*Rated for language and violence. And some scary parts. I hope.*

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Genesis 4:12 –16, “When thou tillest the ground, is shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt though be in the earth.

And Cain said unto the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear.

Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from they face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass that every one that findeth me shall slay me.

And the Lord said unto him, Therefore, whosoever slayeth Cain vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him shall kill him.

And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.

Mike held his hand in front of Joshua, his son, motioning for him to remain silent. The darkening woods were tinted in shadows, hiding deer, game and pheasants. Mike’s pale blue eyes squinted into the darkness and he held his breath.

The doe was out there, somewhere. He could just feel it. Raising his bow slightly, Mike knocked the plastic arrow. He nodded to Josh, who did the same.

“Shh,” Mike whispered and slowly began making his way into the shadows. He was a large man and it was difficult to remain camouflaged, even with his hunting suit. Those damn deer could see everything, and just as they did, they would take off and bolt for coverage.

Mike wouldn’t even have the chance to release his arrow.

Josh was thirteen. Mike had promised Elizabeth that he would take him out hunting for his birthday. Elizabeth was probably at home now, watching the latest soap or curled up with her mystery novels. Mike couldn’t understand how a woman could find the patience to flip through a book and understand the story.

Mike was a hunter – a natural born hunter. He didn’t have time for books and soap operas. He knew he belonged out here, in the wild, where anything could happen.

“Josh, can you see her?” His voice came out in a low sigh.

“No…”

“Shh. Not so loud. You’ll scare her away.”

Mike proceeded into the shadows. His foot came down on a large twig and it snapped. His heart fluttered and his whirled around, aiming the arrow at – nothing. It had been nothing.

“Dad?” Joshua whispered hesitantly.

“Shh!”

“Dad, I don’t feel so good.”

Mike narrowed his eyes at his son. Joshua was a very small boy with buzzed brown hair. But, of course, he couldn’t see his hair because a floppy hat covered it. His face was narrow and long, but his eyes were bulging out of their sockets.

“Josh, what’s wrong?” There was a nervous tone in Mike’s voice.

“I don’t feel… right. I don’t know how to explain it. I just feel like there is… something watching us. No. Maybe not. I don’t know,” Josh said and eyed his surroundings. “I just don’t feel right.”

“Shh, don’t be so loud. It’s normal to feel out of place here. It’s a totally new world.” Mike winked. “Just tell me if you see Big foot or something. Then I’ll get a little worried.”

“Da-ad,” Josh rolled his eyes, but didn’t smile. Mike knew that he was thinking about the story that he had heard the night before.

#

They had been sitting around their small campfire. It was completely dark out. Must’ve been around ten-thirty or so. Josh had started the scary stories. It was a tradition, as it was for most campers. Scary stories right before bed was necessary to get lots of sleep.

“Do you know any, Dad?” Josh had asked hoarsely. His voice was almost completely gone from the basketball game that they had gone to that afternoon. The Lakers had won the Jazz – a hundred and eight to ninety-seven.

“Yeah, I know a few,” Mike had replied. There was always the haunted cabin – or tent in their case. Joshua wouldn’t be frightened about a demon that haunted a cabin if he slept in a tent.

There was also the one where the newlywed bride had drowned herself, but there was no lake nearby to spook Josh with.

There was always the tale about Cain. Cain, Abel’s brother. Now there was a classic monster story.

“Have I told you the one about Sasquatch?” Mike had asked. Joshua immediately was alert. He hesitantly shook his head and glanced behind him. He was safe… so far.

“Really? Well, there is a story that never gets old. Okay, so I’m guessing you know about Cain?”

Joshua stared blankly at his father.

“Cain and Abel?”

“Oh,” Josh said and nodded. “Yeah. Didn’t he kill his brother? Then God made him leave Eden, or something like that.”

Mike had told him that he was correct. Cain was labeled a murderer and was expelled from the presence of God. He roamed the earth for all time and eternity as a vagabond.

“What’s a vagabond?” Joshua asked, occasionally shaking and peeking behind his back. He was convinced that there was something behind him. There had to be. Two dark eyes watching his every move…

He shuddered the thought away.

“A vagabond is like a roamer. Cain roams the earth and he will forever,” Mike muttered darkly. His deep voice echoed throughout the trees, even though he was speaking in a whisper. The fire threw dancing shadows onto Joshua’s face, and Mike could see his wide eyes staring at him, not daring to look back.

“You mean he’s not dead? But he lived a million years ago!”

“I said ‘for all time and eternity’ right?”

Joshua nodded and whispered, “So, what happened next?”

Mike clasped his hands together and leaned forward. He was sitting on a log and it was making his butt itch terribly. He slowly scratched it and placed his hands together again.

“God placed a curse on him. It was a curse that would make him be distinguished over everyone else. Something terrible. Something horrible. Something that no one would ever want to see.

“He became Sasquatch.”

Joshua took a sigh of relief and muttered, “Dad, I’m not afraid of ‘Big Foot.’ Seriously. That’s for like three year olds. Big Foot doesn’t scare me.”

“You didn’t let me finish,” Mike smiled and stared at his son. Even though he was acting calm, he knew that he was mortified. He was in the woods alone with his father. Cain was probably out there…

Josh shuddered. “Fine, go on.”

“Sasquatch. Yeti. Big Foot. Vagabond. These are all names that he have been called. There are probably millions of other ones, but I can’t remember them.” Mike winked. “So, Cain is out there right now. No one has seen him for at least ten years.”

“Ten years?! Are you serious?” Josh interrupted. His eyes widened further, if possible. His jaw dropped and he was tugging at his dark jacket anxiously.

“It could’ve been less. I don’t know. But they have seen him recently. In fact,” Mike’s smile vanished, “I think that he was spotted near here. I’m not certain, but I think it was just a few miles down the road.”

Josh didn’t move. Mike could see little tears beginning to swell up in the corner of his eyes. Awh. Poor kid.

“Do you think he’s still up here? I mean… around here? Do you think he would’ve moved on?” Josh sat completely still, never wanting to look over his shoulder. He could almost taste Cain’s rancid breath. He could almost feel Cain’s long, furry hair, reeking with stench.

It was then that he finally believed in Cain.

#

Mike could sense something wrong too. He didn’t know how to put it into words other than something else was out there.

No, not something. Someone. Mike thought. There were no ‘creatures’ up here. Just people. Hunters, like himself.

But he wasn’t quite sure.

“Dad?” Joshua pleaded. “Dad, I want to go back to camp. And then home. I can’t stay up here any longer.”

Mike turned and faced his only son. “You can’t go back down to camp just because you believe in some monster story! Now keep your head up, your eyes alert and keep your damn head on straight!”

Joshua suddenly screamed and backed up against a tree. His hands frantically crawled up the trunk and he let out another scream. Mike was shocked and turned around.

There was a quick flash of a bronze colored fur and a foot, and then it was gone. Joshua kept screaming and scrambling to get up the tree. Mike was stunned. What was that? That was no deer he had ever seen!

“Dad! Dad, get up here! Quick! I can see him! Dad! Dad, oh God! It’s Cain!” Joshua screamed, as birds flew out of the tree. Mike swiftly turned back around and saw it.

It had a huge form. The bronze fur had enveloped his body, and its eyes – if it had any – weren’t visible. The thing roared a deep rumble and charged at Mike. He didn’t even have time to scream before the monster had gotten a hold of him with one rough hand. Its fingers were slick and slimy, but grasped a hold of Mike’s neck. Mike heard a crack and a pain shot up his neck.

The last thing he saw was his son, high in the tree, screaming for his life.