RULE THE WORLD | D.DIXON

131

"You're the one who started talking."

When they got to the woods, Daryl covered his bike with leaves before heading further into the woods. Cassie found her father's and aunt's banter amusing as they found a dead deer.

"Come on, Doggy! Let's race." Cassidy said, patted Dog on his head. Dog barked as she countered before they took off running.

The eight year old and Dog raced down the path beside the river, making it half way down before Cassie stopped, panting heavily. Dog had obviously won so as an award she gave him a lot pets and a kiss on the head. She watched as aunt Carol got an foot cramp in her 'strong right foot' as she called it and chuckled.

"I'm fine. It's nothing." Aunt Carol says, limping down the path. "Its just a foot cramp."

"Not your very special strong right foot, now, is it?" Her father joked, making Aunt Carol give him a nasty look.

"Not much happening out here. Maybe you were right. Maybe we should've gone the other way."

Aunt Carol shook out her foot cramp before picking up her bow. "I think we should fish before moving on."

"Doesn't look like they were running."

"Worth a shot. Haven't spearfished in years." Her aunt says taking the spear from her dad. "You don't think I can? Give me that."

"Be my guest." Daryl scoffed when Carol flicked off the leaves. He placed his hand on top of his daughter's head and rubbed causing a few strands of dark brown hair to fall out of her ponytail. "Watch this disaster, right here."

"I think Aunt Carol can do it, daddy." Cassie says, right as her aunt speared a fish. She grinned. "Told ya."

"Ha!" Aunt Carol laughed, holding the fish up.

Daryl grunted. "No way. That's beginners luck."

"Can I try?" Cassidy asks.

"Sure." Aunt Carol held out her hand towards her niece and helped her down the slope.

She listen her aunt's instructions, taking the spear that was a bit too big for her and waited for the perfect time to send the weapon into a fish. She thrusted the spear downwards, impaling a fish.

"Look! I did it!" Cassie exclaimed, excitedly.

Aunt Carol looked up her father when she wasn't looking with a smug smile. "How is that for beginners luck?"

"Daddy's pouting!" The little girl laughed, pointing at her father's obvious non-Dixon like pout.

"Am not." He grumbled as his daughter climbed up the slope with her fish in hand.

Cassie placed the slimy fish in his hand, smiling up at him. "Are to."

Her dad playfully pushed her away as aunt Carol came up the slope also holding her fish. They found a place to skin the fishes, Daryl and Carol were the one to do the skinning while Cassie sat with Dog.

Her eyes darted between her dad and aunt as they started bickering about if Carol was skinning the fish right or not. She was no expert on fish skinning or any type of skinning, but her dad was so he was critiquing her aunt on it.