Hunter's Journal

This journal records the days of an Autumn Hunt. It opens well: on day 9 the huntsman takes a fine buck and a doe, and by day 14 his traps have yielded five fat rabbits — enough, with the deer meat, to head home soon.

But on day 15 the woods turn strange: he finds tracks that are no deer's, no wolf's, no bear's — overlong in the foot, with a manlike heel, but a stride all wrong. On day 17 he sees it clearly at dawn: a roughly man-shaped but twisted figure, hunting by night and leaving its prey shredded, hides spoiled. He resolves to put it down.

On day 20, after failed lures, he concludes he himself makes the best lure — the creature haunts the edge of camp, watching. He rings the fire with snares to no effect, and plans for tonight to use his bedroll as a lure while he climbs the trees himself, hoping to finally corner the thing — and kill it.