The Hunted

Chapter 1

Kneeling in the damp grass behind a bush, a girl covering herself with a heavy camouflage designed jacket, quickly and quietly knocked an arrow. Taking a deep breath in she raised her recurve bow, her gray eyes traced along the carbon fiber arrow reaching the metal tip lined with hooked barbs. Her eyes flicked up, looking at a large cow elk, who stood calmly roughly fifty yards away. The girl drew the arrow back, placing her thumb against her jaw, her chest stretching out. She took a deep breath, and held it for a moment, locking her eyes just behind the cows elbow and slightly up; aiming for the heart and lungs. Slowly she exhaled, releasing her fingers, the arrow launched forward, the fletching catching the girls cheek as it whistled past. Not even a half second after letting the arrow go, a shot rang out from the trees, the herd spooked, quickly springing off towards the tree line to her right. The girl watched as her arrow sank into the cows side just in front of her hip.

"Shit..." The girl seethed, dropping her bow and throwing her head back. She took a moment before rubbing her cold nose with the back of her hand. She took a breath, exhaling slowly, creating a cloud in front of her. Her eyes scanned the field debating on following the herd that was traveling quickly towards the bute to the north, or to go across the field and find the source of that shot. Before she could make up her mind, two men walked out of the tree line, armed with hunting rifles.
"Ughhhh, fuck me." She cursed quietly, standing, she swung her bow over her shoulder and walked across the field. Occasionally she lifted her head to the north and scanned the trees for any sign of the herd, but would be disappointed. She let out a heavy sigh, hauling herself up the hill, the dead grass crunching under her heavy boots. Reaching the top she looked around, adjusting her bow on her shoulder.

"Hey there sugar." A man greeted, walking out from behind a tree, holding his rifle in his hand. His friend walked out behind him, his rifle hung from a strap across his body.

"Hey guys, this is private land, you can't be here." She sighed, gesturing with her hand towards the left, back the way the men came.

"Oh come on, there's plenty of land here for the three of us." The second man pushed, his eyes narrowing as he stepped forward.

"Leave, or I'll call the Warden." She replied, stepping forward as well. Although she was noticeably shorter than the two, standing at 5'3", she wasn't worried, or at least she didn't show it.

"Ok ok, come on." The first man nodded, turning and walking past his friend, back into the trees. He stopped and turned back when his friend didn't follow, instead he stood staring the girl down.
"Dude, drop it." He pushed, hitting the back of his hand on the other man's arm. The second man hesitated for a moment longer before letting out a low annoyed growl and walking away. His friend walked slightly behind him, his hand on his shoulders, he glanced back occasionally with an apologetic look in his eyes.
The girl stood there for a few moments until she couldn't see the pair anymore, only then did she let out a heavy breath and drop her head down. Taking a moment to tuck her shirt back over the hand gun that was placed on her lower back that she had been slowly reaching for during the interaction. She looked across the field to the trees the herd had disappeared into, and past that at the bute. She knew that's where the herd would most likely stop to eat and sleep, but there was no way she would be able to reach it before nightfall on foot. Defeatedly she turned around and began walking into the trees, heading for home.

After a roughly half an hour hike through the trees, without any more run-in's with illegal hunters. She broke through the trees and stepped onto a gravel driveway, her heavy boots crunching on the rocks as she turned left and began walking down the road. It wasn't long before she saw a large log house sitting at the end of the gravel; two stories, with a large front deck, a bench swing hung on the right, stepping stones led around to the back where a hand built fire pit sat, surrounded by benches and chairs, around back was a large balcony with a spiral staircase that led down to the yard. She jogged up the steps onto the deck and swung open the front door, stepping in she set her bow and quiver against the wall to her right. She then shook off her jacket and hung it on one of the wooden pegs on the wall, she breathed in the scent of burning wood that wafted throughout the house. She rubbed her arms along the thermal shirt that covered her biceps, she walked further into the house. Leaning forward and peeking into the room on her left, a large dining table sat on an intricate rug, multiple elk and deer heads were mounted along the tall walls, even an occasional bear. She turned to the right next, where a curved couch hugged a natural wood coffee table, across from a flat screen tv, in the corner was a rounded fire place. In an old lazy boy chair was an older gentleman, staring down his nose through his rounded reading glasses at a weathered book.

"Hey dad." She smiled, walking into the room, making her way to the fireplace. Dropping to a knee, she held her hands to the flames. Looking over her right shoulder to the chair she gave a warm smile as her father looked up from the book.

"No luck Aaliyah?" He asked, his voice sounded raspy, like that of a smokers, and yet he had never smoked a cigarette in his life.

"Not yet, I'm going to head back out soon, maybe even call the Crew in. I think the herd is heading up to the Bute." She replied, rubbing her hands along her thighs before standing and moving towards her father. She placed her hand softly on his shoulder as she walked past him towards the library across the room; large floor to ceiling bookshelves, the ones with the built in ladders, covered the entire room, the entrance was an archway built into the shelves. She always loved sitting in the circular nest like sitting section in the center, which she filled with pillows and soft blankets, she drank in the smell of the wood and the books mixed with the burning wood of the fireplace. She turned left and stopped at a grand dark wood desk, with a laptop and various documents tossed about, she reached across the desk and grabbed a two week day and night pill container. Looking down at it, she headed back to the living room, looking up once she had walked back through the archway.

     "Have you taken your meds today?" Aaliyah asked, looking at the back of her dad's head.

     "I have no idea, honey." He replied, slowly standing up from his chair, clutching his cane for support. He tossed his book on the coffee table, folding his glasses on top of it. He turned and began making his way to Aaliyah. She walked forward to meet him, reaching out with one hand to help him balance himself.
     "Oh look at you, you need to stop worrying about me so much. You're starting to get lines!" He joked, rubbing his thumb along her cheek. Aaliyah smiled and leaned into his touch, her eyes tracing his face.

     "I worry because if I didn't you'd never take care of yourself." Aaliyah sighed, walking past him to set the pill container on the coffee table, she turned back around to see her dad tossing another log onto the fire.

     "Go back out and bring something back, the freezer is getting sad." He spoke, changing the subject. Aaliyah nodded, a slight look of defeat in her eyes, she knew from experience that once he changed the subject about something that there was no arguing it. She tucked a few loose platinum strands from her twin Dutch braids back behind her ear before taking a breath and glancing around, mentally taking note if she needed to do anything before leaving again. After clearing everything in her head she turned around, walking across the living room and back into the main hall. She paused at the entry to the hall and looked back.

     "I might be out past dark, don't wait up for me." Aaliyah called, looking down at the floor boards, awaiting a response.

     "Alright! Be safe!" He called back, followed by a few rough coughs that made Aaliyah wince.

     Aaliyah pulled her heavy coat back on, tossing her bow back over her shoulder and her quiver across her body. She hesitated for a moment, her hand resting on the doorknob, she glanced back, before opening the door. A rush of freezing air stung her face as she stepped out, swinging the door closed behind her.