Chapter 2: Catching a Girl

That evening I was hunting with my dad. We needed to catch some game for supper. I was hoping to shoot down a deer, but I didn't usually find those. Suddenly, I saw an owl. I lifted my double-barrow shotgun and and shot the owl making it topple off the branch. I took off in a sprint trying to get to it before any other animal that might have been lurking near-by. Finally, I reached the owl. The bullet had gone right between it's eyes. As I picked it up to put it in my satchel my eyes turned to a huddle on the forest floor. It was a girl. She was dirty and hyperventilating. I stayed quiet for a second then I spoke."Are you okay?," I said thinking of nothing else. Startled by my voice she shook and looked up as if she hadn't noticed I was there before. Though she spoke in a whisper her words cut through the cool breeze,"No." Despite how reasonable that answer was, it threw me off. Not really knowing what to do I slowly inched towards her. I reached out to help her up, but she flinched. When she did that she revealed something under her, better someone, a baby. "My name is Wilford," I said. I locked eyes with her. Inside there was nothing, no safety, no family, no happiness. Not anymore. I helped her up and put my coat around her. She looked lost in her mind. We walked till we reached my father. Then, we brought her inside and lay her on a bed. She kept her eyes open the entire night. I couldn't imagine what she was thinking. I just wanted to do something, see if I could help her. But frankly, I had never caught a girl before.