Riven: Losing Humanity

My eyes shot open, and I saw a dark silhouette hovering over me. I sat up at lightning speed, my fight-or-flight mode activated.

"Jeez, sorry there, bud. Didn't mean to scare ya."

My breathing slowed as I grasped where I was. It was just my uncle who had shaken me awake. My wooden bunk creaked as I crawled out of bed. The soft snoring of one of my cousins filled the almost pitch-black room.

"What time is it?" I said with a coarse whisper.

"About 4:30 in the morning. C'mon, it's the perfect time to get ready. We're gonna getcha yer' first deer today, I've got a feelin'." My Uncle Nate replied, already turning away to head back upstairs.

The drowsiness I felt quickly vanished as I tip-toed over to my duffle bag and pulled out layers of clothes. Excitement flowed through my veins as I bundled up, prepared to endure the harsh cold outside. I grabbed the map I had next to my bunk and met my uncle back upstairs who had been sipping on his coffee. Standing next to him was my dad and my older cousin Lucas, all sitting around the kitchen table waiting for me. The stovepipe fireplace in the corner of the room crackled as I shoved on my winter boots. I noticed they were too small on me already even though I had got them two months ago.

"Dad, my boots are small, did they shrink?" I asked while looking up at him.

"You're just growin' fast Z, that's all. Your little 8-year-old body is gettin' bigger every day! I'll get you a new pair soon, don't worry." He said, smiling at me with a fatherly grin.

Nate swung open the front door softly with Lucas on his heels, both careful not to wake anyone sleeping in the loft upstairs.

"Grab an egg sandwich, we gotta get goin' boys!" Nate called out cheerfully, walking down the front steps of the cabin.

I followed suit, Dad bringing up the rear, sandwiches in hand. We walked down the dirt road for a small while before reaching the hunting shed. A light layer of snow coated the ground and the fallen leaves I stepped on left a satisfying crunch as I walked. Frost caked anything the snow left exposed to the air. Any grass or weeds that poked up were coated with ice, adding to the crunchy sounds with each step I took.

Nate and Lucas were crazy about hunting the northern New Hampshire wilderness and were trying to show me everything. Lucas ducked into the shed to retrieve some things while Nate hopped into the parked side-by-side and started it up. He jumped out to help Lucas who came back carrying two large rifles. Lucas loaded them up in the back of the side-by-side and sat in the backseat. My dad hoisted me into the other seat before leaping into the passenger seat. Nate reemerged from the shed holding some boxes and setting them down by the rifles, then piling in and putting the side-by-side into drive.

It lurched forward as he floored it, the engine revving high in response as we all charged down the dirt road. The icy wind nipped at my nose which made me wish I had a mask to cover my entire face. My body swerved to the left as Nate made a quick right turn and off the dirt road, now just on an overgrown trail. I unwrapped my sandwich enclosed in tinfoil and ate as fast as I could, careful not to choke every time the side-by-side rocked from the uneven trail. After zooming up the hill for a few minutes, he slowed the side-by-side and eventually came to a full stop. Apparently, he deemed this spot as sufficient because the next thing I knew he cut the engine and enthusiastically strutted his way to grab the rifles. Lucas followed, pulling a bag over his shoulder, and strolled up next to him, taking a rifle from him and handing it to my dad.

"We're gonna walk north of here for a lil' while. Z, pull out yer map and I'll show you where we are, and where we need to go," Nate instructed.