by Mac Flynn
Chapter 4
We arrived at the wilderness above the road and inspected our chore. The forest occupied a gentle incline that led to the peak of a tall mountain high above us. The brush and trees were thick, but as Will had said there were a half dozen trails leading through the trees. They zigged and zagged in and out of one another, and were wide enough for two people to walk abreast.
I glanced at the map in his hand. "So where do we start?" I asked him.
Will smiled and pointed at the farthest trail to our left. "The best place is at the beginning, and for us that would be the lower left corner of the area. Twenty yards from the farthest left trail will do for that. Place a flag on the corner where the wild touches the road and that will be our beginning."
I walked over to the point and planted a flag firmly in the ground. "How's that?" I asked him.
"Perfect," he complimented.
I glanced down at the large bundle in my hands and sighed. "One down, another one hundred to go."
"And a hill to climb," he added.
"We could trade places. I could be the map and you could be the planter," I suggested.
He laughed and shook his head. "No. I know what lies in the brush waiting for unsuspecting flag planters."
I frowned. Horrible images of being dragged beneath the broad green leaves of the undergrowth flashed through my mind. "What lies beneath the brush?" I asked him.
"Poison ivy, for instance," he told me.
I rolled my eyes. "I think I can handle some itching."
"And wild beasts," he added.
"You told me there weren't any wolves around here," I reminded him.
"There have always been more than wolves in the area," he countered.
"Like the trophies on my cabin walls?" I guessed.
"That depends on what Mr. Trimble has bagged," Will returned.
"A mountain lion here, a moose there," I told him.
"Those can be found around the lake, but I don't think you'll be much bothered by the moose unless you're holding chocolate and a fork," he teased.
I grinned. "I'll be careful not to put chocolate mousse on my dessert list while I'm here, but shouldn't we be planting flags instead of teasing me with delicious food?"
"My apologies. Let's ford the weeds and brush, and come back from the chore victorious," he agreed.
I laughed. "Lead onward, my white knight," I invited him.
Will bowed and led me straight up the slope from our initial flag point. I planted the red flags at fifteen yard intervals and took those breaks to catch my breath. The slope was kind, but not the altitude. I gasped for breath, and he was kind enough to wait for me.
"I could finish the chore if you're tired," he offered.
I was bent over at the time, and glared up at him. He hadn't broken a sweat and his breathing was calm. "I'm. . .I'm fine. Just give me a minute or ten to catch my breath," I wheezed.
Will turned his eyes up the slope and frowned. "Perhaps it would be best if you went down. The brush only gets thicker until we hit the old logging road."
"Old logging road?" I asked him.
"Yes. A century ago most of this area was logged. They left a few of the older trees to repopulate, and all that remains of the destruction are a few rotten stumps in the woods and the logging road near the top. The trees never grew there because the rocks are too thick and the soil too thin for even pine trees."
"I'd. . .I'd like to see the road," I proposed.
"For another time. The flags don't need to be placed that high," he told me.
Will led the way up the slope and we finally stopped a hundred and fifty yards from the road. The cabins were just flickers of color through the trees. We were surrounded by the eerie sounds of wilderness. Small, unseen birds flitting beneath the brush, twigs cracking beneath the feet of unknown hooves, and the groans of the trees as the wind blew through their canopies. I shuddered and wrapped my arms around myself. Suddenly it felt very cold.
"We'll turn here," Will suggested.
"But we're fifty yards short of the map," I pointed out.
"I'm sure Olivia won't mind," he countered.
I frowned and straightened myself. "But I do. She wanted us to follow the map, and we'll follow the map," I insisted.
Will sighed, but nodded. "Very well." He reluctantly guided me further up the hill and we struggled through the bushes.
My foot caught one of the treacherous roots and I yelped as I fell. Fortunately, I caught myself with my hands and they sank into the wet, rotten ground. The flags scattered on the ground and my pants were sullied by the mud. I lifted my head and could see beneath the bushes that hovered over me. My eyes widened when I beheld the face of a dead animal not more than a foot from me. Its body was ripped to shreds and there was blood all over the ground. My hands were covered in it. I gasped and scrambled backward.
