Hesitation, by Josh

I can barely hear myself think as the wind whips through the trees. As the wind's gusts increase, I wait patiently. I know my patience will pay off in just five more minutes, I keep telling myself. If I just wait a few minutes more, there is bound to be a deer step out. I just know it. Rain begins pounding down onto my back I sit still never moving, eyes sweeping across the freshly cut cornfield looking for any sign of a deer.

I sit for what seems like hours but as I check my watch it has only been twenty minutes. And then after an hour’s worth of waiting,  a doe steps into the edge of the field, closely followed by two young fawns dappled with spots. I watch these beautiful animals fight the onslaught of pouring rain and gusting wind. I keep thinking a buck will soon step out; I will only have a split second to shoot. I must quickly gather my gear and start looking because the rain will wash away any traces of the deer.

The doe and fawns mosey around the field for about an hour and slowly they disappear into the foliage once more. There is only about twenty-five more minutes until sunset, and there won’t be enough daylight to shoot.

All of a sudden an odd movement catches the corner of my eye. There stands a monster buck, but as I watch him come across the cornfield towards me, I think, “I can’t shoot this animal.” But I must. My family needs to eat, and deer meat is our only means of meat. But, this magnificent animal standing there, I cannot find the courage to take the shot. There is one other thought that crosses my mind: take the shot or we will go hungry. I slowly raise my gun he sees me and dashes into the woods, never to be seen by me again.