The Hunter

Below is a short story I wrote in high school.  I came across it recently and decided to share it.  It is the same story (with 2-3 word changes) that was written all those many years ago.  Let me know what you think

The Hunter

The air was clean, the mountains were beautiful, and the smell of the wild flowers could tame the wildest of animals.  Walking to the clear, cool water of a nearby lake, the hunter prepared to fill his water bottles.  He hears an eagle cry as it flies through the air.  Relaxing, he looks at the beauty of his surroundings and prepares for the hunt.

He walks over to his quarter horse and checks the saddle.  As he begins to tighten it, he hears a sound.  Wondering what had made the sound but thinking more of the hunt, he dismissed it as the wind and went to check his small string of sixteenth horses.  The hunter thinks to himself and smiles about his decision not to bring the thirty-second horses (they’re just too small).

After he loaded up all of his gear on his sixteenth horses, he mounted the quarter horse, gun in hand, and began to ride up the mountain.  He begins to hear more sounds.  Unable to dismiss these sounds, he dismounts and continues on foot.  Almost a half a mile of trail passed until he saw his first victim.

BOOM!!!  The report of the gun was heard for miles as it echoed throughout the mountains and valleys.  Walking through the smoke, the hunter wondered what species this animal was.  As an experienced hunter, he knew there was only one group of animals that looked like this one did.  While still converging on the fallen animal, he made guesses as to the species.

“Kellogg’s… Post… General Foods…” he muttered under his breath.  Finally, he came to his prey, watching it for even the slightest indication it could be alive.  He had dealt with these animals before.  He knew what they could do.  As he picked it up, he quickly identified it by the distinctive markings.  “Corn Flakes, Frosted,” he muttered.

You see, he was a cereal killer.  He knew the horror these vile animals had inflicted on small children.  So, without further delay and waste of daylight, he began to skin the cereal.  Using protective leather gloves to prevent paper cuts from the skins, he prepared the animal for the long wait until he was able to place it in a cool place.  It will be a long day.  A long day, as is every day, in the life of a cereal killer.