“I’m out, Shawn. “Al sighs, his head hanging, eyes cast low.

“Don’t give me that crap Al.” says Shawn, a mocking grin forming on his lips.

“I made a promise, Shawn.” His voice cracks. Shawn reaches to him and gently puts his hand on his shoulder.

“Just how long has it been? It’s time you move your ass Al, made a comeback, yeah? Before you’re too old and all.”

“I’m already old, Shawn.”

“Bullshit. If you’re old, I’m old, and I ain’t old. Come on man, It’s Shirley’s first hunt, she’s excited, and I want the best around to teach her. We’ve missed you.”

“I don’t know man.”

“Drink?”

“Sure.”

Al frowns after a short sip.

“God, ain’t you a sad sight! It’s just beer, man. This lifestyle, it’s not serving you, Al.”

“Things have changed. I have Sylvia now.” Al is still trying to evade Shawn’s eyes.

“She’ll be fine. She’s no baby. Annie will look after her. They’ll get along.”

“It’s not that.”

“What is it then?”

“She’s a sensitive kid. Not like others.”

“Relax, we won’t be gone for more than a few hours. I have no illusions about my own capabilities either.”

Al, visibly impatient, sips out of his mug.

“I know you miss it Al.”

“Sometimes… I dream.” For the first time throughout the conversation Al looks at Shawn, who, taken back by the graveness in Al’s voice, leans in closer.

“Sometimes they’re fun. We hunt a bunch. We’re good. One time I could fly, shoot them from above.”

They both start to laugh, Shawn open-heartedly, Al reserved, cut short by a dry cough.

“Sometimes it’s not as fun. They surround us, try to trample us, many of them, ram us with their antlers. One time…”

He takes another sip of his beer.

“I shoot one, a beautiful, majestic deer, and after it dies…it’s Sylvie. I’ve shot my own daughter. I just know it’s her, you know? It rises again, blood dripping from its antlers and all, stares at me with vengeful, fiery eyes and leaves. I woke up screaming, Shawn.”

“They’re just Nightmares. We all get those. No need to get all worked up.”

“Guess you have a point. But I made a promise to the kid.”

“Have you tried, y’know, changing her mind? Let her hold a gun or something?”

Al Chuckles and points around the house, its empty walls.

“She was terrified of the mounts. Got nightmares every night. Had to take her to a shrink.”

“A fucking shrink! Sorry, It’s just not like you.”

Narrow rays of sun at dusk splatter over wallpapers of flowers and over Sylvie’s eyes. She listens to her father, her fingers turn white as she presses them around the corner of the wall.

“I’m surprised you haven’t given up on drinking, Al.”

“Didn’t want to overdo the goody good shtick. But being a single dad, you gotta lock in.”

Realizing Shawn’s mug is empty, Al offers him a refill, but doesn’t touch his own.

“All I’m saying is, it’s not the same without you. You’re the best hunter, the best teacher I know. Horrible friend though.”

Suddenly Shawn catches a glimpse of Sylvie behind the corner.

“There’s the little devil!”

Sylvie shrieks, hides, and giggles.

“Sylvie, honey don’t be shy, come say hi to uncle Shawn.”

She emerges again and runs up to her dad, her footsteps thumping, still giggling, and covers herself in Al’s open arms.

“Did you sleep well? Did we wake you up?”

“Yes. No” she says as she’s rubbing her eyes.

“Afternoon naps. She never misses them. Did you say hi?”

“Hi uncle Shawn.” She yawns, almost facing him.

“Hello there missy! I was just telling your dad how you’ve stolen your old man all for yourself.”

The men laugh. Sylvie makes a squeaking noise that’s muffled in Al’s chest.

“Look at me Sylvie, hey, is it ok if I borrow your dad for a day? Half a day?”

Sylvie jumps back and looks at Al with nervous frown and pouter lips.

“You promised.”

“That’s true.” Al shrugs.

“Say, you like venison steak, Sylvie?” asks Shawn.

“Veni what?”

“Venison, honey. Deer meat. She’s never had steak. Doesn’t touch any meat for some reason.”

“Because you have to kill them.”

“Got yourself a baby vegan huh? Wonder who she took after.”

“Not her mom, she loved steak. I’d hunt and she’d make dinner and we’d have everyone over.”

“Really?”

“It was her favorite. Tell you one thing, once we’re back, we’ll make the tastiest steak ever, just like mom used to make, okay?”

“No, no, no! Dad, you promised!” she runs upstairs.

“Well…sorry about that.”

“No worries. As I said, she’s sensitive.”

