https://Voice.club - Lyssa’s brow furrowed as she scanned the area. Surely this was where she’d sighted the buck. The landscape shifted and changed with each flurry of snow. Her aim had been true; she had hit her target, but not with her usual accuracy.
She skirted the edge of the tree line, keeping her footsteps as soft as possible in the mounding snow.
Suddenly she spotted some indentations and scuffing. Was this where the buck had turned quickly to spring away through the trees? But which way had it run? That’s when she saw them. Scarlet droplets lay against a backdrop of dazzling white. Here was evidence at last that she’d hit the beast.
Confidence renewed and driven by determination, Lyssa trudged ahead, her quick eyes searching for more drops of blood to guide her way. Lyssa rounded the edge of a bluff out of the shelter of the wind. The blizzard hit her with its full force. She ducked her head and lifted her gloved hands to protect her face from the stinging, wind-whipped, blinding snow.
She feared she’d never find the buck now, but Jace was relying on her. He couldn’t do anything with his ankle busted up. She was sure he’d broken it, but Jace insisted it was just a sprain and that he’d be back on his feet in a day or two. But their food situation was dire now. So she pushed her way forward, though tracking in these conditions was nigh on impossible.
She almost fell over it in the end. It lay on its side, her crossbow bolt protruding between its ribs and looking little more than a mound of snow. It was breathing in long, heaving gasps. She refused to think of it as a he. Better to keep it impersonal.
Lyssa pulled out her knife and quickly sliced it into the beast’s throat, watching dispassionately as ribbons of scarlet streaked across the snow.
Once she couldn’t have done it, the mere idea of taking a life would have broken her. But now it’s the world that’s broken, and Lyssa would fight to survive.
The blizzard adds a dramatic backdrop to the need for survival in your story Carrie. I have never supported blood sports but Lyssa hunting for food is a necessity and with Jace injured there is simply no choice. Very descriptive.
Carrie! It is so good to have you back - I have missed your wonderful stories!! Are Lyssa and Jace new characters, or have you written about them before? As always, your descriptions are so good the reader is right there, shivering in the cold, feeling the hunger closing in. And as always, we want to know what happens to these two! Great story - can’t wait for your next one!!
Thank you. No, I’m not into blood sports either but, as you say, sometimes it is necessary to do things you wouldn’t normally want to do. With the winter conditions, foraging for nuts and berries etc wouldn’t have been possible, so needs must. I guess we all have to do things we don’t really want to sometimes.
Thank you. It’s a tentative return. Last year was very difficult with one thing and another, then we lost Dad very suddenly in October. It’s not really left me in a creative mood. I do miss the world inside my head though, so I hope I can find it again. Yes, Lyssa and Jace are new characters for me. I think there could be more to their story, so we shall see!
My heart goes out to you, Carrie, on the loss of your father. I know how close you were to your parents. My Dad lived to be 95, and lived a full, exuberant life, but when he died all I could think was “too soon, too soon!” No matter what our age or theirs, it’s always too soon. I hope your very rich inner life of the imagination can bring you solace. I’m so glad you were able to write the wonderful story about Lyssa and Jace, in spite of your difficult year. I do hope things get better for you. We all have missed you.
Sorry for your loss, the death of a parent is so shattering. Like Julie, I hope you can find inner peace in your great creative mind. Your descriptive read churned my stomach, but as you said the girl had to survive in a broken world. Sadly, she found doing the unthinkable necessary.
Thank you, Margarida. It’s been a difficult time, especially yesterday as it would have been Dad’s birthday, but we’re getting there. I just need to find my mojo again now! Hope you are ok.
Thank you, Lotchie, for your kind thoughts. It’s been hard to get back into writing, so it’s nice to hear that people enjoyed the story. Hope all is well with you.
Nice to have you back at the Voice Club again Carrie. I’m sending my condolences for the loss of your father, along with a hug from across the pond.
I can also identify with difficult times, and like you, hoping we can both find our mojo again. Your story, voice reading, and just having your great energy back in the club helped inspire me today! I finally overcame my writers block, and finished writing and recording my first story submission in quite a long time.
Hi Chris, sorry to hear you’ve been having a difficult time too. I’m glad that I’ve helped to inspire you and really look forward to reading your submission
All is going well here, Carrie. My daughter’s ITP is getting better now. Although she’s under monitoring, she is responding well to her vitamins and medicine.
