Tales of the Black Fox
Trailer from the chapter titled: Refuge in the Woods
To the untrained eye the discreet shelter looked like nothing more than a pile of decaying cut brush.
I removed my backpack, swung it just inside the shelter and finally breaking silence, I remarked, "It's not much but it'll do the job if necessary."
"You intend to stay in that?" she challenged dubiously, pulled off her hair tie, shook her head in disbelief and then kicked against the pile of brush.
"I just need to rest here a few minutes." and then quickly checked the bandage on her arm... no sign of fresh bleeding.
Weary, sore and soaked with perspiration, I slumped to the ground at the shelter's opening and leaned against the tree. No mirror was necessary to let me know I was a mess after our five and a half hours of trudging through varying tangles of forest undergrowth.
The ends of Sonia's hair were wet from constant contact with her glistening bare arms and shoulders and her activity-moistened garments clung to her. Regardless her scruffy appearance too, I didn't think she could ever look anything but attractive.
"How did you find this place?" she finally interrogated.
"I've been here before..."
"I didn't believe you knew where you were going."
"You should've said something?"
"I did!"
"When?"
"Right before you said, "Trust me."
"You really didn't believe me?"
"No."
"Then why did you come?"
"I had no choice..." she coldly confirmed, "but I see now."
"Well don't believe everything you see." feeling slighted and deliberately withheld one minor detail; I'd been mostly winging it all afternoon.
Ignoring me again and like a wild animal caged against its will, she began restlessly pacing around the small clearing; the last thing I wanted to do was to move.
Dumbfounded, I thought, "She must be running on adrenaline."
