Deer in the Headlights

Chapter 4

The trees waved softly, invitingly to me in the breeze as I drew deeper into the forest. The late morning was cloudy and overcast, but occasionally the sun peeked through like a lantern that brightened and dimmed. I was careful and quiet at first, but as minutes turned to hours and the breeze built up to a steady wind, I became impatient. The air smelled of rain, and a storm was brewing. Uncertain of what was ahead due to thick undergrowth, I scrambled up a slippery, leaf covered hill to gather a better sense of my surroundings.

When I reached the top, a gust of wind caught my body and almost made me stagger backward. Now the clouds were completely obscuring the sun, throwing the forest into an eerie darkness for this time of day. I scanned the brush uneasily. Part of me that feared the bad weather was beginning to want to go back home, but I didn't want to leave without finishing what I started. Excitement bubbled up again at the mere thought.

A sudden rustle behind me made me whip around, gun raised and heart pounding. All the blood seemed to freeze in my veins as I prepared for what could be arriving. Then I relaxed as Ruger's slender nose sniffed its way into view, and, upon catching sight of me, he bounded over happily. I knelt to pet him, half annoyed that he had somehow followed me and half relieved that I was no longer alone. At least now I knew the way back home.

As I stroked his sandy-colored neck fur, I felt my mind relax. I began to ponder my recent actions. It was almost as if I had been possessed...what had I been thinking, running out here with no plan? Now that I had the opportunity, I should probably go back to the house, put the gun back as I had found it, and wait for the storm to pass. But what if that just gives the deer another opportunity to cause an accident?

My thoughts wavered as nothing but a roll of thunder answered my question. Just then, the hair on the back of my neck began to tingle. I stiffened. My thoughts were becoming muddled again, and trying to reach clarity was like wading through a thick fog. I pressed my hands against my forehead.

Suddenly, images began to flip through my mind like flashbacks that I'd never experienced, accompanied by feelings that certainly weren't my own. Hot pavement underneath me. Brakes squealing. Burnt rubber. Bent frames. Broken bodies. Blood. Hatred. Vengeance. Satisfaction.

I screamed as faces seared into my mind, staring, pale faces of the dead and mutilated. Ruger barked and pawed at me as I clawed at my own face, trying to stop the onslaught.
Then as quickly as it had come, it was gone. All was quiet. The only thing left of the experience was my thudding heart. I took a deep breath, feeling so relieved at the cessation that I barely wondered about its cause.

Then there was another rustle.

Straight ahead of me, not ten yards away was the spike. We locked eyes, mine glowing with understanding and new determination, his with silent laughter. Beside me, Ruger growled and took a pace forward. The deer shifted his gaze to my dog, and my determination melted to horror as Ruger stopped growling. He looked at me almost apologetically, then turned and left the way he had come. My lips parted in a silent gasp of betrayal and confusion, then snapped shut as a frosty sensation filled my mind.

"Do you miss your brother?" The deer's silky voice taunted in my mind. Whatever was left of my resolution disintegrated in that instant to complete panic. I lunged forward to grab the shotgun that I had dropped earlier during the flashbacks, but my fingers wouldn't respond properly in my utter terror. I fumbled around, choking back a scream; then suddenly I couldn't move.

My vision went black for what seemed like an eternity, and only the sound of my pulsing heart let me know I was still alive. A single image burned through the darkness into my mind: a young stag, walking away from a prone figure, thick blood dripping from his single antler. Then I was jolted back to reality. Just in time to see the buck charge.