Sequel: The Hunter ›
Status: Got writer's block, so gave it a lame ending. Sorry~
The Hunter Version 1
Page 2
the lake. Excited at the thought of such a massive catch, Ben gave a cry of delight, backing up several steps to the shore. The pole bent dangerously and he realized he had to make this quick if he did not want to lose the pole and fish. He glanced back and saw a figure watching him from the shore.
“Toby, help me! I'm not strong enough to pull it in myself!” He barked, assuming the figure to be Toby.
He brought his attention fully back to the fish. Behind him he could hear splashes as someone entered the water and trotted toward him. Suddenly there were arms around his waist, pulling him up out of the water and back toward the shore, fish in tow. Ben yelped in surprise, but began to laugh.
“I didn't think you were this strong!” He exclaimed as he glanced down.
His grin dropped and he nearly let go of the pole as he realized the person gripping him was not Toby. He was not exactly sure it was human either, but it may have been. The creature was covered, head to toe, in dried leaves, branches, and bones. There was not a hint of skin showing anywhere, it only had the figure of a human. Ben thought about struggling, but they had already reached the shore and the creature was putting him down. He decided instead to focus on the fish and getting it onto the shore before it could get away.
With the help of the mystery creature tugging at the line rather than the cracking pole, he managed to pull the fish up onto the shore. Ben dragged the heavy fish further onto dry land and quickly hunted around for a rock to kill it with. By the time the fish stopped flailing, the creature had vanished, leaving Ben dumbstruck and alarmed. He stood with half a mind to search around for the creature, but rustling in the trees near by made him freeze.
“Oh wow,” came Toby's soft voice as the boy stepped onto the shore of the lake, his eyes on the fish.
“Toby?” Ben asked, uncertainly, more uneasy now.
“Who else would I be?” Toby chuckled, coming forward to kneel beside the fish and poke at it.
Ben glanced around again, but gave a shrug to himself. He thought about telling Toby about the bush-creature, but decided against it. He supposed there was no reason for him to alarm Toby now; he could tell the other boy when they were cooking the fish.
“Let's get this back to the camp and eat. Maybe make this into a stew or something. I don't want to throw up now that we finally have food,” Toby babbled.
“Yeah. I don't think we'll be able to use the pole again, though. We need a new branch.” Ben nodded, bending down to lift the fish.
It had to have been two and a half feet long and it seemed to weigh as much as a boulder. Ben tried to guess what kind of fish it could have been, but he had no idea. It was as long as it was fat, and he knew they would be able to eat well for a few days if they were smart about it. Toby ran to grab the pole to keep it from dragging on the ground. He gave a happy whistle and cheerily marched behind Ben as they made their way back to their camp. Ben could not help but to let his eyes wander. With every movement, he thought he might be seeing the shape of the creature that had helped him, but it was always a bird or some other animal.
The two of them followed the river for a time before they got to the clearing where Ben usually fished and turned west. In the distance, the yellow fabric of their life boat could bee seen slightly, hanging in the trees. They had set it up into a structure that might have been called a tent, but was more of a lean-to. The ground under the deflated lifeboat was covered in leaves and spare bits of cloth to help them keep some warmth during the night. It did not get frigid in the night, but it was cold enough that Ben wished and dreamed often of blankets.
Ben wondered, distantly, what his life had been like before waking up and finding himself stranded. He knew he had one; he had distant memories of it, but the memories were like dreams, faint and with a strange uncertainty to them. Toby had said the same thing and Ben wondered if they had been drugged or something of the sort. He certainly did not have any idea why they would have woken up in a lifeboat together, already hungry and half-dead of thirst. His memories did not clear up that and
“Toby, help me! I'm not strong enough to pull it in myself!” He barked, assuming the figure to be Toby.
He brought his attention fully back to the fish. Behind him he could hear splashes as someone entered the water and trotted toward him. Suddenly there were arms around his waist, pulling him up out of the water and back toward the shore, fish in tow. Ben yelped in surprise, but began to laugh.
“I didn't think you were this strong!” He exclaimed as he glanced down.
His grin dropped and he nearly let go of the pole as he realized the person gripping him was not Toby. He was not exactly sure it was human either, but it may have been. The creature was covered, head to toe, in dried leaves, branches, and bones. There was not a hint of skin showing anywhere, it only had the figure of a human. Ben thought about struggling, but they had already reached the shore and the creature was putting him down. He decided instead to focus on the fish and getting it onto the shore before it could get away.
With the help of the mystery creature tugging at the line rather than the cracking pole, he managed to pull the fish up onto the shore. Ben dragged the heavy fish further onto dry land and quickly hunted around for a rock to kill it with. By the time the fish stopped flailing, the creature had vanished, leaving Ben dumbstruck and alarmed. He stood with half a mind to search around for the creature, but rustling in the trees near by made him freeze.
“Oh wow,” came Toby's soft voice as the boy stepped onto the shore of the lake, his eyes on the fish.
“Toby?” Ben asked, uncertainly, more uneasy now.
“Who else would I be?” Toby chuckled, coming forward to kneel beside the fish and poke at it.
Ben glanced around again, but gave a shrug to himself. He thought about telling Toby about the bush-creature, but decided against it. He supposed there was no reason for him to alarm Toby now; he could tell the other boy when they were cooking the fish.
“Let's get this back to the camp and eat. Maybe make this into a stew or something. I don't want to throw up now that we finally have food,” Toby babbled.
“Yeah. I don't think we'll be able to use the pole again, though. We need a new branch.” Ben nodded, bending down to lift the fish.
It had to have been two and a half feet long and it seemed to weigh as much as a boulder. Ben tried to guess what kind of fish it could have been, but he had no idea. It was as long as it was fat, and he knew they would be able to eat well for a few days if they were smart about it. Toby ran to grab the pole to keep it from dragging on the ground. He gave a happy whistle and cheerily marched behind Ben as they made their way back to their camp. Ben could not help but to let his eyes wander. With every movement, he thought he might be seeing the shape of the creature that had helped him, but it was always a bird or some other animal.
The two of them followed the river for a time before they got to the clearing where Ben usually fished and turned west. In the distance, the yellow fabric of their life boat could bee seen slightly, hanging in the trees. They had set it up into a structure that might have been called a tent, but was more of a lean-to. The ground under the deflated lifeboat was covered in leaves and spare bits of cloth to help them keep some warmth during the night. It did not get frigid in the night, but it was cold enough that Ben wished and dreamed often of blankets.
Ben wondered, distantly, what his life had been like before waking up and finding himself stranded. He knew he had one; he had distant memories of it, but the memories were like dreams, faint and with a strange uncertainty to them. Toby had said the same thing and Ben wondered if they had been drugged or something of the sort. He certainly did not have any idea why they would have woken up in a lifeboat together, already hungry and half-dead of thirst. His memories did not clear up that and