“You weren’t joking! Well, I should be heading back.”

“This was fun. I’ll see what I can do. But don’t get your hopes up.”

“You bet your ass it was fun.”

He hands Shawn the bottle of beer.

“Don’t forget this.”

“Brought it for you.”

“I’m Good. Tell Annie and Shirley I said hi.”

“I’ll be expecting to hear from you, Al.”

Once he leaves, Sylvie comes back with the same frowned look.

“Are you going to hunt again, Dad?”

Al approaches her, crouches, puts his hands on her shoulders, obstructing the sunlight on her blue eyes.

“Here’s a deal babe. I’ll go with them but I won’t shoot. I’ll just teach Shirley the tricks. It’s kind of rude to turn them down after this. They’re like family.”

“But I feel bad for the deer.”

“It’s just nature, honey. If we don’t hunt them, wolves will. And wolves don’t play nice.”

“Wolves?!”

“Wolves. Bunch of them. But when we shoot the deer, they won’t even feel a thing.”

Early morning is when they arrive to a serene forest covered in snow, a bright blue sky and a breeze slithering among the canopy. They walk for half an hour in silence. Al walks behind them.

“You need a hand Al?”

“I’m fine, I’m fine. It’s a ghost town in here.”

“It’s so peaceful, like a nice spot for picnic.” says Shirley.

“Not for long honey, not for long. Am I right, Al?”

“Uncle Al?”

Al is sitting on a rock, his eyes, closed, his face red, his eyes cast down.

“Uncle Al, are you ok?”

“Jesus, is that your heartbeat?”

Al opens his eyes and stands up.

“I’m fine, just catching my breath. Let’s continue.”

“See Al, this is what happens when you abandon the hunt. Bet you can’t shoot for shit either, can you?”

“I won’t be shooting, Shawn.”

“Yeah yeah, but suppose you were, suppose—”

Suddenly, a crackling sound behind them, and a disappearing apparition of a young deer.

“Was that…?”

“How could we miss it? We’re not even there yet.”

“This is strange.”

“What’s happening, dad?”

“They usually don’t show themselves around here.”

“And we’re certainly never caught off guard. Did you hear anything Shirley?”

“Not a thing.”

“Load your guns.” Says Al as he puts a .300 Winchester into his Remington.

“Here?”

“Yes. And stay Close.”

Now the Snow falls furiously.

“Dad, look.”

In front of them where the path goes uphill, an adult deer appears, his chest forward. Shawn whistles.

“Check out those antlers! Now that’s game.”

The deer glares at them, motionless. Al watches its antlers with awe.

“It’s glorious.”

The forest grows dark.

“Careful not to shoot its head off, eh?”

“Why isn’t it running away?” asks Shirley.

“It’s waiting for you to shoot it, dammit. Hurry up, aim.”

“Dad I’m scared.”

“Aim, Shirly.”

“Dad?”

“Shut up Shirley.”

Al raises his rifle.

“Buckle up. We’re surrounded.”

All round them, appearing from behind the trees, antlers, glowing eyes, deer.

“What the fuck?”

“What do we do, Al?”

“We shoot, they run. Then we’ll go back. Something’s not right.”

He puts the sight right on the deer’s heart. The forest grows darker still. Their eyes meet. Their heartbeats sync. Al pulls the trigger. It echoes beyond the snow, sends crows flying, cooing, snow rains over their heads. The deer falls to the ground.

Then, so far motionless, the herd rush toward them.

“Shoot!” Shawn’s voice is drowned by his own rifle as the party starts blasting frantically. Blood and snow mingle on the ground. Bellows and gunshots clash in the air.

Al is rammed and pushed to the ground. His arms and legs crack under their hooves.

Blackout. Static squealing fills his ears. He traces the motion of burning blue eyes getting closer.

“You broke our Promise.” An otherworldly voice addresses him.

Yet he recognizes it.

“Sylvia?”

“I was. For a short time. No longer.”

“How?”

“You killed me once, remember?”

“What? When?”

“Once. In the past. Now you have liberated me.”

“And now you’re back for revenge?”

“Revenge is petty. I’m here to protect. I tried protecting you too, Al. bound you, gave you a second chance. But you just couldn’t change, did you?”

“Give me back my daughter!”

The deer turns around and disappears into the surrounding void.

Hours later, as he wakes up to the sound of sirens, Al will witness Shawn and Shirley’s corpses, crushed and dismembered, next to him. All that remains are the image of those majestic antlers, its blue eyes—her blue eyes, her voice receding eternally, and a rifle soaked in blood, along with the knowledge that he will never see his daughter again.