The First One I Saw

I was seven.

The wooden fences surrounding the town were hardly more than decoration. They were eight feet high, and had gaps tall enough for me to slip through. Humans lived on one side and the animals lived on the other. For whatever reason, the shapeshifters never came close enough to town to require more than a barrier defining us from them.

Derren was "It". He was off counting with his face buried into the side of a tree. I ran as fast as I could, panting and giggling. Where could I hide? In the stables? No, Mister Slater had warned us off from that.

"Them horses could smash yer face in, they ain't friendly," he'd told us after he caught us climbing in the rafters above the stalls, "You just try to mess with them and you won't see tomorrow."

I sighed, then giggled again. Time was running out, I had to find a spot! I sprinted past the stables, and then I saw it: the old elm tree. It was so fat from age that its branches hung low, some even extending over the outside fence. I heard Derren yell, "Here I come!" from behind me. I scrambled up the trunk and into the branches. I didn't stop until I was up past the top of the fence. I could see him in the distance, wandering the wrong way. It was going to be a while until he found me.

Straddling the branch, I took the moment to enjoy the view. My parents said we weren't allowed so close to the fence, but nothing bad ever came close to town. In fact, I didn't remember seeing any normal wild animals besides birds around here. There's supposed to be all sorts of deer and foxes and raccoons in the forest surround us. I'd never seen any except for what the hunters brought back from their trips. And those were always dead.

It wasn't five minutes from when I'd first climbed that tree when I first heard the twig snap. It was from the other side. I was instantly curious, and afraid. What was over there? I scanned the dense foliage, and caught a glimpse of white among the green and black. I held my breath as the deer stepped cautiously forward.

His pelt was perfectly white, except for around his hooves where the mud stained him. His large eyes were black, but very bright and very alive. He shook off the leaves that clung to his silvery, almost crystal antlers. If he had only been brown, he would have looked like any other creature. He was looking right at me and he tilted his head, looking as confused as I was.

"What are you doing here?" He asked in a hushed voice.

My own voice was caught, "I - um - hiding -"

"It's a horrible place to hide, come with me. I'll keep you safe. You shouldn't be here." He looked worried, and with a glance around again said, "Please, trust me, I'll keep you safe."

I felt a tug in my heart. I wanted to go with him. He was beautiful, and he looked like he honestly wanted to help me. I wasn't sure why he seemed to think I was in danger, but his voice was so eager it caused my heartbeat to skip with fear. I needed to go with him.

I nodded and swung my leg over the branch, suddenly feeling like I had a new friend. As I got ready to hop to the next step, the deer suddenly hit the ground, thrashing and screaming. I lost my balance and fell the rest of the way to the ground. I landed on the opposite side of the fence to him, with a sickening snap as my wrist failed to catch me. I didn't feel anything for a moment as all I could focus on was the deer's movements. His spasms made him look like he was sprinting on his side. He gasped and slowed, eye rolling. I began to cry. I noticed his side growing red from the arrow lodged in his ribs. I rolled over to see Mister Slater rushing to me.

"Git down, Brielle!" he yelled at me, waving his bow in the air, "Damned beast!" When he reached me, he grabbed me by the wrist - the one I landed on - and flung me away from the fence. Pain shot up my arm and into my shoulder. I cried out. With one smooth movement Mister Slater landed a second silent arrow in the deer and was on his knees next to me. The deer quieted. I cried more.

"Did it get you? Are you ok? Damn it, speak to me, girl!" he said, giving me a look over, "Oh dear, looks like you've broken your wrist. You're lucky, the beast was probably looking for an easy meal."

Mister Slater scooped me up in his arms, gently quieting my cries. He called to a young man, "Grab that buck and get it inside. Hide the body. We don't want any demons seeing that we've killed one." I watched over Mister Slater's shoulder as the young man reached through the fence and drug the buck under the rails by his antlers. He hastily pulled it toward the stables.

"Good lord, I can't believe this has happened," Mister Slater says to no one in particular as he heads for the Doctor's, in the middle of town, "Damned beast. They don't get so close. Why the hell was it so close?"