The Pursuit: by adam schultz
We stepped into the clearing. That is where the blood trail had led us. The four of us had our safeties on and our rifle barrels pointed into the sky. The grass was up to our knees and we brushed through it carelessly. It did not matter, nature was our domain, and we were its masters. The trees groaned as the cold wind cut a path through them. Leaves fluttered to the ground and fell soundlessly on the ground and on us. We casually brushed them off and continued to search for the wounded buck. I looked over to my dad, who bent down and looked at the blades of grass for any trace of blood.
“Do you see anything, dad?” I said softly. He shook his head and stood back up. We all stopped and spun in place to see if we could spot any sign of the buck at all. It was nearing sunset and as the dying light filtered through the leaves, it was hard to make out anything but branches. We examined and dismissed any movement we saw.
“We lost him.” My brother-in-law, Chad, said. He squatted and rested his gun on his knees. He took off his hat and wiped his forehead in disappointment. “He was big, too.” Chad looked over at his son, Jake, who was itching a poison ivy rash he acquired earlier in the day. “It’s going to bleed if you keep itching that.” Jake rolled his eyes and stopped itching. My dad walked over to the tree line to our right and stopped at the edge peering in as if he was looking through a foggy window.
“Let’s go back to the cabin.” I said. “We aren’t going to find him. It’s too dark and it’s too late.”
“You want to quit?” Dad said, turning quickly. The look on his face was calm but suggested frustration. There was a slight furrow to his brow and he didn’t blink. He walked into the forest. Chad smirked, stood up, and began following my dad. He motioned Jake to follow them. Jake groaned and itched at his ivy rash. The three of them disappeared into the trees and became shadows and snapping twigs.
I stood there alone. Leaves drifted slowly around me, swirling in the wind. I looked right, left, and then back towards the cabin. I was too far away to see it but I knew it was there and I knew it would be warm. I could start a fire, make dinner, read a book, and go to bed. I would be content to stay in the cabin for the rest of the trip. I wanted to go back to the cabin. But, I had the maps. They might get lost if I left them. I needed to go with them.
Then, I realized that I had lost sight of them. I couldn’t hear their steps anymore. I strained to listen. Silence. I squinted into the trees to see any movement. All I saw was leaves falling and the gentle sway of the trees in the wind. I began to walk in the direction that they had gone. I hoped that eventually I would be able to hear them again. They couldn’t have gone far.
I stomped through the brush as loudly as I could hoping to get their attention. I yelled out for them but I didn’t receive any answers. The sun was dipping below the horizon now and it was beginning to get cloudy. I imagined them lost, sitting in a cave somewhere calling out but no one hearing them. Jake itching his severe poison ivy rash blood running down his arm. Chad trying to make him stop itching while attending to dad, who has a bad heart and would be without his medicine in this stressful situation. Chad and Jake would most likely survive, but I don’t know about my dad. If they got lost I would be surprised if he survived until help arrived.
I began to run and yell even louder. I heard a groan to my left. I stopped and yelled again. The wind howled and the groan drifted to me again. I ran in the direction of the sound. The groan always seemed distant somehow, as if I was never going to reach it. The cold air stung my lungs as I heaved and ran faster. I kept yelling, and I kept thinking I heard a reply but in from a different direction. I assumed it was an echo. I was terrified that this groan was coming from my dad. I thought maybe dad had fallen and Chad took Jake to get help. “Someone should have stayed with him.” I muttered. It was louder now. I ran through a thicket of bushes and on the other side there he lay.
It was the buck, blood trickling from the wound in his side. I stood above the beast, amazed at how helpless even the most powerful can be sometimes. I yelled that I found the buck. Nothing but the wind and the shutter of the trees. That is when the first raindrop fell.
We stepped into the clearing. That is where the blood trail had led us. The four of us had our safeties on and our rifle barrels pointed into the sky. The grass was up to our knees and we brushed through it carelessly. It did not matter, nature was our domain, and we were its masters. The trees groaned as the cold wind cut a path through them. Leaves fluttered to the ground and fell soundlessly on the ground and on us. We casually brushed them off and continued to search for the wounded buck. I looked over to my dad, who bent down and looked at the blades of grass for any trace of blood.
“Do you see anything, dad?” I said softly. He shook his head and stood back up. We all stopped and spun in place to see if we could spot any sign of the buck at all. It was nearing sunset and as the dying light filtered through the leaves, it was hard to make out anything but branches. We examined and dismissed any movement we saw.
“We lost him.” My brother-in-law, Chad, said. He squatted and rested his gun on his knees. He took off his hat and wiped his forehead in disappointment. “He was big, too.” Chad looked over at his son, Jake, who was itching a poison ivy rash he acquired earlier in the day. “It’s going to bleed if you keep itching that.” Jake rolled his eyes and stopped itching. My dad walked over to the tree line to our right and stopped at the edge peering in as if he was looking through a foggy window.
“Let’s go back to the cabin.” I said. “We aren’t going to find him. It’s too dark and it’s too late.”
“You want to quit?” Dad said, turning quickly. The look on his face was calm but suggested frustration. There was a slight furrow to his brow and he didn’t blink. He walked into the forest. Chad smirked, stood up, and began following my dad. He motioned Jake to follow them. Jake groaned and itched at his ivy rash. The three of them disappeared into the trees and became shadows and snapping twigs.
I stood there alone. Leaves drifted slowly around me, swirling in the wind. I looked right, left, and then back towards the cabin. I was too far away to see it but I knew it was there and I knew it would be warm. I could start a fire, make dinner, read a book, and go to bed. I would be content to stay in the cabin for the rest of the trip. I wanted to go back to the cabin. But, I had the maps. They might get lost if I left them. I needed to go with them.
Then, I realized that I had lost sight of them. I couldn’t hear their steps anymore. I strained to listen. Silence. I squinted into the trees to see any movement. All I saw was leaves falling and the gentle sway of the trees in the wind. I began to walk in the direction that they had gone. I hoped that eventually I would be able to hear them again. They couldn’t have gone far.
I stomped through the brush as loudly as I could hoping to get their attention. I yelled out for them but I didn’t receive any answers. The sun was dipping below the horizon now and it was beginning to get cloudy. I imagined them lost, sitting in a cave somewhere calling out but no one hearing them. Jake itching his severe poison ivy rash blood running down his arm. Chad trying to make him stop itching while attending to dad, who has a bad heart and would be without his medicine in this stressful situation. Chad and Jake would most likely survive, but I don’t know about my dad. If they got lost I would be surprised if he survived until help arrived.
I began to run and yell even louder. I heard a groan to my left. I stopped and yelled again. The wind howled and the groan drifted to me again. I ran in the direction of the sound. The groan always seemed distant somehow, as if I was never going to reach it. The cold air stung my lungs as I heaved and ran faster. I kept yelling, and I kept thinking I heard a reply but in from a different direction. I assumed it was an echo. I was terrified that this groan was coming from my dad. I thought maybe dad had fallen and Chad took Jake to get help. “Someone should have stayed with him.” I muttered. It was louder now. I ran through a thicket of bushes and on the other side there he lay.
It was the buck, blood trickling from the wound in his side. I stood above the beast, amazed at how helpless even the most powerful can be sometimes. I yelled that I found the buck. Nothing but the wind and the shutter of the trees. That is when the first raindrop fell.
1 comment:
bewitching...bitchin'
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