Miracles of the Forest
Part 1: Messing with Destiny
Ch. 3 "Close Encounter"
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She bounded carelessly through the trees, clumisly knocking about without the slightest bit of caution. The trees broke into the openess of the north meadow; the northernmost edge of Bambi's territory. The buckskin colored doe did not brake her pace. She didn't even bother to check the area for safety. She just marched in without fear like she owned the place.
Gurri had always been a bold hind, even at a young age. She had no fear of the unknown. A wiser animal knows to avoid anything strange and potentially dangerous. Gurri knew no waryness; only curiosity. And that is what got her into so much trouble.
She stopped in the middle of the meadow and scanned the area.
"Hey, over here!" A deep yet femenine voice called from the treeline on the other side.
Gurri turned and smiled upon seeing another doe; much larger and heavier muscled than herself. She trotted to the doe, her tail wagging.
"Hey, Syndi!" The Gurri greeted. "Sorry I'm late. I tried to get away sooner when everyone was napping on the western meadow, but my dumb brother moved the herd just as I was leaving. So I had to wait until everyone left again. My dad's got everyone so paranoid."
Just as she finished her sentance, two dark fawns tentativly approached Gurri's side. The large doe frowned.
"You have River and Raven with you."
Gurri sighed.
"Yeah, I tried to get out of it, but mom made me take them. Why? Where were you planning on going today?"
Syndica smiled. "There are these gorgeous older stags sparring over in Northern Point." She finished with a wink.
Gurri winced as though someone had struck her in the head with a rock.
"Ooh! Damn! Of all days mom has me watching my little brother and sister..."
"We could still go." Syndica cut in. "Just take them with us."
Gurri gasped in shock.
"Are you crazy?! My dad would drop his antlers if he knew I went to Northern Point with them! And my mom! She'll box both of our heads! No way, it's too dangerous."
"No it's not!" Syndica argued. "I take my little cousin there all the time."
Another fawn--smaller than Gurri's siblings--stepped out from the bushes and hid behind Syndica's leg. Gurri's little brother, Raven, flashed a huge smile upon seeing the lovely little doe fawn. The usually timid buckling strode past his sister and right up to the shy young female. Raven's twin sister, River, stood between her sister's front legs, glaring up at Syndica. The larger-than-average doe fawn bore the same proud, dominant personality as Sydica. They didn't like each other. At all. But the fawn's challanging glare went unnoticed by the adult does.
Gurri raised a curious brow at Syndica's last statement.
"You bring Gloria to Northern Point? Isn't dangerous? What about the..." She looked around and lowered her voice to a whisper. "What about the Man Trail?"
"Oh please!" Syndica snorted. "There's, like, a whole row of trees between the park and the Man Trail. Just stay away from the trees and you'll be fine. No real danger this time of year, there's only some Man-fawns running around whacking rocks with sticks. Now, come on! Are you coming with me or not?" Syndia turned away irritably.
Gurri lowered her ears and looked away. Boy, if Faline found out where she was going, all hell would break loose. But, then again, she didn't want to miss out...
"Alright." She said quickly, rushing to catch up with her friend. "Let's go. But we can't stay too long."
"Fine, fine. Oh, hey. You weren't followed, right?" The large doe inquired suspiciously.
"Of course not." Gurri shrugged.
Little did they know, a furry little spy had been watching them, and had readily sped off to deliver the news to Faline.
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Northern Point Baseball Park Sat near the Interstate 5 highway. It was springtime in the park, and young boys all over the neighboring town were trying their luck to be on this year's new Little League Team. Children were running all over the place, most of them being boys in full brand-new baseball uniforms. South of the park was the Nature Preserve, while north of the park, just across the highway, two homes stood facing the park and forest beyond.
One of the homes was a drab, dingy little trailer. There was no fancy lawn or even a single live plant on the property; just loose gravel and a large boulder at the end of the driveway near the mailbox. A lone doghouse with a chain attached to it stood in the shade of the trailer. Along the top of the doghouse was several names that were all crossed out. An ungnawed bone laying in the dry water dish completed the depressing appearance of the little gray trailer.
The other home was a much larger, cleaner manufactured home; a lovely tan house with rich chocolate brown trim. Bushes, a flower garden and several well-used but relatively new dog toys were scattered across the green lawn. Young peach trees marked the end of each side of the driveway. The yard was surrounded by a blue pickett fence. All in all, the little property was more than inviting to both humans and animals.
