Rutting Season | Kristen Zory King

It’s not that Vayna had a particular affection for deer, it’s just that they were so innate, all that sinew and muscle, the internal mechanics so similar from artery to liver to lungs, that it was a natural fit for the men’s denaturing. The stomachs were tricky, the division always making a mess of her kitchen, but it was worth it for the horns: the white-eyed panic as bone pierced and threaded through skin, the sudden added weight to their shoulders, necks. When asked, Vayna’s answer was simple: a deer knew its place in the family order. Deer could be led, did not walk head first into danger, at least, not knowingly. And should they refuse the lesson, believe the copper taste beneath their tongues to be anything but fear, well, first frost was coming and the village hunters liked rutting season best.

Kristen Zory King is a writer and artist facilitator based in Washington, DC. Recent work can be found in Electric Lit, Past-Ten, mac(ro)mic, District Lit, and SWWIM among others. Learn more or be in touch at www.KristenZoryKing.com or on Twitter at @kristenzoryking, where she is frequently on hiatus.