Bearkiller

D. J. Stephens (Author)

Do you believe in reincarnation? On a solo elk hunt in the Rocky Mountains, Jeff Barkil discovers something very peculiar. Although he’s never even seen this place before, he seems to know all the landmarks. Somehow he’s able to guess exactly what is in the next valley or over the next hill. Dismissing these amazing perceptions as a fluke, he carries on with his hunt — until he is attacked by a vicious grizzly. Using a great deal of natural skill and determination, Barkil manages to kill the bear and survive. But he is badly injured; he feels close to death. While he is trying to clear his head, he discovers that he has traveled two hundred years back in time and a hunting party of Blackfoot Indians has taken him to their village to honor him for his bravery. Soon he is regarded as a splendid warrior and is given the name Bearkiller. In the boy’s subsequent adventures, stealing horses, and waging war against the Shoshone and the Sioux, he encounters and learns the landmarks he will recognize over two hundred years later as Jeff Barkil. The life of an Indian in the 1780’s was often brief. One day in a fierce battle, the old grizzly wounds are reopened and he is defeated. With blood pouring out of his body, Bearkiller lies down to die and wakes up in a Forest Service rescue helicopter as Jeff Barkil. As the events of his life as an Indian slip rapidly from his mind, Jeff Barkil wonders if what he experienced was real. Was he dreaming? Or was he reliving a past life? What will always remain clear is the image of a great grizzly standing over him, looking down at him as if from the top of a mountain, seeming to know his soul, somehow communicating to him without saying the words: “Until we meet again, Bearkiller.”

About the Author

D. J. (Don) Stephens lives in a NW suburb of Chicago with his wife of nearly forty years. Don spent ten years serving in the U.S. Army, during which time he was a member of a Division Rifle Team and Parachuted for a Post Skydiving Team. He has been in the computer industry doing everything from programming to company President since leaving the service. Don writes as a hobby and for relaxation. DEATH RIDER is Don s third novel. He also has some short stories published on the Amazon Shorts Program.