Back in the park, a boy, around 15, stood in the shade of a large elm tree. His jet-black hair and caramel-colored eyes glissened in the mid-day sun. And when the announcer's call fell onto his ears, the boy couldn't help but perk up and flash a large handsome smile.
"Next up to bat: Tommy Baxter." The voice echoed through the park.
"Yeah!" The older boy on the sidelines cheered. "C'mon, Tommy! Knock it out of the park!"
A younger boy no more than 8 approached the base with his oversized bat in hand. He looked just like the older boy, but with slightly lighter eyes. His baseball uniform was a bit unkempt and definately a lot more wrinkled than the crisp new uniforms the other boys wore. But that didn't matter to Tommy. All that mattered to him was being chosen this year. Taking his stance and gripping the bat tightly, he prepared for the first pitch. Miss! The young boy grumbled as he prapared for the next one. Miss again!
"It's alright, Tommy! Just keep your eye on the ball!" The older boy cheered once more.
Tommy nodded confidently, pulled his cap over his eyes and stood tall and proud, like a real ball player. He swung hard at the last pitch.
"Strike three!" The umpire shouted. "You're out, kid. Sorry, better luck next year."
About 10 minutes after the disappointing ordeal, Tommy sat at a picnic table, his head resting on his folded arms. He let out a sigh. The older boy approached bearing ice cream cones.
"Cheer up, little bro." The boy smiled, offering one of the cones. "You'll show them all next year!"
"You say that every year." The young boy sighed as he half-heartedly licked the ice cream. "I'll never get on the team."
"Ah, sure you will." The older boy took a seat next to Tommy. "We just gotta practice some more, that's all."
Tommy looked up at his older brother, his big innocent eyes full of questioning.
"We can't even afford a new uniform. All I got is your hand-me-downs." He lowered his head again.
The older brother sighed and scooted closer to Tommy. Again, the younger boy looked up at his brother.
"You're not embarassed by me, are you, Eric?"
"What? Embarassed? Of you? Never!" Eric put his arm around Tommy. "I couldn't be more proud than if you actually got on the team!"
Both boys laughed and for a moment, they blissfully forgot about the whole oredeal. Suddenly, Tommy jumped off his seat and pointed in the distance.
"Look, Eric! Deer!"
The boys looked up to see a small group of deer consisting of 2 does and 3 fawns walking through the park.
"Hey, yeah!" Eric gushed. "Columbian White-tailed deer, to be exact. Wow, those are rare. You know, they're the only subspecies of white-tailed deer still in the state?"
"Wow!" The little brother gasped in astonishment. He was always impressed with his older brother's knowledge of animals.
"Wonder what they're doing all the way down here with the fawns. That's unusual."
"Maybe they came to watch the Baseball game!" The little one thought out loud.
Eric laughed. "Yeah, Tommy! I'm sure that's it!"
Raven suddenly stopped and looked over. His eyes widened. It was Man! He blinked in wonder. He had never seen Man up close before. Come to think of it, no deer from Bambi's forest had ever laid eyes upon Man's face before. It was forbidden to look upon the face of death, and in their society, Man meant death.
But standing there at that time in that place, Raven did not see death. He took a step towards them. He gasped. Why, this pair of Man-beasts looked to be nothing more than a big brother and a little brother! The larger boy even bore a stricking resemblence to his own brother, Geno! Raven took a few more steps closer.
"Look, look, Eric! The little one is coming over to us!" Tommy clapped his hands excitedly.
Eric raised a suspicious brow. "That's peculiar." He pulled his brother's shoulder. "Don't get too close, Tommy."
"Why not? It's just a baby."
"Well, babies have protective mothers, and does can be very aggressive if they think their fawn is in trouble. Even these smaller white-tailed deer can get pretty mean."
Syndica sighed as she watched two large stags in velvet spar with each other. Gurri giggled as she watched, every so often winking at whichever stag stopped to look at her. The 2 doe-fawns, however, were busy watching something else.
"Umm, Gurri..." River started.
"Not now." Gurri snapped. "I'm busy."
"Raven is leaving..." Gloria cooed.
Syndica turned sharply to her little cousin.
"Quiet, you!" She barked.
But as she spoke, her eyes wandered out to Raven. Syndica coughed a little.
"Uh, Gurri..."
"What!?" Gurri finally snapped irritably.
