short stories

Not a Deer

   Tw animal death and description of dead animals (a opossum and squirrel) and implied character injury/death.

     Once again, Ranger was stuck investigating a mysterious mutilation reported by a concerned hiker for the seventh time this week. This time it looked like someone put the poor opossum through barbed wire and then ran over it. Ranger started writing in their journal. Noting the large patch of disturbed snow. the claw marks and scrapes on the ground. Upon closer inspection it seemed that something did feed on it, eating only the innards and leaving the rest untouched. They didn’t have any predators that matched the marks or that would waste so much in the dead of winter.

Walking further down the path Ranger just needed to search  the clearing and they could head back. Ranger checked the various animals trails and foliage looking for any suspicious activity. they started walking back through the woods, snow crunching beneath their feet as they went.
 
A deer stood in the center of the clearing with its head down.  Ranger took out their notebook jotting down the condition of the animal and where it showed up. It didn’t seem startled by the appearance of a human; it didn't even look up. At its feet lay a very dead squirrel. It wasn't unheard of for deer to eat meat especially during winter when the main sources of proteins were gone. However, this deer didn’t seem to need the extra protein. It was well fed as if it was still spring; its antlers were even still covered in the red velvet fuzz. Ranger decided to check with the volunteer rehabbers to see if they had recently released a young buck or if it could be a released or escaped pet. If the latter, the deer would have to be caught and the proper authorities would need to be called. As Ranger was writing this all down the deer had gotten closer, probably just curious about them. As it stared at them head on, Ranger started getting nervous. Normal deer didn’t stare at you like; that prey animals in general didn’t stare at anything like that. The longer they watched it, the more wrong the deer looked. Its mouth was too long closer to a canine’s or even a reptile’s than a deer's. “It could just be sick,” Ranger reasoned, taking a step back as it slowly grew closer and closer. As Ranger tried to slowly back away the deer bared its teeth revealing sharp teeth and a secondary spider-like jaw. After a few choice words, Ranger finally found it in them to turn and run but the creature  had already set its sight on them and lunged forward. as Ranger hit the ground pain making them start black out. the last thought they managed as it all went dark was, “that's definitely Not a Deer.”

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