The Deep Dark Bottom

—an excerpt—

Jake Cutler woke suddenly to the feeling of cold steel against his cheek and a foul odour in the air. He had dozed off, lulled by the dark stillness of the forest. Hidden behind a small stone outcrop, he’d found just the right spot to sit and wait for the perfect kill-shot moment. Instead, he was now carefully peeling the frosty rifle he’d been leaning on from his face, wondering if he’d missed his opportunity.

Frustrated with himself for not being able to stay awake, he checked his watch. It was only mid-afternoon but the forest was already blanketed in darkness under the overcast sky. The spruce and balsam firs were thick enough in this part of eastern Ontario to completely douse the light, even on sunny days.

Fighting the stiffness that threatened to immobilize him, Jake rose to his feet, warily taking in his surroundings. He was a man of the woods, not easily spooked, but while asleep, he’d had a dream that creeped the hell out of him. Rather than being the one doing the hunting, he was the one chased. What felt most terrifying though, was that he couldn’t see what it was. He just knew something was after him.