Deer Sighting

[rejectomorph]

For the last several nights, deer have been visiting the street shortly before midnight. I have been unable to see them, as the moon has been behind them, and they keep mostly to the shadows, but I have heard their hooves on the pavement. Tonight, the moon was still high when they came, and although the adult deer once again slipped into the shadows of the pines when they heard my door open, a fawn remained standing in a patch of moonlight, just across the street from my house. I stood on my porch, and we looked at each other for a moment. The fawn seemed curious, rather than suspicious, (as the older deer are.) I had the feeling that it would have liked to get a closer look at me but, realizing that the adults had slipped away, decided to follow them instead. I heard them a few minutes later, clopping on the asphalt of the cross street along the orchard. Then, there was only the night silence, broken by the occasional clatter of acorns falling on roofs.