DEAD SQUIRRELS
'That had to be a hundred
and fifty meter shot, not bad for a fifteen year old,' he said to no one, his
words soaked up by the falling snow.
He looked up into the fork of the leafless tree, then to the dead squirrel
lying at his feet.
He stared at it for a few moments, admiring its shiny
coat and full furry tail. It was a
gray squirrel, common in these upstate New York cornfields. He looked up into the tree and then
back down to the squirrel again, staring at it for a long time this time. Then he looked into its eyes, still
open and glossy.
The squirrel didn't
look dead. It didn't even look as
if it were asleep. To him, it
looked as alive as any other animal.
Its body still steaming in the crisp air.
Rather,
it was simply kneeling, paying respect to this man of such great power. He was special, he already knew this;
he could feel it. And now this simple creature, his first
loyal subject, understood it as well.
'You're
lucky. You're the first, so you'll
always be special. You'll always
rank higher than the others. And
I'll always count on you to help me.
And I'll always help you, too.
That is, unless you betray me.
Then, well...you can imagine what I'd do to anyone who betrays me?'
He
got down on his knees and grabbed some snow. Rolled it up into a ball and placed it under the squirrels
front quarters. Stood up and
looked down on the squirrel again.
'That's
better. You can see, can't you?'
he asked the animal as his heart quickened. 'You can see now what the others still can't, or refuse to
see. But that'll change, I
promise.' He told the squirrel as his hands clutched the .22 rifle tighter, his
chest full of breath.
He
looked round for anything moving.
He wanted more subjects.
But the cornfield was empty.
Nothing moved in the slowly falling snow falling down all around him and
onto his head building up into a kind of crown.
He
picked up the squirrel and stuffed it into his pocket, stood straight up and
began to walk home. He could
already imagine the world bending to him as a bead of sweat began rolling down
his forehead. Tomorrow, he thought. Tomorrow I'll enlighten others.
*
* * * *
'You're still my number one,' he said looking over to the stuffed gray
squirrel mounted on its knees. 'A
promise is a promise,' he said, a smile directed at the squirrel and not to the
stuffed cat in his hands; placing it towards the back of the semicircle.
'Only a month and I've got my own congregation. Can you imagine what I can do in a
year?' he asked the squirrel as he stepped backwards to take in the full
view.
He stood looking at his followers, those he had shown
the light to. Each had their place
before him within the descending semicircle: the tallest, a black lab in the
center. Then to each side of the
purebred, a pair of newly acquired cats, a pair of rabbits, many chipmunks and
finally birds. And of course the
squirrel, standing a meter in front of the dog facing the semi-circle awaiting
orders.
The scratching of the oil-less doorknob being turned
startled him. He looked to the
slowly opening derelict door while grabbing his .22.
'Whose there?'
'It's me,' stated his ten-year-old brother as he poked
his head into the door.
As he peered in and saw his brother, he opened the
door wider and stepped in.
'What the hell are you doin' here?' he said as he
raised his hand to the light streaming through the open door. 'Didn't I tell you never to come in
here! Didn't I? Close the door!'
His brother closed the door as he was told and as he
did so he noticed all of the animals kneeling on the loft floor. The he looked to his brother and
noticed the rifle in his hands.
His heart stepped up its beat and his palms moistened.
'Why are all of these in here?'
'Don't ask why, just kneel!'
'What?'
'You heard, kneel before me.'
'I'm telling mom you killed all of these,' his little
brother said in a softer tone.
'No, you're not.
You're gonna kneel before me.
Now do it!' he yelled hoarsely from the formaldehyde drenched air as he
stepped off the short stage-like box he'd built to elevate himself above the
congregation.
His brother turned to leave and began walking to the
door, nausea filling his stomach.
Then he felt his brother's hand upon his shoulder and the strength of
his arm pulling him to the ground.
As looked up from the floor, his eyes began to fill with water. His heart pounded blood so fast through
his veins that he felt dizzy.
'Leave me alone,' he said in his strongest voice! 'You're gonna be in big trouble when I
tell mom!'
'Tell mom?
You just don't get it do you?
I'll need to show you as well,' he said as his eyes narrowed as he
raised the rifle to the center of his younger brother's forehead. 'And as for mom, I'll be enlightening
that bitch's ass when she gets home.'
Email: billyallen@hotmail.com
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