Here There Be Monsters (OLD VERSION)

Chapter 6: I Will Fear No Evil Part One

Chapter 6: I Will Fear No Evil Part One

Spring 1992

"You made sure to pack enough water, right?" His dad asked him, going down the checklist he'd prepared, glancing at it as he drove.

"Six gallons, just like you asked."

"Alright, that's the last thing, though if we forgot anything it'd be far too late to go get it now."

They were deep in the forest now, having disregarded every "no trespassing" sign they had encountered, and bolt-cutting any locked gates along the dirt road. As they drove further into the woods though the road became more and more difficult to follow until his dad abruptly stopped the truck and announced they'd gone far enough. The two hiking backpacks in the bed of the truck contained everything they would need for a short camping and hunting trip, he'd been told a maximum length of three days.

Hunting was an unfamiliar concept to him, in school he had of course learned about their ancient feral ancestors that they had evolved from. To actually hunt and kill them was as far as he knew, an illegal practice, and it left a sour taste in his mouth. And though his dad pretended that the trespassing signs and bolt cutting were just "bending the rules" and it was "perfectly fine", he knew perfectly well that they were far away from any place they should be. Naturally, he didn't say any of this to his father though, as once his mind was set on doing something, it would happen whether he would have to go through Eli or not.

And so they began walking, further into the untamed forest, progress being slow as his dad wanted to make sure they didn't get lost. This continued for several hours until in the distance his dad spotted a feral deer. Silently stopping, he took aim with the rifle he was carrying, Eli holding his breath as he watched his dad's finger slowly tighten on the trigger. He focused so intently on his dad's actions that he forgot to cover his ears and when the shot rang out in the forest, a flock of crows outlined against the fading sunlight as they took off, his ears rang intensely for a few seconds. The shot missed the head by a few inches and the deer took off, disappearing within moments behind natural cover.

After the ringing faded he turned to his father who had a far-off look in his eyes as he stared at where the deer had been.

"You'll get the next one I'm sure."

He nodded as Eli walked several paces ahead, trying to spot where the deer had gone. It was the first time he had seen one besides pictures in class and he didn't want to miss the opportunity if he could catch a glimpse of it.

"It's gone, do you think we'll see another one?" He asked, turning to his father. He saw his dad's rifle, saw into the black hole that was the barrel, and it finally clicked that he was pointing the rifle at Eli. The birds chirping in the distance, the foliage crunching beneath his feet, the breeze softly swaying the surrounding pine trees, it all faded away as he stared down the barrel. As they stood there, what was only a few moments felt as if he had always been there, every moment up until now building up to this point in time. There it was again, that missing piece that had disappeared after his mother's death. Back then it was pain and loss that should've been gripping his soul. Now it was supposed to be the grip of fear. And like it was then, the grip never came. And so he stood there, glared down the barrel into his father's eyes, the moment seeming to never end.

He could see something change in his father's eyes, and the barrel fell away, pointing back down at the ground. A moment later he smiled.

"It was just a joke, lighten up. We'll hunt again tomorrow, for now, we camp here though." And without another word, he walked away.

Eli didn't believe the lie for a second. Had things gone a slightly different way he knew he wouldn't be here to have that thought. But the reason for his dad's sudden loss of control? He didn't have any idea. What he knew to be true for himself though is that he never wanted to end up in a defenseless situation like that again, especially with someone like his father. No more freezing up and losing all control of his senses, never again. Next time, if there was a next time, he might not be so lucky and he knew that for him to survive would be entirely determined by his actions. Seeing life in a new light, he followed his father back to their makeshift camp.