“This time, we are going to see a moose.”

“Okay, okay, fine, we can stick around and wait to see a moose this time.”

Chris had wanted to see a moose on every one of his annual vacations to Baxter Park, but they never had. No matter how patiently he was willing to wait, nobody else seemed to share his desire. And, being only 17 with a learner’s permit in a large state park, he could not go out on his own to the moose’s favorite watering holes. However, this year was going to be different.

Chris had plans for this vacation. He was finally going to ask out his friend Anna, who he had known since preschool. While their families were very close to each other, and were, in fact, sharing one of the log cabins at the park (as they had done every year). Only recently had Chris began to see Anna as more than just a friend, but he was unsure how to act on his feelings. But, he realized, asking her on the vacation would allow them to be alone together; she was 18, and had a full driver’s license.

More importantly, Chris was determined to see a moose. Every year, he became elated as the vacation began, and then left the park in disappointment after his fruitless moose-hunts. His fluctuation increased every year as he realized that he had only a few years until college and the end of the family vacations. This year was most likely the last chance he would get to see the legendary moose. And now he had Anna, and the versatility of a car, meaning that he was no longer restricted by the impatience of his little brother. He was going to see a moose this year. He had to.

Finally, the day arrived. Chris had packed two days previously, and so had nothing to do as his little brother tried to decide which pair of pajamas to bring. He tried packing the family gear - fishing rods, inner tubes, hiking sticks, the dog’s food - but his brother seemed determined to take as long as possible. Finally, when Chris could not find anything else to do, he climbed into the car and fell asleep.

It worked beautifully. Chris did not wake up until he felt his dog, a big black lab, fall on top of him; they had come to the familiar twisting and turning that meant the family was nearing the park entrance. Chris, well-rested, woke up immediately. He was ready for the park entrance, where he would ask the ranger the question that he had asked every year since he was first able to talk:

“Do you know where we might find a moose?”

The ranger, a middle-aged woman, smiled politely at the question. “Why, yes!” she replied, intrigued by the fascination in Chris’s voice. “We just heard a couple of reports that there was a herd of moose spotted at Sandy Stream Pond. Do you need me to point that out on your map?”

“No, thank you,” Chris replied; he had memorized the entire map years ago, and it would only take him a few seconds to find Sandy Stream Pond again. His father had already paid the entrance fee, so there was no reason to linger. However, as Chris’s dad put the car in gear, the ranger described something new at the park.

“Did you all hear the story about the kids in the river?” the ranger asked. Chris and his family had not. “Apparently, last fall, some college kids went exploring. They found that one of the rocky sections of the river was just a perfect water slide. So, they told us, and we’ve made a little parking lot. You should check it out! Here, I can mark it on your map. Oh, and that’s a pretty dog you have there,” she remarked as she leaned in to get the map.

Chris’s mother thanked her for the information, and the family went to their cabin. Anna’s family had already arrived; Anna was an only child, so she didn’t have the burden of compromise. Chris was prepared to set out immediately for Sandy Stream Pond, before sitting down inside. His family decided otherwise. They made a quick lunch, walked the dog, and then Chris’s mother made the unilateral decision to spend the afternoon at the new river slide.

“It’ll be a lot of fun for all of us!” she said as Chris opened his mouth to protest. “And it will wear your little brother out, too,” she whispered to him on the side.

After lunch, the two families piled into one minivan and drove across the dirt road to the spot that the ranger had marked, leaving the dog in the cabin. The vast park was never particularly crowded, but, sure enough, there were already a few families sliding down the rocky riverbed.

“Come on, Chris, this is gonna be great!” Anna called, already running off to the top of the slide. Chris followed her energetic lead the entire afternoon, and the two went down the slide many times together, but Chris could not shake the mental image of the herd of moose waiting for him at Sandy Stream Pond.

Chris’s brother scraped his knee on the rocks, hastening the families’ return to the cabin. Chris was ready to change and get going. However, Anna insisted on showering first, which took fifteen minutes (an eternity for Chris). After a quick snack and another dog walk, the two families climbed into two cars and drove off to Sandy Stream Pond. Chris’s father wanted to bring the dog, but Chris feared that having the dog (who had a tendency to bark) might scare off the moose. The dog stayed.

Dusk was falling as they reached the parking lot, and the information sign said it was a fifteen minute hike to the hole. Chris did not waste any time in forging the trail; as such, he was the first one there. He was awestruck by the majestic scene of a calm pond overshadowed by a deep green mountain. The rest of the group arrived a few minutes later.

“Didya see any moose?” Chris’s brother asked.

“Sshh,” Chris replied, as he slowly shook his head no. He had checked everywhere, but he was still holding out for a moose. The group stood, absorbing the majesty of the scene, for a long time. Finally, Chris’s father broke the spell.

“It’s getting dark. We should probably get going,” he whispered.

Chris was going to reply, but Anna spoke up first. “We’re going to stay a little while longer, if that’s okay.”

“Don’t stay out too late, dear,” Anna’s mother whispered back. “And don’t get lost in the forest on the way back.” Chris heard the gentle jingle of car keys and the patter of gentle footsteps; he knew that he and Anna were alone with the powerful backdrop.

Only gradually did Chris realize that Anna had been holding his hand; he did not know how long she had been holding it. She was looking, not at the powerful backdrop stretched across the horizon, but at him. Chris noticed this for a second, and it broke his concentration. He took a step backwards, and realized that the sun had set.

“We should probably get going. It’s too dark to see anymore.”

Reluctantly, Chris started back towards the car. Before leaving the scene, Chris took one final look around. There were no moose. He paused a second longer, holding out for the moose he knew were there, but Anna’s gentle hand reminded him that they had to head home. He and Anna went back to the car in silence, and drove home in silence as well. Despite the stars in the eyes of the girl next to him, Chris could not shake his mind from the thought of the moose. It was there! It had to be! He just hadn’t looked hard enough. Once they reached their respective rooms in the cabin, Anna gave Chris a light kiss on the cheek, whispered “goodnight,” and almost danced into her room. Chris did not reply. He stood still in the hall for a minute, looking for something that wasn’t there, and then turned, walked into his room, closed the door, and slept.


Chris awoke suddenly to the feeling of hot, wet breath on his face. The digital clock on the nightstand read 1:13 AM. The dog wanted to go for a walk. Chris threw on a hoodie, grabbed a flashlight from his bag, and tiptoed out of his room. Chris put a leash on the dog and walked out the door.

Chris had decided where he was going to walk; there was a little pond not far from the cabin that he and Anna liked to swim and play in. It was within walking distance, but it was a long enough walk to give Chris time to think, which was what he desperately wanted to do. He wanted to clarify the previous evening in his mind, and he could tell that this would take a while. However, he walked to the pond in a stupor; he seemed to arrive instantly.

As soon as he got to the pond, Chris realized that something was different. It was the same pond as always, but he could feel a presence that had never been there before. The moon shone brightly enough to outline a solitary silhouette in the middle of the pond. Chris knew exactly what it was. His dog seemed to understand his fascination; it stopped pulling on the leash and stood stone still. Chris slowly turned the flashlight on and pointed it towards the figure. Sure enough, a lone bull moose was staring back at Chris. In the complete silence, their eyes met and held for ten, twenty, thirty seconds. The dog barked once; the moose turned and vanished into the night.