"Raven is walking over to Man." Syndica said with a shrug as she returned her attention to the stags.
Gurri gasped and whipped around. "He's doing what?!"
The fawn inched closer and closer until it was just a few feet away from the two very shocked boys. Raven took yet another step when a loud bleat caught his attention. When Eric looked up and saw Gurri racing towards them, he grabbed Tommy by his shoulders again and pulled him back a few feet. Gurri slid to a stop about 8 feet away.
"Raven!" She barked in a harsh whisper. "Get away from them, now!"
"But...but...he looks like Geno..." The fawn stuttered out.
"Are you out of your..." Gurri looked up at the faces of the boys. She gasped.
The darker hair on top, the black patch of hair on his chin, his youthful appearance...this Man-creature really did look like Geno! Mezmorised, Gurri came closer to them. The closer she came to them, the more Eric backed away with Tommy still firmly in his grip.
"Don't make any sudden movements, alright?" Eric whispered.
"But they don't wanna hurt us!" Tommy insisted, trying to pull away. "They want us to pet them!"
"No, Tommy!"
But the young boy pulled free and slowly approached the 2 curious deer. Now, even Syndica and the 2 other fawns turned their attention away from the sparring stags and instead watched Gurri and Raven intently. What on earth did they think they were doing?
Tommy stopped in front of the deer and offered his hand. Raven sniffed it boldly. Gurri bowed her head to sniff at Tommy's hat. The boy giggled. He turned to his brother.
"C'mon, Eric! They're alright!"
Eric swallowed his fear and tentetivly stepped forward. The fawn was very cute, but it was the golden-colored doe that captivated the older boy. She started intently at his face. Eric gave a cautious smile and very slowly reached his index finger out to her.
"Amazing..." He whispered.
Both the deer and the boys looked upon one another without fear. No hatred passed between them but rather a genuine curiosity. Truth was, the deer had never seen Man so close before, and the two boys had never been this close to wild deer. Indeed, both parties were hypnotized by the other's mystery.
But mere inches from physical contact, the serene scene was suddenly and very abruptly interrupted. There was a scream, then a series of screams. The deer turned and the boys lifted their heads. Eric nearly fell over in horror. A renegade deer--a doe-- was flying right towards them in a very aggressive manner, jumping over picnic tables, charging past people and bounding right for the quartet of fear-stricken youngsters.
It was Faline!
The fawn and his sister quickly departed and fled back to their companions who watched, frozen with fear, as the adult doe set her sites on Tommy and Eric.
Eric grabbed Tommy by the arms and quickly threw the young child into some nearby bushes. Now it was Eric who faced the wrath of this furious creature. She reared on her hindlegs upon approaching and began to strike out wildly with her front hooves. Eric fell to the ground, trying to use his arm to shield his face. The doe continued to come at him, flinging her hooves wildly above him. Eric let out a yelp as the doe came crashing down, her sharp hooves just inches from his body.
"Mother, NO!" Gurri cried as Faline rose again for another attack. "Look at him, Mother! Please!"
Motherly instinct got the better of her and Faline dropped down once again, this time, with half of her body over his. Eric tried backing away the best he could, but the attack had taken them near a garbage can that was under one of the trees. There was a small fence around the tree, and Eric soon found the back of his pants snagged on the fencing. He laid there, terrified, as the doe stood over him menacingly. She stared into his face and snorted.
For a brief moment, Faline dropped her angry facade and focused intently on Eric's face. By the Spirits of the Forest and Rivers...this boy look just like her son! She quickly shook off the feeling, and it was moments afterwards that she realized the law she'd broken by looking into the boy's face. Instantly, Faline's scowl returned. She snorted in Eric's face once more. Then she jumped away from him, set her fury on the group of youngsters and instead attacked the golden doe and her larger companion. The young deer knew what was coming, and they all bolted, fawns included, back towards the forest with Faline at their heels.
The whites of their rumps disappeared into the trees and in a single instant, it was over. Eric lay on the ground, still in shock over what had just happened. He gave a heavy sigh and, pulling his pants free of the fencing, sat up and rubbed his face wearily.
"ERIC!" Tommy squealed as he ran into his brother's arms. "Are you alright?"
Eric gave a timid chuckle and tussled Tommy's head. "I'm fine. She didn't hurt me."
