against the ground. Darting into the trees, I found the relative safety of a bush and did what I needed to.
I needed to find a new supply of water, as I wasn’t sure my mysterious, handsome benefactors were going to keep me sustained during their shaky deadline to vacate the premises. Less than eager to cross back into the woods, I remembered seeing what looked like a stream, cutting through the trees slightly to my left. With zero other leads, I decided to throw everything I had into finding it.
Without the crippling delirium of the other day, I was able to appreciate the wildlife and the flora more. However, I also noticed warning signs that had eluded me before — the colors of the frogs told me that they were, in all likelihood, poisonous; the vines shifted lightly, just enough to make me wonder if there was any sentience to them; the larger birds menacingly glared at me as I passed, clicking sharp beaks that looked like they could strip flesh in a pinch.
But as I heard the sound of running water – actual water this time – I didn’t realize how dangerous the island could truly be…
* * * *
It was as I was filling my canteen, that I noticed the threat.
The wildcat was as motionless as stone, watching me carefully with predatory eyes. Standing in the tree line, I hadn’t heard it approach as I had happily filled my canister…but now, it was here – and by the looks of it, it was hungry. All too aware of how unprotected I was in my bikini, and how quickly it could catch me, I froze in kind and regarded it carefully.
Come on, you big, stupid cat. Just move along. Ain’t nothin’ to see here, you dumb pussycat.
But this was not a wildcat that passed on an easy meal. His head lowering slightly to the ground, paws spreading a little wider, I knew that I was about to leave this island a slightly different way than I’d intended.
“Well…fuck ME ,” I murmured to myself.
The wildcat lunged, claws stretched as it barreled towards me. Throwing myself to the ground, I hoped for a quick, merciful death, before the most extraordinary thing happened.
Not one, but two bears pummeled their way out of the trees, slapping the wildcat away. It skittered across the underbrush and landed on its feet, skidding a little further before growling menacingly at them. The bears didn’t give me the slightest bit of attention, instead chowing to glare down the predator.
Pulling myself up from the dirt, I could practically watch it calculating — sizing up the fight to see if picking my bones clean was worth it. After all, it was just one wildcat — and I spotted its ripped ear, as it regarded them wickedly. After a moment, it seemed to back down, slinking away and snarling over its shoulder at them.
Afraid for my life, I started to crawl backwards away from the bears. One lazily glanced around, while the other immediately zeroed in on me. I froze on the spot, struggling to remember which kind of bears you tried to intimidate, and which ones were supposed to be countered by crawling up into a ball.
But surprisingly…they didn’t attack. Instead, they loitered around for a moment before slipping back into the woods. Before long, I was scrambling up from the ground, terrified and confused. Filling my canteen quickly, I disappeared back into the woods, eager to get away from either predatory force on the island.
* * * *
It took me about an hour to find my way back to the path up the mountain. From there, I would be able to scrutinize the layout of the land from my vantage point, and plan a course of action.
But as I reached the clearing at the foot, I realized that there were other plans in mind for me.
Because the fucking wildcat was back, and this time, he brought some goddamn
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