The moon was shining brightly in the glory of its fullness. The colors of the fall leaves were visible in muted tones. The hunter climbed as quietly as he could though the apparatus he carried was of metal frame with locking straps wrapping the trunk of the tree.

A snapping of twigs alerted him to another being in the near vicinity. Thinking it may be the prey he sought he cursed quietly and ceased all upward motion.

Only eight feet from terra firma, he knew he would never get the perfect shot from here, and still he paused. His heartbeat in his ears and breath hard to control.

As his weak human eyes scanned for the source of the noise, he saw her move. A beautiful doe in all her glory, head to the ground sniffing out acorns. She was so close he could hear the crunch as the hull snapped between her teeth.

Her eyes turned upward and he could have sworn he saw the glint of a smile appear. She rose until she was fully upright and in a glorious human form.

She whispered, “Tell them, I come.”