Gnomes crouched to get a better view of the upper nesting platforms, sticking his head into the coop and gazing towards the dark corners. A single white feather floated down to him like the ghost of chickens past. The dander quivered as it glided, calming him like a mother calms her crying baby with song. As he gazed at the hypnotic feather, two saucers of light bloomed from a dark corner. A second later they narrowed into amber slots. Adrenaline streaked up his spine and he yanked his head back, smacking it against the overhang. His jaw rattled and he started to fade. The coyote growled and leapt from the dark corner onto the shit-stained floor. Gnomes held up his rifle, ignoring the stabbing pain at the back of his head and lined up a shot. The rifle barrel swooned. The first shot was high, the bullet thwacking into the wall. He pulled the trigger again, the shot low, hitting the filthy floor. The coyote bolted for the coop opening. Gnomes swung the rifle at the pest, hitting it square in the hips with the barrel. The coyote yipped and ran past. Gnomes whirled, knowing the coyote wasn’t smart enough to find the open gate. With that in mind, Gnomes seized the gun barrel so he could smash the coyote with the stock like a mallet. And it would feel damn, good too. The ol’ jester getting a load of Eric Gnomes.

The coyote paced the corners of the chicken pen, looking for an exit.

“Stupid rat,” Gnomes said, shambling over to the coyote, a trickle of blood on the back of his neck. “Can’t find the exit, can you?”

The coyote pawed the fence halfway up, then down to all fours again. She moved with precision, but also desperation. Several of the panicking chickens fluttered and squawked on the other side of the pen, wanting nothing to do with her.

She had her tail to the man, but could hear him approaching. She was proud of her hearing. A moment later, the man reared up with the rifle. She acted like she didn’t know he was there, but she did. When she heard his steps quicken and felt the ground shake, she spun at his feet, biting into the ankle as hard as she could. As Gnomes reached for his ankle, she ripped into his exposed forearm, spraying blood onto her shiny coat. Gnomes screamed and collapsed, the rifle thudding onto the dirt.