The Stag Shifter I Discovered in Alaska

我很高兴今天终于能见到我叔叔。

我最后一次见到他是在我七岁的时候。

那时，他刚从阿拉斯加回来，给我带来了一把刀。

我记得很清楚——我叔叔是个令人印象深刻的人。他能用最简单的材料制造各种东西：陷阱、弩，甚至是真正能用的粗糙火器。

他给我做了许多玩具——木制手枪、弹弓、会移动的机械鸟。

我好奇地问妈妈，为什么叔叔这么厉害。

她只是笑着说：“这和他的职业有关。”

“什么职业？”

母亲没有说那是什么，只是微笑着。

但从那以后，我一直对叔叔很好奇。

所以当他打电话邀请我去他在育空的船舱时，我几乎立刻答应了。

我还带了几个朋友——杰克、艾玛、莉娅和本。

我们都是大学同学，正值寒假。每个人都想做点刺激的事。

“你叔叔住在荒郊野外？”杰克在车里兴奋地问。“有熊吗？”

“绝对是，”我说。“还有狼、驼鹿，也许还有美洲狮。”

“太棒了！”本吹了声口哨。

我们开了很长时间。

从温哥华出发，向北经过不列颠哥伦比亚省，进入育空地区。

路变得更窄，雪也更厚。GPS信号两小时前丢失。我只能用叔叔发来的手绘地图和语音指示导航。

“再开十公里，看到一棵被闪电劈开的树时右转。”

叔叔在电话里说：“路很崎岖。小心点。”

“明白了。”

天色渐暗，我们终于抵达。

这里是一片无尽的针叶林。高大的云杉和冷杉被厚厚的积雪压得弯曲。

空气冷得刺骨。每一次呼吸都会产生可见的白色蒸气。

小屋坐落在森林深处的空地上，四周堆满柴火，屋顶上堆着至少半米厚的雪。

叔叔站在门口等我们。

他看起来和我记忆中不一样——头发和胡须都变得花白，但体格依旧结实，眼神依旧锐利。

“欢迎，孩子们！”他笑着张开双臂。“路途遥远。进来热身吧。”

屋内很温暖。壁炉里木柴噼啪作响，橙红色的火焰照亮了整个客厅。

叔叔给我们端来热咖啡和威士忌，准备了一大桌食物——烤鹿肉、兔肉炖菜、煎鳟鱼和用野生浆果做的派。

“这些都是你自己猎的吗？”艾玛惊讶地问。

“当然，”叔叔自豪地说。“在这里，超市不送货。”

大家都笑了。

We ate happily, drank quite a bit, talked a lot.

Jack asked uncle about hunting. Ben asked about wilderness survival. Leah was interested in the animal taxidermy.

After dinner, Emma excitedly suggested, "Can you show us around? I want to see what real wilderness is like."

Uncle looked out the window. It was still fairly light.

He hesitated, then said, "It's pretty cold outside. Why not rest up and go tomorrow?"

"Just a quick look!" Emma pleaded. "We're here for such a short time."

Uncle thought for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, but only nearby. Anyone else want to go?"

We all shook our heads. It was freezing outside—much more comfortable to stay inside.

Before leaving, Emma excitedly said she'd definitely bring back something different.

They put on thick coats and went out.

Jack, Leah, Ben and I stayed in the living room, continuing to drink coffee and chat.

But my attention was soon drawn to something else.

Mounted above the fireplace was a huge animal head.

I'd noticed it when we came in, but the light was too dim to see clearly.

Now the firelight shone directly on it, and I could finally see what it was.

It was a moose.

Not an ordinary whitetail or elk, but North America's largest deer species—a moose.

Its head was enormous, nearly covering the entire wall, with huge palmate antlers extending to both sides.

Its fur was dark brown, with a long nose and a dewlap hanging under its chin.

But what truly unsettled me were its eyes.

Those two eyeballs looked... too real.

They were moist, glossy, with pupils as deep as two wells.

Even more eerie, I kept feeling they were staring at me.

"What kind of deer do you think that is?" I pointed at the mount.

Jack glanced up. "A moose, right? That size, definitely a moose."

"But moose are usually brown," Leah said. "This one's color looks a bit strange."

"Maybe it's the lighting," Ben said.

We argued for a while, but no one could convince anyone else.

I pulled out my phone and sent uncle a message:

"Uncle, what species is that moose above the fireplace? Looks different from regular moose."

The message showed as read almost immediately.

"What moose?"

I froze.

"What does he mean?" Jack leaned over to look at my phone. "He's saying what moose?"

I looked at the mount above the fireplace again.

It was still there, staring at me.