He killed the deer and gutted it. No part wasted: meat to nourish his body; fur and tanned hides to clothe him; sinew thread to bind it all together.

He’d come to the forest to confront his demons. Sometimes it’s better to become the demon.

He donned the skull mask.

Lauren Scharhag (she/her) is an associate editor for GLEAM: Journal of the Cadralor, and the author of thirteen books, including Our Miss Engel and The Order of the Four Sons series (with Coyote Kishpaugh). Her work has appeared in over 150 literary venues around the world. She is the recipient of multiple awards, including the Seamus Burns Creative Writing Prize and a fellowship from Rockhurst University for fiction. Her work has also been nominated for multiple Best of the Net and Pushcart Prizes. She lives in Kansas City, MO. See more at laurenscharhag.blogspot.com.