Page 16 of Red Rabbit
“I wish we could eat like this every day,” I said as soon as the fish was done and I’d taken my first bite. It was buttery and the skin was crispy and it tasted fantastic.
“I’m going to have to go after something bigger soon. We’re down to only a handful of granola bars.”
“Like a deer?”
“More like a rabbit. I don’t have the gear for a deer.”
“What about the gun?”
“It’s only a 9mm and I don’t want to waste the bullets.”
“Are you a bad shot?” I asked, intentionally baiting him but he just fixed me with an annoyed look.
“No.”
“Then why not try it? Do you plan on running into something else you’ll need the bullets for?”
He didn’t answer me and I sighed and finished the fish in silence then tossed the stick and bones into the fire. I grabbed a handful of blueberries and leaned back against a log.
“I think we should probably stay here for a few days so I can set some traps,” Graham said. “We’ll stock up on fish and I’ll attempt to dry some so we can take it with us.”
I nodded. It was certainly a beautiful spot to camp out for a few days but as the sun dipped below the horizon, the cold crept in. The nights out here were the worst part since Graham didn’t like to talk and there was nothing to look at so all I could do was sit in the frigid cold alone with my own thoughts. I decided I didn’t like the forest at night. It was spooky and the shadows were black voids where any manner of beast could lurk.
In the middle of the night I woke up and lay in silence as I tried to figure out what woke me. Then I heard it—something shuffled outside. My stomach dropped and I slapped blindly out at Graham.
“Graham,” I hissed. He jolted awake.
“What?”
“There’s something out there.”
The sound came from my side of the tent and I saw the fabric move as something brushed it. I tried to stop myself but I couldn’t help it as I moved back towards him nervously. The side of the tent shook again and I scrambled as far away as I could get, only to run into a solid wall of muscle at my back.
“It’s probably a bear,” he whispered.
My damn brain was in overdrive with the incredibly warm body behind me and the dangerous beast on the other side of a thin canvas wall.
“Hey bear!” Graham’s voice was loud in my ear as he shouted. The sounds stopped but when they resumed a moment later, they didn’t sound any further away.
“What if it comes in here?” I squeaked.
“Then I’ll feed you to him, darlin’.”
“Not funny,” I grumbled.
“I wasn’t joking.”
“They don’t eat people,” I said but I didn’t sound confident.
“Maybe this one does.”
“Stop it.”
“Hey bear!” Graham shouted again. He clapped his hands a few times and this time the bear shuffled away. He stuck his head out the tent flap and clapped again. That seemed to do it and I heard it crash away into the underbrush. Graham closed the tent flat again and settled back under the blanket.
“I thought you said it wouldn’t smell the fish.”
I was hesitant to get too close to the tent wall now so when I lay back down my shoulder touched Graham.
