Hunting the Wolf (An Original Story – Part 5)
Part Five
A large bald rock sits above the trail. Upon the rock stands a majestic wolf with a powerful tail.
Its paws are specked with red, dried blood. It stares at Jason, ears forward and tail lofted.
Jason fumbles with the rifle, gradually swinging it up. The wolf shows no response.
Jason feels his finger against the trigger, applying pressure, but no shot fires. He watches the wolf in the crosshairs, unable to shoot. “Why?” he demands with a mouth overcome with tremors.
The eagle calls out another cry, and Jason leaves the crosshairs for a moment to peer skyward. When he returns to the wolf, the creature is gone.
Jason lowers the rifle. He shuffles up towards the bald rock, ignoring the ankle, ignoring the rolling pebbles and icy snow threatening his footing.
The rock above is empty, save for a few patches of disturbed snow.
Jason moves toward the place where the wolf stood and sits, peering across the brush-filled gulley.
His mother’s voice calls to him, a hollow reminder of their last conversation, mere moments before his mother’s eyes dimmed.
“It’s okay, Son. It doesn’t hurt.”
Jason remembers the blood squirting in narrow darts across the snow. He had never known a wolf to attack anyone before. The wolf surprised his mother as she was delivering vegetable cuttings to the compost heap behind the barn.
“I’ll get them, Mom.”
“No,” his mother said in a quiet breath. “It wasn’t their fault.”
The memory fades, interrupted by a sound. Footsteps.
“Jason.”
He feels a hand upon his ankle. Standing in front of him is an older man in a long, black felt coat. His hair is obsidian with strands of gray.
Jason looks up at him. “Grandpa Owlfeather. How did you find me?”
Read the next chapter:
Part Six
Start at the beginning:
Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four
"Hunting the Wolf" is a 6-part speculative science fiction story about a young man enacting revenge on an alien planet. Who do we become when we fight our enemy? I welcome feedback on this story about Man vs. Nature. Stay tuned, as I also will be publishing my 300,000 word epic novel "The Messiah" on Steemit in 2017.
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Thank you all for your support and encouragement.
Image Credits: Clker-Free-Vector-Images | Comfreak | LoganArt | bykst
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This is brilliant. Sorry I'm a bit late for my vote to help, but I love it. Followed :).
Thanks! It was a pretty fun story to write!