A Reindeer Seeks Help from a Homeless Man, and When He Discovers Why, He Doesn't Know What to Do
Hitting Rock Bottom
Five years ago, Dimitri lost his job, and everything seemed to go downhill from there. He tried to bounce back, but instead found himself homeless and estranged from everyone he knew. However, after many years, it seemed like his fate was about to change sooner than he had hoped.
Dimitri was tired of city life. The nights were cold, but that was nothing compared to the daily hostility he faced. On one hand, he was in constant conflict with local law enforcement who spent their time chasing him and other homeless individuals from the neighborhood streets. On the other hand, the neighborhood residents were equally cruel, constantly throwing garbage and insults at him. Dimitri made up his mind. He was going to leave for good.
Final Decision
Unfortunately, with the meager provisions he had managed to gather, Dimitri watched in despair as his supplies quickly dwindled. Over a week passed, and Dimitri was struggling to hang on. His reserves were at an all-time low, and his body was on the verge of giving in to exhaustion. There was little hope for him. Seeing no way forward, Dimitri decided not to go any further. He sat at the edge of the road leading to the forest and decided it would be his resting place.
Dimitri was more or less comfortable. He still held a faint hope that a kind stranger would come to his aid, but after many years on the streets, he had learned not to expect too much from others. Instead, he simply waited for his time. But when Dimitri turned to look in the other direction of the road, he saw neither a car nor a human. It was something much larger than him. It was an enormous animal.
Encounter
Dimitri was stunned to find that the animal in front of him was a reindeer. While reindeer tended to be peaceful, they also kept their distance from humans. Unless... they intended to attack. Dimitri did not expect his end to come so soon, but there was almost nothing the exhausted man could do. Bracing for a violent impact, he closed his eyes...
But the blow never came. Instead, Dimitri felt the animal approaching him gently. Eventually, the reindeer made a faint sound before giving Dimitri a gentle nudge. Dimitri stared at the large wild animal. He had never been so close to an animal, let alone one so huge and wild. And yet... the reindeer didn't seem to want to harm him.
In Danger
At first, Dimitri thought the best option was to pretend to sleep or be dead. He hoped the reindeer might leave him alone that way. But instead, the animal continued to push him further and further. At that moment, Dimitri wished he could be anywhere else. Eventually, the reindeer managed to push him into the middle of the road!
Now, Dimitri was sure he couldn't escape the animal; it had moved his aching body to the middle of the road. Cars lined up behind Dimitri, and while some simply tried to avoid the reindeer, others anxiously observed the situation Dimitri was in. After a while, a stranger got out of their vehicle and approached slowly.
Intervention
The man moved slowly, taking great care not to alert the wild animal before facing Dimitri. He asked if Dimitri was safe and if he wanted help. Of course, Dimitri desperately wanted to get rid of the reindeer, but he quickly realized that the help offered by the man went far beyond a simple hand; the man had a weapon!
Dimitri was shaken at the sight of the weapon. He assumed, of course, that it was loaded. He had no real reason to harm the reindeer, and he certainly didn't want to be the cause of its death. He knew he had to act quickly, or things would become uncontrollable. But how could an inexperienced person divert a large deer from the road?
Encouraged to Follow
Fortunately, Dimitri found that the task was much easier than he had imagined. So easy that Dimitri just had to stand up to get the animal to move. At first, Dimitri stood up briskly, acutely aware of the loaded weapon ominously close to him. But he noticed something. The reindeer had shifted position and was ready to move!
The reindeer moved in the same direction it had come from! But after taking a few steps, it turned to stare at Dimitri. Dimitri understood that he didn't really have a choice; it was clear that the reindeer would only continue to move forward if he did too. Knowing that the armed man was still ready to shoot the animal, Dimitri quickly followed the reindeer, the large wild animal leading him into the bushes.
Adrenaline Rush
Dimitri was on his third day without food, and the last drop of water he had consumed was several hours ago. His body was exhausted, and his bones ached from the long walk, yet he was sharp and alert! The events he had just experienced on the road had given him an unexpected adrenaline boost. He had to make the most of his newfound energy.
Dimitri was alert, though completely confused about what was happening to him. But it seemed that the animal was leading him to a valley. What irony, thought Dimitri. He was so exhausted just before this that he hadn't even noticed the large vegetation a few meters in front of him. And now this large wild animal was clearing a path for him. But for what purpose? He still wasn't sure.
What Destination?
Dimitri couldn't fathom the reindeer's mind. And yet, he found himself walking behind it, following the path the animal had carved. But he couldn't shake the nagging feeling that he might be getting into more trouble than he was prepared to handle. But there was not much he could do now; he had to wait and see the outcome.
Dimitri was tired, feeling like he had been walking for an eternity. Now that the adrenaline rush had subsided, he could feel the sun quickly heating up, and the wind that had helped cool him on the road was no longer noticeable in the woods.
