John, Doe

“Ugh. I can’t believe that I have gotten lost. This is what... my 100th time visiting this forest” John adjusts the rifle strap and hiking pack. Sweat soaks his shirt and pours down his face. He has been wandering around for hours, not quiet sure how long he has been out here. Like an idiot he left his radio back at his truck with his phone. Not that a cell phone would do much good up in these mountains with spotty reception. Plus he didn't want to go calling for help, all that would get him is criminal charges seeing how this was not hunting season.

He just had to follow the trail of a doe into uncharted theritory. Every once in a while a distint sound of the doe up and caught more than one flash of the doe disappearing into the forest. And of course he ended up loosing it and getting turned around, unable to retrace the trail back.

He fumbled with the water bottle and took a swig of the hot liquid. Next time he was going to buy a better insulated water container, drinking this hot water in the glaring sun was just making things worst. Up ahead an enormous tree that offered more protection from the sun than the scrawny forest trees he had been making his way through. The oak's  massive roots spread out over the ground and burrow its way into the earth. Moss covers the ground like a carpet and in patches on the tree.  Whitish brown rocks clinched tightly by the roots... some of the roots push its way through the rocks.  As he got closer to the  large oak, he heard a rustling noise on the other side.

Smiling at his turn of luck he quietly readied his rifle and slowly made his way around the tree. There stood the largest buck he has ever seen. The antlers had too many points for him to bother counting. His rifle sight lined up with the buck as he peaked around the tree, the buck raised his head and stood there staring at the hunter. This creature did not try to run... all it did was stand there staring.

The hunter pulled the trigger, if he was going to spend all this time out here he was going to leave with something and he couldn’t just pass up this buck.

The deer fell over and died a quick death. John stepped over to the deer thrilled with his catch. When he crouched down next to the deer the world seemed to shift. His head began to pound and lungs unable to draw air into his body. Images of himself flashed through his mind, images of him coming around the tree and there he stood looking up the barrel of his rifle. John was shocked, “How could he be in two places at once?” That thought echoed through his mind as he stood there watching himself. He could see a grin upon his face as he pulled the trigger. That trigger that sent the bullet ripping through his body. HIS body! Not the magnificent buck. How could this be?

The hunter laid there dying as a doe stepped over to him. Before his eyes the doe changed into the most beautiful woman he has seen. Tan skin, muscular, wide hips, rosy red lips, deep green eyes, and hair as brown as the bark of the large tree.

“You have failed the test. And so you have died by your own deeds.” She looked upon John with disgust before walking away, leaving him to die amongst the roots of the tree.

As John took his last breath he looked at the base of the tree, entangled in the roots was the bones of other hunters.