The hunted

word count 623



He looked at her with love in his eyes.  Her beautiful soft hair, her soft brown eyes and the tender way she had of looking at him.  He loved her so much.  He would never let harm come to her.  "Stop, don't make a sound.  They are here.  They know we are here too, they just don't know where,  Yet. "



Her beautiful brown eyes widened at his comments.  She stopped to listen intently.  She loved to watch him walk.  His graceful stride, his strong shoulders and long legs filled her with pride.  They looked good together and she knew it.  But now was not the time for romantic notions.  He was telling her their lives were in danger. 



"I can't believe they came here to kill us."  Her dark brown eyes widened with fear. Tears reflected on her thick dark eyelshes.  She shook her head as if trying to get hold of the idea.  "We haven't done anything to them, in fact we haven't harmed anyone.  We came here to live our lives in peace and raise a family." 



" Well, even if we haven't harmed anyone, these men are for with the express purpose of killing us and our family.

Come with me; but quietly, I'll prove it to you."



They moved quietly through the woods watching their steps.  Softly putting down their feet in order to avoid even breaking a twig.  The woods was quiet now.  The only sound an occasional rustle of leaves as the wind brushed along the path.  Everything seemed to be waiting.  The smell of autumn was in the air.  As they neared the campground, a radio broke the quiet.  Mens voices, shouting and laughing punctuated the radios sounds.



They crept even nearer to the cabins.  Two well-used pickup trucks were parked beside the last cabin.  They slipped in behind the cabin without a sound.  The closest pick up was covered with mud.  Empty beer cans were tossed carelessly in the back.  The shot gun racks across the back window were empty. 



She peered in the window of the cabin.  A man dressed in heavy jeans and a green sweatshirt sat at a wooden table cleaning a rifle. As he polished the rifle, he hummed a tuneless melody.  He reached for a bottle sitting on the table.  He removed the top and took a swig wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.  His dark beard still showed dribbles of moisture that his hand had missed. 



Further away three men sat near a campfire.  The radio continued to break the silence.  Football scores and plays competed with the beauty of nature for the men's attention. They each held an open beer bottle.  A six-pack sat at their feet.  "Ah, this is the life" said the

the older of the three.  His beard showed streaks of gray.  His face was lined with fine wrinkles. "No women, lots of beer, good company and my team is winning."  He smiled as he leaned back in his folding chair.  "I'm glad you came with us, Junior.  I guess we can teach you a few things while we're here, won't we Roy?" 



Junior, the youngest of the three, leaned forward.  His blue eyes cold with intent sparkled as he gazed at the older man. " Matt, I plan on getting that girl.  I saw her far off in the meadow when we came down from the ridge.  I figure she can't stay hidden forever.  Sooner or later she will get hungry.  I'll be here waiting."



The other men guffawed loudly.  "Well, Junior, you just keeping thinking like that.  We've got a lot of money riding on this kill.  What are you going to do if her old man is with her?  He is a willey one.  Strong too.  You are going to have to think carefully to outsmart him." 



"Yup, said the one they called Roy " He looks strong as a bull.  I thought we might sneek up on them while they are still sleeping.  Of course we have to find where that is."



"That can't be all that hard." said Junior "Dave said he knows they are hiding out there in the woods. He thinks there are at least four of them maybe more."



Her breath came in ragged gasps, as she struggled to regain her composure.  He nudged her shoulder softly and they began to slip back through the woods quietly.  They walked without sound knowing that their lives depended on it.  When they were deep within the woods she looked up at him.  "We have to warn the others.  My aunt and her little boy, my sister!  They are in danger.  We have to hurry " 



He urged her to move forward quietly.  "We will be safe tonight.  The're drinking and won't venture into the woods for fear of getting lost." 



Morning came too early for Junior.  His head felt like a Halloween pumpkin in November.  His mouth was dry, his tongue coated.  He staggered to the sink thinking a cool drink of water would help.  Then the retching started.  The other men roused from their sleep by his noise, burst in to laughter. "Welcome to adulthood"  said Roy.  "Look in the fridge.  I always find a little Soda helps me with the morning after"



The men struggled into their clothes.  Within minutes, coffee was perking.  Guns were at ready.  They had a hurried breakfast, eager to get on the trail before dawn.  They trudged out in the early morning light.  Junior lagging slightly behind  His face was still a odd shade of green.  He stopped along the trail twice to retch.  The men chided him in whispers.  "Do you want them to know you are coming?  What's wrong with?  You can't take it?"   



With each taunt, Junior pulled his shoulders up higher, determined to show them all.    Then ahead of him on the trail he saw a flash of movement.  "There" he whispered in a loud stage whisper.  "I see him.  Look by that stand of trees". 



"All right boy don't get your feathers in a bunch.  We see him.  He's all yours, boy. Get him and you will get the lions share of the prize."

Junior steadied his rifle.  A shot rang out in the woods.  Noises of small animals fleeing surrounded them.    They shouldered their guns and followed in fast pursuit.  Quiet and surprise was no longer the order of the day.  Just over the fallen log they spotted the trail of blood.  Slowly now quietly they moved through the woods.  There he lay breathing his last.  Junior edged in for the kill.  He walked slowly never taking his eyes off his prey.



"Way to go Junior.  We are going to call you dead-eye.' The men laughed.  They dragged his body out of the woods. In the clearing the men drew their knifes and carved him open.  They removed the organs and intestines placing them in a plastic trash bag.  Their forearms arms were blood soaked when they were done. Then tying a rope around his neck they hung him in a nearby tree.  The older man began to snap pictures with his camera. "Just a little proof for our prize. When they were finished, the men walked over to the outside pump and began scubbing the blood from their arms. 



The little herd of deer stood far away in the woods watching.  The tiny herd walked softly back toward the cover of the thick forest.

A beautiful doe watched sadly "Goodbye, my love" she sobbed  as her brown eyes filled with tears.