The curse strikes

"Sarge!!!" Bigly screamed at the top of her lungs. The other woman was shook away by the yell and fumbled out of her hammock, running out of the barn.

"Private, what on..."

She stopped short when she saw the boy.

The ground shook benethe their feet.

"RUN!" A voice screamed. "RUN IF YOU DON'T WANT TO END UP LIKE ME!"

Sitwell looked at the house. John was standing by the door.

There was a massive screening sound from the top of the messa. Thunder rummbled around them, despite the night sky being crystal clear.

The earth shook again, and a narrow fissure opened between Bigly's legs. the ground moving caused her to fall, face first. A strange gas began to flow through the gap.

"Bigly!" Sitwell yelled as she ran over. She picked the other woman up...

Only to find she wasn't a woman anymore.

Her facial features had changed. Her breats were gone, and there was an obvious bulge in her trousers.

"What...? Bigly?" She asked "Bigly, speak to me."

"This is what happens..." John said as he walked over "He's like me now..."

"Like you... what do you... you mean?"

"Yes... I'm not Roger's brother... I'm... I was... his wife." He said "I was the forewoman in the mine..."

"But... how..."

"There are things in this world woman was never meant to know... or understand..." He said "We thought... because you were simply passing through... the spirt would spare you... now I see the rules are absolute no woman may set foot on Thunder Mesa..."