Destiny and Jackson Find Trouble

Adrenaline mounts. Destiny pauses to check on Jackson.

The noise again. He points.

The sound is of someone scratching or digging off to their left. Destiny stares hard in the direction from which it comes. Nothing.

But, now that she’s more attuned to it, it continues, quieter, then louder.

Like a revelation her mind solves the mystery. She looks back at Jackson who, still excited, mouths the word with exaggerated movements, but making no sound.

Bear.

A bear is tearing apart a rotting log finding grubs and eating them. Hibernation is ending. The bear must be starving. Destiny can visualize the chinks of rotten wood flying as the bear scratches the log apart, desperate for food.

Does she dare?

Taking on a bear is no small feat, but one that Destiny is sure she can manage.

There are other reasons. Reasons she hasn’t shared with Jackson, and she should.

But it’s too late. And it’s worth the risk. She and her mother will eat for days. If it isn’t already, the apple turnover will surely be forgotten if Destiny returns home with a prize like this.

The two hunters don’t share a word.

They know each other’s minds perfectly anyway. Their direction shifts. The wind is right. They creep toward the ravenous bear.

He must be close. The sounds reveal him.

Slinking through what cover they can find, Destiny and Jackson close the distance.

Just as she’d pictured. But not for long.

The tree fell over long ago and all but the trunk has been pulverized into forest litter. What remains is riddled with the tunneling of insects.

The bear searches for them. The long claws on his paws rip the rotten wood as if it were paper and the pieces hurtle through the air.

It’s an easy shot. He has no idea they’re here.

He can’t smell them and is too starving to think of anything but the last remaining scraps of food before him. Like Destiny devouring the turnover.

Destiny nods to Jackson. He would love to tell his family of shooting a bear.

At first he shakes his head then capitulates when Destiny insists. Kneeling in the clump of bushes, Jackson levels his musket.

It takes a moment. He draws a deep breath, lines up his shot, and fires.

The implosion of a tuft of hair marks where the bullet hits. Right inside the animals left front leg. It buries itself in the bear’s chest. An instantly fatal shot.

Destiny stands, congratulating her friend. Jackson fumbles with his musket as he fiddles with the chore of re-arming the muzzle-loading piece.

The blast of Jackson’s gun hushes every animal within earshot. Destiny can even hear the break of twigs as he drops the butt of his musket to the earth to ram home a new load of powder.

A roar shatters the silence.

Destiny snaps her head back toward the bear. It lives.

The animal jumps to its hind legs. Its head turns, searching for its new enemy.

What happened? Destiny saw the bullet hit. It was a fatal shot.

The bear should be dead. It’s big, but still—

She’d been careless. She gave away their position when she stood. That and Jackson’s animated re-loading routine make a spectacle that can’t be missed.

The bear finds Destiny’s stare.

Black glimmering and accusing eyes drill into her. The enraged animal becomes a bundle of fury. Its roar is deep, loud. It chills her.

Destiny’s shoulders shake with a terrified shiver.

Shiny black lips peel back revealing long, pointed teeth. Still staring at her, the beast swats at an imaginary Destiny as though practicing. Its claws slice at the air.

Destiny takes a ragged breath. A mad bear. A charging bear.

The animal roars another threat and launches itself.

Jackson gapes and stares at Destiny. He’s empty, his gun useless.

On instinct, she raises her weapon. She has to shoot the bear. She has to put it on the ground. There is no time for error.

Her breath rattles as she draws it into her lungs. Trembling arms fight to steady her musket.

The top of the barrel looks long and straight. The tip of it aligns right into the target. Another deep breath jiggles the gun away from the closing bear.

Even as it charges, it bellows another threatening roar. Curled back lips, expose those razor-like incisors.

Tip of the musket barrel back on target.

Destiny’s finger pulls steady on the trigger.

Gunpowder in the pan flashes.

The load in the barrel ignites and throws the weapon into her shoulder.

A blast echoes through the woods.

Staring intently through the smoke, Destiny sees the implosion of animal fur where her bullet hits.

Into its head, almost between the eyes.

The bear drops like a stone.

Destiny has never seen Jackson’s eyes so large.

#

“I should tell you.” Destiny peers at Jackson as he works vigorously with his knife, preparing the bear for transport. He stops and stares expectantly.

Jackson looks so much like his brother, same light-brown hair, same gray eyes. The deerskin he wears most of the time he made himself, learning from the few Wampanoag Indians that venture around Blackham from time to time.

Destiny loves Jackson as a friend. But she loves Jacob as a man.

“We’re not supposed to hunt out here,” she says.

Jackson opens his mouth as though to reply, but says nothing. His face contorts in surprise and disbelief.

He glances quickly about them, then returns his stare to Destiny. “Why? Who? That’s ridiculous!”

“You know we rent from the great Earl of Ledenberry, right?” Destiny allows some sarcasm into her voice.

Jackson just nods. Destiny spreads her arms wide.

“All this belongs to him. His own hunting preserve.”

“But he’s in England,” Jackson sputters.

Destiny nods. “He might visit.”

“We’ve killed plenty of animals in these woods.”

“Squirrels and turkeys. I’ve never worried about those. I hesitated with the bear, but…”

They both watch each other for a moment.

“You think his agent will find out? What’s his name?”

“Jasper.” Destiny spits the name with disdain. “No. The bear’s too big to carry home but whatever we leave’ll be gone in a couple of days.”

Jackson stops cutting, but he stares at the bear meat for a few moments. When he speaks, it’s quiet.

“How’re you supposed to eat, Destiny?” He raises his gaze to catch hers.

She shrugs. “Don’t cut any trees. No hunting. No anything. It all belongs to his lordship.”

Jackson starts cutting again. “Well, he won’t find this bear. If he visits—.”

“Comes calling for the rent,” Destiny corrects.

“If he comes calling for the rent and sees it in your house, tell him it came from Jacob and me.”

Destiny smiles. “Thanks.”

Jacob and Jackson.

Jacob.

“Too bad Jake couldn’t have joined us.”

Jackson continues to cut, talking into the carcass. “Oh, no. He’s off with Amelia today. Big plans for a big future—.”

Too late. Destiny tries to turn away, but Jackson looks up and catches her. He must see the tears in her eyes, the disappointment on her face. After the turnover, she just—

“I’m sorry Destiny.”

She shakes her head and chokes out an attempt at a little laugh, mocking herself.