Part 3 (2/2)

It had only been seconds since the animal appeared, but I knew if I waited any longer that it might be too late. I pulled my knife out of its sheath and gripped the handle. My knuckles were white. It was a technique that Tex had taught me only a day ago. The blade was aiming downwards, sharp and ready. I lunged at the beast and sunk the blade into its neck, hoping that I pierced every important artery. I pulled it out and sunk it in again. The knife plunged in until the handle was flush with the animal's skin. It yelped in tortured pain. I continued to stab it, over and over again. Blood oozed from every wound, coating me up to my elbows. I sunk the blade once more into its side, hoping that was where the heart was, and the coyote finally stopped resisting and fell limp on top of Tex. I shoved it off of him with my foot. Blood pooled around the dumb creature. As I watched its chest stop moving, I released a breath I didn't know I was holding.

”Tex!” I yelled, scared out of my wits. ”Say something! Are you okay?” I cupped his face between my hands. I prayed he wasn't in shock; I wouldn't know how to deal with that.

I knelt beside him, giving him a once over. He had a diagonal laceration that split the skin in a straight line across his blind eye. Blood formed along the wound, but it wasn't bleeding profusely. I a.s.sumed it wasn't a deep cut, but it would probably scar. He had bite wounds on either side of his neck that were bleeding as well. Once again, it didn't look too deep or damaging.

He was unblinking and breathing heavily. I noticed his arm was spread out to the side and his fist continually opened and closed; he was trying to reach for his axe.

”It's dead. You can relax now. Can you get up?” I grabbed both of his arms.

Tex sat up and I nodded towards the blanket. We relocated to it after I retrieved my first aid kit from my pack.

I opened up the small kit and took out a couple of alcohol wipes. I opened one foil wrapper and reached towards his damaged eye. He flinched.

”I'm not going to hurt you, although it might sting a bit.” I tried to give him a weak smile.

He seemed to awaken. He blinked a few times and relaxed his shoulders.

”s.h.i.+t,” was all he said.

I laughed and replied with, ”Brace yourself.” I pressed the alcohol soaked square above his eye. I could just barely see his brown iris underneath the damaged, milky-white layer. I let my thumb graze just underneath his bottom lashes, removing dirt as I went. My breathing hitched and I pulled my thumb back.

He just closed his eyes and pressed his lips firmly together. I padded the cloth on his eyelid, then below his eye, trying to remove the blood and all traces of dirt that entered into the wound uninvited. I squeezed some antibiotic ointment onto my fingertip and gingerly applied a layer along the offending mark. I stuck a bandage on the cut above and below his eye. I did the same thing to the puncture wounds on both sides of his neck, sticking small, circular bandages over those.

”All set.” I smiled and patted his shoulder.

”s.h.i.+t,” he said again. ”Thanks.”

”Of course.” I smiled; it was less weak this time. I got up and walked over to my pack to put away my first aid kit. I needed a moment to myself. I took a shuddering breath and let my face fall into my hands. I squeezed my own eyes shut. Playing the strong one had taken its toll on me. Until now, I hadn't realized my hands and forearms were covered in the coyote's blood. I cursed and tried to get the crimson off of me, scratching and rubbing my flesh. It was already dried and wouldn't come off. I was instantly p.i.s.sed and cursed again. I scratched and scratched at my skin and the blood began to flake off, but what was left behind burned. I hadn't realized I was crying until salty tears fell into my self-inflicted wounds, but it didn't stop me. I had to get this c.r.a.p off of me and I became vicious in the attempt to do so.

I felt arms wrap around me, pinning my elbows to my ribcage. My hands were clawed, aching to meet my forearms again. I struggled against Tex and he tightened his arms so that any attempt to free myself was futile. I tried to choke back the onslaught of sobs I knew were coming, only to fail.

”Calm down! Calm down, Kid.”

”Let me go,” I growled.

”Not until you stop. You saved me from that animal; now it's apparently my turn to save you from yourself. Quit it.”

