The Hunter

The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window. The Hunter had not lived in that cabin for nearly ten years. He had hoped to never live there again, but he returned because the village was in danger and it was his duty to protect it.

“The Hunter has returned.” Whispered the relieved villagers who remembered.

“The Hunter has returned.” Fretted the villagers who did not.

Either way, the news of the Hunter spread quickly through the tiny village at the edge of the forest.

The attacks had started again. The pattern was the same as the last time. First, small animal carcasses started showing up, then larger animals like deer, elk, and even a bear, but it wasn’t until a young man was killed that the village leaders agreed to track the Hunter down and ask him to save their homes again. So, the Hunter returned. No one could tell if he was happy to be back or not, but most people felt safer with him around.

The Hunter was tall and broad shouldered. He kept his long, black hair tied back in a ponytail as he strode through the village confidently, like he owned it, nodding, and grunting at the people who greeted him. He was older now. His hair was graying at the temples, but his face was still unlined. The beginnings of a beard only emphasized his strong jaw. He had an air of danger about him. He was a man who had seen and done things that people in this sleepy little village couldn’t possibly fathom. The village girls fawned over him, and their younger siblings were fascinated because they had never seen anyone like him before.

“Stay away from the Hunter,” parents warned their daughters and children alike, causing the Hunter to become more appealing than ever.

The village children swarmed the Hunter from the moment he walked into the town square. They gathered around him and played in his enormous shadow. They begged for stories about his hunts and memorized every word so they could incorporate the tales into their games later. The Hunter was better with the children than the young ladies who vied for his attention or the older folk who looked at him like he was an evil omen. Children made him feel at ease with their innocence. The village children were intrigued by his tattoos and scars, they viewed his quiet demeaner as a part of the mystery they needed to unfold, but no child was more spellbound by the Hunter than Suzie.

At first, Suzie was shy around the Hunter, hanging on the edge of the noisy crowd that was her peers, hoping he would notice her. He didn’t. After a few days, Suzie took matters into her own hands. She went off into the woods in search of the Hunter’s cabin. When she finally got there, he wasn’t home. She waited for hours but he never showed.

Finally, a dejected Suzie decided to give up and go home. However, Suzie underestimated the amount of time she spent waiting at the Hunter’s cabin. The sun had already dipped below the tree line and the forest was draped in shadows. She hurried through the forest as the night creatures came alive. Owls started hooting and she could swear she heard wolves howling deep in the forest. Her eyes darted around wildly as her imagination played tricks on her.

Was that bush moving?

Were those glowing eyes?

Was she about to be pounced upon?

A rustling noise in the bushes next to her sent her running wildly and she screamed as she crashed into a solid figure. It was the Hunter.

“What are you doing out here by yourself?” The Hunter asked gruffly.

“Looking for you.” Suzie said, her voice small as she stared up at him.

“It’s dangerous to be alone in the woods.”

“I’m not scared,” Suzie protested, her voice wavering slightly

The Hunter hid his smile.

“I want to be a Hunter.” Suzie announced determinedly, putting her small fists on her waist.

“Why?”

“Because my dad was a Hunter and I want to be just like him.”

The Hunter assessed her quietly for a moment.

“Please?”

The Hunter sighed and nodded. Suzie jumped up and down unable to contain her joy.

Suzie’s training began the next day. She arrived early, listened to him attentively and was a fast learner. Over the next few weeks, she spent countless hours following him through the woods and learning how to hunt. He taught her to read animal prints, find trails, and how to set traps. The Hunter grew fond of Suzie and Suzie adored him like the father she never had. They were inseparable day after day. The more time Suzie spent in the forest, the more at home she felt. She became fearless in a place where most people in her village wouldn’t set foot. As a bonus, the village boys who bullied her before the Hunter came to town stopped and Suzie’s life was nearly perfect.

A month passed. The moon was full. The Hunter set his traps and sharpened his weapons. He sent Suzie home to her mother at night like he always did.

“Why do I have to go home every night?” Suzie grumbled. “It’s been ages, I'm practically a Hunter.”

The Hunter smiled.

“You have much to learn yet.”

“Please, just let me stay with you,” Suzie begged.

The Hunter made sure he walked her to the door that night. He didn’t want her getting any ideas.

The next day, the Hunter did not come to town and that night the candle in the window of the cabin remained unlit.

“Why didn't the Hunter come to town today? He's not at his cabin? Where did he go? Will he return? What happened last night? Did he vanquish the creature again? Are we safe again?” The questions burned through the village gossip lines like wildfire, but no one had an answer. Not even Suzie.

