Not Good

While I may be good at telling a real scream from a pretend scream, I'm not good at identifying the source of the scream. The woods out the back of the cabin were thick were trees and shrubbery. It was possible to see through them to some degree so I wasn't losing track of my fellow searchers but there were too many hiding spots. With the screaming now ceased, I had no good way to tell where I should be headed. I was trying to hurry but I didn't know to where I was hurrying.

Suddenly I heard Dave loudly call upon a deity. I located him, saw the look of shock and surprise on his face, and rapidly headed in his directions. I was the first to join him. I immediately regretted it.

Tim lay limply against a tree, the side of his face caved in and slashed. He looked very dead. Blood dripped, bone and gristle exposed to the air. It was a gruesome sight. In an unexpected manner, I had failed as chaperone.

His lady friend, Janet the cute girl that had apologized to me for him, was backed up against another tree facing him, wide eyed and trembling, clearly in shock. When Tina arrived on the scene, I did my best to steer her away from the body and towards the young lady, directly that she be taken inside. Tina's curiosity was strong enough that she fought for a glimpse of the body. The verbiage that spilled from her mouth wasn't pretty but neither was the sight before her.

Dave's shock had faded. Carefully, sadly, he checked for a pulse. The young man looked very dead to me but Dave knew him. Perhaps he felt that this could be a trick or maybe just needed to convince himself of the reality of the situation. Once Dave stepped away from him, I touched him lightly on the shoulder. “Is there a tarp or blanket we could use to cover him up?”

Dave nodded slowly. “We should take him inside. I don't want to let the critters get to him.”

I hesitated. “We shouldn't disturb him yet. This might be a crime scene. Let's get some more information before we do that.”

“Crime scene?” Dave echoed. “That's the work of an animal.”

“It might just look like an animal,” I informed. “We have someone who likely saw it happen. If she says it was an animal, I'll help you move him. Okay?” Dave thought about it but eventually nodded. I steered him away from the sight, moving him back towards the cabin.