Nature's Revenge

By Troy Massie

Four middle-aged friends go out for a hunting trip on a lovely Sunday morning. Only this trip is nothing like they have ever experienced. The surroundings begin to change, and the sky begins to grow dark in the early afternoon. Then they realize that they are trapped in the woods.

Friends and family of the four men experience the darkness and sense that the men are in danger, so they go out to look for them. They all end up having the ultimate test of courage, running into creatures that they had seen before only in their worst nightmares and dealing with terrible natural disasters, forcing them to fight for their lives.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Nov 30, 2012
• ISBN: 9781479755219

Troy Massie

I have been writing fiction for several years. I am also a musician and play guitar in several bands. I work as a cook, and I live in Fairborn, OH.

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Copyright © 2012 by Troy Massie.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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1

Steve Holmes, Joe Kent and Dustin Copper had all arrived at Jack Barton’s house in Fairborn, OH. They would stay the night and then in the morning they would head to Wim’s hunting ground.

I’m feelin’ like tomorrow’s gonna be a good one, Jack said while packing his bag. He always liked to stay on top of things and plan accordingly for any type of trip.

Yeah, it’s been forever and a day since I’ve been ta that spot, Joe replied while polishing his Reflex Bighorn. The others teased him about using bows and arrows, but he did not care. He felt that using a bow and arrow was more genuine and realistic than simply firing a rifle, less noisy as well.

Me too, Steve Holmes muttered as he took a swig from his Budweiser 40 oz. He was looking forward to the trip the least, mainly because he got stuck in a hole during the previous trip and was buried up to his ribs for close to two hours. But he had a passion for the outdoors and was determined to have a better time at this trip.

It’s been a while for me as well, Dustin said while yawning. I’m lookin’ forward to it. He was worn out from working a twelve-hour shift, and from his wife calling and checking on him nonstop. She didn’t like him going on hunting trips. She thought it was dangerous.

You all are gonna notice some changes when we get there, Jack said. I was over there about a year ago and it looks a hell of a lot different than it did when we were teens.

Still some good huntin’ though, right? Joe asked.

You bet yer pretty ass it is! The best huntin’ in the area, even after all these years.

Well, I’m ’bout ta call it a night, Dustin said while plopping down on one of the couches.

Yeah, I think we could all use some rest, Jack replied. Big day tomorrow ladies. He headed up the stairs to his room.

They were planning to get up around 5:30 and head to the hunting ground right outside of New Carlisle. It was a place that Jack had gone to with his dad when he was a child. The others had been there a few times with Jack. It was a perfect spot for rabbit hunting, which all of them preferred over anything else. They had always enjoyed the challenge of hunting rabbits over deer or other larger animals. They all enjoyed the meat as well.

The four of them were all asleep within a half an hour. They had sweet dreams of the outdoors and rabbit stew.

2

The four of them had been good friends since high school. They used to play in a country band together. They were all in their mid-thirties by this point and were still close friends. They had a friendship bond that would not break easily.

They still took hunting trips regularly. The trips had always been the best way to cope with their stresses and hardships. They would generally take the trips from November through January. November is the beginning of the rabbit-hunting season and December and January usually provide a decent amount of snow, which they all enjoy. They had always lived fairly close to one another, so it was easy for them to get together, even with other things going on in their lives.

They had been all over Ohio and even to Indiana a few times. They preferred spots up near Akron and Cleveland. They had even talked about broadening their horizons a little and going to West Virginia and Tennessee at some point.

From the beginning, Jack was always the leader of the pack. He had a knack for hunting and the outdoors. He knew the best weapons to use. He knew the best spots. He was also the best navigator of the four. The others could not tell their ass from a hole in the ground once they got out into the woods.

Jack had been in the army for a year when he was eighteen. He enjoyed it very much, but he had to leave in order to take care of his sick mother. In the one year that he was there, he had perfected many skills, including short and long range rifle shooting, and the martial arts programs. The other three guys were very lucky to have Jack as a friend and as a leader. He had infinite knowledge to share.

Dustin used the hunting trips as a way to cope with his personal problems. His ex-wife had cheated on him when they were married. He was very upset when he found out, but he felt much better after going hunting. It helped him clear his mind. He filed for divorce shortly afterwards.

He loved his new wife Lindsay very much, but he felt that she was on his case too much. She worried about him and was very protective of him. But she loved him very much and would never betray him, and he knew that. He was happier now than he had been, but he still used hunting as a stress escape.

Joe also used hunting as an escape from his problems, mainly as a teen. His father was an alcoholic, which is why Joe is the only one in the group who doesn’t drink. His father was verbally abusive and it had upset Joe many times. As a teen, he would sometimes burst into tears out of nowhere. Jack would always be there to comfort him. He would tell him that everything would be fine, and it had always helped Joe through rough times.

Steve had always been a goofball. He was very clumsy, and he always found himself in difficult situations. There had been quite a few times that he had fallen down staircases, and it would take him close to a half an hour to get back up and on balance. He had been the butt of many jokes, but he had always been well respected because of his ability to deal with hard times.

When he was a teen, his family was poor. Since he had little money, he spent a lot of time building things such as slingshots, toy cars and random things made out of clay. He had won a few awards at art shows. His skills always came in handy on the hunting trips. He was the kind of guy who could start a fire with a stick and a rock in a matter of minutes.

When the four of them were out in the woods, it was like a completed puzzle. Everything fit together, and they forgot all about their outside problems.

