A Job For a Hunter

Victoria returned home to an unexpected but more than welcome sight. The German Shepherd that spent the night at the house sat on her front porch, already wagging his tail when she pulled into her parking spot. He jumped up as she came closer and greeted her with a bark.

"You came back," she said with a happy tune to her voice, giving the big dog some good behind-the-ear scratches. Slowly she got back up and saw the big paper bags next to her door. With a victorious smile, she grabbed them and unlocked the entrance. At least she had been smart enough to order some groceries earlier that day. Luckily enough that this town even provided a service like this.

The day had already worn her out but she was eager to have a good meal and actually sleep in her bed this time, instead of giving in to the lesser comfort of the couch.

Putting down the package on her counter she dove right into them and fished a can of dog food out, turning to the shepherd who sat down beside her, curiously pricking his ears. "Well I hoped you would be coming back, so you get to eat too tonight." He sniffed the can and barked in approval.

It did not take her too long to unpack the most needed kitchen utensils and make some dinner. She was a good cook for sure, but rarely took the time for it. The job kept her on her feet for most of the day, long hours leading to quick food grabs from restaurants. When she was done plating her dinner she was eyed by the dog, drool dripping to the floor. "I did not forget about you buddy," she jokingly said, putting down a plate filled with the dog food she had bought. A soft chime from his neck drew her attention to two small metal pendants on his collar. She had not seen those before thanks to his rugged long fur. "Let's have a look at this."

While he was contently chowing down on his food she inspected the tags closer. "So, your name is Asher." Her proclamation was answered by a happy wag of the dog's tail.

"Well, that's one less mystery to solve," she groaned quietly, turned on the TV, and sat down on the couch to eat her own meal. The Sheriff's death was already on the news. Victoria clicked her way through the channels and suddenly stopped when she heard a low growl right next to her.

Asher was standing right next to the couch, his eyes and ears focused on something outside behind the house, his tongue hectically licking the last pieces of food from his snout. She got up immediately and slowly opened the back door. She alertly looked around. There was nothing in her backyard. But it seemed like the dog did not want to let it go. The moment the door was fully opened he rushed outside, barking into the darkness. The forest swallowed the last bit of light that the moon provided, preventing her from seeing further than a few feet.

She got back inside, mentally mourned the warm food she was not going to eat for now, slipped into her shoes, grabbed a phone, and followed the barks of the shepherd through the bushes into the woods. He was very upset about something and if it was close to her house she at least wanted to know what it was.

Asher was running around erratically, always looking back to check on his new friend, sniffing the floor and pushing on, deeper into the forest. She was not able to see him most of the time, just his dark shadow every once in a while, so she followed his sounds.

The chase stopped abruptly when his barks turned into a low, aggressive growl. He had found whatever they were following. "What is it? Damn, I can´t see a thing," she ranted nearly voiceless, not sure if she just heard a low bellowing breathing sound ahead from the dog. In a matter of a second, she was already armed with the flashlight from the phone the grabbed. The light beam wandered over the floor as it hit a big, black boulder. A furry one at that.

Her eyes widened in disbelief when a gigantic black bear was laying right in front of them, heavily breathing. His head and paws were covered in old blood, two gaping flesh wounds in his chest.

Victoria put the clues together in a matter of seconds and knew exactly what happened to this bear, or more so who this bear had happened to. Trying to call the dog away from the injured animal she took a few precautionary steps back and heaved a sigh of relief when she realized she actually took the police phone. Looking through the saved contacts she finally found Ethan's number. This was definitely a job for a hunter.

"Come on, pick up," she said impatiently as the phone beeped away. "Ethan, please...", she whispered when suddenly the bear let go of an angry, bellowing roar and got back up on his feet, absolutely focused on her. He was angry and not as defeated as he looked a few seconds ago. "Oh hell no!" - were the only words leaving her mouth as she bolted away, followed by Asher as they ran for their lives.