tonight. I want to write this up for the morning edition if possible,” Porter said, shaking Sanguini’s hand by the hallway door to his office. “How are you going to handle this for your newspaper? I guess we should align our facts.”
“I originally thought we had a front page story, but I’m having second thoughts about sensationalizing this. Stick with the basic facts. I’m going to handle Lickshill’s death as a possible accident, but not rule out violence. The child and the doe is a tough one. I’m leaning towards calling it a lost child story in relation to Lickshill’s accident, and leaving the doe out of it. As for the guy being sucked into the chipper, I’d say it’s a clear accident. And the guy’s wife saying a deer witnessed the incident, no one will believe it or care.”
“Wow, you’re leaving out the best parts of the story. Why play it down, this is great stuff,” Kottle said.
“I think Pillbock will agree with me. You have two major problems to deal with. If you sensationalize the idea that deer are getting possible revenge and display human characteristics, then your story will spark interest among the new age and religious community, and you’ll get a firestorm of unwanted attention from them. If you sensationalize these as negative hunting incidents, then you’ll get the NRA riled up.”
“I think we’ve just wasted the day. We should just take what you write and print it.”
“Don’t be discouraged. Pillbock sent you up here for a reason: Uncover the underlying thesis or baseline truth of the events, and see if you can solve some greater mystery. Truth, not conjecture sells the story.”
“I’m looking and learning, but I still don’t get it,” Kottle said.
“Solve the mystery. Look for clues throughout history relating to these incidents. Have there been similar deer-related occurrences like this? Investigate seemingly disparate stories in other local newspapers having the same general theme. Then put it all together and solve an unsolved ambiguity. People will read it and think they’ve uncovered the truth for all ages. You know, expose the conspiracy, and get to the truth. The truth will always matter and make you into notable reporters.”
“Do you get it? Disparate stories that are related; isn’t that an oxymoron?” Kottle asked Porter, as he jotted more notes into his notebook.
“I’m hoping a revelation of inspiration will hit me soon,” he said, smiling.
“Ask questions, gather facts, check the facts, build relationships, get scientific support for your suppositions and write the story. It’ll all make sense as your journey continues to discover more details in the next two or three weeks.”
~ ~ ~
Sanguini escorted the two young reporters to the front door, giving them his last bit of advice.
“Remember, look and learn. Or another way to say it: look to learn and learn to look.”
Porter gave thumbs up. Kottle held up her left hand, wiggling her ring finger.
Chapter 9
I’ m hungry, so damn hungry , Montagno thought, becoming motionless. Is something moving up there? A small fawn and doe stood beside him, ears up. The fawn, distracted by a bug crawling beneath it, leaned forward to investigate. Don’t move, don’t move . Montagno cocked his head slightly sideways, looking up into the oak tree next to him. Another one; they’re everywhere today. Run, get away. I don’t like the scent. I will kill you like the other. He turned to the fawn and doe, letting out a slight clicking sound. Run straight away, now! I will run behind the tree and wait for it to come down. Then I will kill it. The doe jumped forward, the fawn followed.
Whoosh. Thump.
Ugh, I’m hit. Feel weak. Cannot stand. Falling.
~ ~ ~
“Ahh, shit!” Montagno yelled, wrestling with the bed covers. He heaved them back and rolled out of bed, smacking his head on the floor.
“George...George, you okay? My God, you scared the life out of me,” Montagno’s wife,
“I originally thought we had a front page story, but I’m having second thoughts about sensationalizing this. Stick with the basic facts. I’m going to handle Lickshill’s death as a possible accident, but not rule out violence. The child and the doe is a tough one. I’m leaning towards calling it a lost child story in relation to Lickshill’s accident, and leaving the doe out of it. As for the guy being sucked into the chipper, I’d say it’s a clear accident. And the guy’s wife saying a deer witnessed the incident, no one will believe it or care.”
“Wow, you’re leaving out the best parts of the story. Why play it down, this is great stuff,” Kottle said.
“I think Pillbock will agree with me. You have two major problems to deal with. If you sensationalize the idea that deer are getting possible revenge and display human characteristics, then your story will spark interest among the new age and religious community, and you’ll get a firestorm of unwanted attention from them. If you sensationalize these as negative hunting incidents, then you’ll get the NRA riled up.”
“I think we’ve just wasted the day. We should just take what you write and print it.”
“Don’t be discouraged. Pillbock sent you up here for a reason: Uncover the underlying thesis or baseline truth of the events, and see if you can solve some greater mystery. Truth, not conjecture sells the story.”
“I’m looking and learning, but I still don’t get it,” Kottle said.
“Solve the mystery. Look for clues throughout history relating to these incidents. Have there been similar deer-related occurrences like this? Investigate seemingly disparate stories in other local newspapers having the same general theme. Then put it all together and solve an unsolved ambiguity. People will read it and think they’ve uncovered the truth for all ages. You know, expose the conspiracy, and get to the truth. The truth will always matter and make you into notable reporters.”
“Do you get it? Disparate stories that are related; isn’t that an oxymoron?” Kottle asked Porter, as he jotted more notes into his notebook.
“I’m hoping a revelation of inspiration will hit me soon,” he said, smiling.
“Ask questions, gather facts, check the facts, build relationships, get scientific support for your suppositions and write the story. It’ll all make sense as your journey continues to discover more details in the next two or three weeks.”
~ ~ ~
Sanguini escorted the two young reporters to the front door, giving them his last bit of advice.
“Remember, look and learn. Or another way to say it: look to learn and learn to look.”
Porter gave thumbs up. Kottle held up her left hand, wiggling her ring finger.
Chapter 9
I’ m hungry, so damn hungry , Montagno thought, becoming motionless. Is something moving up there? A small fawn and doe stood beside him, ears up. The fawn, distracted by a bug crawling beneath it, leaned forward to investigate. Don’t move, don’t move . Montagno cocked his head slightly sideways, looking up into the oak tree next to him. Another one; they’re everywhere today. Run, get away. I don’t like the scent. I will kill you like the other. He turned to the fawn and doe, letting out a slight clicking sound. Run straight away, now! I will run behind the tree and wait for it to come down. Then I will kill it. The doe jumped forward, the fawn followed.
Whoosh. Thump.
Ugh, I’m hit. Feel weak. Cannot stand. Falling.
~ ~ ~
“Ahh, shit!” Montagno yelled, wrestling with the bed covers. He heaved them back and rolled out of bed, smacking his head on the floor.
“George...George, you okay? My God, you scared the life out of me,” Montagno’s wife,
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