3

Jack’s alarm went off like a tornado siren. It was very old and had no volume control. It made a very loud clinging noise that could be heard outside if someone was close enough to the house. Jack was used to it though. He woke up undisturbed and went to the bathroom to get ready. It startled the others, however.

Got damn, who turned on the TV? Steve mumbled while drooling.

Oh yeah, it’s that piece-a-shit waker upper, Joe said as he sat up from the couch to stretch.

Never got around ta replacin’ that, I guess, Dustin said as he got up to use the bathroom.

Well today’s the day, gentlemen, Steve said. I ain’t gettin’ stuck in no damn hole, neither.

Yeah, we’ll see about that, Joe replied. Dustin was chuckling in the bathroom as he was urinating.

Shut up, assholes! Steve was still groggy but slightly angered. You’ll be the ones stuck in a hole this time.

No fuckin’ way, Joe said as he got up to grab his bag.

Man, Wim’s is one a’ the best spots I’ve ever been to, Steve said while stretching. They got miles of woods, cornfields, streams. Anything you could ask for on a good day. We just need ta make sure we don’t get separated, cuz there’s been a few folks along the years that came up missin’ around that area.

Yeah, I remember hearin’ about that. Some kids er somethin’, Dustin said as he came out of the bathroom.

Yeah, some a’ them kids were runaways, Joe said. They went up inta them woods and didn’t come back till they were found alive about a year later out by the state line between Ohio and West Virginia. You believe that shit?

Well, we’ll be just fine as long as we stick together, Jack said while storming down the stairs. The sound of him coming down the stairs was almost as loud as that of the alarm clock. He was a very large man, close to 300 pounds. He was muscular for the most part, but he had developed a beer belly over the years.

He had his AHR rifle in one hand, a case of ammo in another, and a huge backpack on his back. He was strong enough to bring large loads even while walking long distances. He liked to have everything he needed plus more.

His backpack consisted of a compass, pocketknives, food, a blanket, a water bottle, binoculars, bags for storing dead rabbits in, as well as other small accessories. He also had an orange vest, a pair of protective glasses and a pair of earplugs, as did the others. He felt that all of these things were necessary for a successful hunting trip, and that it was better to have it and not need it than to not have it and need it.

Joe’s bag consisted of extra arrows, which fit in small slots on the outside of his bag. He also had some potato chips, water, a towel and his lucky hat, which he brought with him to every trip. When they went on their very first trip, Joe had the most success and he thought it was mainly because of the hat, so therefore he brought it with him to every trip from then on.

"You still got that damn bacteria trap?’’ Jack asked.

Sure do, Joe replied. He put the hat on his head. It was a camouflage baseball cap that was about twenty years old. There wasn’t much left of it at all. It had significant tears all over it, and it smelled like a mixture of bird shit, mud and maple.

Jesus, the garbage can is right over there! Dustin said, disgusted.

No way. As long as I’m alive, this charm will remain with me, Joe said while straightening the bill.

You better wash that damn thing then, Steve said. I bet them hobos outside smell better than that shit.

Joe takes a whiff of his hat and turns his head back in disgust. Yeah, it might be about time. Not today though, we gotta get goin’.

First thing tomorrow then, Steve said.

Dustin had a really old WWI style rifle that he was polishing up. It had been handed down to him from his father who got it from his father and so on. It was so old that he was not sure who the original owner was. It still worked well. He got tremendous accuracy from it.

He had the smallest bag of all. He did not like to have much excess baggage on trips. He just had some extra ammo, water and a few other small accessories, including matches.

Steve had finally upgraded to an AHR. It was brand new and in great shape. He had been using an old pistol for a very long time. He liked the idea of having something small that he could pull out quickly, but he decided to get something new since the pistol was wearing down.

I see you’ve upgraded, my friend, Jack said. Good job.

Yeah, I figure after a few hours pass, I’ll get used to it, Steve said, a little unsure.

His bag contained some ammo, a hunting book, and a raccoon fur hat with a tail at the end, which he had just put on his head proudly. The hat was sort of a lucky charm just like Joe’s cammo cap. Even though he had been wearing it for over ten years, the others still laughed hysterically whenever he put it on.

Hey there, Davey Crocket, Jack said while chuckling. You gonna lead the way?

I’ll blend in way better than you fools, Steve replied. That’s for damn sure!

They were all just about ready to head out when they heard a loud crash outside.

Shit! they all yelled simultaneously. Jack opened the front door and peered outside. His ceramic pot that he used for flower growing in the springtime was on the floor shattered to pieces. It had been hanging from a hook. Right beside it was the daily newspaper.

Mother fuck, he muttered to himself. He walked to the end of his front yard, looked to the left, and saw the paperboy riding away as if he were evading the police. I see you! Jack screamed. I’ll catch you next time!

Jack was a pretty intimidating guy, especially to the kids. The paperboy knew that it was Jack’s house, and that is why he sped off.

Jack went back inside. I wanna know who’s raisin’ these little hoodlums, Jack said with a calm tone of voice.

Man, these kids have no respect, Dustin said. They know that if anyone even lays a hand on ’em, their parents’ll sue for a million.

Sure ’nough, Joe said. You need to be on the lookout for him next time and make sure he pays for that pot. We really need to be gettin’ goin’ now though."

Yeah, Jack said. He swept up the remains of the pot. The others were bringing their things out to Jack’s brand new Chevy Blazer. It was a very nice November morning. The sunrise was beautiful and there was a good view of it from Jack’s front yard. The air was cool and refreshing. The birds were chirping louder than they had in a while.

You couldn’t ask for a better morning than this, Joe said with a huge grin.