penthius

This wasn't from one of my story ideas here, but--The Washington Pastime has put out an anthology of selection stories from the last year, including my heartwarming literary story, "Gone Huntin'." If you'd like to have it for your very own, you can get a copy here.

The man stamped his feet hard against the stoop when he stepped outside of his cabin. It was an hour yet before sunrise and cold enough that his breath frosted the air, hanging white against the dark of the trees. Even through the layered flannel shirts and down jacket he was wearing, he felt the bite of winter.

Shouldering his rifle, thermos in hand, he walked through the woods to his stand. Birds' sleepy chirps fell silent when he walked by, twigs snapping under his boots. There was just enough light for him to make out the path. When he reached his stand and climbed up the ladder, he saw fresh claw-marks from the black bear that roamed in the area on one of the trees nearby. They shone white against the dark tree bark. He was glad for his rifle.

Read more in The Washington Pastime Collections Anthology Vol. 1.