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He hadn't been too keen on the weekends for a long while. As a child the adventures were exhilarating but now he would rather hang out with friends over a cold one... or ten. His father still came once or twice a year though, albeit alone. The lakes were great for hunting and he preferred the peace and quiet away from the bustle of town life.
Glancing toward the cabin, he spotted his father waving him in from the crooked front porch. He waved back, and pulled his keys from the ignition. Watching Dan re-enter the cabin, which Carl thought of more as a shack with its less than practical design, he pulled his dufflebag from the passenger side seat and slid out of his truck.
He took his time, merely ambling toward their home for the weekend hoping that the experience wouldn't been too excruciating this time. "Finally Boy, I was about to come drag you inside myself you were walking so slow". Rolling his eyes Carl responded, "Well we aren't all go getters like you Dad". Silence followed, but only briefly as his father let out a slow laugh and then patted him on the shoulder.
"Well then let's get started shall we?" his father suggested.
"No Dad, I've literally just arrived. Can we just chill out for a little while, y'know, relax?" Carl was fatigued from the drive up and fancied a little nap by the fireplace for an hour or two.
"Fine, fine" Dan replied, both of them settling down by the hearth. Pulling out two bottles from his bag, Carl tossed one to his father, "Cheers" he winked and they began to drink in silence.
***
"Carl, wake up we need to get going if we're going to get anything done at all this weekend."
"CARL"
He'd heard his father the first time, he wasn't even truly napping. Just stalling for time but the proverbial bull had reared its head and so he tackled the situation head on.
"Dad, do you think you could just, not, this time". He asked, knowing the retort that was to come.
"What are you blathering about, I have to do it, I always do"
"You don't have to do anything Dad" he said, watching his father disappear down the hallway into the bedroom. He soon emerged, chain in hand. This one looked terrible he thought, assuming his father had arrived a day or two early to find the catch without him.
He had loved it as a child, every kid wants to be like their dad. Most kids would do anything their dad asked of them and Carl was no different. He adored coming to the cabin to hunt with his father, it made him feel grown up and sometimes he was even allowed half a cup of beer to celebrate the catch. He had matured now though, he was an adult, and he spent all of his time at college. Time that had expanded his horizons and he had realised that he didn't like the pastimes of the past anymore. In fact, they made him feel bad just thinking about them.
"Carl, I don't know what this college business has done to you but you know why I do this and I'd like to think that I don't need to explain myself to my child" Dan responded, almost snapping at his son.
Looking at the catch for the weekend, Carl saddened. He could see the fear in her eyes, almost pleading with Carl to set her free. From the looks of her spindly legs, she'd wandered into one of his fathers traps that littered the woods. Blood had seeped out and dried, with a glimmer of bone just peeking its way through the torn meat on her leg. She let a whimper of sorts pierce the air, to which his father responded with a sharp slap across the cheek.
A funny moan escaped her lips and Carl realised his father had cut out her tongue and burned the end, sealing it as to not kill her. He must have caught her today, no-one could survive this for very long. Pulling her brown hair from her face, his father uttered "Not long now pretty lady".
"Dad, please let her go. It's bad to keep doing this. It always has been" he pleaded, which only made the girl cry even more. "She's probably just lost her friends, she doesn't deserve this fate".
"It's not about what is good or bad Carl. It's about what is right" Dan replied as he dragged the girl towards the door, picking up his hunting rifle on the way. "I was chosen to rid the earth of these vermin Carl, you know that. This heathen deserves her fate".
He whispered "Run little lady" as he opened the door and freed her chains. Watching the teenager limp towards the hillside he pulled his gun up to his shoulder and began the chase.
