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THE TRACTOR

He sat in the summer pasture, looking down into the haze of the valley and the air
:-vasfresh and clean and it excited his senses when he breathed it in. The early morn-
109 sun began to rise in the east and stretch its long, skinny fingers through the trees
and showed that it would prove to be a very hot and sultry day.

. He loved to start his day that way because he believed it was the key to a happy
hfe. Every morning, he would venture out before dawn into the meadow and meditate
nature and it was at that time when he was clear of all worry and fear.

As he sat, he began to think about the girl he loved and he looked up and saw her
face in the clouds and he was content. He began to plan scenarios in which he and she
would roll in the grass and kiss and maybe he commited a few mortal sins but he was

young and had plenty of time to repent.
He saw his father driving an old Allis-Chamblers tractor up the side of the hill and

he watched it climb and climb, blowing out huge clouds of diesel smoke as it plugged

along.
When it reached the top of the hill the tractor stalled and Mike watched as his

father frantically tried to restart it. The tractor was slowly drifting backwards and Mike
almost laughed at how funny his father looked trying to restart the tractor. It started to
go faster and it bounced across the field and a hot rush of horror came over Mike's
body like a wave as he realized that the older models had no brakes while going
backwards. He felt like an elephant was standing on his chest and he watched the trac-

tor go faster and faster.
He heard the engine rev quick and loud in one short burst and the tractor hit a rut

and flipped over backwards. He watched his father plummet to the ground and the
tractor followed him, resting across his legs. His father's scream cut through the humid
summer meadow and echoed for a long time in the desolate valley.

Then he saw the fuel leaking out and splashing on the engine and he ran as fast as
he could. Faster and faster and he felt his lungs were going to burst. His father scream-
ed and Violently clawed the earth in a futile attempt to pull himself free. The fire started
and Mike ran as fast as he could. The devouring element engulfed his father and he
writhed in agony. He continued gnawing at the ground and, tWitching-faced, grimac-

ed in pain.
"Mike! Mike! don't let me burn! Oh please, don't let me burn! God sakes, don't let

me burn!" shouted his father with tears in his bloodshot, straining eyes.

Mike grabbed his hand and tried to pull but it was no use and he fell back and
cried. Through the flames, he could see a metal pipe and he scrambled across the
trembling earth, towards it. The air was hot and smelled heavy with the stench of
death. Screaming and screaming, his father tried to grip life a few seconds longer, and

all the while, hoping he would die.
Mike found the pipe and held it in quivering hands. He lifted it and, with all the

Courage he could muster, let it fall; crushing his father's skull and killing him instantly.
David Owing

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