prey | petersironwood

Tags

books, family, fiction, hunting, karma, life, predator, prey, short story, stalking, story, truth, wilderness, writing

To avoid tipping off their prey, the father and son both seemed to know instinctively to mostly communicate via posture, glance, and gesture.

This enabled them to approach their prey without startling them, particularly because they lumbered along quietly and downwind. Though neither would have articulated this out loud in explicit words, they also experienced tighter bonding with this nonverbal method of coordination and the shared careful attention to detail.

The summer’s day began mild and cloudy. Locals often spoke of “May Gray” and “June Gloom.” True, days often began with the sun hiding behind a thick layer of clouds. Generally, however, the clouds completely dissipated well before noon. Today was no exception.

For most, the day itself caused feelings of excitement and anticipation. Hunting heightened those feelings. Every step required care. One broken twig, or a twisted limb on a loose rock could turn the tables. Prey could become predator. Pleasant enjoyment could easily morph into something far darker.

Ever so slowly, the pair drew nearer to their intended target—targets actually—there were two. The youngster had been taught well. He, like his dad, only moved when the wind blew.

The dad moved his head back and forth slightly to better gauge the distance to his primary target. An oddly bent scrub oak partially obscured his vision so he chanced the smallest possible lateral step.

SNAP!

Father’s mouth dried instantly as a rush of adrenaline flooded his body. Sometimes, a split second is all the time available to make a life or death decision.

Run? Attack? Hide?

The high-powered rifle flew to a well-practiced shoulder position. The firing pin hit the back of the cartridge which exploded the bullet into its thoughtless supersonic race. The race ended as the bullet smashed into a scrub oak trunk.

————

Afterwards, the father and son quickly shredded the clothing of their prey. They then dove immediately into the soft bellies and the intestines within. Papa Bear stared for a moment at the strange shiny stick that lay silent now but that had made such a loud pointless noise. Then he returned his glance to Baby Bear.

Baby Bear’s face was covered in blood, chyme, and the biggest grin Papa Bear had ever seen. For Papa Bear it was the best Father’s Day Hunt he had ever experienced.