Craaaacccck

The twig snapped underneath my feet. I’d been so careful. I had brush in one hand, sweeping in front of me. My soft leather padded shoes dug nicely into the dirt. I was careful to leave behind a trail of spices in various places to throw them off my scent. How could I have been so careless? A single twig, cracking beneath my dainty foot. 

Useless traveling the cities now due to the “human element” as I called it, I made my home on the outskirts. I lived in the wild. It felt better to me here. The beasts usually left me alone. I had my garden, a creek nearby for fish, and frequently a rabbit or two would come by and look. I’d capture them and eat them. I’d forage day to day when my protein source got low. Normally, I’d be met with rabbits, a fox or two, and maybe a wildcat. None of them bothered me.

But now they’d find me. For certain this time. I wasn’t defenceless. I had my bow, a pistol for good measure. I ran out of ammo for my rifle a long time ago. I heard the leaves move, rustling as if the wind picked it up. I drew my bow, aiming toward the sound. 

A baby deer. Just a little thing. It came up to me, I lowered my weapon. So small and fragile. It nuzzled me for a moment, curious as to what food I had. It was so small. Against logic and common sense I put a rope around its fragile neck and led it back to my cabin. I fed it, nurtured it. The dogs didn’t seem to mind. After all, this was just an overgrown puppy to them. 

Often, a lone camper would come upon my cabin, attempting to steal food. I’d fend them off. Man is a dangerous creature. With this new fawn, however, no one bothered us. We just existed. Months passed without incident,  but I knew his hunger was growing. I could see the sharp fangs emerge. He didn’t know how to hunt. And no one came looking for him. He never hurt us though.

The dogs and the fawn, who I named Arthur, god along well. I knew, however, I would need to teach Arti to hunt after  rabbit got into my garden. Faster than a blur, he swept through and grabbed it in his mouth. Stomping down on the rabbit’s head, he ripped bits of flesh off the creature and lapped the blood. It was only a matter of time.

I had a choice to make. Deer aren’t what they used to be.

So I put Arthur’s harness on. He seemed excited. The outskirts are good for easy hunting. The deer never bothered us. In fact, they followed us. As time passed, Arthur grew into a handsome buck. I never had the inkling to kill him. Strange for me, deer used to taste so good, but not anymore. As more of them gathered around the cabin, we began showing all of them how to hunt. All of the tricks I used to use against them, we used in hunting. Rabbits were easy. The deer loved rabbits t first, but grew tired of them quickly. So I had to make another decision. It should have been harder, but in all honesty it wasn’t. I just.... don’t care about it.  I put Arthur’s harness on, the deer following.

We were hunting something different this time. Normally I’d shoot fowl, a stray cow, goats, all escaped from farms and ranches --- just making their way on the outskirts. But we had to find something different... Normally I’d feel bad... but this time.... something just felt right.

Humans are vile creatures. They hunt until extinction, they habitually make waste. They don’t clean up, they don’t fend for themselves. Arthur knew after some time which ones would be easier to kill. The deer followed suit. The dogs and I were always left alone though. We were part of them. We helped. We raise them. We hunt with them now.

The outskirts are a strange place. They will change a person. Survival is key, and adaptation is part of it. We live, we love, and we become part of something more than we can ever imagine.

They call me Deer lord. At least, that’s the last thing they say before we shoot them.

“Oh, Dear lord!”.... I laugh, they tremble, and the deer stand behind me, their razor sharp teeth waiting to sear into flesh. I shoot them. We feast. We live.