Fallout

Normally they don't call me in this early. Seems the forest ranger found some kids all ripped up. It will be officially tagged as a bear attack but, as I work my way up the canyon towards less inhabited area, by the sounds of it this is much worse. The warm coffee pours down my throat as I navigate the twisting road. The sun shines over the tree tops nearly blinding me as it peaks over the edge. Squinting with my tired eyes, the access road should be coming soon. This had better be worth it; I was just getting to sleep when the call came in.  Navigating around the next turn the sun finds a break in the tree line and shoots me a blinding greeting. As I recover I realize in my rear-view is the turn I needed to take. DAMN! Finding a place to pull over and turn around, I make my way to the access road I slowly pull onto the dirt. NO TRESPASSING. What the hell were these kids doing up this direction anyway. Why don’t they listen, it’s like in horror stories when they go looking for the scary noise. Signs are usually up for a reason. If you’re lucky you will just get shot by some crazy hermit. It feels like forever passes as I slowly make my way up the dirt road. Not well kept, not traveled much, except today. This poor little access road hasn't seen much use until today. Finally the group of cars comes into view. A state officer waves me to park behind the last car. I get out and grab my things as he walks towards me. He points to a trail. Looks freshly made, likely from all the foot traffic this morning. He has the look on his face that says even speaking a few words will disintegrate the little control over his breakfast he has left. I take off down the direction indicated, soon hearing the voices of all those already at the scene. But before I see them, I can smell it. I smell the blood mixed in with the smell of the spring dampness of the forest. When I finally come into view of the others, their faces seem apologetic. Is it for getting me up so early? No, I see why they look sorry. It is a mess. I am not even sure how many bodies are here. I get the run down. Appears these kids were out for a little fun. A group of Seniors looking for a good time, hoping to find someplace quiet to drink and smoke without getting caught.  If they only knew that getting caught by parents or the city cops was much less dangerous than what they wandered into. Ranger says there is an abandon cabin a mile or so up the road. The place has been abandoned for years according to the records. Not likely. But this wasn't the typical scene for something of that nature. Something more akin to an animal did this. Many won't put together that the moon was full the night before. Which is good, it won't do them any good to know anyhow. I look through the remains, definitely not a bear, but that is what the papers will say. Some poor bear will be hunted and taken down to justify this. It doesn’t add up. The inhabitant of the cabin would have been much cleaner, maybe not even killed them. We hadn't had one of these attacks in some time. Not against people. Usually a ranger will come across a bear or large elk torn apart like this. Usually I get pictures since the locations are rather remote or the bodies are degraded by the time they are found. I get called in to verify, but why these kids? Wrong place, wrong time? It is early in the season, maybe it was caught off guard by them being here.  Then I see it. The inhabitant of the abandon cabin wasn't so careful. Then it falls into place. These kids, stumble too close to its home, it takes advantage of the almost door step delivery service these kids provide. But something else is lurking close, and interrupts its plans. When it flees, the other comes to the smell and finishes them off.  Officially I confirm the bear story, rambling on about encroaching on their space, forcing them to attack, respecting nature. They will put out a warning against bears in the area and hopefully not find one to pin the blame on. I head home. Time for sleep, but not before I type up my unofficial report to send off. They don’t like it when I sleep before reporting suspicious activity. I feel some unofficial overtime coming down the chain, better get my camping gear ready. They will want to know more about both of the attackers if they bother to stay around. The papers will publish enough information for the beast to see. It will move on and not use the same area again for a good long while. The abandon cabin will appear that way as well for a while too. They will want to make sure on both accounts. My report is sent off, and now for some sleep before my orders come in.