The sky was barely lit to the west, and Jay drove the Navajo tribal police patrol car at a modest 40 miles per hour. He had just started his morning shift and was groggy. He wished he could stop for coffee. But the bad water trading post, the nearest one, was 35 miles away, and to far out of the way for him to go. There was simply no reason to. The trading post wouldn't be open at this ungodly hour anyway. It had been four weeks and still jay had not gotten used to getting up this early. He like his old shift. He had done nothing that was listed in the complaint. It was slander. But the captain believed the old man and now jay had to pay the price. He didn't like to think of it, so he didn't. He rolled the window down in the early august morning. Why did I have to get stuck with the one patrol car that has no AC? He thought. His mind once again changed the subject. He looked around and noticed there was a breeze. The sagebrush and desert grasses waved in the early morning light as a coyote yelped for the last time off in the distance. A few dry leaves fell off a juniper to his right.
The middle of no where, he thought again, why do we even patrol here? No one lives here. Then the radio crackled. It was the dispatcher saying there was a report of something, the radio faded out, static, and then the location. It was a wash, one with no name that jay could remember, just north of where he was. But no road there. He’d have to walk in. His mind was mostly elsewhere; not thinking of the obvious question in the back of his mind, how someone knew of whatever was going on down there. Or maybe he was ignoring it. He perked the truck and got out. The dry air hit him hard. He started walking with the sun rising now, just visible over the mountains. He thought he could make out the wash but he couldn't be sure. Another question entered his mind. What was going on? His curiosity was not abnormal. Everyone at the Navajo tribal police new of it. But it had no affect on captain Belay’s decision, not that he thought it would.
He could clearly see the wash now. He looked for a way down, but couldn't see one in the light, the lack of really. Once again his mind questioned but with no answers. Something rustled in the nearby brush. He tensed his hand on the butte of his pistol. A snake slithered out. He wiped the snakes tracks away with his foot; a Navajo tradition. He continued on, still tense. He could now see a way down, but it looked tough, still not aided but the light. As he got to the rim he looked down to see that what little sunlight there was had not yet reached the wash. He could see nothing and no reason to be here but wanted to keep his job so he continued his search for an easier way down. After 12 minutes he found one and started his descent. No sooner did he find the ground did he find a sudden feeling of uneasiness and chills went up his spine, he didn't like this at all. He heard a coyote yelp off in the distance, guess it wasn't the last time, he said to himself under his breath.
He studied the walls of the wash as the morning sun began to light it. There were dozens of small paths heading down. The left was all smooth sandstone, adorned with what appeared to be Anasazi petroglyphs. To the right the jagged walls provided many a foothold for the ancient people to have built there hoes in the side of the cliffs. A shallow cave towards the bottom seemed to be the perfect place. Jay was snapped out this sort of observational trance by yet another coyote yelp, this on closer, at the end of the wash. The uneasiness swept over him again, and so did his curiosity. He hadn't noticed his walking; he stopped and listened. Why had he been called here? Suddenly thunder from the bushes startled him, without thinking he whipped out his pistol and snap aimed, at a rabbit? He hadn’t realized how nervous he was. He continued to walk, paying close attention this time. He walked another hundred yards and stopped. Had he heard something? He wasn't sure. He walked another 15 feet trying to remain calm, but it wasn't working, his mind was racing. He started walking against the wall again. He got to a large petroglyph, it was kokepeli or water sprinkler, he was in the normal hunched stance, playing his flute, yet something about it was different. He couldn't quite think of it. Then he almost tripped over it. It was a pot, an Anasazi pot, but it had been recently used. He stooped down and examined the pot. There was something in it. It was blood. Fresh. He looked around. His heart pounding. He thought he heard something again. His hand was on his pistol. Jay noticed something near a bush, in the morning light he saw a foot. He backed away, afraid of the corpse sickness, afraid of the death. Some pebbles his hit shoulder. He searched frantically in the dim red light, he saw nothing. He heard something, yes he deffinantly heard something this time. Was that something? What did he see? It was just a flash, but it was something. Wasn’t it? There was no use in hiding his fear now, he started to run, but he tripped, he looked up, thought he saw something, but wasn't sure. He heard a whistle, the kind caused by something flying through the air very fast, very silent, than felt pain. Excruciating pain. Then nothing. Every thing went blank. He saw, heard and felt nothing. He just lay there. Laid there and died. Sergeant Jay Cantez; born to the towering house clan and the where the streams come together clan was dead. And no one new.

That's good......but I'm left hanging, could have used a stronger ending/closing. Although the grammar and spelling could use improvement, I was still able to clearly read and understand the story line. All in all ... I liked it ... you have talent and great potential as a storyteller and writer.

yeah, i went to this reginal thing for a story i wrote and a bunch of other competitions. its not my best and i no about the spelling and stuff, when i am on the computer i tend not to care about that as much. but thanks alot!!! and i ment for the endind ot be that way, ow well

there, i fixed all the grammar and spelling, happy

i said enjoy, why don't you read this? its good. mabye better tan some of the other ones, what wrong with this? whats so good abput haikus and not this? HUH?

HELLOOOOOO? whats wrong with this? its good. i used it as an assignment and got 100%! IS...ANYONE...THERE???

sould i change the name? i think thats the problam. i am just talking to keep this at the top of the list. oh well

Its very interesting, it could have used more of a climax... it is definitly a cliff hanger! Good job... there could be some tweaks here and there, but still, well done.

thanks, i know it does, like the fact i put the sun rising in the west. that sure was smart