Fairywood Falls: An Appalachia Fairy Story by Steven Paul Watson

Author:Steven Paul Watson [Watson, Steven Paul]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-04-27T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

Garrett

The entire way back to the camp, Garrett walked cautiously and with purpose. He had not planned on being in the woods after dark, but it came on before he had even known it. He had still been messing around with the deadfall when he noticed the shadows were growing more evident. He had his gun ready at every sound, and he knew that was a bad thing. This was how people got hurt. He was so stuck on trying to figure out what bled out in that deadfall. Its blood smelled almost sweet. The bear trap itself bothered him as much as anything. There was something odd about it. He would make his way back to it tomorrow morning at first light. He had to see it better for himself. He was grumbling with regret for leaving it to begin with. He could see the light from the fire in the distance. He was thankful his wife knew to make it once she got back to camp, even if it meant he would have to cut more firewood the next day.

Garrett heard something crack behind him. He turned to put the gun toward the darkness. “Hello? I’ve got a gun.”

He pulled the hammer back on the gun, preparing to fire if needed. He knew a lot of people who always itched at the chance to shoot an intruder, or anyone for that matter. But that wasn’t him. Guns were a tool. He listened, but all he could hear was his own heavy breathing in the darkness. He turned to look back toward the fire, always keeping his gun ready. When he got to the fire, he stopped, letting his hands warm, looking at the bruises on the back of his knuckles. The blood had dried up there now, and his wounds were past needing cleaning. He had spent so much time worrying about what was lurking on the property that he had forgotten to take care of his own hand, and it was sore. He needed a shower more than anything right now, though.

“Honey, you here?” he questioned out loud. He saw the camper shift just a little bit as she stepped up to the front door, “We were worried about you. We’re getting ready to start some dinner. Did you find anything?”

“I found some more blood,” he said before he looked back to the fire. “But nothing else.”.

“Did you hear anything out here?” he questioned before looking back toward the darkness.

“Nothing. I did call Fish and Game and updated them on what happened, said they’d try a send someone by here tomorrow but didn’t sound too sure if you ask me,” Naomi replied, and he could see the disappointment on her face. “I did consider maybe the warden that was here the other night might be the one who left the bear trap. Maybe I’m just being paranoid.”

Garrett hadn’t thought about it directly, but now that his wife had put it into words… “Would explain why he was up in here before daylight the other day.

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