Arianta arrived at Katherine Bishop's ranch which was in a desolate community of fewer than three thousand people about two hours outside of Houston. The driver, also the caretaker of the ranch, heaved Arianta's suitcases from the truck as Arianta wandered around the side of the looming main house.
Out in the pasture, about a few hundred yards out, a woman of athletic build with long hair, pulled into a tight ponytail stood on the small, weathered wooden bridge that spanned a murky stream flowing through the property. Arianta approached the woman she recognized as Katherine, cautiously treading the dirt path, her pulse quickening with each step. In the distance, beyond Katherine, loomed a fenced area with a few steers and another where pigs squealed, their movements casting shadows on the green grass. If it weren't for the restless livestock, the ranch would have exuded an air of tranquility.
As Arianta's foot landed on the first plank of the bridge, Katherine thrust up her hand to halt her. “Wait. Step off.”
She complied, her breath catching in her throat, but Katherine didn't even look at her. Her eyes remained fixed on the water flowing relentlessly down the creek. Arianta turned her gaze to the river also and witnessed a duck dipping its head into the water and catching a fish in its sharp beak. Before she could react, Katherine raised the pistol in her hand and fired a single shot, the report echoing through the mist, hitting the duck with chilling precision.
Arianta startled, caught off-guard by the sudden explosion of sound. It happened so swiftly that she let out a strangled cry, clutching her chest in fear. Her heart thundered in her ears as she struggled to breathe, the air thick with tension.
“Dinner tonight,” Katherine uttered, her voice low and laced with a chilling edge, as she stepped toward her. Menacing in stature, Katherine came at her with the gun. Her throat tightened with fear, but as Katherine pushed past her and off the bridge, Arianta hurried to catch up. Her heart pounded as she watched Katherine lean over and pick up the dead bird by the neck.
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