The sight of a boy and his mother could be seen in a car which barreled down an isolated road which ventured far deep into the woods could be seen.
Andrew who was looking outside while Lucy kept her eyes on the road as the sight of their destination came into view. It had been a week since the interrogation and the more time passed, the bigger the difference she could see in Andrew.
At first she had thought that he was recovering from the trauma that befell on his friends but after the counseling and therapy, there were a few things that remained constant.
First, his genuine apathy to the world around him was a glaring factor that was too huge to not notice. Secondly, it didn't seem that he was all that bothered by their death but given the span of time he recovered with either meant he got over it quick or he didn't care enough about them to begin with.
Thirdly, the timid and innocent charm that he used to have seemed to have been erased completely. But other than that, she was taken aback by his transformation given that now, he seemed to be more aware of what was going around him.
The car slowed down as it took a path off-road and a couple of minutes later, the sight of a magnificent cabin was presented to them all. It was deep within the woods which made Lucy think that he'd relate this to the manor but he seemed unfazed.
The sight of two people could be seen waiting for them. Andrew alighted the car and straight got to getting his luggage sorted which was a stark contrast to what he usually would do. The image of him running into his grandparents was lacking from Lucy's sight.
"Just leave it there for now and go greet grandma and grandpa." She beamed a smile towards him who returned the suitcase back in the trunk. The actual truth was that he wasn't actually planning to do what he seemed to do but rather gauge his mother's reaction to the deviation of the norm.
'Observing and caring. As expected.' He mused as he made his way towards his grandparents. The two welcomed him with a warm and friendly attitude as his grandma didn't hesitate to take a pinch of his cheeks while his grandpa ruffled his hair.
The two were privy with what had happened and shared their remorse to the other two that weren't able to make it. "Oh, Andrew I'm so glad that you took the time to visit us." His grandma beamed a warm smile towards her.
"I'd never forget you grandma." Seeing it as belittlement, his grandpa gave a rough cough which shifted his attention towards him. "And grandpa as well." Echoing a smile towards the pair to which the two reciprocated back.
Lucy after parking the car made her way towards the three and gave a deep and heartfelt hug towards the two as Andrew watched from the sides. The exchanges that followed was something he didn't invest himself all that much.
"Andrew, are you up for hunting out in the woods with grandpa?" The two ladies looked at him wondering what made him say that. "Sure thing grandpa but first I want to unpack my stuff first."
*Beep*
The sound of the car could be heard unlocked by the car keys and Andrew headed towards to the back of the car. Grabbing his bags, he made his way into the house to which a sight was presented to him.
The place was silent and calm which brought a peaceful bliss to it. It was a two floor decker making it extremely huge given that there only two people living in it.
Most of the decorations were handmade by Grandma Sheryl while the rest were bought off by Nelson. He was aware of the place as he made his way towards his room upstairs before making his return back to the main floor.
He could hear the sounds of the two ladies already brewing something up in the kitchen leaving him with Grandpa Nelson who was making himself comfortable but seeing Andrew, he shot back to his feet.
He had his reasons of asking Andrew to go out hunting, with it acting as exposure therapy to him so as to avoid any form of scars to be made on his mind. The two walked out of the front door and trekked a little bit out into the forest before a small shed was presented to them.
It was smaller in comparison to the house they were in but Andrew wasn't fazed by it. So far, he hadn't felt anything outstanding about it as he commented. "Is this where you keep the trophies that you hunt?" Nelson was baffled as he gave a light chuckle.
"I take it that your mother was informed by Grandma Sheryl." He gave a slight nod as Nelson twisted the knob and opening the door to the two. Just as he had said, the heads of various animals could be seen, mounted onto each side of the wall.
Deer was common with a few exceptions such as a brown grizzly bear, some badgers and a couple of moose heads. Andrew however didn't overhear what his mother had told him as he too didn't know what was in it but a strange thought crept into him.
As of late, his body would react as if on a mind of it's own and thoughts creeping into his head that he hadn't conceived to begin with. And so far he had been right and the skill saving him multiple times but the less he felt engaged with the world around him.
Sure he was able to execute things much more efficiently, way above for a twelve year old but he felt that it was all in auto pilot. Like a person watching a film however he had the ability to engage with the cast whilst knowing what was going to happen ahead.
But this wasn't constant thus he hadn't been relying with it all that much. Nelson made his way towards a rifle which seemed that hadn't been utilized for a while as it was removed from the casing it was encapsulated in.
Alongside it, there was a map with multiple crosses marked all over it haphazardly. "Just a safety precaution." He mused with a smile.
"Let's go out but not too far as I have all kinds of traps way deep into the forest." He urged as the pair left the shed and made their way into the forest.
They hadn't ventured deep considering the sight of the house could still be seen. "Grandpa Nelson, there's no reason to be doing something so trivial like this. I appreciate your efforts of overcoming my trauma but I'm fine."
One of the pair came to a halt as he looked at his shorter partner with a bit of shock before resuming. "I take it that after the counseling you've been administered, therapy is something you're not that eager to hear."
The fact that Andrew was able to deduce what he was trying to do was something he hadn't expected for a twelve year old given how hyperactive they were but it would seem that he wasn't. "There's a trap not far from here with game in it."
He blurted out making it sound that he had delivered the lines so many times that he felt apathy and weariness of it. Nelson glanced at his map and noted a mark that wasn't that far from where they were.
After five minutes, the two came across a fox that was captured in a bear trap. Its hind leg was grotesquely exposed portraying all kinds of flesh and blood on it.
It didn't seem to be in that much pain, as if had already succumbed to it's fate but the sight wasn't pretty and it wasn't something Nelson had anticipated much less wanted given what Andrew had undergone.
But what shook him more was how nonchalantly Andrew came to it. He embraced the creature with a calm and soothing air making it calm down after it tensed watching the pair approaching it.
Within a matter of minutes, he was able to tinker with the trap and set it free to which the creature wastes no time in leaving the vicinity. "Don't you think that it would have been better to heal it up first before releasing it out there. Nature isn't kind after all."
"I'm not that interested on whether it lived or died." Hearing such a statement from Andrew sent a shiver down his spine. 'What kind of kid would harbor such a thought? Had his suffering make him blind to the world around him, filled with nothing but hate and spite?'
'But how was he able to tinker with the trap and set it free.' The more he read into Andrew, the more vague he became. It doesn't make sense for a twelve year old to know how a bear trap works given the city background that he had.
"I think that that is enough for today." He heaved, ready to head back. "But we just started, besides there are more creatures trapped." Nelson squinted his eyes as he gauged Andrew. He was taking in and pondering what was going through his head as he agreed to his request.
The two made their way deeper as the density of the trees increased but they weren't planning on making it that far deep into the forest. "There should be another one to the left of here. About a few feet away." Andrew mused as he made his way towards a certain direction.
Taking another glance at the map, he was baffled to see that there wasn't anything marked or highlighted in the direction he was pointing to. Regardless he followed him and behold, another creature was presented to the two.
A white fluffy hare which had deep crimson eyes that constantly surveyed its surroundings. However seeing the two, it seemed all the more to get out of its predicament and run as fast as it could.
"I'll handle this." Nelson posed as he made his way towards the creature however unlike Andrew who had no malice, his was different and the hare could tell.