Off the Grid

“No, like this.” He tilted her hand, helping her position her hand properly and carve down. Her stomach flipped. She met his eyes and he dropped her hand swiftly. “Much better.”

She followed him step by step as they staked one end into the ground and positioned the trigger onto it, then hung the noose.

“Good. You’re ready. I’ll guide you through the setup. Right now, we need to go before we lose the light.”

They left their campsite and hiked deeper into the woods. He guided her to a spot.

“Do you see this run? You can tell it’s where a lot of animals travel because of the footprints.”

She could see the tiny impression in the soft mud. “I do. I see some droppings, too.”

“That’s exactly why this is an ideal place to set snare. I have one a few yards up.”

They checked three snares. One yielded a rabbit. He carried the carcass and hung back as he allowed her to reset the other three. On the way back toward the camp she picked up wild scallions, chicken of the woods mushrooms, and a few lingering ripe raspberries. She placed all the items in the pouch at her side.

“This’ll make some good eating. That was a great eye finding those last minute raspberries. A few more days and they would be overripe,” Thorn said.

His praise made her feel good about her efforts. “I know. Now they’ll be dessert.”

“I’ll admit, Fehr. I doubted you before. Now I see you might’ve been telling the truth instead of boasting.”

“You should never underestimate me, Finch.” She winked.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

***

They sat by side in front of the crackling fire. The spit-roasted rabbit rested on the flat rock between them, and they took their time eating the meat.

“You seem like a natural out here,” Thorn said.

“I owe it to my grandparents. They were really into being able to do things for themselves. My grandmother, especially. She used to live up the mountain, and a lot of it stuck with her.”

“They’re important skills to have.”

“Did you learn all of this in the military?” she asked, testing the waters.

“Pretty much. I mean, I knew the basics of camping, but the more advanced survival techniques I learned in the Marines. You never really knew where you’d end up and you had to be sure you could take care of yourself and be self-sufficient in case you ended up on your own.”

“It must be nice knowing whatever comes yours way you can handle it.”

“Everyone has their limitations.”

“Yeah, but yours are different than the normal person. You know how to keep a level head and survive emergency situations. When my Gran told me about her life growing up I was always fascinated by the hands-on approach they took. The amenities we take for granted were luxuries to her. It made her independent and strong in a way most woman of her generation weren’t.”

“You admired her a lot, didn’t you?” he asked.

“I adored and worshipped her. I inherited her home. I’m hoping to restore it to its former glory. Which means reviving the garden, and rebuilding chicken coops.”

“Are you talking about the decent-sized spread about an hour out of town off the main road?” he asked.

“That’s the one.”

He whistled. “You aren’t too far from living off the grid yourself.”

“Oh no, she had all the creature comforts added over the years … heating, AC, running water, and the like. I’m not worthy to use the same title as you.”

“You don’t seem to think living off the grid is that farfetched. Why?”