Will helped me up and I clung to his shirt. "S-something's there!" I squeaked.
He frowned and looked past me. The color drained from his face and his lips pursed together. "It's a deer," he told me.
"Something decided to turn it into spaghetti," I commented.
Will took out a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to me. "Here, use this."
That's when I noticed my clinging, bloody hands had covered his nice shirt in blood. "I'm so sorry!" I yelped. I released him and gladly accepted his cloth offer. "I-I guess it just shocked me."
"It isn't a pleasant sight," he agreed.
I risked a glance at the animal and my face blanched when I saw the carnage covered a six-foot square area. "What could have done this?" I whispered.
"A mountain lion. There are a few of them up here," he suggested.
"And just left it like this?" I pointed out.
"It looks like a fresh kill, we should leave before it decides to come back," he suggested.
"Gladly," I replied.
Will snatched the flags from near the dead deer and we hurried down the hill twenty yards. He picked up all the flags along the way. "We don't want anyone going that high up and seeing that," he explained.
"Good idea," I readily agreed.
I was unusually quiet as we continued with our work and walked across the hill. Will managed all the chore and I trailed behind him with my thoughts on that poor creature. Those terrible empty eyes and all that blood. I shuddered and wrapped my arms around myself. Whatever killed it didn't have any mercy.
Will stopped and turned to look at me. "You should go back to the cabins," he suggested.
"I'll be fine. The farther away we get from that thing the better I feel," I insisted.
He smiled and his shining eyes told me he admired my pluck. "Very well."
I followed him to the corner, and we made our way down the slope. By the time we emerged onto the road I resembled a porcupine with bush thorns and pine needles. My blood-soaked pants acted like a tar pit for dead leaves and twigs. I brushed my pants and shuddered when my hands touched the sticky blood.
"I think I've had enough adventure for one day," I quipped.
"Did you want any help back to your cabin?" Will asked me.
I glanced at my cabin twenty yards away, then back at him. "I think I can manage, but you might want to tell Olivia about that deer. She's appreciate that surprise as much as I did, and they might be able to move it or something before the Hunt," I suggested.
"I'm sure Mother Nature will handle the moving, but I will tell her about it," he agreed.
"All right. Now if you'll excuse me I have to go rub my skin off." I walked stiffly to my cabin and left my muddy boots on the porch. Once inside, and with the curtains in the living and dining rooms closed, I stripped and took a nice, hot shower. It washed away my worries and that blood, and when I emerged I was a different woman. Clean.
By that time it was lunch, so I snacked on some chips I brought and took a cool drink onto the back porch to admire the view. The porc
h had a railing with slats placed close together, and I walked over and leaned against the railing. The sun shone brightly on the lake and the banks of the lake were alive with families, lovers, and dogs. Lots of dogs. They splashed into the water and fetched sticks, chased ducks, and barked. It was noisy, but the soft noise of happiness. I sat down in an old wicker chair on the porch and sighed.
"I'm glad to hear you're feeling better," a voice commented. I whipped my head to the right to see Will walk toward me. His feet hardly made a sound on the wood planks that made up the porch.
"Are you sure you're not a ghost?" I asked him.
He took a seat in the wicker chair near me and smiled. "I have been told I'm very quiet."
"Like something supernatural," I returned.
The smile slipped from his lips and he glanced out on the water. "I informed Olivia about your find. She agreed that the animal should remain there for other predators to find it. It should be gone by the day after tomorrow when the Hunt happens."
I leaned back and furrowed my brow. "You know, it looked a lot like a cow I saw when I drove up here yesterday," I mused.
He turned to me and raised an eyebrow. "A cow?"
I nodded. "Yes. When I drove up yesterday I saw some men gathered around the tailgate a truck looking at a dead cow. It looked a lot like the deer, or what remained of it did."
Will furrowed his brow. "It could merely mean we have a pack of coyotes. Some years they are very thick," he commented.
"But if it was a pack wouldn't they be taking the food with them, or at least eating most of it?" I pointed out.
Will stiffly rose and glanced at his watch. "I'm at a loss to explain it, but if you'll excuse me I have a phone appointment to keep." He bowed his head and hurried off, leaving me with the feeling that I'd said something wrong.