The Quest of a Young Boy

The day was excruciatingly hot.

The blistering sun set high in the cloudless sky beat down without mercy upon his back.

The insects' loud continuous hum floated on the warm, dry air.

He looked down at his feet and discovered the tracks of some beast, pounded into the soft earth.

These prints were made recently.

He could tell by the way they sat fresh and undisturbed.

They led up a hill.

He launched himself up it in an instant, on guard, ready to shoot at a moments notice.

Suddenly the sound of rustling leaves on a nearby bush froze him.

He listened intently for the beasts next move.

He aimed but did not dare shoot.

A tiny squirrel darted up a tree, paused to glare at him for a second, and then scurried out of sight.

He panted tiredly for a brief moment, tired from his sudden sprint up the hill, and glanced back down at the tracks imprinted in the dirt.

The prints led into the underbrush not too far from where he stood.

He tiptoed slowly toward the small, green bushes and knelt down to see how much further the tracks led.

He discovered himself peering into the narrow slit eyes of a snake.

The snake swayed his head back and forth, fiercely stuck out its tongue, and with a loud hiss slithered away.

Back into its lair within the dark depths of the bushes.

The boy continued to crawl through the bushes, as the snake had gone his way, and the underbrush suddenly opened into a large clearing.

Smack in the middle sat an extraordinary tree with a massive trunk and huge, twisted limbs.

He noticed the tracks continuing across the opening.

Too tired to embark much further, he cautiously strolled across the wide space and down under the great and wondrous tree.

The sun still shone with intense rays and the buzz of the insects had become deafening.

A cool waft of air blew across the clearing and tingled on his cheeks softly as it hit his face.

Just then he heard a sound.

He jolted to his feet in an instant and propelled himself across the clearing, following the sound back into the density of woods.

He hopped over the logs of stricken trees, ducked under the gnarled branches of those who remained tall, and clawed his way over jagged rocks.

He spotted the tracks once more and sped up, intent on catching up with the beast, only to find their end at the edge of a twinkling stream.

His breath came out in short gasping wheezes as he bent over and gulped handfuls of clear water that soothed his aching, dry throat.

When he was finished drinking he felt the presence of a large shadow overwhelm him.

He snapped his head around and looked up into the face of the beast, towering over him.

He aimed and shot.

The clicking of his shutter sent the deer running.

The boy smiled wildly as he hoped his photo would develop just as perfect as this day.