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| Night of The Bright Light by � coondogk9 I was caught in the bright light. If it was teenagers I was doomed. If it was an old person I was doomed. I moved quickly to the shoulder and waited. My activity was normal. I�d been nibbling away when the bright light caught me. My rack was huge. I hope they weren�t after that. On a scale from one to ten it was a ten. Maybe not world record but it was massive and perfectly proportioned. If it was the authorities maybe I was safe. I heard the shot as it passed between my legs. I felt the burn as I leaped. In a single bound I tried to escape but it was too late. I hit the passenger door. The last thing I remember was the sound of the car door opening and the voice whispering: Come on out dear. I was laying with my head on the shoulder. Eyes glazed and gasping for breath. I felt his strong hands on my legs as he drug me off. I saw my chance and with my legs braced bounded away into the woods hearing his voice cursing me as I disappeared amidst the hail of gunfire I recovered but I�ll always remember that night and that bright light. The brambles and underbrush scraped and scratched as I dove for cover in the thicket. Breathing hard I waited silently then I heard the car pull away and watched as the tail lights disappeared into the distant darkness. Now years later I looked around at the heads of trophies on the wall. There were deer, antelope, wild boar, and others with that glassy look staring into nothingness. The lodge was filled with smoke as laughter sifted from the tables and hunters retold stories. I was lucky that night but tonight my heart was empty. I felt nothing. I was numb and my mouth felt dry. I glimpsed the beer bottle as it whizzed past my head crashing against the wall behind me. A fight. Well at least I wasn�t in it. This was only one of many over the years I�d witnessed at the club. Then I heard it. My mind went back to the night of the bright light. I recognized the voice. "Come on". It was off to the side out of my line of vision. I waited. I wanted to put a face to the voice yet I didn�t either. Then he walked in front of me and I saw his face. Deeply lined features, short and paunchy now balding. Not even the same man that hunted me years ago. He never even noticed me as he passed by. The woman with him stopped and stared at me. She looked deep into my glassy eyes. I could see the hurt in hers. She felt the pain I'd felt long ago forgotten. I saw a tear form as she and turned and walked away. I still didn�t know her name. I took a last drink of my beer and slowly staggered to my feet. I looked back at her as I turned to leave. Older but still as beautiful as the night on our lovers lane. I can still feel her soft shoulder against my cheek and her warm body under mine. I nodded my head and walked away leaving her to think about our last night together. Tommy L 05-14-02 |