Several weeks passed with still no sign of the Hunter. Suzie had stopped going to his cabin and the village boys, sensing an opening, began to bully Suzie again.

“Hey Suzie! Do you know why the Hunter left town? It’s because you’re ugly and needy,” Sean, the ringleader, crowed in front of his cronies. “He got sick of you always following him around like a sad puppy that no one wants!”

The other children snickered.

“Shut up!” Suzie yelled, feeling her cheeks flush red. She fought against the tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

“Yeah, the Hunter left you just like your dad.”

“My father is dead, you idiot,” Suzie snapped.

“Anything to get away from you, ugly girl,” Sean sneered. His friends howled with laughter.

Suzie could only take so much. She ran away to nurse her hurt feelings.

+++

The thing about villages on the edge of the forest is that they lack modern conveniences like indoor plumbing so when Sean woke in the middle of the night, desperately needing to relieve himself, he had to make his way outside to the outhouse behind his family’s home. He stepped inside and had to go so badly that he didn’t even bother to close the door.

Sean groaned in relief as he stood there, the moonlight filtering into the stall. Abruptly he was plunged into pure darkness as a large shadow passed behind him, filling the opening.

Sean whipped around.

“Who-who’s there?” he called. Sean was the type of bully who wasn’t as brave without his posse.

A low growl made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He slammed the door closed and locked the door.

He could hear the chuffing and snorting of a very large animal just outside the building. Nails scraped against the side, then the back wall. Goosebumps rippled across Sean’s whole body as another long, low growl made the thin walls of the outhouse vibrate. Sean scrambled to stand up on top of the wooden seat trying to put more distance between him and the monster. He would gladly choke on the putrid fumes from the hole below if it meant staying alive. The animal stopped at the door, shoving it’s black, pointed nose underneath the crack. White puffs appeared from its nostrils as it exhaled sharply into the chilly night air. Sean shook from head to toe. There was nowhere to go.

After a few experimental sniffs, the animal withdrew, and the sounds of the hunt stopped. Maybe the animal couldn’t smell him among the foul odor of refuse. Perhaps it had moved on to easier prey. Sean refused to take any chances. He decided he would stay there the rest of the night. He huddled on top of the little wooden platform and watched the moon make its way across the sky, judging the time by the slant of the light through the crescent moon carved into the door.

Finally, Sean heard the birds waking up and insects stirring. It was still dark, but the moon had finally disappeared behind the treetops. Surely it was safe now. He hadn’t heard anything for hours.

Sean hadn’t slept a wink and all he could think about was his nice, warm bed. It was safe. It had to be. He quietly unlocked the door and stepped out. Sean glanced around; the coast was clear. He ran for the back door.

He almost made it. The wolf had been hiding in the shadows next to the house. It pounced on him when he was only a few steps away from safety. Sean didn’t even have time to scream before his throat was torn out. He fell to the floor half in shock, half dead. The beast flipped him over and began feasting on his entrails. When it was sated, the big, gray wolf curled up next to Sean’s dead body and took a nap.

+++

The first rays of sunlight fell on the little girl sleeping next to Sean’s body. Suzie woke up and stretched lazily before standing up. She was covered in Sean’s dried blood. Suzie stared down at the body waiting for the guilt that never came. She supposed she shouldn’t be surprised. She hadn’t felt bad when she killed the Hunter either but that was different. The Hunter had killed Suzie’s father all those years ago, because he had also been a wolf. She remembered the look on his face even though he never knew it was her. She had played her part to perfection. Yes, the Hunter’s death had been revenge. Sean’s death was simply justice. Sean had bullied her for most of her childhood. It was long past due that someone gave him a taste of his own medicine. Still, shouldn’t’ she feel something? Suzie gave up trying to figure out her moral compass and went down to the creek to wash the blood from her face and body before returning home.

Her mother was awake and waiting for her.

“Who was it this time?” she asked curiously.

“Sean,” Suzie replied.

Her mother nodded her approval.

“I never liked that boy. He was always very mean to you.” She smoothed the hair away from Suzie’s face and kissed her forehead. “Are you hungry?”

“Famished,” Suzie replied.

The candle in the Hunter’s cabin never burned again. It became apparent that he had lost his fight with the monster in the woods as the bodies began to pile up, month after month. The people began to leave, and the village became abandoned. Everyone left except Suzie and her mother. After all, they had nothing to fear from the monster in the woods.