My One And Only

The Hut

The next day, when I woke up, I saw the boys sitting at a table in the one-story hut, eating breakfast. My bones feel very stiff and painful. The boys steal glances at me every now and then, but when they saw that I was awake, they mumbled morning and looked away. They were chattering noisily, about a huge fish that Max had apparently caught, a week ago.

'Morning.' I whispered, too quiet for anyone to hear. It has been the first time I have talked, in a long time, after they took mother away, and I had to go on the run.

I cough, and Andy looks around at me, smiles, and says good morning.

I reply by smiling and waving. Then Mark looks at me, and I feel butterflies in my stomach for some reason. Mark smiles and says good morning.

Suddenly all of the boys are turning around and saying good morning. Andy gets up, throws the contents of his plate out the window, into the woods, then puts his bowl ( that looks suspiciously like it was made with wood ) into a pile on another table. He does all of this as if he has done it a million times, which he probably has, and then comes over to me.

'Morning. Just wondering if you'd like to come hunting with the boys and I? If not, someone can stay with you until we get back.'

Hunting? I thought, For what?

I voice this last thought. Andy laughs.

'For food, of course!' He says.

I think of last night. With the big dog. I remember the terrifying feeling of its huge paws on my chest. The thought that my whole life was going to end right then and there. The heavy breathing in my face, and then the sudden blackness. I don't ever want to go through that again. But then again, these boys seem like the fight these animals off on a daily basis. And I don't want them to think I was weak. I don't know why, I never cared if people thought I was weak, because I was weak. But now, now I felt an thirst to prove myself. So, I say yes.