931

Tori Linville

 

 

Her ass was frozen to the deer stand. He pushed her into the creek and if she made any movement, the squirrels stood to attention.

‘Can you stop moving?’ No. Can you stop dipping? ‘No.’

They weren’t going to get anything. She already decided that. He kept dipping and spitting like it was his last log. He smelled too much and she moved too much. No doe was going to come within 1000 yards of them.

Keep dipping fattie. I can practically hear the deer running for the hills. ‘Shut the hell up.’ Can we just shoot a squirrel and leave? ‘No. Jesus wait ‘til the sun comes up, you’re gonna want some cheese with that whine.’ Screw you.

A pair of squirrels ran up a tree next to them, crashing through the branches. They both silently watched as the two spiraled up the trunk with their scuttling little feet. The next holler over, they could hear others with their duck calls. The sounds of gun shots bounced around the forest. The others were getting closer to their grounds.

‘Get ‘em boys, get ‘em.’ You’re stupid.

They both sat up straight, hearing movement on the hill in front of them. More squirrels. After the commotion died down, he got out his phone, checking Snapchat.

Seriously? She won’t be on there, especially at five in the morning. Your thirst is showing. ‘Shut up.’

They scooted closer together as the temperature dropped, trying to generate some heat. She hugged his arm and started shivering. The gun shots got closer. They sat up, looking around. The others were right in their back yard, using their calls every thirty seconds.

Shouldn’t we let them know we’re here? ‘No, it’ll be fine. We’re pretty visible.’

The men headed their way, walking straight under the stand. A couple of men she recognized nodded, and he ticked his finger back to them. She watched them walk on, and wondered why they were still there.

There’s definitely no point in staying now. ‘Agreed. Wait ‘til the sun’s almost up and we’ll leave.’

More gun shots. She could almost feel the duck hit the ground. He leaned on her, his whole body weight squishing her lungs together.

What’s your deal?

She looked over. Blood flowed out of his neck, but he was still looking for the sun. She could see the struggle in his eyes as he tried to stay with her.

She could see him lose.

People think it gets warmer when the sun finally hits the frozen dew.

That’s a myth.