I shuddered against him. He was so big compared to me. He engulfed me and I felt like I disappeared into his arms and chest. He dwarfed me and it frightened me. I didn't want to cease to exist again; that's what I used to be, living on my own, underground, non-existent. I almost lost him and I didn't realize that I needed him until that fact. I had been alone for so long and I was scared to death of it happening again. I refused to eat anymore meals and play anymore games alone. Now that I had a taste of the opposite, I was suddenly repelled at the thought of living my life by myself.

”I don't want to be alone anymore,” I confessed as I relaxed against him. His arms loosened around me.

I felt him take a deep breath, but he didn't let it out until what seemed like forever. The intake was sharp, like I had said something that either surprised or scared him. I chewed on my bottom lip and decided to create a new mantra: never be alone.

”I'm so scared that-”

”You won't be.” His voice sounded tortured and tired, as if it took all the strength he possessed to say those three words.

I woke up when it was still light outside. I was surprised to see that Tex was up and I was even more surprised when I realized what he was doing.

”Are you skinning that animal?” I blanched, my eyes widening at the sight.

”No, Blondie. I am gutting this animal. I, in fact, skinned him earlier-yes, it's a him-his pelt is over there.” He pointed towards the opening of the cave. ”Oh, and I borrowed your Bowie knife, by the way.” Big. Toothy. Grin.

”What if that,” I s.h.i.+vered, pointing to the carca.s.s, ”attracts more of them?”

He laughed now, pulling something that resembled a stomach or spleen from the gaping hole that used to be the coyote's underside. ”I'm sure he resorted to coyote cannibalism long ago.” He said coyote like ky-yoat.

I grimaced at the thought and for some reason Tex laughed again.

”And now, ladies and gentleman, the main event!” Tex made a large, exaggerated gesture towards the naked and gutless body. I found it odd that he knotted a rope around one of the coyote's legs.

”Oh, G.o.d,” I squeaked, afraid to know what came next if the disembowelment wasn't the main event.

”I'll need your help though, Kid.” I decided to give up on him calling me Elle, so I kept silent and stood next to him.

”Grab the back feet and I've got the front. Let's bring him towards the front of the cave.”

Realization hit me and my jaw metaphorically hit the ground. ”You're kidding me, right? You're not going to...”

There was that big grin again. ”We can't miss a chance at freshly cooked meat, now can we?”

We both carried the coyote carca.s.s to the cave entrance, making sure to steer clear of the light. When we stopped, Tex instructed, ”Now, let's swing him back and forth and toss him out into the oven AKA daytime.” He held the other end of the rope.

I could already feel myself sweat just being so close to the light. ”Let's just get this over with,” I murmured.

”On the count of three...” Tex grinned, and I couldn't help but mirror his emotions. It was a complete one-eighty since this morning-for both of us. What happened was something we had to put behind us if we wanted to go on. I thought we were friends, and if he felt the same, for some reason that was a big step for him.

Tex yelled, ”Three,” and we tossed our meal into the burning sunlight. The rope yanked, but didn't come loose from either end. I could hear the skin sizzle and watched the color change from a fleshy pink to brown. The smell wafted in and it reminded me of when my dad cooked chicken on the grill. My mouth watered with antic.i.p.ation.

It only took a few minutes and Tex pulled the rope, tugging our meal into the cave, a little at a time. He dragged it beside the blanket and we sat down in front of it. Tex took my knife, sliced a small piece off, and blew on it. He gave it to me; I sniffed it.

”Aah,” he sighed. ”Revenge is so sweet!”

I hesitated and then took a bite. I instantly enjoyed the flavor and the fresh taste. I laughed at Tex's remark and added, ”And meaty!” I pa.s.sed the knife back to him, so he could have a slice; it continued that way until we were both satiated.

”That was a rare delicacy.” He rubbed his stomach. He looked pleased with himself.

”A rare delicacy, indeed, Chef.”

He cleaned off my knife with the edge of the blanket and returned it to me.

”Man,” he laid back, both his hands on his stomach. ”I haven't had fresh meat in-wow-three or four years.”

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