Tusk Of Tomorrow

Prologue

Emma awoke to the sound of gunfire, this not so uncommon occurrence startled her every time. She looked out of her window and saw a tall scraggly man in a long grey wool trench coat. He began approaching the house, now was her chance.

She rushed to get dressed and ran down the stairs, just in time for the dark sillouette to pierce the cloudy glass on the front door. She quickly hid around the kitchen doorway and waited. He walked, the wooden floorboards creaked, he staggered into the kitchen and she leapt on top of him, to which he reversed her move and tackled her to the floor.
She began giggling.

"You must be quicker Emily." He spoke sternly.

"No time for getting dressed, you must act sharply and precisely. Around the corner was decent, but you should've hid if you didn't have enough time. Then-"

"Yes yes, find a weapon! I get it! Or run!" She pouted. Her father didn't appreciate her skill at getting dressed so quickly.

He got up and placed the dead bird on the table, then he began plucking the feathers off of it. She pouted even more.

Had he forgotten? Or was he just pretending like he did?

He sighed noticing her glares, he then washed his hands and led her into the next room and unveiled a present from beneath the couch.

Damn it, why hadn't she looked there?

"Happy birthday, Emma." A hint of joy expressed itself through those words

She reached out for it, but he pulled back.

"Do you accept the responsibility? Do you understand what responsibility this entails?"

She grumbled and replied with an impatient, "Yes! Yes!" She was 13 now, she should be able to do anything!

He handed it to her, she quickly unwrapped the gift to reveal a Ruger 10/22 Rifle. She gasped and immediately picked it up, pointing it at him. He quickly pushed it away, to which she apologized and he grumbled, "It's fine."

"We're going hunting this week, prepare yourself, I already set some tin cans outside."

She nodded anxiously and ran out the door with the gun. He sighed and followed her, bringing her the ammunition.

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After a couple days, she felt she had gotten the hang of it and confronted him on taking her hunting sooner. He didn't argue, he rarely spoke and when he did they were commands not conversation.

They set out in his rustic red chevy, and headed deeper into the woods.
The deeper they went, the more bumpy and chaotic the road was. She was nervous, her stomach felt tight. This was her one chance to prove to him that she could take care of herself.
Nontheless she was excited, he had never let her go hunting with him before. She'd always watched him shoot down birds or snare rabbits from her window, but never had he allowed her to hunt herself.

"We're here." He placed the pickup in park and turned off the ignition.

They hiked for what felt like hours, but finally they came across deer droppings. Fresh, meaning it was still in the area. They treaded with extra caution now, till they finally spotted it. A white tailed buck, she pulled out her rifle but he stuck his hand out in front of her, cautioning to be careful.

This was her one and only chance to prove herself to him, of course she was gonna be careful.

She quietly and slowly lay on the ground. The cold wet moss seeped through her camouflage outfit. Ahead she saw it, a 10 point buck. She pulled her gun from her side and aimed at the beautiful creature. She was so excited she almost shot it immediately. However she remembered something, something a year before. They were traveling to town during winter and got stuck in the snow. He pushed the car and appointed her driver, immediately she stepped on the gas, causing the car to get stuck even further. He told her, "Never rush when it comes to things precious to you."

This deer was precious in a sense that this was her soon to be first kill, her chance at proving herself competent. She remembered all the things he'd taught her. Locate the target, assess situation then find a way to kill.
Step one was complete. Step two is now in process.

She began assessing, she wouldn't be able to get a good shot from this angle or from the deer's position, she'd either have to move which might compromise her attempt at the shot, or she'd have to wait. When she looked to her right side to see what she should do, he was gone.

Just her, the gun and the deer.

She calmed herself down quickly, her objective was to kill the deer. Not to freak out over his disappearance or to ask him what to do. He always has a reason for everything he does, doesn't he?

She began questioning the situation, studying the deer, studying herself. Would this even matter to him if she killed the deer? He never appreciated her other attempts even if successful at attacking, hiding, running, dressing, and surviving. Would this one kill matter?

The deer moved, it was in perfect sight now, she was facing his front and it was a foot closer. She adjusted the scope, she was shaking something awful and she had no idea why. Perhaps from excitement? Fear from failing? She began pulling on the trigger ever so slightly, the scope becoming more focused and shaking less and less. Until finally, aiming right between the eyes, a loud bang shot out.

She looked up, she had missed his head, and it instead hit his leg, it began limping trying to get away from the imminent danger, she shot again hitting the body. The deer collapsed and began crying out.

She walked over to it, she felt a presence at her right side and looked over.

Tears started streaming from her eyes, he handed her a pistol.

"Now you must decide, you caused it suffering, will you end it?"

She began crying even more, barely seeing the deer below through her tears, she pointed the gun at the despaired creature. The cold finally reached her bones, causing her to shiver. The trees stopped moving and just for a second, she understood what she had to do.

Feeling the cold metal of the gun, she pulled the trigger.

The ride home was quiet except for the passing scenery and a couple muffled sobs.