Seeing the Humanity in the Beast

Nigel heard the reports of a beast roaming the countryside. As lord of the manor, it was his birthright as a hunter to kill the animal, and he took a posse up on the mountain so they could locate the fearsome creature and destroy it.

Nigel was the first on the scene with his gun at the ready. Given the brevity of the trip from his manor to the forested environs of the mountain, he hadn’t planned just how to track and stalk the monster. So, he wasn’t prepared when a tall, dark man approached, covered in dirty clothes, and he was barely able to speak due to extreme exposure to the cold and the snow that surrounded them. Under the circumstances, the men with him advised him to shoot and ask questions later.

But Nigel saw sadness and fear in the eyes of his intended victim and realized that he was a human being and not an animal. The man explained that his car had skidded on the mountain and he had been knocked unconscious for at least a day. He had tried to walk for help, but every time someone saw him and his dark skin they assumed he was a beast and either ran away from him or tried to harm him.

Nigel was shaken because he had nearly killed a person who simply needed help. He arranged for a helicopter to take the man to the nearest trauma center. As the helicopter lifted into the night sky, Nigel and the man locked eyes. The gratefulness that he could not express vocally to Nigel was evident. Nigel said, “Godspeed, my friend!”

Fictional story is written for Three Things Challenge #471 for Pensitivity 101: victim, circumstance, hunter. Fandango One Word Challenge is Brevity. Ragtag Daily Prompt is Beast. The Word of the Day Challenge is Birthright. The Daily Spur prompt is Helicopter.