17 Bullets: becoming the Werewolf Queen

Chapter 4: Golden Sunlight

59 BULLETS

Thankfully we both slept well, with only minor annoyances from a quilled rodent. One kept hopping in the back, going for the chicken feed every few hours. But anytime we'd flash the headlamp on it would scurry away. I was ready to make it dinner if it wouldn't cost one of my bullets. Maybe tonight I'd get my knife out and try to toss it. Maybe the chicken food would make a good trap. Or! I could use some of the wire to make a snare. Why hadn't I thought of a snare yet? Some fresh meat would be nice.

I tested the potato by putting a slice in my mouth for a few minutes while we continued working to figure out how to make an electric fence. I strung the wire knee height around surrounding trees and hammered sticks in where trees weren't close and brought it back around to the metal conductor piece we'd salvaged off the truck.

"I think that is it!" Jia shouted an hour later. She closed the top and all we could do was hope. We'd need to wait a few more hours for the charge to get powerful enough.

We both ate a ration square for lunch, and she spread a few drops of fish sauce over hers.

"What is fish sauce?" I asked looking at the bottle. I sure couldn't read Korean at least.

She giggled. "It is like soy sauce. Just a flavoring. Very good. Would you like to try?"

Anything called fish sauce really didn't sound appetizing, but she ate chili mac over rice yesterday so I guess I couldn't complain. I poured a drop onto the corner of the biscuit and then cringed at the salty taste. "Whoa."

"I like it at least."

I nodded. "I'd love some ketchup or maybe ranch to dip this thing in." I tried to pretend it was a brilliant chocolate chip cookie.

I wasn't doing a good job.

After lunch I tried to set some snares with the wire. It was heftier wire than I've worked with making other snares, but in this situation, beggars can't be choosers. Anything was worth a try. Then we tossed some chicken feed down hoping those rodents would go for it.

We closed up the food and feed in the bins better and I felt bad for not already thinking to do it. Trying to conserve fuel this time I made a small fire and cooked dinner over it instead of the butane stove. I wasn't sure if I was ready to meet any Martians, but at this point maybe getting probed would be better than dragons and bears.

We sat around the fire and watched the embers burning. Both lost in our own worlds. Or maybe I should say both lost on a different world. Her with her nieces and nephews and me with my animals back on Earth.

No Martians showed up and the sun was beginning to set so we took up our courage and decided to try the fence.

I reached my hand out to the wire and tapped it quick. No shock. I tapped it again. No shock. I quickly put my hand on it a few times and tested, but realized, no. It must not be working. I placed my whole hand down and Jia yelled something about a woman's private parts.

The disappointment on the air that it didn't work was heavy, but her outburst caused a laugh to rumble from me and her face to redden.

"Sorry. I did not mean to speak that way."

"It's okay," I chuckled. "We'll look into it again tomorrow."

She bowed a nod.

The evening went the same as last. Jia gathered some pebbles from camp and made a homemade mancala game and we played until Jia got tired and she rested while I kept watch.

I had been asleep when she tapped my shoulder, whispering hurriedly. "Eleanor. Eleanor! There is a sound!"