With my heart in my throat, I lifted up my rifle and pushed it against my shoulder, positioning the scope upon my right eye. As silently as possible, I shifted in the bush. I also slowly shifted the reticle to pinpoint the deer’s neck. What a wonderfully majestic creature, I thought. A proud work of God and Mother Nature. The beige spots on its brown fur were like targets, waiting for bullets to strike. I curled my finger around the trigger, and took a deep, deep breath. A breath that would cost a life. A breath that would take the life away from a creature that showed the utmost beauty of the wilderness through lively eyes and alluring body. My eyes closed, and I took a shot. Incredible emotions of regret and pity hit me like a brick wall. A rambunctious struggle occurred. One between life and death, but ultimately, the deer was no opponent for the inevitably truth. The green leaves around the deer were covered with a red coat. Oppositely to common symbolism, the red was vulnerability and innocence. I bolted towards the animal. I could see the tears in my eyes reflecting from the colorless mirror that used to be the deer’s right eye. It was the same tears I saw from my mother, my father, my brother, my sister and my son. I shook the animal violently, hoping it would come to life. Uselessly, I cried and cried. Those were same tears of when I shook my family for dear life. Feeling a bottomless pit open up in the middle of my heart, I brought the deer to my shoulders and walked toward my truck. I threw the animal in the trunk and closed its eyelids. It was the same way I closed my mother’s eyelids. I started up the car and drove away. After a day of hunting, I was exhausted. I could now return back home where I could see my collection and my family, I thought. I could take a hot shower and eat a nice casserole with my mother. I drove faster and faster. Allowing the weight on my feet to accelerate the vehicle. On the dirt road, the violent tremble of the carcass was the same I felt in my heart. Pulling into the driveway, I shut off the engine, jumped off, grabbed the deer and ran in the house.
“Mom, I’m home!” I said.
Within several hours, my masterpiece was finished. I removed the remnant life from the deer and created my new friend. Beautifully, he stood beside his friends. All his friends from the forest. My very own collected of manually crafted taxidermied wildlife, right in the comforts of my house. I can’t wait until mom sees this, I thought.

Mom, one of my closest friends, along with my dad, were amazed. They starred with brilliant light shining from their eyes at the animals, as they had for nearly four decades.

Eating dinner, I asked how everyone’s day was. Little Johnny smiled, just like he does. My love Julia, laughed, as she loved to. Samantha was content, as she always did. And just like usual, Mom and Dad just starred in shock. Also just like usual, nobody ate except for me.

After the meal, I walked outside. I glanced at the flowers and admired the sunset. I felt the serenity of the night as the sun dimed the earth. Suddenly, I saw a robin land in the fields thirty feet away.

I picked up my rifle, reloaded and pushed the sight to my eye. I took a deep breath and aimed toward the bird’s heart. But right before I fired, I forgot to close my eyes. I looked into the scope at where the bird had been. My mother looked right back. In shock.

I pulled the trigger.