Short Story: Dawn Walker

Short Story: Dawn Walker

This piece has not been edited by the ShortbreadStories team.

They said Dawn Walker walked through the woods carrying his ancient rifle. They said he strode with purpose toward the old battlefield dressed in his deerskins. They said when the first light cracked through the trees you’d catch a glimpse of him fine and free.

There’re many such myths when you live on the edge of a battlefield where there’s been ferocious fighting. Even though the fighting was centuries ago, there was such an outcry for freedom there, people still felt vibrations. They heard cannons, saw lights, and they often saw Dawn Walker stride across the road and disappear into the forest.

One day while walking through the woods, a whirlwind of leaves swirled at me. It appeared there suddenly in the sun and I had felt - something. But I doubted Dawn Walker because there were all sorts of hunters in those woods with too much whiskey.

Then I went on the night shift and found myself driving home one dawn along the Old Battlefield Road. I was tired and sleepy, but out of the corner of my eye, I glimpsed something quick and purposeful stride into the trees by the battlefield.

I didn’t know what I saw nor did I stop, but it was like nothing I’d seen before. I couldn’t forget it.

The next night I drove home along the old road one hour before dawn. When I got to the exact spot where I’d seen something the night before, I pulled over. It was a natural deer path there with a slight decline into the trees. The stars cast a white shine and, indeed, three deer moved silently across the road and into the woods.

There was a high cicada chorus, a crying crescendo, and I sat there dozing and sitting upright. But as the sky lightened and the grey began to shimmer, I got alert. I sat stock still as I heard quick footsteps. Dawn Walker strode across the path directly before me. Head down and walking with purpose, he was dressed in his deerskins and carrying a rifle. He moved swiftly, mindfully, over the path and headed straight for the woods. But when he got to the very last place by the woods where I could see him he turned and looked directly at me. Even though it was barest dawn, his eyes caught that glint of sunlight. He nodded, raised his hand and was gone.