Posted by PK on November 04, 2001 at 17:48:06:
Amanda made an impatient motion with her head. "Stop making excuses. I'm going to eat
Carol, you can stay and join in or go away. I'm not going to kill you today. Stop faffing about
and make your mind up."
No excuses. "You're going not to kill me?"
"This is getting redundant," Amanda noted. "Let's try one more time. I don't have legal
grounds. I don't have a real grudge against you anyway, your colleagues annoyed me more
and I didn't even kill them. We're even, if that works for you. I'll hunt you another time, if you
like. Right now, you can go or stay. I won't follow you home. Cross my heart and hope to die.
Any part of that you didn't get?"
No excuses. If she wanted to stay here and participate in eating Carol she wouldn't be able to
blame Amanda. And she wanted to. She didn't want to think about why, but she had a
horrible suspicion that she would anyway. The fire was cosy and the woods were getting
darker. Belinda took another drink. Safe here. Nice, pretty trees. Soothing sounds in the
leaves. Nothing in the park could possibly be scarier or more dangerous than Amanda, no
monsters would dare approach the campfire of her. The campfire OR her, she corrected
herself. Note to self, stop sending notes to self. The huntress wasn't going to kill her, or if she
was there was nothing she could do about it. She flashed on the idea of going back to the
lodge, a two-legged tiger stalking her. "I think I'll stay a while," she said.
Amanda reached out and ruffled her hair. "Good girl," she said.
Belinda looked away, saw Carol still moving. Surely not still alive? She could smell roasting
meat and her mouth watered.
"I'll have to leave you for a minute now," Amanda said. "I'll leave the bottle. Keep Carol
company for me."
Stripy thing moved and vanished. Gone where? Belinda thought muzzily. There was an open
wine bottle in her hand. Stripy thing gone to play tricks on the bad guys, she decided. She
grinned, a broad predatory grin, lots of monkey teeth, like a chimp. Leave me to die, will
you? she taunted them. I'll GET you for that. She swigged from the bottle clumsily, splashes
of wine ran down her front, soaking into the doeskin. Just the hair, she guessed. Animal skin
is waterproof, isn't it? Keep Carol company.
The day was old, the light was dim
when I stepped through the door...
Colours of the shade, Amanda recalled. Nice to be night sighted. The imaginary fur grew on
her as she went cat, as one does. Tease the mice, nibble on their tiny feet....She grinned, a
cat's predatory grin, teeth turning into needle sharp incisors.
In fact she knew perfectly well that humans see in the dark better than any other diurnal
animal. Nyctalopia was a state of mind. None are so blind..
Belinda got as close to Carol as she could, hoping she wouldn't trip and fall into the fire.
"She'll be back soon," she explained, feeling stupid and awkward. The roasting woman's eyes
were closed, she must surely be dead. She'd already smelled her flesh cooking. On the other
hand, people can smell tasty when sunbathing. The subtle odours of warm skin, not masked
by chemical scents. Cooking oil suited Carol more than any product of Chanel.
(I love my sister, I must share the sea....)
I have no fucking knickers on, she realised and started to giggle. "You and me both," she told
Carol. She reached out over the fire and snatched her hand back when the hairs on her
forearm singed. What could she say? "She'll be back soon, and then she'll eat you," she said
reassuringly. Have to be honest. "So will I. Hope you don't mind. I know I didn't catch you but
I was invited..."