Brown ✔

Eight.

EIGHT.

Bang!!!.

I heard a gunshot. It shook me.

"I didn't know anyone lived in this forest and not this far into it" I thought.

I waited after several heart beats before deeming it safe to peer over the large rock which I hid behind and spotted the bear dead where he had stood not too long ago.

I gasped as I felt a odd ache in my chest. Seeing him dead and lifeless did something to my being that made me sad and depressed.

I ran over to him. Gathering his large head in my thick laps and kissed his head. I don't know how long I sat there cradling his head like I could bring him back before I approached the river gently and with caution because there was a good chance that whoever shot the Bear was still watching.

After drinking to my heart content, I splashed water on my face letting it calm my nerves. Closing my eyes for what felt like the first time in ages, I lay on the grass facing the open sky and felt asleep.

The soft drops of water on my face wine me up to see a dark sky with angry looking clouds. I quickly stood up and started searching for shelter from the rain. I took a few steps forward before I felt myself slip into the river. I let out a gasp of surprise as I felt the strong current pulling me.

I tried fighting it as I felt my arms get weak as I started swimming harder. My body was exhausted coupled with the fact that I couldn't see past the heavy rain seeming to pour from the sky.

No. No. No. This couldn't be happening. I still haven't found answers to my numerous questions. This was my last thought before I finally lost control of my body and let the strong current carry me ...

***

The storm outside eased a little but it was still dark outside and he could tell that the storm only calmed down a little but there was still more to come. He continued reading the book positioned in his hands.

His thoughts momentarily straying to his sad excuse of a family. Mr and Mrs. Bronx popularly known as 'The Bronxes'. He remembered the night when his parents had suggested an outrageous PR stunt ...

"I am not agreeing to this bizarre deal! " Ramon yelled at his parents while pacing in the spacious office.

"Think about it son-"

"There is nothing to think about Dad" he spat back. He couldn't believe his ears.

"You don't even realize what you're pushing me into" He gripped at his hair in frustration. He couldn't believe they were still trying to get him to do this.

"Just get her pregnant and leave the rest to us we-" he cut off his father with a humorless laugh.

"Of course" he clapped his hands in mockery "do what you wish but I will NOT do this"

"If you don't agree with this deal-"

"What Dad?, or should I even call you that?"

"You will give me the respect I deserve as your father, do you hear me Ramon?! " he said raising his voice.

"Look " Ramon finally said while massaging his temples with his thumb and index fingers.

"I'm leaving this show, your house, your money, your property and your life. Forget you ever had a son because if this is what it takes to stay in this business, forget it and forget me" Ramon said calmly as he exited the office and their lives.

He started searching for houses in the forest as far away as humanly possible from his so called parents. When he finally saw this cabin, he instantly knew this was the one.

Dragging his mind back to the book in his hands, he noticed Lily standing by the door whining to be released.

After looking out the window, he decided it was safe to go outside for a while. Immediately he opened the door, Lily ran out and started sniffing the ground.

He didn't have a Leach for her because they were the only ones out here. She continued her search eagerly like what she was looking for was something of importance.

He followed her as she continued her search pausing every now and then to see if he was following before she continued her search.

He wondered why Lily was growing more restless. It had been a while since he saw her search with such intensity.

The last time he had seen her like this was when she had found a dead Deer not too far from the cabin.

Maybe she was going to find something similar today but he didn't understand why it was so urgent that she would go out in the light drizzle of rain despite the fact that she was spoilt and always hated the rain.

He was still deep in thought when he finally heard her bark excitedly while wagging her tail furiously like she had finally found it.

He came over and inspected what she had found. They were close to the river now. At first he didn't see anything of significant importance.

He crouched while watching Lily paw at a fallen tree truck. He came closer and what he saw made his blood turn cold.

Right there under the dead tree was a girl. She had dark skin made to look dirty by the soil. And to imagine he might have missed her.

He checked for her pulse and fortunately, it was there but it was weak and getting weaker. After managing to pull her from underneath the heavy tree, he carried her back to his cabin.

What was a young girl like this doing in a forest this thick?. Probably on some school trip but couldn't the supervisors have kept a closer eye on their wards?.

Judging from the extent to which her clothes were ragged and dirty, he knew she must have been lost for weeks.

As he started approaching his cabin with the girl still in his arms and Lily following with her tail lowered in grief, he prayed to the heavens that she would make it out of this alive.