Sniff Snuff.

By Paul J Lee

The trees rustled slightly in the cool night breeze a soothing sound if Jacob had been in any condition to be soothed. The only other sounds he could hear was the gasps of air as he tried frantically to slow his breathing and the sound of his blood rushing in his ears.

Quiet, he had to be quiet or he was a dead man, his breathing slowly becoming easier and less noisy which in the middle of the Branton Woods Recreational Park at three in the morning even the slightest sound seemed to be unbearably loud.

He began to look around, not that it did much good the moon was a sliver in the night sky and the clouds passing by made it almost impossible to see. So he needed to control his breathing for another reason, his ears now were the only things that could tell him if he was safe.

As he began to move in the direction he thought the Ranger Station was he thought he felt a sensation of movement off to his left. Freezing stock still like a deer caught in the sudden appearance of head lights he waited and hoped it was just his nerves.

Taking one small careful step Jacob resumed his slow plodding hike to safety when out of the darkness in an explosion of sound from some sort of bushes a hand grabbed his arm. A crazed laugh cut through the other wise still night air. Hot sour breath puffed on his face as the night cloaked figure drew near.

"Well boy" the voice came cracking in a hideous high pitched backwoods twang, "looks like yer out of luck, guttin time." The figure fumbled with a machete hung from a military utility belt and began to cackle some more as Jacob struggled, which earned him a strike across the face.

The Last thing the figure said to Jacob as he began to insert the pointed sharp steel machete into his crotch to begin the procedure of gutting was, "You know how I found ya boy? Ha! It was the city smell on ya. Can't mistake that smell anywhere. This will teach you and your kind to come traipsin through my forest." He began to cut and the screams echoed through the forest.

The children squealed with glee as their uncle Ranger Roy recounted the tale of how his cousin proceeded to gut and then quarter the camper up. "Boy Uncle Roy, that city fella sure got what he deserved didn't he?"

"Yes." Ranger Roy said in answer, "The funny part is he thought he was gonna be safe when he got to my station. Dumb ass city folk." Suddenly Ranger Roy stopped talking and sniffed the air, "Boys you smell that? I think we got some more city folk to deal with.".

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