What She Found in the Woods

He points the gun at me, but Bo makes a move to defend me, and Rob remembers why he’s here. He’s here to make me suffer.

The gun is back on Bo. And Rob is laughing.

‘Almost,’ he says. He’s nodding at me, acknowledging that I nearly got him off his purpose. ‘Drop the axe,’ he orders.

I do it.

‘Kick it away from you.’

I do my best, but I really can’t kick it far.

‘And choose which one of them you want me to kill first.’

Thank you.

I hear Maeve begging me quietly, ‘Please, Lena. Pick me or Ray. It’s OK, honey – you don’t have to choose. I’ll go first.’

That’s a mother. She’s even trying to mother me.

I block out Maeve’s voice and speak over her. ‘I’ve never liked Raven,’ I announce.

‘What?’ Bo nearly shrieks. ‘Lena, don’t play along with him.’

I shrug. ‘Would you rather I pick Moth?’ Bo looks like he’s going to be sick. ‘He said pick someone. I pick Raven.’

Bo hates me. In this moment, he hates me.

‘Raven. You’re first,’ Rob calls out.

Raven stands up haltingly. She’s hunching her shoulders, probably to hide whatever it is she has under the long, untucked shirt she’s wearing. I turn and face her, raising my eyebrows as if to ask, Are you ready?

She doesn’t look ready. Her face is a blank page. She has no idea what I want from her, and there’s no way for me to prepare her. Whatever weapon she’s got under there, I hope she knows how to use it. Her knees barely bend as she stiffly walks forward. She’s so brave.

‘Stop right there,’ Rob tells her. ‘Magda. Back up. You’re too close to her.’

I move away from Raven, but not that far. Let him think I want to be in the splash zone. My body is still facing her, but I turn my head around to look at Rob. I catch sight of Bo glaring at me. He loathes me for this, but that’s OK. I just wish he were paying better attention to the important things. Like the rifle.

I look at Rob. ‘Do it,’ I tell him.

I see his eyes flicker with suspicion. All he knows is that he shouldn’t want what I want, but I’m following his rules, so he’s stuck. I toss my head back around and look at Raven.

‘It’ll be OK,’ I whisper. I’m ready for this.

I know if I wait to hear the shot, it’ll be too late. We’re grouped too closely together. Instead, I listen to something else. I’ll call it hunter’s instinct. I turn and step into the path of the bullet as Rob fires. Raven is about three inches shorter than me, so the shot he meant to put right between her eyes grazes the top of my left shoulder.

Even though it just nicks me, really, the power behind it is startling. I feel it throw me back, and I hit the ground.

Oh, Bo. All he can think of is me. He shouts my name and lunges for me, when he should be turning around and getting that rifle away from Rob.

‘Raven!’ I scream, hoping she’s got something good hidden down the front of her shirt. I reach for the knife at my ankle.

I see a tiny arrow fly past Rob, but Raven misses. He raises his rifle and takes aim at her.

I’ve never thrown a knife, but if I hit the rifle with any part of it hard enough, it might throw off his aim. I rear up and pinch the blade between my thumb and forefinger. Then I chuck it from some muscle deep down in my belly.

Rob staggers back, shocked. The knife sticks out of the back of his trigger hand. I landed it. Killing things always came naturally to me.

Bo has the sense to dive for the rifle, but it’s still strapped high and tight across Rob’s torso. They struggle with each other. They’re two guys who grew up wrestling each other. They’re evenly matched, but Bo has more to lose. He gets Rob in a hold, lifts him right up off the ground with his gorilla strength, and slams him down on the ground.