The May Goose

Charlie lifted his boots higher, not wanting to get stuck in the shallow mud. They were too big for him, rattling around his shins as he followed his father through the trees. The hat on his head flopped down over his short hair and floated around his ears, the dangling strings tickling inside his collar. 

The boy pressed forward, holding the heavy weight of the gun stiffly. His breath felt cold blowing back against his face as he turned his head between his father's moving back and the obstacles around him.