The Perils of Hunting.

Written for the Mackenzie Davis Ekphrastic Prompt. The randomly chosen image above is the challenge. Write a micro/sudden fiction based on the image. Word limit 750. Credit goes to Hannah Moore for providing the image. Thank you, Hannah! Additional details can be found here.

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Each year, the dampness of late spring brings to life, a delicacy. Hidden among thin layers of leaves which once belonged to the towering oaks is where the delicious morel sprouts again. Much easier to find than truffles, yet still required rigorous eyes.

Each year I mapped a new location to search for that gold mine. One that would yield droves of the inconspicuous mushrooms. Nature’s savory gift can also fetch a hefty penny at twenty-two dollars a pound.

*

Homer lake was tucked away in a quaint town, a mere eight miles from the bustling city. Once I arrived, a ten-minute hike was the only thing between me and the hunt for organic treasure. I always go alone as this niche hobby of mine didn't excite friends or family.

Once I made it passed the glimmering lake and entered the forest, I could clearly smell the remnants of petrichor, a scent held by thriving moss. The conditions were perfect.

Walking forward a few dozen feet, I noticed cryptic symbols carved in the trees. Judging by the amount of healing the trees had done, these designs were fairly old. Their precision reminded me of crop circles. A brief moment of dread climbed my spine until I surmised that they must have been etched by an eclectic artist.

*

The first few morels were revealed within five minutes of crawling on my knees. They were clinging to the base of a birch tree. The next tree yielded a couple more. At that rate, my backpack would be filled within an hour; It was promising. Upon the third or fourth tree, I stuck my hands in a pile of leaves to move them and felt a sudden pinch on my right index finger. I thought I may have jammed it into a hidden branch wedged in the dirt. But as I recoiled a millisecond later, a small yellow snake clung to my finger. Its fangs vanished into the flesh. I wasn't afraid of snakes; however, this was a surprise I didn't see coming. I instinctively thrashed my hand back and forth, detaching it. It flew six feet away and slithered back to its home underneath the leaves. Blood began to pool from the puncture wounds as I released foul words into the wind. Shockwaves of pain traveled through my hand to my wrist. I wonder if that snake was poisonous, was my next thought. I quickly dropped the bandage and thought about lessons learned as a boy scout. It was too late; the venom was circulating. The earth began to vibrate and spin, hot flashes soon entered the equation. I made it to a sturdy tree just in time before succumbing to the paralyzing affects. Sitting with my back against the tree, I lost all strength and couldn't retrieve my phone. I was on a slow road to death.

*

In the blurry haze, I saw what looked like a young girl walking towards me. It was a girl. Her hair reached her waist. She looked exactly like my deceased sister, Linda. It was Linda! I was dead and witnessing my first angelic visitor. But all she did was stand there and stare at me. Her face never deviated from a curious look.

Suddenly, her eyes flashed a deep shade of orange. Her fingernails turned black and began to lengthen. Panic was not something I could express at the time. In my mind though, I was going crazy. Her attention was then called elsewhere. She quickly looked to her right then fled the scene deep into the forest. The fluttering heartbeat in my chest told me I was still alive.

"Boy! Looks like you done got yourself bitten. You’re lucky I saw your car and came looking to see who was trespassing. The lake is closed on holidays, you know." A park ranger said as he pulled out a syringe filled with snake-bite serum.

"You don't want to be out here past sundown. This area is known to harbor shifters... so they say. I've never seen one myself, but the crazy stories I've heard will have you questioning your sanity."

I slowly began to recover. As soon as my muscles functioned again, my anxiety was set free, I blurted.

"I SAW ONE!"

He shook his head knowing I was on a poison induced cloud. I know what I saw, it pretended to be Linda.

After that encounter, I never returned my hunt to Homer Lake, avoiding all possibilities of becoming the hunted.