The frozen ground crunched below his boots as he made his way deeper into the woods. The air was brisk, freezing his beard and numbing his fingers, but he pressed on. He was in his seventieth year, although he felt younger most of the time. As he ventured further, he got that familiar feeling that he was getting closer to his destination. There was a stillness surrounding him and a sense of peace that soothed his very soul. Soon, he felt eyes upon him as he sat on a fallen tree and took out a gunny sack filled with chunks of cheese, carrots, lettuce, and berries of assorted kinds. He carefully set all of it on the ground, then sat back and waited. First, the rabbits came, then a fox. Soon, a raccoon and a family of squirrels all found a treat and vanished into the woods. In his hand, he held a bunch of wild berries, waiting for his special guest to come out of hiding as he had for the past ten years. He was cold, and the sun was giving way to another frigid night when he saw her. He held out his hand so she could smell the berries, and with caution, she came closer until she was within reach of the most welcome treat. He spoke softly to her in a voice she had learned to trust, and when she felt safe, she got so close he could look into her eyes and feel her breath as she slowly took a few berries from his hand. He carefully stroked her head, which she allowed for a brief moment. He added that to his list of memorable times in his life. Then, with no warning, she was gone back into the woods, hopefully safe for another year. As he left the woods for the warmth of his cabin, he spoke to God, asking to keep her safe. He made three more trips into the woods with a gunny sack filled with treats, and each time, she appeared and gracefully allowed him to stroke her head for just a moment until the day he fell to the frozen ground. All around his lifeless body, the animals of the woods sat near him in silence as if mourning their loss. He wasn't a threat to them. He was their friend and would be missed. It was a bitter cold day as the young lad went deep into the woods. His grandfather had told him stories about his times in the woods and how the animals became his friends. On this day he found grandpas gunny sack and filled it with all the things he was told they liked. He sat on the same fallen tree and spread the treats around him, waiting for some movement that finally came as the animals of the woods began to come out of hiding slowly. But where was she, he wondered. He saw her as he was about to give up and go home. She remained hidden but showed her head and questioning eyes. He sat back down and offered her berries he held in his hand. Very slowly, she approached him but stopped short of being too close. He set the berries on the ground and then moved back until she felt safe. She took the treat and quickly ran back to the safety of the woods, looking back briefly as if saying I knew we'd see you again.
Mike
