Dwight shrugged and asked, “So, what is it?”
Seeing his big brother didn’t quite get it, Dewey explained, “It’s our new huntin’ blind. Ain’t it perfect?”
Dwight sighed. “How is it perfect, Dewey? If we can see it, don’t you think the elk might see it too?”
Dewey’s enthusiasm temporarily dimmed as he considered this. Then he snapped his fingers and said, “But it’s been out here a long time and they is probbly used to it.”
Dwight arched his eyebrows and decided maybe that made sense after all. They clambered inside to check it out. As they jostled about trying to get comfortable and disputing where their various supplies would go, the grizzly bear that had been watching the whole thing decided to pay a visit to these aspiring neighbors…
Welcome to the Indies Unlimited Flash Fiction Challenge. In 250 words or less, write a story incorporating the elements in the picture and the written prompt above. Do not include the prompt in your entry. The 250 word limit will be strictly enforced.
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The Grizzly did not realize that Dewey and Dwight were well armed as fourth generation village hunters. Long ago, Armageddon came and went; the few survivors banded together into remote villages, each fending for itself.
So when the Grizzly showed up thinking they were a quick snack, they did not hesitate to quickly take action. Simultaneously, they both pulled out their revolvers and fired. Dewey hit the left eye and Dwight hit the right eye, “Man do you believe that? We fired perfect shots and got him!”
Dwight grinned, “Yah, our village will eat well this month.”
Dewey proudly smiled, “With winter coming this hide will make a dozen warm fur coats for the kids.”
Dwight grinned even more, “This is a great blind! We got to give it a name.”
Dewey spotted a dirty name plate and wiped off the grime, “Look, it has a name: MI ABRAMS BATTLE TANK. We can call it Abraham”
Dwight admired Abraham, their new hunting blind, “Wow! This is a tank, huh! To bad we can’t start this thing up, then we could drive our Grizzly back to the village in style.”
Dewey looked at Dwight and smilingly said, “I still think it makes a better hunting blind, after all we got a bear as soon as we got in it.”
“Agreed, let’s get to work on that Grizzly before it goes bad,” with that said, they climbed out of that old rotting abandoned tank to do just that.
“Beer me, Dew,” said Dwight. “I’m hankerin’ to quench this powerful thirst.”
“I left the cooler in the shade out back, so’s we’d have more room in this tin coffin’ o’yours, D. I’ll go fetch us two cold ones.”
Dwight waited a few minutes, lost in his thoughts. They’d seen some dove and even a wild turkey, but nothing big enough to break the silence with a shot. A few noises and a slight tremor of the camper tube brought him out of his introspection.
“Dew?” he shouted. “Dewey? What the hell, man? Where’s my damn beer? Quit messin’ with me, bro. You know I hate yer stupid games.” He paused and listened. After a brief silence, he heard his brother returning, and Dwight relaxed. He turned his eyes back towards the plain and squinted. Not ninety meters out, he saw a large buck grazing. He began positioning his .308 and regulating his breathing.
Suddenly, the elk’s head shot up; he stared directly at the blind before sprinting diagonally into the wood line. Dewey reentered the camper slowly, reeking of urine and beer.
“Jeezus, Dewey. Yer noisy stomping jest skeered the only buck we’ve seen away. Give me the brew and explain what took so frickin’ long? Where you been, man?”
Through the shadowed end of the camper, a low growl rumbled. Dwight spun the rifle around only to have it pushed floorward by an enormous paw. Dwight began firing blindly, as the bear moved in, eyes crazed, mouth agape.
Ben reached up his hairy paw and gently caressed his scalp. Gotta chew those nails down, he thought.
What are those two idiots doin’ in my love nest, he wondered. Better check it out.
A cool spring breeze swam through the undulating branches of the trees at the edge of the field.
She’s just gonna love it here tonight. Four months of hibernatin’ is enough. Spring. Matin’ time. Maybe we’ll have another set of twins this time, too.
He remembered when he first saw blondish Miss Grizzy’s petite 300 pound,
5-foot-1 body. She seemed to be so enraptured by the shining brown fur covering his 8-foot, 1487 pounds of pure muscle. He grinned. She quivered. Her heart pumped wildly.
He slowly pawed his way to their love nest and stood up to peer through the broken window.
The nerve! There they were movin/ everything around. One of them was even emptying out the box of berries and mice he had spent weeks collecting for their “after” dinner munching. That does it!
With one wild swing he knocked the love nest over
As one fool ran out screaming, Ben leaped onto his terrified body and snapped his neck. This one he’d give to her.
The other, tears pouring down his distorted face, blindly raced across the field and into the waiting jaws of Miss G. She clamped down hard, dragged it to her waiting soul mate and dropped it at his wiggling paws. Their roars made their love nest shake.