The Final Hunt

The metal door creaked open, and I was exposed to a cold winter air. Outside lay a fresh new coat of snow on the ground. The sun had just set behind the mountains. Taking my first step into the outside my foot fell deep into the snow. I would have to trudge my way to my destination today. As I stood their admiring the purple and red sky of the setting sun there was a sense of peace around me. I then noticed the comet still hanging proudly in the sky. It seemed like it was only yesterday that it had arrived. But it has been several months now. Maybe even a whole year. I’m not sure anymore.

I continued to trudge my way through the thick snow. There was nobody but me out here. Except for the animals. There were rabbits, some birds, and squirrels, but the real prize were the winter bull. For someone like me who lives out here in the middle of nowhere, I have to eat something and in the wintertime that something is hopefully a winter bull. A bull would last me about a month if it was big enough. They had learned to stay away from me though after having to deal with me for so long.

I’ve lived out here ever since the comet arrived. With it came those damned shadows. Creatures who live solely to devour others. They don’t eat people but rather their shadows. Once they start eating away at your shadow, that’s it. You’re done.

I’ve had my fair share of experiences with them. People say they’re aliens from the comet, others say they’re angry spirits from the forest. Me? I don’t really know, and I don’t care anymore. I keep my distance from them.

It wasn’t long until I had reached my usual spot. As I neared the top of a snowy hill I slowly began to shift into a crawl. Once I could see over the hill, I saw what I was looking for. Down at the bottom of the hill were bull. A whole herd of them. Right now, they were getting ready to go to sleep. Now that winter was here, they were going to be getting ready to migrate to other areas. I could follow them for the winter, but I had other plans. Long overdue plans.

I waited a long while for them to go to sleep for the night. It usually took hours but I’m patient especially today. This was going to be my last hunt before I finally went home. It was dark. A great time for a shadow to be lurking in the darkness. Shadows don’t like the sun you see. Something about it makes them scream a real earsplitting sound. Something not human. So, they stay away from it. It ain’t just sunlight either. Any light will do. Which makes sense I suppose with them being shadows. There’s even a whole city with huge walls and giant lights pointing down inside. I always called it daylight city, but most gave it the nickname the inner city.

After a couple hours the herd had finally fallen asleep. It took longer than I expected though. I stood up from my hiding spot and began making my way down the hill, careful not to make a sound. Soon enough I was pretty close to the herd. Then came a soft sound. I could hear them, the shadows. They make sounds. Sounds from before they were shadows. These shadows are strange you see. Some, if not all of them, used to be human. That much I’ve figured out. They always make these strange sounds no human could ever make. Some play music. Some have conversations using multiple voices. Some even make sounds like an animal. Something from their past. Something that ties them to who they used to be. What I don’t understand is why they make those sounds.

The situation had changed. I was going to have to try and get the herd to run before they got them. I couldn’t have them eating my prey. The only thing I had to make noise with was my voice. So, I let out a loud scream. Instantly the herd awoke and began running and making noise. Then the shadows appeared from behind another nearby hill and began running down toward us. The herd noticed them and focused their escape on the opposite direction. I ran with them. Trying my best to keep up. Our pursuers were fast it was going to be difficult to lose them. The herd kept their distance from me. Eventually the shadows caught up with one of the older and slower bulls as it tumbled over trying to keep up with the herd.

I continued to run with the herd until I knew for sure they were a safe distance away from the shadows. We had just gotten over another hill when I stopped and watched as they continued to run. Hopefully they would go far away from this place.

As the last of the herd ran past me, I saw a bright light begin to appear from over a mountain. The sun was beginning to rise. I looked out over the snowy landscape below me. The herd was far from me now. I then shifted my gaze upward at the comet in the sky. It really was quite beautiful.

It was then that the sun finally peeked over the top of the mountain and the light hit my shadowy body. It was painful but I had prepared for this day. I had grown tired of hunting the herd for their dark silhouettes. I had planned to eat one more time but under the circumstances that was not possible. Not without letting the shadows take more victims. With a terrible and inhuman scream, I left this world. I no longer wished to be a shadow.

It had been a long time since I’d felt the warmth of the sun.

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