amandakay O

When I was young and still worked on the farm with my mom and aunts, my brother and I decided to explore the woods. We tucked our pants into our socks, though neither of us have ever seen a wild snake, and walked into a sparse plain and up a hill. The wild grasses were over my head, so my brother lead the way.  I’d caught a caterpillar and kept it closed in my hand. At the top of the hill we turned around and could barely see the vegetable patch. I was afraid of wolves and coyotes then, so when I heard the tall grasses leading into the woods start to rustle I thought for sure we would die and I accidentally crushed the caterpillar in my hand. From the woods came a young boy on horseback with a bow and arrow. He had long brown hair and a satchel tied around his chest. He circled us with his horse and asked my brother a question, then he road off quickly into the woods and disappeared. I’d never seen anyone with a real bow and arrow before and I thought we’d found Atreyu. I smeared my caterpillar on a leaf and begged my brother to lead me back down the hill so we weren’t chased by a wolf like in the movie.

Years later I was driving my truck passed the old farm plot and saw there was a target range back in the woods for a riding school.