(Peaking Through The Weeds: A Vintage Petrol Lighter Story Volume 18 is a work of fiction presented by DependableFlame.com)
Setting Out
Elston was glad that Shawn had been able to join him in the woods of southeastern Oklahoma this fall for what a mutual friend had dubbed his yearly killing spree. The killing was kind of sporadic as he looked back through time and considered the genesis of this most primitive of activities but the number of deer in the woods had exploded in recent yrs so today was different.
The two men had each grown up hunting and fishing and been heavily influenced by their respective fathers but they had rarely experienced the great outdoors together. Elston had first been allowed to accompany his father to deer camp in the ninth fall of his existence and save for a few yrs in his mid-20s, when he was busy changing diapers and feeding kids, it had become a lifelong pursuit which he looked forward to with uncommon relish.
Elston didn’t know exactly when Shawn had first stepped into these solemn hills that bound upon mountains covered with spindly pines reaching toward soaring heights but he was glad they were here together now. Unlike the meager prospects for success that had marked many of Elston’s early trips and caused him to laugh at the “killing spree” jab taken by their vegetarian friend, anticipation couldn’t be higher for these two as trail cam photos confirmed multiple mature bucks in their hunting area and Elston hadn’t failed to tag a doe during black powder season in recent memory.
“You going to the bottom or up to old Rob’s stand?” Shawn asked, shaking Elston from his past reflection and setting both their sights firmly on today.
Elston shoved a half-smoked blunt in his mouth and lit it with a flick of the wheel on his trusty old Storm King lighter. He puffed it back to life as he tipped the bill of his blaze orange cap up from his forehead and considered the mountain in front of them. “I’m going to the top,” he said, “but if you want to follow that would be the perfect position from which to access the stand in the bottom.”
Settling In
With the break-over style CVA rifle slung over his shoulder, Elston was first to reach the point on top of the mountain where they would descend down into the woods. He’d paid little mind to Shawn as they traversed the long way around and up the mountain on the old logging road in the dark as his mind wandered again to days gone by and the many times he’d walked the same road with his father.
This was one of his oldest and most favorite spots and he was just about to settle into a depression at the base of a bushy cedar tree when movement back down where the road up met the mountain caught his attention and caused him to pause. He continued puffing on the marijuana stogie as he motioned Shawn over and retrieved a small pair of binoculars from a side pocket of his camouflaged waist pack.
“You see that fella’ down there?” Elston asked as Shawn stepped up even with him and panted from the effort of getting up the hill. “I don’t know what he’s doing but it appears that he’s aware of us.”
Shawn snatched the binos out of Elston’s hand and studied the base of the treeline whence they’d come. At first, he couldn’t locate the man as the glasses magnified his view and brought the seedling pines and weeds waving in the wind much too close for comfort. As he settled in and focused the glasses, however, he was struck by a moment of terror as he seemed to make eye-contact with the man who suddenly appeared in the viewfinder as though he were peaking through the weeds at him while using a blue tarp to cover his body.
“What the…?” Shawn started slapping Elston’s shoulder with his free hand while doing his best to keep his eye on the man in the weeds.
“What’s going on down there?” Elston whispered inquisitively. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost!”
The Way Back
The two men spent all day together right there on top of the mountain trying to discern what the tarped man at the bottom of the hill was up to. He alternated between spying the spot where they’d hunkered down at the top of the hill and occasionally stepping out in the middle of the road, still covered by the tarp, bending at the waist and seeming to look back up at them from that ninety-degree angle.
“What is the old man doing?” Shawn asked as the man took his turn in the middle of the road and gazed up at them once more. The wiry gray hair that ducked out from under his stalking cap and slow movements seeming to confirm his geriatric nature. “Do you think he’s a hunter?”
“I never seen a hunter dress in a blue tarp and he seems to be more concerned with what we’re doing up here. Does he even have a gun?” Elston thought about the question even as he asked it and he couldn’t remember seeing one in all the histrionics the old man had gone through looking up at them from between the weeds and standing in the middle of the road but there was always the possibility that his gun was concealed under the tarp.
When darkness began to overtake the light, they could no longer make out the man’s figure at the bottom of the hill and determined the way they’d come was really the only way back anyway, whether he was down there lying in wait or not. They made their way down the hill and all the way back to camp and never again saw the old man who was covered with the blue tarp.
They sat around the fire that night and regaled their buddies in camp with the story of the stranger with the tarp as some spat chewing tobacco onto the hard ground between their feet and others including Elston passed a foot and a half tall beaker bong around and coughed through well-earned rips. Someone brought up a newspaper article they’d read yrs earlier about a military deserter who’d been found in these woods decades after the war had ended and had talked at length of how he had often stood just outside a camp of hunters and desired greatly to join them in the camaraderie of the moment, if only his freedom weren’t at stake.
“Who wouldn’t want to be part of a group of fellas like this?” Elston asked as he cut his eyes over to Shawn and grinned.
(Please leave any comments, questions or suggestions in the comments section of this or any other page at DependableFlame.com. This is a work of fiction and any similarity of the characters or situations herein to those that have happened in real life should be seen as coincidental.)
What a great story that you have written there and I would like to read more of your fiction! Will you be writing a book and publishing it or make it available on Amazon? I am a huge fan of novels myself, especially stories like this that happen in the wild, or crime novels or novels with suspense or biographies, I’m curious about the rest!
Thank you Lizzy, I am so glad the you like the story and appreciate your kind words very much. This is the latest in a series of fictional stories featuring a character named Elston James that I have really enjoyed writing as a little more creative outlet for the site. The idea was just to work in my other content to link as relevant to the story and I didn’t really think it through any further than that. I do see now though that the stories I’ve written so far could form a sort of rough draft for a bigger work. The way I have written them so far, they are not really an any kind of chronological order, I have jumped back and forth in time depending on what I desired to write on that particular day. This was the eighteenth story in the series so far.
This post tells a compelling story of two experienced hunters, Elston and Shawn, on a deer hunting expedition that takes an unexpected turn. The vivid descriptions draw you into the rustic woods of southeastern Oklahoma, a setting that comes alive with Elston’s deep connection to the land and his memories. You can almost smell the fresh pine air as they trek through the forest.
I love how the author smoothly switches between past and present, infusing Elston’s memories of his father and the joys of hunting into the narrative. This makes the story more than just a hunting trip – it’s a reflection on traditions, relationships, and the unbreakable bond between man and nature.
Yet, the tranquil hunting journey takes a twist with the introduction of a mysterious man concealed by a blue tarp. It’s both unnerving and intriguing. The old man’s peculiar antics adds suspense to the story, keeping readers on the edge of their seats, wondering about his intentions.
Despite the uncertainty and mild terror, the post ends on a heartwarming note, as the hunting party share the day’s tale over a campfire, showcasing the camaraderie and kinship born from shared experiences and common interests. This brings a sense of comfort and humor after a day of unusual encounters. It beautifully encapsulates the essence of outdoor excursions – unexpected adventures, storytelling, and building bonds. It’s a fascinating read that artfully combines adventure, nostalgia, and suspense.
Thank you John, your insight is very much appreciated and I am glad the you enjoyed and found so much value in the story. Your kind words in this comment humble me. The woods of southeastern Oklahoma are a place that I have found peculiar solace and adventure from the time that I was eight yrs old. I have always been fascinated by the place and everything that can be experienced in nature there in that one location is actually quite breathtaking.