's numb red cheek, soft wisps of dark hair fal

the dark curl away only for grav

ely over her flushed lips. She sniffs once and adjusts the heavy camo j

oise as she had been crouched on her belly in

she checked her hearing aids just to

nto a soft hiss of snowflakes falling spora

east the large ones, would have either migrated or h

ing rate. She needed a big kill, one that would sell for a high price- maybe a thousand or two dollars, suffic

or seats. Including the tedious job of sawing down frozen barks and cleaning them in her shed. It would take weeks t

ry humour but knows she would never resort to her contingency f

potential hypot

- Leya rises onto her knees and promptly brushes the partially melted snow from

er scalp, she gathers her long inky hai

harper concentration, and as she settles back dow

ompletely and pressing flat on the snow, each loud

els her heart juddering in response; a cold rush of excite

a furtive look below t

e. Its winding broad antlers proudly spread on display, the h

wild animal. The curve of its hunched neck as it sweeps low to graz

brushes her re

ock she had carved out. Peering through the extended periscope, she adjusts the vi

ring aid to the back where two buttons lie. Her fingertip touches the control listening program, adjus

ith a satisfying click, h

hovers a moment in the deafening silenc

lled, Leya grows acutely aw

another patch of clean gra

s lower body, then lowers it a 1/3 of the distance from the bottom of its chest to the t

, the perfect game shot, yard distance, bullet velocity and which shots to hit that w

t. The heart provided little room for error: too far forward and you've go

g to track it for a day or two, the game escaping and its leaking blood attracting oth

her main aim. Quick, clean

ened plastic of her shotgun, she li

raises its

pressed on

avy jerk as the gun bumps her front shoulder, the heat radiating from metal, and as she peers

ng body. Her flushed lips curl in a relieved smile, and she r

her backpack before making for the felled game. Her thrift store timbe

ke falls

g of its hind legs as though its instinct of running had not truly been processed by the brain, its large snout hu

ins to bloom beneath it, soaki

the animal and

presses on its fur over the ribcage. Its fur is coarse yet sof

okes it almost soothingly until its chest finally stops mid-heave, settling

dangerously and loud as it back

open and leaps off the high seat just a

s bloodied hands on his stained apron which w

ts her face as she rounds the truck and, opening the back, a

he mocks a bow while presenting the

easurable warming of her cheeks, bright eyes watc

cap and scratches his bald spot, "where the he

ng her gaze to the large game. It had been a

flat top. With the truck's effort, she dragged the moose atop the platform

est, had a nodding acquaintance with his toot

eople of power oftentimes slipped be

em as a harsh wintry chill billow across t

s a bull. Could be around seven hundred and fifty kilograms. I'll

math, Kit chuckles, heartily slamming her small should

ad on in and warm up while I get my men to take it down. A

den, gazing up at him i

least I can do is stock your fridge," a p

"Noted," had he not reeked to the high heav

ner, Leya stomps her snow boots on the carpet, shaking her body back

ister with AirPods on and a manga open. She g

a n

smi

a checklist of inventory. Vegetables, fish and chicken, jasmine rice, toilet pape

ps in, another man in tow; "...tomorrow night is the lock

the police officer, stands beside Kit as they converse amiably, brow

y and she begins to duck behi

to ripple thrills up her spine. And for

ing her features

howed me the catch you made out front," was

" she corre

before each other. Holden's gaze curio

h! No, maybe... I mean," she internally flinches and clea

ly, wallowing in her st

can drop by for a quick friendly dinner," noting the fall of

nner. The full moon is tomorrow night."

sters are printed all over town, aired on the radio a

of the

ndows and doors with wooden planks and silver. Wolfsbane poure

orrow," Holden draws her attention back to

ear

ou

sually beg

lowly, "How

" on nights when the full moon would remain suspended above them, the

at once. Houses broken through with eas

ext morning, ropes of shit filled

home," Holden reaches out and flicks her chi