Poaching
#101 – Endangered
The baked earth shivered in the heat of the midday sun: Ethan’s brow gleamed with sweat. He shifted uneasily, trying to find some comfort as he knelt in the African dirt.
The Elephant swept its trunk through the branches of trees, innocent of the men watching her. Ethan scowled and balled his fists.
The butt of a rifle cracked against his cheek and he hissed as blood baked instantly on the earth.
His gun was too far off: driven barrel down into the ground.
“It’s too bad, My Friend,” the ranger sneered.
“It’s just not your day, is it?”
(c) Tim Austin 2016. Image by Aimee Vogelsang via Unsplash.
“Endangered” was suggested by Sarah Doherty, writer of Heartstring Eulogies. Please take a moment to read her wonderful work and tell her that I sent you 🙂
This story is reminiscent of story number 61, Prime. I try to keep my genre’s and stories varied – take a look at the Genres tab to the right and explore your favourites!
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This entry was posted in Tuggin' The Heartstrings and tagged big game hunting, Elephant Poaching, Elephants, Heartstrung Eulogies, hunting, Illegal hunting, natural world, Poaching, Sarah Doughty, Short Stories, Short Story, short story author, WWF.
#61 – Prime
The Silverback watched from the the undergrowth, his slab-like fists balled into the black earth. The valley was his.
Around the Silverback, the forest chirped and chittered to the sound of a billion insects. High in the treetops, Chimps swung to perch, gazing down at the Gorilla with nervous curiosity. One swipe of his arm would crush them. One charge of his thundering bulk and they would be no more.
Yet it was not the Silverback they feared.
The upright ape was there. The clothed beast, sawing at the arms of the Gorilla’s mate.
The Silverback watched from the undergrowth.
(c) Tim Austin 2016. Promo image by Jorge Illich-Gejo via Unsplash.
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This entry was posted in Tuggin' The Heartstrings and tagged Flash fiction, flash fiction writers, Gorrilas, Gorrilas in the Mist, Poaching, Short Stories, Short Story Blog, Silverbacks, storyteller, Storytelling, Storytelling Blog, What is Flash Fiction?.