The Things We Hunger For

Chapter Three - Why Bear Traps Are Illegal *Annabeth* Part II

"Annabeth," I said taking a step closer to him. "I would offer to shake your hand and make pleasant chit-chat but I think we should get that thing off your leg first."

"Uh," he said, closing his eyes. When he opened them they were back to gray. "That would be great, only I'm not sure how you're planning on doing that. I've tried."

I knelt back down and got the clamp from the pile. "I was hoping this would help?" I said, trying to sound confident even though I was only vaguely familiar with how a bear trap worked.

"That might work," he said as he focused on the clamp. "I've tried to push one of the spring things down but the other side is still there so I can't get out."

I raised an eyebrow but said nothing. The springs were metal and I was kind of worried the plastic clamp wouldn't be able to do the job – and he claimed he could hold them with his hands? I would believe that when I saw it.

"Yeah dude, that's how they work," I said moving a little closer to him studying the metal contraption. From what I knew of bear traps you could only open them by first pressing down on the springs on both sides. After that you opened the jaws of the trap and took away the clamps or whatever you had pressing down on the springs. Anything touching the trap after the clamps had been removed would activate the springs and the trap would close. Nasty but simple and effective. "We have to compress both springs before we can open it."

"Alright," he said, leaning his head back a little and closing his eyes. Bracing for the pain that was sure to come. "Give me the clamp."

"Dude I'm doing the clamping. You focus on being still," I said, surprised to note I sounded a lot more competent than I felt.

"Ryan," he said opening his eyes. "My name is Ryan. Not dude. In case you were wondering."

"Alright Ryan," I said as I moved around so I was approaching the trap and his foot.

"I'm not sure," he panted his eyes going yellow again. "I can handle you so close. I'm so hungry."

"Don't worry Ryan," I said hoping using his name would have a bit of a calming effect. Shifters sometimes responded to their full names if their wolf was taking control. Maybe it worked the same with werewolves? A girl could theorize at least."I'm quick. If you do something that worries me I can be gone in a second. Or I can be a wolf..." I snapped my fingers. "...like that."

"Really?" he asked as I moved in close to the trap and knelt down, the clamp in hand.

"Yes," I said as I looked over the trap, trying not to stare at his poor leg. "We'll need to move your leg a bit, can we do that?"

He nodded bravely and together we moved his leg and the trap into a position that would make it easier both for me to use the clamp to get the spring down and for him to use his hands on the other side's spring.

"I'll do it first okay, then you hold down the other side and I open the trap and get your leg out. Alright?" I looked up into his eyes. They were yellow again and his skin had taken on a sickly green-gray hue.

He said nothing just stared at me with those creepy yellow eyes. Suddenly the eyes seemed oddly hypnotic and I began to wonder if I really would be able to get away quick enough. If I would even want to get away. The eyes were looking into me, seeing through me and seemed to be attempting to convince me being dinner would be a great experience.

"Right," I said, taking a deep breath and looking away from his eyes. "Right?"

"Okay," he agreed even though I could barely remember what he was agreeing to exactly. Hold on....me using the clamp first that was what he'd just said yes to.

So I got to work doing exactly that, forcing the clamp around the two metal leaver/spring things. Working as fast as I could I pushed the top one down, praying the rather silly looking red clamp would hold. Once I thought the jaws would be able to open at least big enough to get Ryan's foot out I sat back and looked up at him. "Your turn."

He'd been closing his eyes and attempting to breathe slowly, but opened them to look at me. They were still yellow which I guessed wasn't a very good sign.

"Can you do it? Hold the other down far enough?" I asked, kind of doubting it but not sure how we'd make this work if he couldn't. I was starting to think getting my dad and Don might have been the smarter thing to do.

Much to my surprise Ryan had no problem at all pushing down the metal and groaned with relief when some of the pressure from the trap's jaws was taken off his injured leg. Or maybe he was groaning from pain since there was bound to be some of that with the blood suddenly being able to flow freely, restoring circulation and thereby feeling to the injured parts.

Nervously, because I really didn't want to lose a finger and I trusted neither the clamp nor really Ryan's ability to keep the trap's springs down, I pushed the jaws apart, freeing his leg further. Blood started to seriously trickle out of the wounds when the teeth were no longer plugging the wounds up.

"Hey do you think you can heal this on your own?" I asked. Maybe I'd need to call the local vet – a friend to the pack who treated our injuries even when we were in human shape – because this looked bad.

He moaned something I took as a positive he could heal it. The trap's jaws were staying apart, but I could see his arms were shaking so I decided getting his leg out fast was more important than being gentle about it.

A good choice it turned out, because about a second after his toes had cleared the top of the steel jaws he let go of his side of the trap and it snapped closed. I laid his leg down, this time doing my very best to be gentle, and reached for the first aid kit.

"That wasn't so bad, now was it?" I said trying to sound cheerful as I zipped the red bag open.

"Like a day at the beach," he said tiredly and stared at his leg.

Then he smiled and promptly passed out.

"Great," I muttered. How the heck was I supposed to get him to the cabin if he was unconscious?

—

A/N: I think someone should set up some sort of anti bear-trap group. Because to write this at least half way realistically I had to do some research on these things and let me just tell you - they're horrible. Anyone even considering setting a bear trap is much more of a monster than the creature they're trying to catch ever could be! At least that's what I think.