Mysteries Of Pig Skin Ranch

Mysteries Of Pig Skin Ranch

Part 1

Sam awoke with a start, trying to clear his head he ground his knuckles into his eyes. All Sam had succeeded to do was make his eyes blurry. While reaching for his glasses, he switched on the bedside lamp. Grabbing the alarm clock, the digital numbers glaring, red 3:11 AM, and Sam moaned with exasperation. Close to 4 years now, Sam “Stretch” Johnson has been awoken at the so-called “Witching Hour” but Sam can tell you that it is more than some simply witchery going on at Pig Skin Ranch. Hell, just in the last couple of years he has seen grown men running scared from here, only to find that they are followed. He flung back the covers, there would be no sleep this night.

He could already tell, something in the air you might say, was working in the mist. The close quarters in which he lived were sufficient for the young, unattached, no kin-having, simple man. Pig Skin Ranch, located in Louisville, Kentucky which has beautiful, lush, green pastures is starting to suffer from climate changes. Sam didn’t know much about that, best leave that up to the scientists. He took notice that in the last 20 years though, there had been a great change in the soil and the farms were yielding less than previous years.

Sam had covered most of Kentucky since he started working as a farmhand at 16. Louisville had a special aspect to it and an intense craving to stay here or was it Pig Skin Ranch. The ranch had a way of calling you, but at the same time, had a way of making you want to run like hell. If it were not for the high pay grade that Sam received, he would stay in Louisville, but hang his hat at another ranch. This place had secrets, hidden beings, poltergeists, and even a mysterious wolf, but Sam would get to all of that.

To know the story, you must start at the beginning, and very few knew the beginning. Sam only being here four years could only go by rumors and other accounts. The farm was built in the 1930s, by Grayson Kent, who was a judge at the time in the quaint town. As construction started on the farm, Kent and workers started to experience a lot of unexplainable events, this held up the work, and oftentimes prevented the work from continuing. Louisville was old-themed and remarkably close-knit, but these things were still not talked about at the time.

It took Kent 2 years to complete the farmhouse, shed, and fencing that encased the vast fields. Kent, who naturally was raised on a farm, hired many farmhands over the few years he resided at the ranch. In his diary was said many accounts of this phenomenon. One that stuck out to Sam was the wolf story. Kent and his workers were on the south side of the farm, stabilizing and finishing the last of the ties binding the wooden fence together.

The growl fierce and low, startled Kent so much that he stuck his finger with the head of the hammer, missing the nail. “Son-of-a..”, his words silenced by the immediate lump in his throat. There stood the biggest beast he has ever seen, about 6 feet long. from his pointed snout to his thick tail. Eyes a deep amber color, teeth that were 2-3 inches long and menacing, would tear the flesh from the bones in mere minutes. It had a thick, broad neck and overly large head, which supported the terrifying jaws on the beast. The massive paws and sharp claws would easily mutilate and destroy its prey, and right now he was in the beast’s sight. Kent was paralyzed with fear, staring into the beasts' eyes he saw a cold but intelligent glare.

A shot rang out and narrowly the dire wolf was missed but within a split second, the wolf was gone, which left Kent wondering if it was even there. Thankfully, Faris Harvey was the ranch hand in the woods and shot at the wolf, Collaborating Kent’s whole story but only amongst the Ranch. For years Kent would sketch the wolf, though he never encountered the beast again.

The poltergeist hauntings were some of the disturbing confessions of the judge, in which a lot of the experiences happened to the judge’s daughters. Selma and Charlotte. The most alarming was the changing at times of the girls as if possessed. Charlotte, who was ten at the time would go into long periodic silences, she would sit in her room in complete darkness, leaned forward on her bed as if in conversation. Sometimes, her lips were moving but not a single word was uttered, only tiny smacking sounds of her lips. Kent would place a gentle hand on Charlotte's shoulder, her head would jerk around, the iris of the eye gone, complete white, until slowly the pupil returned to normal. “Yes, daddy?” Charlotte would say devoid of all emotion.

Selma, age 8 at the time, developed a sleepwalking routine, this involved Selma making long treks through the field and usually ending up at the pond. Sometimes, standing at the pond, or sitting watching past the pond, and one incident halfway in the pond. Which after that, Kent had to resort to putting a lock on Selma’s room to keep her inside for her safety. Kent was baffled as to what the hell was going on with his kids the house, the property, but refused to let the town be a part of this, All Kent could think about was the scandal, and being laughed out. For God’s sake, he was a judge here. He would never preside over another case if any of this got out. Kent was even affected, his wife had awoken to find Kent standing, facing the wall with that blank stare just like the girls had, for 45 minutes, Kent did not move. She had tried everything and was left to wait until Kent came out of the trance, he remembered nothing. Judge Grayson Kent would never figure out the unexplained phenomena. Three years after completing the ranch, Kent's car would be found abandoned by the pond, but not a trace of the judge.

Kent’s wife and children soon moved after the judge's disappearance, the girls being younger could not help with the farm. The rumors were that when they left, they had a follower that haunted them for many years. It was sold to another family who lived there for some years, then sold to Collum’s family who Sam currently worked for on the ranch. The ranch received the name “Pig Skin Ranch” as the Collum’s owned the ranch and had one of the world’s biggest hogs.

Sam had seen many things on the ranch, most of what he experienced was cattle mutilation. Sam had worked on the ranch for about six months, and he was working in the west side pasture. Herding up the sheep, with Lucy, (the Collum’s Sheltie) her attention was not herding this morning, and this was unlike Lucy. Lucy’s attention was drawn to the fence line of the cattle. Sam wasn’t making any progress with the sheep, in need of Lucy he walked to the fence line to see what had drawn her attention, she kept jumping at the fence and whining. “What is it, old girl? Sam said patting Lucy’s head which in returned she let out another whine. Sam scanned the field looking for the problem and on the hillside was a very distinctive bull. “Oh Shit,” Sam cursed jumping the fence.

The bull was one of the Collum’s best, priced at 3,500, and Collum’s was going to have his hide. Confused because Sam double-checked the locks last night, how did the damned thing get out? Approaching the bull, Sam could see no open wounds, no blood, and no eyes. What, he thought. He lifted the bull’s legs, and the damned thing was cut in half. Looking around Sam saw no one or nothing that could be the culprit, hell an animal wasn’t even the culprit. Sam could remember Mr. Collum’s reaction which was like no reaction as if this had happened before. Of course, if it had Collum’s would not say he was quiet and reserved and paid Sam to be the same.

Recalling the history that he knew didn’t help Sam explain any of the things happening on the ranch. It had become a mystery that needed to be solved and Sam just might be the one to do it. Yes, no more reason for sleep tonight, pulling on his pants, and headed out into the night air. Stopping to light a cigarette, Sam heard the horses neighing in the stables, but say the bright light behind the stables. Shit, what now he thought running towards the light. As Sam got closer to the stables the light was so intense am felt a sweat break out on his forehead. Rounding the corner of the stables. The light was so brilliant, bright white that it was blinding. Sam was hit with a force that his breath was knocked from him. Pain shot all through his body, immense terrible pain that seared through his whole body. Then darkness…

Keep a watchful eye for Part 2 of “Mysteries of Pig Skin Ranch”

Authored By:

Destinee Wallace