MelonHead

The wind blew harshly, and the wind chimes clashed together making their usual peaceful chiming sound. 

I always loved sitting out on my back porch, looking over my 60-acre farm, sipping a cold beer.

Ever since I was a young man it’s been my favorite way to wind down, and at 68 years old I’ve never gotten bored. 

From my back porch, I can see my barn, where my cows are, and my garden just beside it to the left. 

On the right side of my barn is my chicken coup.

I bought this house 25 years ago because I've always been a farm person and the 20 acres of land is what really sold me on the place.

I decided out of curiosity to get up and go to my garden to check the stage of growth my crops are at. 

I headed through my backyard and made my way over to the garden, where the greenhouse reflected sunlight off the plastic. 

I unzipped the door and walked inside looking around, the watermelons were the closest to being done with all of them lined up on the left side.

On the right side was the squash I recently planted a few weeks ago, still in the early stages of growth. 

I took a gaze looking over the garden before turning and walking out of the greenhouse.

I looked down at my watch as I exited, 7:27 which means it's feeding time. 

I made my way over to the barn and unlatched the lock and opened the doors.

As I walked in the cows all rushed to the front of their stalls peering their faces over the small wooden door. 

You guys hungry? I spoke out loud as I approached the bags of hay I kept in the back, I always liked to keep their food in bulk so it was fewer trips out for hay.

I fed my 4 cows one by one before locking up the barn for the night and started towards the chicken pen. 

The chickens clucked and wandered around as I opened the door to the coupe and walked in.

They all rushed in to follow me as I picked up the large bucket of pellets, in a swift motion I turned and poured the bucket onto the floor as they all scattered to it. 

After locking up the chicken coop I looked upon the beautiful view of the sun setting, the orange light beaming a vibrant color across the field. 

I quickly went to my bedroom after coming in and showering as I was tired from a long day of working in the field. 

I took a final sip of water and crawled into bed for the night, I turned onto my side, and after 5 or so minutes I felt myself drifting to sleep. 

Loud screeching suddenly shot me awake in my bed, I immediately recognized it as my chickens.

I got out of bed as quickly as I could and peered out of my bedroom window, the lights that faintly illuminated my farm showed nothing.

As I scanned the area I heard it again, coming from the chicken coup.

I love my farm like my baby and I’ll do anything 

To protect it and that includes my animals.

I swung my closet open and punched the combination into my safe, I took out my Winchester model 70 and a box of ammunition.

I loaded up 9 bullets and grabbed two more boxes and stuffed them in my coat pocket, my boots were next and I quickly laced them up before grabbing a flashlight and attaching it to my belt. 

As quickly as my 68-year-old body would allow, I hurried out onto the back porch and started towards the chicken coup with the waist light illuminating the backyard with a bright white light as I walked. 

As I crept closer to the chicken coop I noticed it was dead silent, the surrounding Forest was completely devoid of any sounds, no crickets chirping, no movement, just silence and darkness. 

I turned the corner of the chicken coupe to the front door and stopped immediately as I felt my blood run cold. 

The front door was smashed in, as someone had forcefully broken into it. 

I aimed the rifle up and stood right in front of the entrance, whoever is inside come out now with your hands up! I called out.

I was met with no response, in fact there was no sound coming from inside the chicken coop at all.

I slowly stepped inside as the flashlight lit up the room and I almost fell back and dropped the gun in shock.

All of my chickens were dead, mangled, and ripped apart with feathers and blood scattered across the floor.

I stared with widened eyes in horror when I heard my cows squealing from the barn.

They were screeches of pain that eerily echoed through the darkness. 

My fear turned to anger, those were my chickens, they were innocent friendly creatures and someone went out of their way to trespass onto my property and kill them.

I hurried in the direction of the barn keeping my gun aimed, the waist light lit up about 30 feet in front of me. 

As I passed the greenhouse, something immediately caught my eye and I stopped in my tracks turning to look.

The entrance door was ripped apart, like completely shredded. 

I shone the light inside while aiming the gun and noticed one of the watermelons was missing.

It looked like it had been dug out of the ground, all of the other ones were in place with one just gone leaving a small dirt hole in the ground. 

I turned and shone the light in the direction of the barn to see a giant hole in the doors. 

I slowly crept to the barn door when I noticed a wet chewing sound, I shone my light through the door and peered through and my fear quickly returned in an instant. 

At the end of the barn I saw a figure kneeling with its back towards me, on the ground in front of it I saw one of my cows on the ground with its midsection completely torn open. 

As soon as the light hit the creature it turned to face me, its head… it looked like a watermelon, its body was this dark brown color resembling dirt and it had long arms and legs with claws for fingers. 

It had to have been 8 feet tall at least, its face stared at me with this wild look of hunger and rage. 

It had large black eyes and a huge mouth with razor-sharp teeth that hung open drooling blood. 

I snapped out of it and stuck my gun through the opening and fired a shot which sounded successful because I heard the creature scream this horrible sound and scurry around.

I backed away from the barn before turning and retreating to the house. 

When I was about 50 feet from the barn I heard a smashing sound followed by that same screech. 

I turned to see the melon creature sprinting at me, I aimed the rifle up and noticed that it covered an insane amount of distance in the seconds I took to take a shot. 

I fired as I backpeddled which was very hard but I saw the creature stagger and scream in pain slowing it down. 

I reloaded another bullet into the chamber and shot it in the knee which caused it to drop down to one knee.

I took the chance and decided to make a full break for the back door.

Even at my old age adrenaline still did me wonders making me move a lot faster than I thought I could at 68. 

The shot that stunned whatever that creature is didn't last very long because once I got about 10 feet from the steps leading up to the porch and the back door I could hear it gaining on me. 

I made it to the back door and swiftly ran inside slamming the door behind me.

Seconds later a long arm with claws burst through the middle of the door, I acted quickly and shot its wrist which caused it to instantly retract its hand. 

I fired a second shot through the door and I heard it scream as it moved away and off the back porch. 

I looked around circling in place with the rifle aimed as paranoia started to take over slightly, I was immediately expecting an attack at any given moment. 

Suddenly I heard glass shatter at the end of the hall, I turned and shone the light down the hall to see glass on the floor.

I heard the creature make a soft groaning sound before the front door smashed down violently. 

I fired the gun almost before I even fully turned around and clipped the creature on its shoulder causing it to hold it in pain.

I turned and hurried down into the basement closing the door behind me. Seconds later, I heard it get smashed through as well. 

I turned once I reached the bottom of the stairs and took a last-second shot as the creature came lunging down the stairs towards me.

Though the shot landed on its shoulder again it also swiped my abdomen with its claws as it came soaring down the staircase sending me flying back deeper into the basement as the monster landed on its side from the jump. 

The flashlight and gun went sliding across the floor away from me and I lay on the floor close to the wall with a sharp pain in the middle of my stomach.

I heard the creature walking in my direction but when I tried to get up the deep searing pain prevented me from moving. 

I touched my hand to the wound and realized my hand was covered quickly, I was badly cut, and even worse my old body was starting to give out from the high-paced action.

Never would I imagine my life ending on the floor of my basement at the hands of a mutated tall creature camouflaged as a watermelon. 

The thought of it almost sounded kinda silly which made me crack a slight smile, the creature stomped closer and closer as I stayed on my back. 

It's all fine I said to myself, the afterlife will be divine, with the lord I will dine, repent my sins, and regain my spine. 

It will all be fine… 

The creature stopped to look down at me who was its prey.

And in a fast motion, it opened its jaws and bared its long sharp teeth before chomping down.