In The Mist It was Friday evening and most usually choose to go home early, but I stayed behind to finish up on a few papers my supervisor had requested for his meeting Monday morning. I have been invited from a few of my friends to join them on a hunting trip, Tomorrow is open season for deer hunting and so it means I need to complete this task so I wont have any burdens when I return for work Monday morning. To tell you the truth I am not so sure I want to go on this trip because I don't like weapons or what it does to people or animals. I know its man who pulls the trigger but just the same I don't like them at all. I don't own a single weapon of any kind and most likely never will. it was nearly 9pm and it was a misty foggy evening and I was to fetch a cab to bring me home, My wife used the car to fetch her mother from the airport as she came to visit for two weeks, This was good timing on my friends behalf because my mother in-law and I don't get along at all, ever since her husband passed away a few years back she showed less interest in me and more in finding ways to get my wife to have less interest in me...Why? Maybe very jealous we are still together and she is maybe very lonely and needs attention, so I agreed she can use the car and I fetch a cab. I decided I needed a few drinks before I go home and face the...well never mind...anyhow I was going to stop at Lucky's Pub and have a few pints to warm my body and to give me courage to get home to face my mother-in-law. To my disappointment Lucky was closed, so odd on a Friday night because it was his money making night, the place is usually packed at this time. Lucky's was the only bar I would step foot in because there were no drunkard trying to beg a free pint off me or some lonely loser wife looking for a quickie before returning to her husband. Lucky's was the ideal place to go to be at peace with no problems from other customers and the drinks were great. What was I to do now? No pint and its cold as hell and here I am on the streets..speaking of streets its eerily quiet and empty a ghost town I should say, This is not common on a Friday night. It is putting a chill down my spine and my hairs on my neck are standing stiff. there only two other pubs in this town and no way you catch me in either one, one a hangout for drunks looking for sex, and watered down drinks, and the other one was more on woman and drugs.. Both are shit holes. Yes Lucky's was the ideal paradise for me..a home sweet home. Once in awhile he throws a folklore story hour and good ones to make the drinks go down smooth. I only wished he was opened..so strange...its all strange, most the town is locked up for the night. I am getting a bit tired now walking in this misty cold road and a pint would set me straight. I have no option but to move on forward cold or not, it was going to be a long cold fifteen to twenty blocks away before i was home sweet home. I had bumped a few times into some posts or trees, it was so misty out you could not see the ground or your feet as you are walking. All of a sudden I hear Irish music playing near by, I was amazed because there are only three pubs in town and all are closed.. Must be a new place just opened and everyone is celebrating there tonight, I better have a look and maybe they have a pint to warm my bones. as I was approaching the pub I was thinking about tomorrows hunting trip with my friends, actually we going tomorrow to set up camp but open season is on Sunday..Actually I really don't want to go, but yet I don't want to spend time at home with a nagging mother-in-law either..so its best to rest my poor wife's ears from me yelling at the old....never mind it do me good to get out for a bit and learn something new, and besides I already promised my friends I come along. I must be dreaming..yes have to be, how am I to believe its a ghost town on a Friday night? No! I can't be dreaming, It seems so real all around me. That Irish music is very addicting, I must go in and sit down and calm my nerves and have a pint and enjoy the music. I approached the front door and there was this short fella no more than five foot two or less asking me if I fancy a pint mate, its only a half pond or more each pint, please step inside and walk to the bar tender and make your order..tan he walks outside. What a strange little fella, from this moment I stepped in it changed my life forever. When I stepped into this pub it was like going back into time, all the furniture was made of hard wood and the wall and ceiling was in wood as well, maybe made from ash. but does not matter because all is on my mind is that pint. It was a full house and many singing and dancing away drinking their pints happily. A little bit too happy but who knows a few pints and I will fit in just well. At this moment I am finishing my fourth or fifth pint feeling happier than ever, the drinks here are smooth and foamy I should say, for sure Lucky wont like that. I was feeling so well I actually pranced right into the dancing circle and danced away with rest of them..The music was nice and no one seemed to be jealous I danced with most of their wives or girlfriends, it was simply honest fun..wow this place is great. There was this large fella with side burns to the lower chin and easily six foot three or more with a pint in hand coming towards the dance circle as if a giant was going to plow away all his enemies, but no he was a gentle giant with a story to tell and that he did. Hello folks I am Jack O'Brien or better known as Folklore Jack, the man with many legends, many stories and many folk lore's to tell, and gather around me and swash your pints for I am about to take you on a journey that you will never ever forget as long as you all live. I was surprised how the giant presented himself as if a scholar of some sort, all the people were a bit close but it was okay for I am a sucker for folklore stories, I was truly happy now, I had a pint, in a group of happy people and a folklore story to be told..I am in heaven now. Jack starts the story and all ears and eyes are focused on him, he speaks....what I am about to share with you is a story that's been passed down since man was born, my family has shared it and now I will share it all with you... No other man,animal or being can tell you it better than I. This is a true story of four best friends out on an adventure to hunt for deer, yes it means deer season is here and its time to hunt. These four hunters took their wagon and went deep into the forest and set up camp for the mornings hunt. The four men are better known as Walter AKA Wacky Walter, Than you had Stan AKA Dr. Stan, Shaun and Fred AKA Frightful Fred, he was scared of everything, even holding a gun, if a horse looked him in the eye he pass out in fear. This was a strange bunch of guys with each having his own odd appearance about them. Walter was one of those folks who could not sit down for two minutes, he had to do something to occupy his nervousness or something like that, for Stan well he is a dreamer always believing he can create potions that can make you young again, Shaun is well, Boring, not much to say about him, he's lazy and not good with ideas and clumsy.and Fred well he is a closet