Year One (2020)

February - Old Stories

(February 4th, 2020)

So the first one I guess, is the Deer. Or rather, not quite a deer. The first time I saw them I was in middle school- or maybe even the beginning of high school. They seem like a deer when you just glance, but another look reveals that something isn't right.

 I was waiting for the school bus one fall morning. The leaves had already fallen, and the dusty road was dry. Cars speeding by would kick up clouds that usually found their way to the driveway I was sitting in. I sat on a boulder, my back to the road, and to the woods on the other side of the road. Of course, I know that there's plenty of wildlife that live in the woods, but it's usually deer that tend to show themselves this early in the morning. You would be able to tell if it was something obviously dangerous by the noise it makes when walking, like how moose or bear sound almost like people shuffling among the leaves. It made a noise loud enough to be heard, but not enough to cause worry. I turned, and saw a figure in the woods across the road. From first glance, of course, it was a deer. I strained my eyes and realized what I was looking at.

 Not a deer. 

Something was just different about this deer. From their eyes, I saw a sort of intelligence even the wisest people couldn't hope to learn in just one lifetime. Were they even a deer? I was stuck staring at them, and I got the sense they were staring right back. It seemed like hours passed. Then they ran off long before I could really figure out what I was looking at. This time though, they were silent. No rustle of leaves. I watched for a while, but the bus came after a minute or two.

The Deer, or Not-Deer, isn't really any sort of aggressive creature. I think it was because they intruded on my space, as I was there first. I've heard stories of the Not-Deer around the Appalachian Mountains, and it would make sense since where I live is slightly east of the north part of the range. Though every story I've heard was something along the lines of "We were driving, and came upon a deer, but it wasn't a deer and we were scared so we fled". Of course The Deer was upset! Those folks intruded on their space. Respect is an important value to them, as it is to most everything that lives around here. The best thing to do is to leave well enough alone and find an alternate route. Or in the case there is none, apologize and explain your situation, I'm sure they will understand that you mean no disrespect. I have yet to determine if they even speak a language of this era, but I do get the sense they could have understood me if I spoke.

Perhaps I should try asking The Deer who lives in the woods across the street for their name. I don't exactly know how to approach or be approached without the air of intrusion. What do you guys think?