16 “Who? Who?” Thomas opened his eyes. He wasn’t afraid. “Who? Who?” “Hooter.” He whispered, his voice too weak to vibrate. “Good to see you.” “Who? Who?” “I’m bear bait. But not its dinner.” The rain had stopped. There was no sound besides the owl. “Who? Who?” “I’m a stupid boy. I’m ignorant. I am […]
14 Charlie. Thomas bolted upright as the name of the feral beast licked his eardrums. He put on his boots and gloves and opened the tarps with his hands and walked outside. Snow still fell lightly then and the fresh layer of it was soft on the frozen sheet beneath. The whiteness of the snow […]
12 The coffee cans clamored in the night. Thomas’s shaking hands pointed his magnum towards the doorway and his bones felt like they were turning inside of him while he listened. “Charlie’s back, Boy.” His father sat next to him with elbows on his knees, bottle in hand. The sound of the bear’s frustrated moaning […]
3 Sunlight crept through the walls of the cabin and his stomach ached for food. The frozen fruit was unchewable, so he put a few handfuls of it into his pockets and started another fire. He melted snow in tin cans near the fire and placed some frozen meat between them. An hour […]