[ Rain splashes ]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Andy boy, you beat us.
And the fire's blazing.
Excellent.
How come you didn't wait for us?
I don't know.
I kind of felt like hiking out here alone.
Well, are you OK?
What's the matter?
Something happened last weekend, and it's been bugging me.
What was it?
Well, my family was having this big old cookout.
We were playing badminton, and the birdie
got stuck up high in this tree.
Whoa, man.
That's a drag.
I could see why you're bummed.
Quinn, so what happened?
Well, nobody could get it.
It was so high.
So I got my slingshot.
I'm a pretty good shot.
And well, I nailed it first time.
Fell right down.
Cool.
Luck.
Yeah.
My brother thought so too.
That smooth bird flew into the tree,
even higher in the birdie.
My brother said, if you're so good, hit that bird.
It was so far away.
I never thought it'd come close.
But you did.
Yeah, I did.
Couldn't believe it.
It fell out of the tree, fluttering down.
I ran up to it.
But it was already--
Nice shooting, Deadeye.
Deadeye's right.
I looked at the poor thing.
It was a morning dove.
And all I could think of was, a second ago, it was alive.
And because of me.
Anyhow, it's been bugging me so much
that it made me think of a story.
Things are born, and things die.
That's the way it goes.
But if you're going to step in and take
nature into your own hands, then you better
be ready to handle the outcome.
Submitted for the approval of the Midnight Society.
I call this story, The Tale of the Hunting.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Little girl.
Hey, Dad.
Did you get stuck in the snow?
Snow?
What snow?
Hey, you know your dad sent for paratus.
Always prepared.
That's right.
He packed snowshoes.
Hi, Gar.
Did you have a good time?
Yeah, you know it.
Camping in December is pretty cold, though.
Would have been tough without these.
Your dad's the best.
I'm just like him, you know.
It's genetic.
Just like him?
Yeah.
Got a little five o'clock shadow going on.
Gar.
So Diana, you're coming with us in the next trip.
Yeah, I guess so.
Oh, are you kidding?
That's all I've been hearing about for a week.
She must have repacked her gear at least 10 times.
Dad.
Yeah, we're going to see what kind of outdoorsman
my girl really is.
You're going to be great.
Yeah, we've got one.
It wasn't a blaze.
A blaze?
Smartest wolf in the pack.
Been a menace.
Been tracking it for years, but it always gets away.
Today's a sly one, all right.
But I'll get them.
Just a matter of time.
Hey, maybe on our trip, huh?
Camping's kind of like going back to the days
when you need to know all kinds of stuff to survive.
I mean, you have to be part astronomer, doctor, builder,
cook, sense of tense.
Yeah, but it's cool.
We're going to go snow, showing, canoeing, fishing,
hunting, hiking.
Hunting?
Yeah, hunting.
You're not serious, are you?
Sure, my dad hunts all the time.
Yeah, me too.
I don't believe this.
Do you even know what you're talking about?
What's the matter?
The matter is, you're talking about going out and killing
things. - Oh, man.
Here we go.
You may have some romantic notion
about recreating frontier life, but this
isn't the old days, Diana.
People around here don't need to hunt wild animals for food
anymore.
But it's different out in the wild.
It's about survival.
Survival?
You can't pack a lunch?
It's not about food.
It's dangerous out there.
Wolves are a threat to people.
Look at the blades.
You know as well as I do, there's
a single case of a wolf attacking a person.
You guys just like to shoot defenses animals.
We don't always shoot them.
Sometimes we trap the wolves.
That's humane.
Oh, really?
You know about trapping?
An animal can be caught in a trap for weeks,
starving and frightened before someone finally finds them.
Then the big brave trapper
uses a club to beat them to death.
Called that humane?
It's quick and painless.
You wouldn't think that if we were happening to you.
But they're animals.
And so are we.
Come on, Diana.
Let's go.
This girl is on another planet.
Please think about what I said.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[SCREAMING]
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
It's OK.
It was a wolf, Dad.
What?
It's eyes were glowing.
Look.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
I swear it was right there.
This is probably one of the dogs.
No, it was a wolf, Dad.
I think it was the blaze.
Hey, you know wolves still come up here, all right?
Especially that one.
Listen, a good hunter never loses his cool.
You want to be a good hunter just like your old man, right?
Yeah.
OK.
That's my girl.
Go back to bed.
Go.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Animals have keen senses, but we can fool them.
When you're stalking, do what wolves do.
Stay downwind, keep low, and move slow.
Keep low, move slow.
What was that?
I don't know.
Keep low.
Move slow.
It's kind of spooky.
Yeah, there's nothing to worry about.
Hi.
Sorry, did I scare you?
What are you doing sticking up like that?