Something Hidden
He was about to faint from exhaustion, but it seemed that he and the reindeer had not yet reached their destination. Then he noticed something. Through the thick vegetation, he couldn't immediately see what it was.
Dimitri noticed that the path through the vegetation seemed to be clearing and becoming much less dense. At first, he feared that exhaustion had finally caught up with him and that he had started to hallucinate. But upon closer inspection, he could see that his mind was not playing tricks on him. Something was there. But what could it be?
Surprise in the Bushes
Slowly, he approached. He had to navigate through a maze of branches and leaves, but eventually, he reached the final spot. He finally saw what lay on the muddy ground - two small reindeer. Dimitri walked slowly towards them.
Neither of the two reindeer seemed to be in good health. One of them had a large wound on its leg, blood oozing from it. The animal whimpered in pain. The other seemed to be in a slightly less dire condition, but it too emitted distressing sounds.
First Aid
Dimitri had worked as a nurse in a local hospital long before becoming homeless. He had cared for many people, but of course, never for animals. Nevertheless, he tried to help where he could.
He focused on the reindeer that seemed to be suffering the most. The wound on its leg was filthy, and there seemed to be a piece of lead lodged in it. It could very well be a lead pellet from a hunting rifle. Could it have come from the man with the rifle he had encountered a few minutes earlier?
Rendering Assistance
He carefully cleaned the wound with water he found in a puddle nearby. He placed some leaves against the wound to stop the bleeding. Then he lifted the creature and slowly brought it back to the road.
He quickly ran to where the other reindeer was. He brought it to the roadside as well. Once on the road with the two small reindeer, Dimitri tried to flag down the first car he saw. This was not going to be easy...
Seeking Help
After six cars passed by, the seventh finally stopped. A middle-aged woman got out and rushed towards Dimitri. "What's happening?" she asked. "I think these reindeer have been hunted. Could you please take these animals to the vet as soon as possible?" Dimitri replied.
The woman didn't hesitate for a second and helped Dimitri load the animals into the trunk. They barely fit. Dimitri jumped into the passenger seat, and the woman sped off to the nearest veterinary clinic. After about 20 minutes of driving, they arrived.
Arrival at the Clinic
Each of them brought a reindeer inside. They informed the first person they saw that these animals needed immediate help. A doctor heard them and ran towards Dimitri and the woman. "Come quickly with me," the doctor said. They headed to an operating room.
There, they carefully laid the small reindeer on a table. The veterinarian told Dimitri and the woman that he would take care of them. He thanked them and said they could wait in the corridor. He would keep them informed throughout the two operations.
Exposing the Man
In the meantime, Dimitri couldn't stop thinking about the armed man he had encountered. He must be the hunter who had shot these two adorable creatures. Dimitri felt compelled to take action. He decided to file a complaint.
He called the local police and recounted his entire story to the officer on the phone. The officer assured him that immediate action would be taken. Apparently, hunting wild animals was illegal, and the person responsible could face a hefty penalty.
Police Investigation
The police arrived at the scene with two different cars and examined the surroundings. They quickly found empty bullet casings. After some time, they were able to match them to a specific weapon...
It was indeed the man Dimitri had encountered on the roadside. The police raided the man's home and arrested him on the spot. The man continued to deny his involvement, but the officers didn't believe him and took him into custody.
Judgment
The man spent a night in jail and was allowed to go home the next day. He received a police report and had to appear in court a few weeks later. The man had learned his lesson.
He was found guilty of illegally shooting wild animals. Furthermore, he did not have a valid firearms permit. The judges sentenced him to three months in prison. Additionally, he had to surrender all the weapons he owned at home.
Proposal
Dimitri and the woman, named Jenna, were both present in the courtroom. They were pleased with the verdict and embraced each other when they heard the man's sentence. A couple of animal rights activists were also present in the room. They heard Dimitri's story and offered him a job within their organization.
Dimitri was astonished but didn't hesitate for a second. Of course, he accepted the job. It was an opportunity to earn money again. He would finally have money to buy necessities and water. Moreover, he would have money to rent an apartment somewhere.
Updates
He could start a week later. The organization mainly focused on rescuing abandoned or mistreated animals. Whenever they received a report, they would go to the location. Dimitri felt entirely at ease in this environment. About two months after this incident, Dimitri decided to revisit the animal clinic.
Once there, he looked for the doctor who had operated on the two small reindeer. The man approached him with a smile and shook his hand. He immediately began recounting the operations. The two animals had recovered remarkably well.
Reunion
They had spent three nights at the veterinarian's clinic. After that, they were released back into the region they came from. Initially, they couldn't find the mother of the two young ones, the reindeer that had approached Dimitri for help.
After more than two hours of searching, they finally located the animal. When the mother saw her two young ones, she trotted over to them. They were finally reunited. For the caregivers, it was a moment they would never forget. All's well that ends well.
This story is a work of fiction created for entertainment. The characters and events are the product of the author's imagination. The images presented are used for illustrative purposes only.
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