Student Spotlight: A-Hunting We Will Go, part 2

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This week's Student Spotlight is a three-part short story from Southern Crescent student Jeremy Cato. Keep your eye on the blog over the next week for the next installments!

Link to Part 1

A-Hunting We Will Go: Part 2

by Jeremy Cato

       As I came to the edge of the hill, I looked down at the creek. Half way down I could see where a barbed wire fence was once, and in that fence, tied up like a knotted string on a shoe, was Ryan. “Oh my God,” I shouted.  I started my decline calling his name. As I reached him, I could hear his low cursing mixed with moans and groans that were obvious from the way he was tied up with the fence. “Are you ok?” I asked. He just looked at me. His eyes filled with rage and fire. I checked him out to make sure he wasn’t badly cut. Thank goodness he only possessed a few scrapes that weren’t that bad. “ Are you ok?” I asked. He just looked at  me with a demonic look on his face and  fire in his eyes.  “What took you so long”! he demanded. I studied him a second and replied, “I had to wait till I could see since I left my flashlight in the tree stand,” I cried. “Well get me out of this crap, NOW,” he screamed. “I can’t believe I walked off the edge of the hill as many times as I hunted this stand,” he exclaimed. I looked him over a minute examining the situation he was in. “Ok, it looks like I got to go to the truck and get some wire cutters, you going to be ok until I get back?” I asked.  “Do I have a choice?” he yelled. With the rage being detected in his voice, I just turned and walked away shaking my head with a smirk on my face. I knew I had to wait to laugh, even though it was wrong of me, but it would be so considerate of me to do so. Deep down inside I knew he would be laughing his ass of at me as soon as he seen me in that predicament. I literally sprinted back to the truck. A very hard task considering I still had my gun and all. 

             The tool box on the back of my truck contained a vast majority of tools, so I had everything I needed to help Ryan out. I grabbed the bolt cutters, a hammer, and a multiple set of pliers for holding and twisting the barbed wire to free him. If this didn’t do the job, he was sure enough in trouble. I closed the toolbox and began my way back to free Ryan from his barbed wire imprisonment. I was just about to him when I heard him scream and shout. I heard a gunshot, but it wasn’t a rifle, it was Ryan’s 357 magnum pistol. We both carried a hand pistol for back up. It echoed through the woods like thunder during a rainstorm. I believe the ground shook as well.  Chill bumps ran up and down my spine like radio waves seen on a monitor. I broke out into a full run to get to him quicker. I was running so fast I just about ran by him.

Continue to Part 3

Student Spotlight: A-hunting We Will Go, part 1

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This week's Student Spotlight is a three-part short story from Southern Crescent student Jeremy Cato.  Keep your eye on the blog over the next week for the next installments!

A-Hunting We Will Go: Part 1

by Jeremy Cato

          My friend Ryan and I decided it would be a good morning to hunt. We had rented this particular hunting land a few years back and had good success killing some major size deer.  We arrived at the hunt site around five o-clocks in the morning. A little early, but what the hell, the freezer was empty and funds were running low. I myself had nothing to stay home for, so I hunted. Ryan on the other hand had a sweet wife and two beautiful little girls, so I figured whoever killed one there would be supper on the table for us all.

       We pulled up where I normally park and got out. Filling my fanny pack with the essentials I would need for sitting in a deer stand for hours on end, I looked at Ryan and asked him where he wanted to hunt that morning.

        “Doesn’t matter to me,” he replied

        “Ok,” I said, “why don’t you hunt in the stand just down the hill from me?”

        “That sounds good,” he replied.

        We began walking down the small road that went toward the south of where we parked the truck. As we walked, we conversed a little on this and that - nothing too important, just getting in the mood to hunt. Killing “the big one” has been a conversation we have had on the way to our stands for years. I knew where we were going to hunt this morning, had big signs of some nice size bucks.  We talked a little of how nice it would be to kill one before we got to the stand. I reckon we were just hoping we wouldn’t have to sit in a stand for hours on end. I do not know about him but when I am in my stand I sit there and pray for a deer or just for it to be time to get down for lunch or whatever. I am not really the diehard hunting fan like some people are but I like to get out on cold mornings and try my luck.  You know, the way some people do the lottery. It gives me something to look forward to as well as some way to hang out with my friends.   I do think that Ryan felt the same way but I was not sure.

        The road came to a dead end and a trail to the left would lead us the rest of the way. A quarter of a mile and it was time for Ryan to head his way.  “Go straight to the right, down the hill a little and look up, you will see the stand that you’re hunting in this morning,” I told him.  “Just be careful. I am not able to tell you how the land looks at this particular time but it shouldn’t be that bad,” I finished.  “I know how to get there,” he replied. “You act like I’ve never hunted it before,” he bulged.  “Ok,” I said, “if you have any problems, just shoot one time and I’ll be there,” I instructed. 

        We got to the point of our departure. “I‘ll see you in a bit,” I told him.

       “Ok,” he murmured. He disappeared in the darkness and I began climbing the tree to my sit in my deer stand. Muttering to myself on how cold it was, I checked my watch. It wasn’t too long until the sun would peek over the horizon. I thought to myself and hoped that Ryan would find his stand.

        The sun began to light up the far horizon, when gunshots rang out in the quiet forest. I knew it was from Ryan’s gun. I climbed out of my tree stand but it was still too dark to see fully. I had to wait. There was no way I was going in his direction knowing he may have been shooting at a potential meal. Besides, he might mistake me for a deer and shoot me. As I waited for the sun to rise a little more I fired up a cigarette. As I stood there, I began to wonder why Ryan hadn’t come to get me yet. If he shot a deer, surely he would be here by now. So, I began walking toward his hunting area. His hunting area was on a hill that equaled out at a creek bed at the bottom.  A perfect spot to shoot a big deer. 

Continue to part 2