What if I had a rifle?
Yeah, what if you did?
Come on, Diana, let's go.
Hey, wait for Laura.
No, you wait for Laura.
Sorry, I guess I messed things up.
No, it's not your fault.
I was looking for you to give you this.
For me?
Yeah, it's from a local native tribe.
It's a wolf.
Yeah, they believe that wolves have
ancient mystical powers unlike any other creature.
Cool, huh?
Do you believe that?
Well, I believe they believe it.
But I know they respect wolves, and we should too.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Hey, what are you thinking?
Nothing.
Thanks, this is really great.
So are you going to go on that hunting trip?
It's a camping trip.
Whatever.
Are you going to hunt with those guys?
I don't know.
I mean, I don't want to let my dad down,
and I don't want to let down Gar either.
Even if you think they're wrong?
But I don't think they're wrong.
I don't know if they're wrong.
Just talk about something else, OK?
Yeah.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[DOGS BARKING]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
It's OK, honey.
Let's scare it away some pests.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Yeah, they believe that wolves have
ancient mystical powers unlike any other creatures.
Cool, huh?
We're going to see what kind of outdoorsman
my girl really is.
I don't want to let down my dad, and I
don't want to let them do it like that.
No, you're saying?
But they're animals?
So are we.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Diana?
We're going to go check on the traps.
I'll see you later.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Look out!
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Hey.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Easy.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Easy now.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
What you got?
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Did you ever see anything like that?
No.
It was inside.
It's like a tornado getting there.
What?
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Diana?
[MUSIC PLAYING]
She's gone.
Gone.
Places of mess.
That beast was in there all right.
Must have scared her away.
Never saw a wolf being so bold.
Yeah. What's out there somewhere?
And so is my baby.
We got to find her.
She couldn't have gone far.
Let's go.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
All right, spread out and stay in here, Shawn.
Keep an eye out for hunters.
Don't get yourself shot.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Diana!
Well, she couldn't have gotten this far.
What should we do?
All right, you and the-- you and your dad keep looking.
I'll head back to the truck.
Maybe she took the road.
How far should we go?
Meet me at Grey's Meadow, all right?
And be careful.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[TIRES SCREECHING]
Woo!
Hey, what's going on?
Wolf was in the house, one after Diana.
Where is she?
Is she OK?
Somewhere in the woods.
So help me if my little girl's hurt.
That beast is going to pay.
[TIRES SCREECHING]
[MUSIC PLAYING] [SQUEALING]
[SQUEALING]
Huh?
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Diana!
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Diana!
[GUNSHOT]
Help!
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[MUTTERING]
Please.
Please don't hurt me.
Please.
Woo!
Please.
[MUTTERING]
Somebody.
[MUTTERING]
[MUTTERING] [MUTTERING] Woo!
Woo!
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Diana!
[MUSIC PLAYING]
You all right?
I got caught.
I couldn't move.
Let me get you up here.
And the wolves.
What?
You saw it?
No, no.
There were two of them.
The ones in the house and the blaze.
Lucky they didn't attack you.
No.
It's like they knew I was in trouble.
That's why they called out.
Yeah, sure.
I'm serious.
They were trying to help me.
Let's get you back to the truck.
Come on. Ready?
Yeah.
All right, go.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[MUTTERING]
Come on, girl.
Mm-hmm.
Come on.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
It's OK.
Come on.
[MUTTERING] Don't be afraid.
Come on.
[MUTTERING]
Come on.
[MUTTERING]
Come on.
[MUTTERING]
You OK, girl?
[MUTTERING]
I'm so scared.
How about some water?
[MUTTERING]
[SIGHS] [MUSIC PLAYING]
[DOOR SLAMS]
[MUSIC PLAYING] [MUTTERING] I'm scared.
[MUTTERING]
Get-- get away!
Get away!
Leave her alone!
Stay back.
Where's my daughter, you muggle?
She's harmless.
Don't hurt her.
Harmless?
This beast was in my house.
Scared my daughter up.
That doesn't sound harmless to me.
[MUTTERING]
Don't.
Don't, please, don't.
No, man.
Don't do it.
[MUTTERING]
[MUTTERING] [MUTTERING]
[MUTTERING]
A little more of you.
Press down on the sides to release it.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[MUTTERING]
Diana!
What--
Dad, I was just a little--
a little lost, but no, my back everything's OK.
Oh.
[LAUGHS]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Nobody ever knew what happened to Diana.
After a while, people forgot, or pretended to.
Even Diana looked back on it like a dream,
but one thing was real.
She never wanted to go hunting again.
Well, I guess there's nothing left to do but to declare
this meeting of the Midnight Society closed.
That was really good.
Thanks.
Amen.
[MUSIC PLAYING]