Mark Douglas had been lost in the woods for over a month now. He was a first time hunter with a small rifle in his hand. He had also brought along his pet pointer, Annabelle. He had a rule for his hunting, shoot only once. If he didn't get anything, he'd wait till the next day. A month ago, his car had broken down in the middle of the woods. Mark could've walked to the road the next day, but winter had started and snow had covered the landscape. With that, mark had to fend for himself and Annabelle, by hunting small game like ducks and fish.
But harsh blizzards soon made game scarce, and the snow would cover up his tracks. He and Annabelle survived by living off of the food they had hunted before the winter became unbearable. Soon they had run out of rations, and were starving to death. They had to eat something, or freeze. One day, Mark had woken up from a deep sleep in the cold. There was no storm, but he felt numbness in his face, his feet and fingertips. Annabelle quietly yipped at something out in the meadow. Mark felt curious and got up, still huddling himself to see what was the matter, and there it was. Out in the meadow, were two white-tailed deer, a fawn and a doe, eating at a patch of unfrozen grass. Mark finally saw his chance at getting food. Though weak, starving, and sick looking, Mark picked up his rifle and tip toed out towards the meadow.
Slowly he raised the rifle in his trembling hands and tried to aim at the unsuspecting deer. Just then, the doe raised her head, looked around and started to run off, the fawn following it.in a quick attempt, Mark fired his rifle, but missed as the bullet bounced off a rock. But Mark was too determined to follow his hunting rule, and ran after the two deer. He ran after them for a good five yards, but suddenly collapsed onto the ground. He looked up at the two deer and saw that they weren't that faraway. Still determined, he raised his rifle again, and fired! Quickly, he saw the doe fall to the ground with a thud. Weak from hunger, Mark crawled over the body of the dead doe and tried to lift it up.. Instead, he dragged it back by its hind legs to his small camp in the brush. Once there, he started to prepare a fire, not just to warm himself and his dog, but to also cook the deer.
Later that night, after eating the doe with his dog, Mark fell asleep in the cold snow. Later, a small sound woke him out of his deep slumber. It sounded like a small child crying for help. The voice kept saying, "Mother? Mother, where are you?"
Mark had the thought that someone must've been lost in the woods as well, there might have even be a camp somewhere that could help him out. Quickly he got up and ran out into the meadow. "Hello?" he cried as he ran through the woods. "Is anyone out here? I need help." he then reached the meadow, and to his surprise, he didn't see a boy, he saw the fawn. It was the one crying out for his mother. Mark was too horrified to wonder why a deer was talking, he was thinking about the faun's mother. It was the doe he had killed earlier, and had eaten with his dog. He felt as though he had killed a human being, and had turned a small child into an orphan. A tear ran down his cheek as he collapsed onto his knees. "What have I done," he thought.
Suddenly, a deep sounding voice said out from the darkness, "You have killed an innocent child's mother." Mark turned around to see a tall majestic stag with a muscular neck and large pointed antlers.
Mark stood there motionless in front of the stag. "I was starving, I didn't mean for it to happen." he said. "I was just so hungry and cold. What will I do?"
"That is for you to decide," said the stag. "Not I."
Mark nodded, and got up onto his feet. He slowly walked out further into the meadow, and spotted the faun still looking around. He then stood in front of it as it looked up at him in awe. Mark breathed in with all his courage and said, "I'm afraid your mother can't be with you anymore.' he watched as the fawn lowered his head and shed a tear. "Come with me." mark started to walk away back to the camp ,with the fawn slowly behind him. It stopped, turned around, and started to follow again.