Chapter Eleven: The Least of Her Worries
Duck, feeling small and utterly insignificant, sat amidst a stand of tall grass and contemplated a future without Fakir.
What would she do if he never came for her? She couldn't picture herself simply living here as a duck, without someone to understand and care for her; domestic ducks became food all too easily, and she had learned the hard way that wild ducks were often terrifying.
I'll try the Well again in the morning, she decided. She had fallen into the Bone-Eater's Well once and it had brought her here. Who was to say that jumping into it from this side (which seemed a very odd way to think about it) wouldn't send her back to where she had come from?
Fakir would be waiting for her there, and her future would once again be safe and secure. She tried to be sure of it, to push every last doubt out of her silly head, but felt a thread of insecurity deep within.
What if it didn't work?
Then I'll just keep trying! I'll get back to you somehow, Fakir!
Duck's head shot up, suddenly startled. She'd been lost in thought, but she was sure she had heard something just now. There was the sound of the wind and insects, and -
There was a rustle in the grass nearby, and then another and another. She looked around frantically, but between the darkness and the grass, she could see very little. Still, the sounds were unmistakable. Someone - or, worse, something - was coming, and every sense screamed that it was danger that approached.
Duck fought against panic. It rose wild and fierce inside her; she couldn't stop it. So she did what she always did when stressed or frightened:
"QUACK!"
Note: This chapter is based on fanfic_bakeoff's July/August 2011 Secret Ingredient: Foolish.