Moosetopia, Part I
Marvin and I were lying down in the snow, in the middle of a forest in the Yukon, watching a lone moose forage for food. I cursed myself for letting Marvin talk me into coming with him, but he could be very persuasive when he wanted to be.
We were on this trip to fulfill Marvin’s dream, a utopian paradise where human and moose live alongside each other in perfect harmony. Moosetopia.
Why moose? I was never clear on that. All I know is that Marvin regarded them as being noble creatures, near perfect animals who make far better companions than dogs or cats. Marvin assured me that he had everything set up for Moosetopia, he just needed my assistance with the inventory, as he called it.
“What do you mean?” I asked him.
“I’ll show you,” was his reply.
All of which led us to this point in the Yukon.
“Come on, baby. Come to Papa,” Marvin said to himself, willing the moose forward. I looked over at Marvin’s face. His eyes were wide and unblinking, fixated on the moose. The corners of his mouth were slightly upturned, and he was biting on his lower lip. The expression on his face shocked and horrified me, it could only be described as wicked desire.
“Got him!” exclaimed Marvin. He pulled on the rope and the snare tightened around the animal’s hind quarters. The animal kicked and thrashed and let out a great bellow. Marvin rushed over to the moose and opened a large toolbox. Pulling out a vial filled with a yellow liquid and a syringe, he said, “And now we just slip him a little moosey.”
“What is a moosey?” I asked
Marvin flashed a cunning grin and tapped the side of his nose. He injected the syringe into the moose’s neck and gently stroked its head until it stopped struggling.
“A moosey works every time,” he said and winked at me. “I need you to help me load this into the truck. And get that tarp ready.”
As I stood there, in the snow, I witnessed a side of Marvin that I had never seen before. Or perhaps I had seen it, but I didn’t want to admit it. He’s evil, I thought to myself. I originally came on this trip to humour him. I expected Marvin to take me to a log cabin that had a set of moose antlers above the fireplace. We would call the cabin Moosetopia and spend an enjoyable weekend together. I never thought that it would be a real place with real moose. I knew that if Marvin was to go on pursuing this venture, I could no longer be his friend.
“I want no part in this,” I said. I turned and started to walk away.
“You’re just going to leave me with this moose on my own? Thank you very much!” Marvin was sounding irritated, but I didn’t look behind me. Marvin continued to shout as I walked through the forest, his voice growing more distant.
“Come back! There’s enough moose for everyone!” he pleaded. That was the last thing I heard him say. I didn’t know where I was going, I didn’t even know where I was. I just knew that I needed to get away from Marvin.
