CHAPTER 3

A Hunting We Will Go

Rebecca's POV

Matt woke me up unexpectedly the next morning, just as the sun was rising.

"C'mon," he said, grinning. "We're going hunting early today."

"What time is it?" I asked.

"Probably about seven a.m."

"You got to be kidding," I said, trying to roll over.

"C'mon Becks. We need you're tracking skills. Please!"

"Leave me alone Mattie!" I pulled my blanket over my head. Next thing I knew, someone was pulling it off of my head. I rolled over and looked up to see Jed standing there.

"Get up now!" he stated sternly. I did not want to cross a pissed off Jed in the early a.m. He wouldn't be pleasant for the rest of the day if I did. I got up, rolled up my stuff and I grabbed my gun and headed off with them and Robert. Most of the tracks I found were dead ends but finally, I found a fresh one. We sat and waited for about two hours but finally, Robert shot a huge deer as it came into sight.

"I got him!" he exclaimed, running over to it.

"You got him," Matt said to Robert as we followed him.

"He's still breathing!" Robert said, getting ready to shoot the deer again. But Jed stopped him.

"Never shoot twice," he just stated.

"Why?" Robert questioned.

"If you shoot twice, they can fine you. He's dead anyway," Jed said as we knelt down next to the deer.

"How do you know?" Robert asked. I watched Jed stab the deer in the neck and then cut open the stomach.

"I used to read a lot about Jerediah Smith and Jim Bridger. The Blackfeet, if you shot twice, would know right where you were," Jed informed. "My dad named me after Jed Smith. This is your first time isn't?"

"Ya. Why?" Robert questioned.

"You gotta drink if it's your first time. We did. Even Becks here did," Matt stated and memories of hunting with my father flooded back into my mind. I shook them out of my head though as Robert replied, "What's it taste like?" I had to laugh at his facial expression! It was funny but cute at the same time...Wait I did not say cute! I did not say it!

"It's not too bad. It's kinda salty, like a steak or when you get a nosebleed, ya know," Matt stated.

"You gotta do it Robert. It's the spirit of the deer," Jed said.

"When you drink it, you'll be a real hunter," Matt said as Jed handed Robert a cup of deer blood.

"Bottoms up. Go. Go ahead. Go for it buddy," Jed stated.

"Chug, chug, chug, chug, chug, chug, chug," I chanted.

"Alright! Alright!" Jed said as Robert finished drinking.

"You did it! His blood is yours. You know, my dad said that once you do that, there's gonna be something different about you...always," Matt explained.

"It wasn't so bad...It wasn't that bad...It wasn't so bad," Robert said over and over again. I mean, he's my friend and all, but he started to sound like Danny.

"You know what. While you people cut up this meat, I'm gonna go on look out," I stated and I walked off with the binoculars.

"Yo! Becky wait up!" Robert ran after me.

"They sent you after me, didn't they?"

"Ya...But you don't know who's wondering around these woods."

"I know...This is so boring though. I still hate school but I miss living in a house, sleeping in a bed, god even I miss Calumet pep rallies. I wish we could just go home...I really do."

"I do too Becky but we can't. I hope soon we can go home though. When this is all over, we'll be able to go home."

"I hope so Robbie. I really do." We walked around, most of the time, I climbed trees and finally grabbed a few squirrels, I broke their necks, put them in a bag and we headed back to camp.

&

Jed's POV

We all sat around the camp fire, eating dinner. Rebecca was off, sound asleep in her sleeping bag while we sat in silence. Finally, Daryl broke the silence.

"That's the last of it, except for the olives."

"We still got plenty of meat," Matt stated.

"Just stuff you shot!" Danny asked.

"So tell me dork, where do you suppose hamburgers come from?" Matt said, sarcastically.

"Nobody shoots them!" Danny slightly yelled.

"Didn't you two already have this argument?" I questioned.

"We need food...We need to know," Daryl stated.

"Yeah. We do," Arturo said. Finally, this kid opened his mouth. I mean, Danny you couldn't shut up!

"Alright. We'll go into town," I stated.

"Who's going into town?" Rebecca asked from her sleeping bag. She was sitting up, looking at us.

"We meaning me, Jed, and Robert. You can stay with Arturo, Daryl and Danny," Matt stated.

"Do you actually think they'd live you left me with them?" Rebecca asked, glaring at Daryl.

"Please take her with you!" Daryl stated. "I don't want to be accused of murder."

"Fine. But only us four. You three wait here," I stated and Rebecca laid back down and went to sleep. I didn't hear another word from her all night.

&

Robert's POV

I was laying in my sleeping bag, staring at the sky when I heard rustling. I looked up to see Rebecca throwing some more wood in the fire. I went and sat next to her on the log she was sitting on.

"You okay?" I asked. She looked like she had been crying. Her face was red and her caramel eyes were puffy.

"I'm fine. Just couldn't sleep," she whispered. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders.

"Are you sure? You look like you've been crying."

"You don't have to say it so loud so the others hear you!"

"Sorry. What are you upset about?"

"I just haven't been feeling well lately...Nothing else."

"I noticed that much. You didn't eat dinner. Does it have something to do with home?"

"No. I just...Never mind. It's nothing."

"C'mon Becky. You can trust me. I won't say anything to the others."

"It's just the shock of this whole thing...That's all. Losing people I care about, not being able to see my family until this is over...Basically, the shock just wore off. Now my emotions just hit me like a land slide...All at once. But I'm fine now...Crying did help but...I'm never going to cry again."

"Beck. You know that's impossible to keep. You have to let your emotions out some how, sometime."

"I know...Well. I'm gonna head back to bed."

"Ya. Me too. Good night."

"Night." I watched Rebecca climb into her sleeping bag and then I climbed in mine and just sank into a deep sleep.

Coz these are the days worth giving, and these are the years worth living, this are the moments, these are the times, so let's make the best time of our life.