Day 221

Finding roadkill is never nice but deer is expensive and quite tasty.
I was sure it was dead when I put it in the trunk, its' head was nearly cut off for chrissake!

By the time I got home its' leg was twitching.
I figured it was those final electrical impulses dead things get, like when corpses sit up.

Didn't think much of it and went inside to get my dad so we could prep it for later.
I'll admit we had a brief chat, it wasn't that long, but when we got to the car the deer was gone.

Even the old picnic blanket it had been lying on was gone.
The only trace it had ever been there was faint rusty red stains on the floor and the smell of blood.

We looked up just in time to see the edge of the blanket move slowly out of sight round the corner.
Grabbing a gun each, me and dad went followed as quietly as possible.

Again as we got past the corner we saw the blanket move out of sight, it was near the open back door.
We sped up, still trying to be quiet - nobody wants an injured wild deer in their house!

Just as we rounded the corner we heard a shriek coming from inside that faded into watery sounds.
We rushed into the dining room and saw a bloody scene we could never have prepared for.

The deer, half covered in the picnic blanket and head still mostly severed, had my mother by the throat.
She was still alive and clawing frantically at the deer's face while blood poured from her mouth.

It didn't seem to be affecting the deer who turned its' head, dragging mother with it, towards us.
Its' jaws clamped harder round her neck and she went limp.

Dropping her it hobbled towards us, head hanging to one side and blood matting its' fur.
We emptied bullet after bullet into it and it kept on coming.

When we ran out of ammo we began to back up quickly, not wanting to be next to die.
We reached the back door at the same time, the deer was close in front of us and breathing heavily.

In a fit of adrenaline and fear I pushed my dad in front and ran outside.
Not sure what was worse, his screams of agony or the sickening crunch that cut them abruptly off.

I ran to the summer cabin at the end of the garden, shut and barricaded the large glass door.
As I sat in the corner, gasping for breath and trying not to cry I heard knocking.

Turning around I saw the deer.
It had company.

My parents stood beside it, heads hanging at the same twisted angle as the animals'.
They both beckoned me to join them.

As I looked into their eyes I understood.
I removed the barricades and lowered my head.