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A collection of short stories for your reading enjoyment

Currently 12,517 short tales

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Backwoods Bravery



The sun was setting over the dense forest, casting a warm orange glow over the trees. The air was thick with the scent of pine and damp earth, and the only sounds were the chirping of crickets and the distant howl of a wolverine.

Joe had lived in these backwoods for as long as he could remember. He was a rugged man, with calloused hands and weathered skin from years of working the land. He had grown up in this wilderness, learning the ways of the forest from his father and grandfather before him.

Joe's cabin was simple but cozy, surrounded by towering trees that stretched towards the sky like giant sentinels. Inside, the air was cool and damp, filled with the scent of wood smoke and the sound of crackling fire. Joe sat by the fire, his eyes fixed on the flames as he thought about his life in these backwoods.

He had always known that he would end up here, living off the land and fending for himself. It was in his blood, passed down from generations of men who had lived in these woods before him. Joe felt a sense of pride and connection to this place, a deep love for the rugged beauty of the forest and the freedom that came with living off the land.

But as the night wore on, Joe couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. The wind had picked up, rustling through the trees in a way that seemed almost... threatening. He glanced out the window, but the darkness was impenetrable, and he couldn't see anything beyond the edge of the clearing.

Joe tried to shake off the feeling of unease, telling himself it was just his imagination playing tricks on him. But as the night wore on, the wind continued to howl, and Joe could feel a presence lurking just beyond the edge of the forest. He tried to sleep, but the tension in the air made it impossible, and he found himself wide awake, eyes fixed on the window, waiting for whatever was out there to make its move.

As the first light of dawn crept over the horizon, Joe finally drifted off to sleep, exhausted from the tension of the night before. But when he awoke, he found that his unease had been justified. A pack of wolves had stumbled into the clearing outside his cabin, their eyes glowing in the early morning light.

Joe knew that he had to act fast, so he grabbed his rifle and stepped out onto the porch, ready to defend himself and his home. The wolves were close, their breathing labored as they closed in on him. Joe took aim, his heart pounding in his chest, and fired at the closest wolf. It let out a pained yelp and fell to the ground, but the others kept coming, their eyes fixed on Joe with an unnerving intensity.

In a burst of adrenaline, Joe ran down the porch steps and into the forest, dodging trees and leaping over rocks as he tried to outrun the pack. He could hear them closing in behind him, their panting growing louder with each passing second. Joe knew that he couldn't keep this up for much longer, but he refused to give up, determined to protect his home no matter what.

As the sun rose higher in the sky, Joe finally heard the wolves give up and retreat back into the forest. He collapsed on the ground, exhausted and shaken, but grateful to have made it through the night unscathed. Joe knew that living in these backwoods wasn't always going to be easy, but he also knew that it was worth it, as long as he had his wits and his rifle to protect him from whatever dangers lay in wait.


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