Spencer Ryan

It's Kids, or a Hunter

The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window. I ignored it at first. Just kids looking for a place to party. Or maybe a hunter that needed shelter for the night. It’s nothing, I told myself. I abandoned my curiosity and continued walking home along the trail. A coyote jumped out in front of me, carrying a baby possum in its mouth. The possum tried to wriggle free, but the coyote crunched down on it, crushing its skull. Blood poured out of its mouth and onto the path. Buzzards circled overhead, waiting for the coyote’s leftovers. Rain began to fall. Thunder crashed in the distance.