corner of the blanket. It was about the size of a queen bed. I wanted it to be two or three times that size, but even at five-hundred feet wide, it would leave me in too close of a proximity to her.
“I won’t take advantage of you, Tex. We can share.” I could hear the rolling of eyes in her tone.
I didn’t want to share, but I also didn’t want to fall asleep on dirt and rocks, especially after I had just washed myself. I gave in and laid down on the opposite edge.
I quickly faded out, thinking I heard Blondie ask why I kept hiding.
Chapter 6
[ Elle ]
I was a light sleeper, so I woke up when I heard a shuffling noise. It came from deep within the cave. The lantern was burning bright beside us, so when I looked down into the dark, cavernous tunnel, it took a few moments for my eyes to adjust. When they finally did, it was too late.
An animal, which I quickly identified as a coyote, sprung out from the inky darkness and landed on the unsuspecting Tex. It was all fur and bones. Its ribs were outlined against its body, threatening to poke through the skin. It was desperately hungry, otherwise it wouldn’t have attacked. I remembered my dad telling me that once. Or maybe they had just quickly evolved into murderous creatures over the last few years.
Tex immediately woke up after the impact of the coyote pouncing him. The animal wrapped its teeth around his throat, its jaw in a deadlock. Tex’s legs flailed and his body convulsed, trying desperately to get the ravenous thing off of him. He pulled, grabbed, and punched at it, causing painful whines to escape the coyote’s muzzle.
Tex lurched and the two tumbled to the side, knocking over the lantern. Glass broke underneath their weight and I briefly hoped that it broke under the coyote and not Tex. A red splotch caught my eye on the blanket beside me. It had to have come from Tex’s neck. I heard a guttural yell and I knew the coyote had sunk its teeth in deeper.
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 assumed 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
“I won’t take advantage of you, Tex. We can share.” I could hear the rolling of eyes in her tone.
I didn’t want to share, but I also didn’t want to fall asleep on dirt and rocks, especially after I had just washed myself. I gave in and laid down on the opposite edge.
I quickly faded out, thinking I heard Blondie ask why I kept hiding.
Chapter 6
[ Elle ]
I was a light sleeper, so I woke up when I heard a shuffling noise. It came from deep within the cave. The lantern was burning bright beside us, so when I looked down into the dark, cavernous tunnel, it took a few moments for my eyes to adjust. When they finally did, it was too late.
An animal, which I quickly identified as a coyote, sprung out from the inky darkness and landed on the unsuspecting Tex. It was all fur and bones. Its ribs were outlined against its body, threatening to poke through the skin. It was desperately hungry, otherwise it wouldn’t have attacked. I remembered my dad telling me that once. Or maybe they had just quickly evolved into murderous creatures over the last few years.
Tex immediately woke up after the impact of the coyote pouncing him. The animal wrapped its teeth around his throat, its jaw in a deadlock. Tex’s legs flailed and his body convulsed, trying desperately to get the ravenous thing off of him. He pulled, grabbed, and punched at it, causing painful whines to escape the coyote’s muzzle.
Tex lurched and the two tumbled to the side, knocking over the lantern. Glass broke underneath their weight and I briefly hoped that it broke under the coyote and not Tex. A red splotch caught my eye on the blanket beside me. It had to have come from Tex’s neck. I heard a guttural yell and I knew the coyote had sunk its teeth in deeper.
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 assumed 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
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