The leaf

A man in a desperate situation retreats into memories of an autumn afternoon in the woods, when he spent hours shooting red squirrels with his .22. He recalls each shot with unsettling precision: the animal’s pose, the clean aim, the fall through bare branches, and the pleasure of practicing his skill without ever leaving his comfortable perch.

But beneath this quiet recollection lies something darker. His memories reveal a hunter who views the forest as a collection of targets and treats suffering as little more than an inconvenience. As the story returns to the present, the familiar woods—and a single ordinary leaf—begin to take on a strange, troubling significance.

Atmospheric and sharply observed, this compact tale blends psychological tension with a touch of the uncanny. Its measured pace draws listeners into the mind of a man whose confidence may not protect him from the consequences of what he has done—or from the mysteries hidden in the natural world.