The Cervos

Prologue

"Dad...Dad! Come on, hurry!" The girl screamed excitedly. "By the time we get there they'll be all gone!"

"Clarissa Jane, there's no need to rush, the deer will still be there." Her father said sternly, lifting her out of his truck. "Besides we have to wait for Charlie and his boy to get here."

As soon as the ten-year old's feet hit the ground she bounded to the bed of the truck to grab her new hunting rifle.

Charlie pulled up in his truck and helped his boy out before slapping a small rifle into his hands. "You ready to go, Rick?"

"Yeah, let me have a word with my daughter first. Y'all go on ahead and we'll catch up in a minute," he called over.

He knelt down next to the girl and placed his hands on her shoulders."When I was just about your age, my father took me hunting for the first time, too. I almost got my first doe that day, almost. I missed by a couple of feet," he laughed. "But don't let that discourage you. I'm sure you'll do great, Clare-bear."

"Alright Dad I got it. Let's go!" she screamed as she ran toward the forest.

Her father chuckled to himself as he ran after her into the woods.

Once they found a spot near Charlie to camp out, Clare's father started whispering to her. "Now you have to be silent so you don't scare away the deer. Understood?"

"Yeah I know," she whisper-screamed. 'This is going to be so much fun!' She thought to herself.

In order to keep herself busy, she stared at the way light shone through the leaves, making dappled patterns on the forest floor and turning her auburn hair a lighter shade of red.

About thirty minutes later, Clare's dad lightly nudged her and pointed out a tan form standing 20 something feet away. She stared at the doe and slowly raised her gun up to her shoulder and squinted down the sight at the unsuspecting creature. She placed her finger on the trigger and froze when it looked directly at her.

'I can't do it...' she thought to herself as she took her finger off the trigger.

A loud crack split the air, followed by a thunderous boom. She watched in horror as the doe flinched and collapsed from the impact of Charlie's shot. She ran over to the deer and knelt beside it as it's breathing became faint and it's brown eyes stared into Clare's green with a human-like sense. She started to cry as she ignored her father's call of warning and lifted the doe's head into her lap. The deer's eyes closed as it's body shuddered and then was still.

Her father grabbed her by the shoulders and jerked her up, pulling her back from the deer's body. "What has gotten in to you, Clare? You can't just-"

"You don't understand. It's dead, and it's all our fault." She mumbled as she wiped her tears. She paused when something glinting in the trees ahead. She glanced up and saw a fawn looking around, as if searching for something. It walked a few steps closer and froze as it sniffed the air. The fawns soft eyes were directed toward the body of what had probably been it's mother and it took a step back as if in shock. The fawn locked eyes with Clare. Green on green. It started walking closer but turned and bolted as Clare's father stepped on a stick, making a sharp snap.

Clare shuffled over to her father and buried her head in his chest. "I want to go home."

    On the ride home, Clare thought about the fawn. A deer with green eyes? Impossible. She never forgot those eyes.