Page 5 - Safari Trails
P. 5
Creative Writing Contest
Creative Writing Contest
Creative Writing Contest
and curled up on her two buckets with pads on the
couch. I was hoping some- lids to serve as our seats. He
one else would make the de- followed with our things and re-
cision for me. vealed his “secret” stash of
snacks from one of his many
“Well look who’s bright-
eyed and bushy tailed!” I heard pockets. We sat on our buckets
Papa chuckle. My glasses were and watched the opposite tree
cold and askew in front of my line, our breath rising in spar-
half closed eyes, and the only kling clouds.
thing bushy was Silently shivering, I
Annie Brannon my hair. “Are stared at the trees, willing
something, anything to move.
you coming?”
Junior Division Girl Just the simple Papa handed me a blanket,
question gave rough and worn from staying in
me my an- the blind all the time, and
Grade: 9 Teacher: Ty Rhoades
swer. Fif- scanned the trees behind us
Age: 14 School: Chandler High teen before settling back to stare in
minutes front again.
Sharing the Herit- later, I was hit with a I watched him now, los-
blast of cold air as the garage
age door opened, making me doubt ing interest in the statue-like
trees, and took note of how
my choice once again, but not
“Wake up, it’s time to go.” Con- for long. I curled up in the front comfortable he was. He fit there
like gears in a clock. His eyes
fused thoughts entered my seat of my dad’s truck and moved across the field, follow-
mind: Go where? I don’t want started to feel excited on the ing a well work path. His
to go anywhere. Can’t I just short drive over to what my cracked, tough hands held the
sleep? “Papa and your dad are family calls the Fish Farm. gun loosely, but ready to fire at
getting ready. I have your coats We walked over to my any moment. The posture of an
in the kitchen.” Oh, right. Hunt- dad’s deer blind and I did my experienced hunter was obvi-
ing. I had decided last night that best to stay out of the way while ous as he sat there, completely
hunting sounded like the great- my grandpa helped dad get relaxed, without a care in the
est thing in the world, but right ready in the ground-level blind. world.
now, at 5am, I was definitely I followed Papa along the curv-
not feeling that way. So, I went ing tree line in the pre-dawn We didn’t kill a deer that
back to sleep, or tried to. I laid light, stifling many questions. I day, but I didn’t mind. The
there in agonizing deliberation. almost ran into my grandpa as memory will forever be with me.
Do I want to go hunting? Will I he stopped and abruptly turned
get in the way? Finally, after around to show me how to
what seemed like hours to a 10 climb the tree blind safely. As I
year old, I got up and went to stepped into the little white box,
my grandmother’s living room
I found that Papa had placed
