.

I stood on the porch, listening to the sounds surrounding my homestead. My eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness and I scanned the area carefully. Something was out there; I just couldn't pick out what it was. My gut told me it wasn't a man... or a beast. It felt like evil, like a blanket that was wrapped tightly around me. Suffocating almost. What the hell was it?