The boys turned sharply towards the gray trailer upon hearing a loud cackling laugh. A tall, lean man with a thick gray mustache stood on the tailgate of his truck, leaning on his rifle, looking down on the two boys, who stared up at the man with a scowl.
"What's the matter, Baxter?" The old man croacked as he spat out a wad of chewing tabbaco spit. "Your little furry woodland critters turn on ya?" He laughed again. "That's why I shoot 'em dead." He hopped out of the back of the truck and began mendering his way to the front door.
"You better not be shooting anything dead this time of year, Vic." A feminine voice shot back from the driveway of the maufactured home next door.
A woman, around 32, with long blonde pigtails in tight braids, stood cross-armed as she leaned on the door of her Jeep. A young puppy in the back seat of the jeep glared up at the man and gave a growl.
The woman's uniform proudly bore the embroidery of the Fish and Wildlife Department. The man scowled and spat again.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't Forest Ranger Sally." He greeted in a condesending tone.
Sally took a step forward. Vic took a step back. Sally was an imposing woman of 6'2", and very fit. She looked down at the shorter 5'9" hunter and sneered.
"That's right." She said proudly in a deep voice. "And I have every right to arrest you if I find you hunting on the Nature Preserve. So stay off of it." There was a threatening tone in her voice.
"Hey, Mr. Lester." Eric called, now recomposed and standing up. "You had a dog with you when you left this morning. Where is it?"
Sally narrowed her eyes at the question.
"Yeah, where is your dog, Vic?"
Vic spat again. "Dog? Dog? Oh! The dog!" He sneered as he stared hard into Sally's face. "He ran away."
With that, he cocked his rifle and turned to leave.
"Those are new." Sally called as Vic reached for his doorknob. "You get those while you were out today?"
Eric followed Sally's eyes to the trio of black fluffy tails dangling from Vic Lester's belt. Eric gasped when he saw them: bobcat tails.
"Because I know you wouldn't have dared to be killing any bobcats today. Because you know that Bobcats are an endangered species around these parts. And if you're caught killing them, there's a nice cozy jail cell with your name on it. So where'd you get those tails, Vic?"
"What, these?" Vic fondled the tails teasingly. "I bought these at the corner store."
Sally shot the man a scornful glare. Vic smiled one last time as he opened the door to his trailer.
"Prove otherwise." He hissed before stepping inside and slamming the door shut.
Sally growled and kicked a rock across the street. Eric and Tommy trotted across the road towards her.
"Hi Aunt Sally!" Tommy greeted as he hugged her before turning his attention on the puppy in the car. "Hey, boy! C'mon!"
The pup barked, hopped out of the car and ran with the boy into the house. Eric looked at his Aunt's face.
"What happened today, Sally?" He lowered his voice to a whisper. "Did you get the footage?"
Sally sighed and reached into the back of the Jeep. She handed a very shocked Eric a totally demolished video camera.
"What did you do to it?!" Eric shouted as he shakily grabbed the camera.
"I didn't do it. Some crazy deer did it."
Eric snapped his head up and looked curiously at his aunt.
"A deer?"
Sally nodded and turned towards the park. She pointed up into the deep forest.
"I was in the tower looking out through my field glasses and I saw Vic's dog chasing something. So I jump in the jeep and head to Canyon Road. From up there, I saw that Vic and the dog were chasing the animal into the canyon to trap it. So I grab the camera and just as I get out of the car, BAM! Some huge stag crashes into me!"
Eric listened intently to the tale as Sally continued.
"The camera went flying out of my hand. It just stood there staring at me before taking off towards the mouth of the canyon, crushing the camera as he went. Then he jumped down the precipice."
Eric cocked his head in confusion.
"He was running towards the hunter?"
"Yeah...it was weird." Sally shrugged. "I heard gunshots, too but by the time I got to the top of the canyon, I couldn't see anything." Fustrated, Sally kicked the wheel of the Jeep. "Dammit! I needed that footage! If I got that creep on tape killing an endangered species, we could put him away for a long time." She lowered her head in disappointment. "Now, who knows how many innocent animals he's going to kill before I can catch him." Sally walked up the porch stairs and into the house.
Eric looked down at the remains of his camera, then up at the heavily-treed mountain beyond. The only thing Vic Lester deserved was a jail cell. He was, in essence, an animal serial killer.
And because of the interference caused by the renegade stag, the mad gunman would continue to mass-murder the animals of the forest.
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