The Shining Cow Read online

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  _This is NOT a story about sinister aliens from outer space. This is simply the story of what happened to poor Junius when she found herself much too close to a Flying Saucer, long enough so she could be analyzed and long enough to cause some strange happenings on that farm._

  the shining cow

  _by ALEX JAMES_

  Robbie whined and acted like his eyes were burning, as if he'd gotten dust or something even stranger into them....

  Zack Stewart stared sleepily into the bottom of his cracked coffee cupas his wife began to gather the breakfast dishes.

  Mrs. Stewart was a huge, methodical woman, seasoned to the drudgery of afarm wife. Quite methodically she'd arise every morning at 4:00 A.M.with her husband and each would do their respective chores until longafter the sun had set on their forty-acre farm.

  "You've jest got to find Junius today, Zack," Mrs. Stewart spokeworriedly, "Lord only knows her condition, not being milked sinceyesterday morning."

  "Yeah, I know, Ma," Zack said wearily as he rose from the table, "I'llsearch for her again in the north woods, but if she ain't there thistime, I give up."

  A dog suddenly howled outside. There was a brief instant when neithermoved, then Zack suddenly exclaimed, "It's Robbie!" and dashed outside.

  In the light from the open doorway Zack saw the dog creeping along onhis haunches, howling and whining, and scratching frantically at histear-streaming eyes.

  "Skunk finally got ya, eh boy?" Zack spoke sympathetically as the dog,fawning, came closer.

  "Stay away, Robbie, stay away now!" he ordered the dog. Robbie whinedand scratched again, furiously. Zack sniffed cautiously, expecting anymoment the pungent smell of skunk fluid to hit his nostrils. He sensednothing but the clean, fresh smell of the morning air, so he leanedcloser. Within a foot of Robbie, he sniffed again. Nothing. He realizedit wasn't a skunk that caused Robbie's eyes to burn. He knelt down andtook the dog's head tenderly in his rough, calloused hands and examinedhis eyes. They were bloodshot and watery. He took some water from thewell and dashed it into the dog's eyes as Robbie struggled.

  "Hold still, boy, I'm trying to help ya," Zack soothed. He took out ablue work bandanna and wiped tenderly around Robbie's eyes.

  "What did it, boy? How did it happen?" Zack asked. Robbie merely whined.

  "What's wrong with him?" Mrs. Stewart, broom in hand, asked from thedoorway.

  "Don't rightly know," Zack patted the dog, "acts like he got somethingin his eyes."

  "Skunk?"

  "Naw," Zack shook his head. "He don't smell. Something else."

  "Cat?"

  "No scratches, either. He acts like they're burnin' him, like he gotdust or somethin' in 'em."

  "Well, take him out to the barn and you better get after Junius."

  "Yeah, Ma. Come on, Robbie." He led Robbie to the barn and made him lieon a bed of hay in one of the stalls then returned to the kitchen forhis lantern. He put on his thick denim jacket and work cap and turned tohis wife.

  "If she ain't in the woods, I'll come back and git the truck and driveover to the Leemers and see if he seen her."

  He left the kitchen and shone the lantern around in the farmyard to gethis bearings, then headed for the north end of his farm. He could seethe faint glimmer of dawn in the east, more pronounced in the northeast,and even more so due north. He rubbed his eyes. A much brighter glowoutlined the treetops in the north woods, that made the dawn on theeastern horizon look like a dirty gray streak. His first thought was offire, but there was no smoke, no flame.

  Zack walked dazedly toward the woods, his eyes glued to the light abovethe trees. Soon he was in the woods, and he could see the brightnessextended down through the trees from the sky, on the other side of thewoods. He approached cautiously as the light grew brighter, and came tothe clearing where it was most intense. A thick bush obstructed hisview, and Zack moved it aside then uttered a hoarse gasp, as he clutchedat his eyes.

  For a moment he felt he was dreaming. He squinted between the slits ofhis fingers. The glow was still piercing, but he could see the brightlylit Junius, radiating blue-white light, nibbling at the sparse grass inthe clearing. Zack stood transfixed, his eyes widening behind hisfingers. He felt the tears and the burning sensation, and squintedtightly, turning his head from the unbelievable scene.

  * * * * *

  Zack didn't remember his return to the farmhouse, or incoherently tryingto explain to his wife the scene he had witnessed. A stiff jolt ofelderberry wine drove off the jitters and reasoning returned. His wifesat patiently, eyeing him oddly, as Zack muttered over and over again,"It's unbelievable! It's unbelievable!"

  Mrs. Stewart rose. "I'm going out and see fer myself. And, Zack, if yerlying to me--"

  Zack jumped from the chair, barring her way.

  "Believe me, maw, it's true. Don't go out there. It might be too muchfer ya."

  "It's the craziest thing I ever heard," Mrs. Stewart scoffed. "A cowthat shines like the sun!"

  "Look, maw, will ya jest come with me as fer as the pasture, you can seethe glow from there, and mebbe that might convince ya."

  "Yes, yes, I will." Mrs. Stewart jerked off her apron. "I declare, Zack,I think these chores are getting the best of ya."

  They walked to the pasture, their eyes on the treetops of the northwoods. A faint glow began to appear.

  "See! See!" Zack pointed, laughing crazily.

  "Let's get closer, looks like a fire," Mrs. Stewart said.

  "Ain't no fire." Zack's tone was angry. "It's Junius and she's all litup like a Christmas tree."

  "Zack, now you stop that kinda crazy talk. There's a reason behindeverything, and I'm sure there's one fer this."

  "There is a reason, maw. Junius. She's got the whole clearing lit uplike the noonday sun. Lord only knows how she got that way, but she'sshining out there like a great big light bulb, only brighter."

  Mrs. Stewart quickened her pace towards the clearing.

  "I'm going to see fer myself," she said determinedly, "and put an endto this foolish nonsense."

  "Alright, maw," Zack spoke resignedly, "if yer mind's set. But I'mwarning ya, ya better squint yer eyes tight. She's too bright to lookat. Poor Robbie must have got too good a look at her."

  Mrs. Stewart approached the clearing ahead of her husband, and moved thesame bush aside that had obstructed her husband's view. Her gaze caughtthe brightly radiating figure of Junius, and Mrs. Stewart screamed,clasping her face with her hands. Zack had his head turned, but hegroped for his wife, grasped her arm and led her from the clearing.

  "It's too crazy to believe, Zack," she whispered in awe; "What are wegoing to do? What has happened to poor Junius?"

  "I don't know what happened to her," Zack answered, "but I know what I'mgoing to do about it. I'm going to call the University and git themscientist fellas down here."

  "You suppose they can git close enough to milk the poor thing?" Mrs.Stewart clasped her hands in frustration. "She's probably in misery."

  Zack shook his head. "Ain't no tellin' what they're liable to do afterthey seen her. Most likely they'll want to ship her to the University toexamine her and see how she got that way."

  "Why don't we call the Vet'nar'n?" Mrs. Stewart asked. "It might be somekind of new disease."

  "It ain't no disease, maw. It's something nobody in the whole world everseen or heard of before. I jest hope I can convince them Universityfellas to come down here."

  "Don't you think you better tie Junius so she won't stray?"

  "Better wait and see what them scientists say. Besides, if she strays,all we gotta do is follow the light!"
br />   * * * * *

  Zack did the most important chores and at eight A.M. on the dot hecalled the State University.

  The operator at the switchboard answered sleepily.

  "Good morning, State University."

  "Mornin', ma'am. I'd like to talk to one of them scientist fellas."

  "To whom in particular did you wish to speak?"

  "Any of 'em that ain't busy. I got somethin'