case, rarely ever social and loves being home all the time..a strange bunch of guys. And so on with the story these fellas put up camp and in a few hours Walter was up and gone into the woods to hunt for deer, he must of been crazy..it was nearly 10 pm and very foggy. Stan tried to talk him out of it but failed, Walter was long gone. about an hour later at a distance we here a gun shot and than Walter yelling asking for help to get his deer back to the camp site, the moon was nearly full and fog was heavy and the guys did not want to chance it, but having the mind of a Doctor Stan had to go and help his best friend Walter..so off he went, Shaun and Fred remained at the camp site in fear if they went they get lost in the fog.. Stan was doing everything he could to find Walter but there was no reply or site of him, Stan was a bit lost and worried he never find camp again so he just turned backwards and hoped it was nearly where he just came from, out to his left he sees what to be a deer in the bush eating berries so Stan slowly raises his rifle and let off a shot and got the dear head on, Stan was excited and walked towards the deer and yelled out to the guys he also got a deer and need help lifting him back to camp, at that moment Stan glimpsed into the deer eye and thought he seen Walters reflection and the deer gasped and was dead. Stan did not know what to make of it and thought maybe he was tired and seeing things. back at the camp Shaun was debating with Fred about going and help Stan get the deer, Stan seemed to be closer and so he should not worry so much, and so he went off to help Stan... Twenty minutes or so Shaun noticed a deer over a ravine drinking water from a brook, Shaun slowly raised his rifle and aimed it at the deer and he was shot, the deer fall to the ground and Shaun yelled with happiness he got his first deer ever. Shaun walked on over and started to pick the deer up when he looked into the deer eye and noticed a vision of Stan, he dropped the deer frighteningly and ran towards the camp. Poor old Fred was sitting alone waiting for his friends to return, it has been three days now and none of his friends came back to the camp, fearing for the worse, Fred packed up the camp site and piled it all on the wagon, than he started to feel maybe if the site was not there they may walk pass him and be lost forever, and so Fred grabbed a heavy coat and his rifle and went back to the campsite and sat next to the remaining burning coals of his fire. roughly five hours passed and no one has returned so he made the choice to return to the wagon and go to town and report his friends are missing. As Fred nears the wagon he noticed off in the field a deer eating berries and Fred debated he should kill the deer or not, his mind was busy in thought about maybe if he got the deer they all return and be happy there is one waiting for them all. Fred lifts up his rifle believing he will miss the deer by yards, Fred is not a hunter remember and knows nothing about guns. he aims it at the deer and closes his eyes and fired the shot knocking him back into the ground...a loud horrifying screech came from the deer and so Fred went to see it and starting to cry because he can't believe he killed a harmless creature, he pat its head and said he was so sorry, then he looked into its eyes and noticed a glimpse of Shaun in it than the deer gasps and dies...This was horrible for Fred..he never wanted to kill the poor creature, for sure now he told himself he is not bringing this deer back home and noticed a few hunter ahead and yelled at them to come and Fred gave the deer to them not knowing they were a poor family hunting for food. The men were grateful and went away with the deer. Fred never forgave himself for it, as he slowly heads towards the wagon the whole area started to fog up and an appearance of a women came from the fog and gracefully spoke to Fred about what she had seen from all his friends and him as well. Fred asked who she was and she said I am Mother..AKA Mother Nature, she was in her forties and dressed so natural and like a mystical being from a Fantasy movie. Fred, I have to share with you the story of you and your friends, you have to listen before you return home. Excuse me Mother earth I am a bit confused of this whole thing, just relax and i will share with you. Fred your life today has been spared today because all the animals, kings of the four seasons, and for me voted to spare your life as we know you are a true humble man, we have watched you from the day before open hunting season and can see you don't care about hunting or harming the natural environment around you. You see Fred we have rules in our lands and forests and all humans and animals must obey and follow strictly. No man shall enter our forests and do harm to the animals and the environment within these forests, and so goes the rules to animals they shall never leave the forest and go into the mans cities for they may die. We have a ways in life that we must keep balanced or it all will fall apart and all sides shall suffer.. Now about your friends, they violated a serious rule within the forests, they broke the law by hunting before open season, they did not think about their safety and the ones they are with..and for this each of your friends have become the prey they hunted and died for it, its the law here, you do wrong you become what you destroyed and will be destroyed.Mother, I am confused because I myself had killed one of your creatures and yet I did not die...why? Fred, you are spared, but punished to remember this forever and to share it to man that they must not violate the word of God for he will strike a sudden blow and they shall die. so please go home and be with your family and enjoy what you have and don't worry about what you don't have so much..be at peace and never return to this forest ever again. You see my friends I live today to share with you this story hoping that when I pass on the folklore will be shared forever. I must go now for I have an engagement to keep so peace my friends and hope we meet again one day....The man slowly walks out the door and all the people clapping and drinking their pints and dancing to the music again. For me I find this story very odd because those friends in the stories had the very same names as my friends, and they did go hunting, but I never did follow them and strangely my friends never returned from that hunting trip and its been 20 years now and sometimes I do eel I should look for them, but the story was a clear message I survived for a reason and not to go. I went back to that pub with no name and it was not there anymore, the care taker of the building told me that there never been a pub here before, it was a packaging company and before a barber shop... This place has been boarded up now nearly 60 years no pub ever been in here...I think sir you better go home and sleep off that pint. I woke up a day or two not sure if it all was just a dream, I do know I got drunk but where? I never returned to that place again but now I am glad I share it with you all and hope when I pass on, you will carry on the Folklore, be at peace good night to all. The End
Copyright © 2011 Roland E Gauthier |