Page 8 - Safari Trails December 2017
P. 8
As I stepped except the early morning birds.
out of the car, ready I had begun to lose hope. The
for the coming morn- sun, rising over the trees, was
ing, a new sense of glaring down at us, making time
determination shot seem slower. I was about ready
through me. A sharp, to call it a day, when I felt my
cold breeze prickled dad stiffen next to me. I knew
against my face as I what that meant—game. Sure
unzipped the gun enough, a majestic blond doe
case. We had been grazed peacefully across the
hunting for three days field. A jolt of immediate recog-
now, and all three of nition woke me up instantly. I
my brothers had grabbed the gun, raising it to my
Eva Aycock filled their deer shoulder, and peered through
the scope. It was a truly magnif-
tag for the sea-
Junior Division Lady son. It was my icent creature. My hands shook
turn.
from the sudden rush of adrena-
line as I adjusted my aim. I put
M y
Grade: 8 Age: 13 the tip of the red line just behind
dad and I
began walk- the front leg. Inhale, exhale, I
thought. I squeezed off the trig-
Sharing the Heritage ing through the ger, the gun fired towards my
swaying grass towards the tree
I tried to remember how to stand. The early morning was target; the doe reared in an odd-
breathe, but I couldn’t. The still black when we finally ar- ly graceful way; it ran a short
sheer excitement was too over- rived. We shimmied up the lad- distance in protest of being prey,
whelming. My hands trembled der and sat down on the cold, and collapsed in its final mo-
with anticipation as I raised the metal bench. I peered up at the ments of life.
gun carefully to aim at my other- dazzling stars, searching for the A new emotion flowed
wise oblivious target. I was few constellations of which I through me. It coursed through
filled with both glee and appre- knew. Finally, the sun began to my veins, filled my bones, re-
hension at the same time. What peek over the horizon. The sky flected in my eyes, and churned
if I missed? Or worse, what if I turned from black to pink, or- in my blood. It was pride. I had
hit my target, but didn’t kill it? I ange, blue, purple, and yellow. just killed my very first deer, and
shook my head, determined not It was the perfect time to be I didn’t think I could possibly be
to miss. The safety was off, the awake when the elegant sky, more proud. That was until I
firearm aimed where I wanted, I mixed with the variety of colors, saw the look in my dad’s eyes,
lightly squeezed the trigger and, and the stars were still glistening at least. I had made him proud,
with an earsplitting bang, the against the royal blue sky. and I would not trade that joy for
gun went off. anything.
After two hours, we still
Three hours earlier… hadn’t seen or heard anything Page 8
