“Guh,” I groaned.

I look down at the open wound on my leg. Is it bleeding? I think it is... Why did I do this again? I like it and all but... not like this.

I think back to just several hours ago when I was safely at my house contemplating the trip to Missouri for two weeks.

It was October 15, and it was cold outside. 35 F. The snow came early to Missouri, 2-3 feet of it. It was glistening as the last bit of the sun cast tree shadows on the two story cabin. I was cuddled up in a book, called “Alice in Neverland” before I fell into a deep sleep, because I guess I didn’t wake up when Leo was shouting “Get up, get up!” then he had to pull me half way out of bed, I crawled back fully into the blankets.

“Gurff,” I yelped.
“We’re going hunting!”
“5 more minutes, ” I pleaded sleepy. I turned over to my left side, away from Leo.
“Nope,” he walked to the end of the bed and pulled my legs, I landed on the ground with a thump. Finally I gave up and yelled,
“Alright I’m up!”
“Good, now get ready.”

As I got ready, dressed in neon orange I thought did I bring by bow with me? I better have its my lucky bow... well kind of! I walked over to the cherry red closet, it opened with a slow, but loud cc-rr-ee-cc-kk. I look in the right corner to see my quiver (holds the arrows) and in the left corner was my black bow.. Thank goodness!

“Are you ready?” Leo shouted from downstairs.
“Give me a minute!” I yelled in response.
“I have, now lets go!”
“Fine!”
I quickly grabbed my quiver, swung it around my back, and grabbed 20 arrows. I started to run down stairs when I remembered, wait, I forgot my bow! I ran back to my room, and quick as a rabbit, I grabbed my bow. The arrows in my quiver fell out.
“Guh!” I groaned. I quickly grabbed them and shoved them into my quiver. I slammed my door, it made a loud BANG! that echoed through the cabin.
“What was that!” Leo shouted in my ear.
“I’m right here you don’t have to yell!” I shouted back at him.
“I can see that... what was it?”
“What the bang?”
“No the tweet, yes the BANG!”
“Oh, that was called me slamming the door in anger,” I guess I sounded snotty because he said, “No need to be snotty about it...”
“Heh, is Sam and Merari coming?”
“Sam is, Merari isn’t feeling well that’s why I said to hurry..”
“Why?”
“because....” Leo didn’t finish before Merari said.
“What was that bang noise, I have a headache!” Merari bursted into the room.
“Just back down, we are leaving...” I said as calmly as I could.
As me and Leo walked away from the cabin and made our way into the woods I asked, “Sam’s gonna catch up with us?”
“Yep... I think”
Leo had a crossbow, I looked at my ordinary bow, piece of crap... better do me well. I liked my bow and all but the accuracy wasn’t good... it used to be better. It was my grandpa’s, he was really good with a bow. He passed it down to me as a herlim, or to even use. I decided to use it since I’m not old enough to have a crossbow.
We spent about an hour in the wilderness just looking for something to shoot, finally after the woods were standing still I saw something. It kinda looked like a deer, but I wasn’t positive. The snow crunching beneath our feet gave away our position, but the deer or whatever it was didn’t hear us. I slowly made my way closer to it not making a sound. It is a deer…
“Hey you see that?” I whispered to Leo. When I got no response I said, “Leo?” I turned around and Leo was gone. My heart began to pound.
“Leo!” I yelled. “Where are you?”

My hairs on my neck stood on edge. The deer ran away, but I didn’t care, I hated being lost.. doesn’t help I’m in the woods. It was getting colder outside, I have to find the cabin. I just have to, I don’t want to die... not yet, not now.

It felt like hours of wondering, when I heard a noise. I was so exhausted that I didn't even care who or what it was.
“Ll-ee-oo i-i-s th-a-at... you” I stuttered.
I heard a slight growl. Then darkness. I woke up on the ground. I had no idea where I was, but the sun was setting. I was still outside. I looked up high enough to see smoke in the distance, is that the cabin? I didn’t care, I was getting cold. I ran towards the smoke, I tripped on a log and fell on something sharp.
“Arg,” I groaned.
I look down at an open wound I couldn’t bend it well since the cut was on the right side of my knee. Is it bleeding? wait, it is. Why did I do this again?
“Just keep going, just keep going,” I repeated to myself. After a few “wonderful” moments I heard someone shout, “Mandi!”
“Who’s there!” I yelled in response.
“It’s me Leo!”
“Leo!”
“Follow my voice!”
I slowly made my way over to where ever he was.
“I thought you were gone forever,”
“Ne-e-v-v-er” I muttered. “And don’t try to be romantic... I hate that.” I thought about my wound, “I need to get inside... open... wo...” my voiced cracked, all went black. I passed out. I woke up hours later, I looked at my wound. Patched?
“Your welcome...” Leo said.
“You stitched up my leg!”
“Well yea, after we cleaned the blood...” I felt as if I was going to faint I hate stitches. Merari barged into the living room. I realized I was on the couch.
“Thank goodness you’re not dead!” Merari shouted in my ear.
“What’s wrong with you people yelling!” I groaned.
“I’m glad your ok,” Merari said.
I realized Sam never showed up for hunting so I asked just because,
“Did Sam ever show up for the hunting?” I asked.
“He decided not to,” Leo said.

“His loss,” I laughed a little, I wanted to forget what happened and pretend it was just a dream.

I tried to stand up but couldn’t, the wound on my knee stretched, it felt like it was about to rip the stitches apart. I lied back down quickly, then grinning said, “well looks like I’m paralyzed, so fetch me my sandwich!” Leo nodded and walked into the kitchen. When Leo was gone I said,”I didn’t even tell him what I wanted...” but instead, Merari asked, “So... how did you get that?”

“I’m not sure, but I think while I was running I tripped and cut my leg on a tree branch...” I couldn’t say exactly what happened because I didn’t know, but that’s what I went with. I didn’t want to worry her since then she’d never let me do anything without the words “caution” and “warning” duct taped on everything, if not me! After the “happy” incident the 2 weeks flew right on by. When it was finally Sunday I was... I guess excited to leave. I hated the woods ever since the incident, but I thought to myself, I’m glad I went. I learned not to panic when I’m lost, I’d just get myself even more lost. The second week my friends tried to cheer me up, but it was no use, I was still a little shocked what happened last week Tuesday,

“Psh, I don’t think I’ll ever go hunting again without a radar or something...” I whispered to myself. I didn’t notice Leo until he said,
“But this was only... what your second hunting trip?”
I was startled by him, then after a few moments I replied, “Ish...”
“What do you mean?”
“Wouldn’t be the first time I got lost, I like to wander around, and when I see an animal I’ll chase it down until it’s mine...”
“Harsh thing to say, but that’s why you need a compass...”
“Ehh...”
“I know you’re ‘too cool’ for that...”
“Hehe, yep...”
“Heh..”

I slowly said, “we... should do this again sometime, just not the hunting, at least for a couple of months, maybe... years.”