by K. Weikel
Chapter 14
The large feline seems to glare at the group of misfits as they freeze in terror. The long, slender body of the mountain lion is rigid. They had set up camp inside the predator’s territory.
Becca feels her heart rate speed up, the blood thumping through the veins of her neck and the sound echoing in her ears as the big cat pulls back her lips and reveals her pointy teeth. A low snarl reverberates from behind them again, sending chills and waves of fear through Becca.
She begins to uncover herself and the mountain lion snaps her head to look at her, making Becca stop where she is. Her breathing is shallow and her mouth is dry. Could this be the end? Could the cat keep up with all of them? Could she get away if she ran and left them behind?
She stops herself. What a horrible thought… Why would she wish someone else were dead so she could live?
Becca takes a deep breath and begins to reach forward for the bag, for the box. She could use it just once, just this once, and that would be all.
She makes sure she isn’t making eye contact with the puma, making sure she establishes she’s not a threat.
Her hand gets closer to the bag and the cat growls again. She freezes as the mountain lion takes a step toward her.
Becca hears Eduard jump up and sees the animal switch her attention to him as he tries to make himself look intimidating and bigger. This does nothing, and the puma growls again.
“Mikey,” she hears Nixon saying quietly. “Mikey, calm down, dude!”
“I can’t! There’s a freaking tiger right there, Nixon!”
“It’s not a tiger—”
“I don’t care. I’m out!”
“Mikey!” Nixon shouts as the mountain lion looks over in his direction and start to run towards them
Everyone gets up at once and starts to run. Becca is at the back of the group, not as good at running as them. The large cat is gaining on them, and Becca can hear each footfall of the mountain lion with every stretch as it closes in on them. Just one leap…
Becca takes a hard turn. She doesn’t know why she takes it, whether it’s to lead the puma away from the group or to get away from it herself, but she does.
The cat follows, growling and snarling behind her. Becca had gained some distance by taking the animal off guard, but it still runs pretty close to her.
Becca looks over her shoulder in time to see a rock hit the puma’s head. The cat stops and turns to its right, where the rock had come from.
Eduard had thrown the rock.
The mountain lion leaps in his direction and chases him. Becca watches for a moment, not knowing what to do. She could run… or she could save him.
She shakes her head and sprints back to their little campsite, not as neat as it had been just moments before. She reaches into her backpack and pulls out the box with the gun in it and unlocks it. The gun seems to scare her and excite her at the same time as she pulls it out, feeling the weight bend her hand back a bit.
She throws the box back into the bag and she stands up, listening for the sounds of the mountain lion chasing Eduard.
She hears a roar and a shout.
Becca takes off running toward the sounds, carefully holding the gun to where it can’t shoot anything if she pulled the trigger by accident.
She reaches them. The mountain lion is on top of Eduard, and he’s trying to push it away, trying to fight back. Becca lifts the gun up to fire, scared of what’s to come, hoping she’s not misjudging, and pulls the trigger.
A part of the mountain lion’s skin explodes, blood dribbling out of the bullet hole, and she shoots again. The puma falls onto Eduard and he shoves it off. Becca stands with the gun in between both of her hands, her whole body shaking.
She stares at the mountain lion. She feels Eduard’s hands wrap around her. She feels him take the gun from her hands. She feels the tears fall from her eyes and trickle down her face. She feels numb.
But she can’t help but think, Why does it feel so natural? She doesn’t feel sad for the animal. She doesn’t feel happy Eduard’s alive, although she should. She doesn’t feel heroic because she saved him. She’s numb. She’s numb and cold, and for some strange, unknown reason, she feels like it was right. She feels like she needed to kill that mountain lion. But why?
Am I… She thinks to herself, not wanting to finish the thought. Am I… becoming like Banshee?
She shakes her head as she returns back to reality, Eduard’s heart beating fast against her ear. She saved him. She saved everyone.
But what did that brave deed cost her?
And what will it cost her in the future, should she make the decision do it again?
Becca can feel Eduard leading her back to the campsite, settlement—she doesn’t care what they call it. But whatever it is, she wishes it would all go away.
The last thing she sees before she goes to sleep is the sunrise. The pinks and oranges bleeding through the green trees above her.
Although these last sights are almost happy, Becca’s dreams are anything but.
