Finding Mirabel

Lunch

"Is that a Maracuyá tree?" Looking up as far as she can with her now cracked glasses, she squinted at the sun a little. And there it was. A Maracuyá. It looked barely edible, already brownish, and close to rotting.

"Score! Now all I need to do is get up there. Easy." She stretched herself as far as she could. On her tippy toes nearly falling over and with a little hop at the end, she finally managed to wrap her hand around the Maracuyá.

"Woooo! See? I can totally survive out here. Right, Chico?" She turned around looking at the Coati that for some reason followed her around since she arrived at the river.

Chico didn't answer, he never does. He gets up and calmly walks in the direction of the river, Mirabel following him.

"You know, I don't even need my family." She made herself comfortable at the riverside close to a small waterfall and started attempting to open the Maracuyá. Chico taking a nap next to her.

"If anything, they need me." With that she managed to open her fruit and started scooping the seeds into her mouth, her face squinting at the sour flavor. That didn't really fill her stomach. She put the peels on the ground and directed her attention to the Coati next to her.

"Where is your family Chico? Did they give up on you too?" Chico didn't move a muscle.

"I only wanted to help. But obviously, they didn't need me. They never did." Looking in the direction of the cracked mountains she sighed. It was just a reminder of what her life could have been.

"It's better this way. I'll build a life for myself out here. Maybe build a little house. I'll just stay out here forever and then I won't be in anyone's way ever again." She addressed Chico again.

"It will be great! Just the two of us! We'll be like a new family for each other." Chico opened his eyes now, but he didn't look at her. He looked to the other side of the river.

"What is it?" Mirabel said to her small friend.

Chico scrambled up and started running, with his stumpy legs, in the direction of the jungle. Running to hide in the thick leaves and woodwork.

"Chico? Where are you going?" Mirabel got up to follow her furry friend. And then she heard it. A growl, more like a roar.

She didn't even turn around. She just started running. Slipping on the stones at the side of the river. Scratching her knees and palms. She had to get up again because something was trying to kill her.

She ran as fast as her legs could move. Her heart has never beaten this fast. Not even yesterday, when Casita collapsed, did she run this fast.

She thought she was fast, fast enough, but she wasn't.

A sharp pain went through her back, she didn't even fully notice it until she was already thrown onto her side from the impact. She turned onto her back to look at her attacker. Staying as still as possible. A bear. A full-grown, huge, Andean bear.

They didn't normally attack humans. Mirabel was just in the way.

It didn't even look at her again as it ran for the woodwork, instead.

Mirabel got up as fast as she could with her still aching back. Her skin was ripped, and it was bleeding like hell, she was even leaving a trail behind her. She went for the other side of the river, there was a tree which looked climbable.

She hoisted her leg up onto the lowest hanging branch and nearly threw up with the pain her movements caused.

With tears running down her face she managed to at least heave herself onto the branch. She reached for the next one and her arm was shaking so much, it was hard to even aim for the huge piece of wood.

She climbed to the middle of the tree until she had to stop. The bear wasn't going to look for her up here if she could just stay quiet enough.

Thinking about the bear, she saw it again. They emerged from the tree line opposite of her. Something in their muzzle. Something small and gray. Chico.

The tears on her face that just started to fade out began once more. She had to move her hand up to her mouth to suppress the gasp and sob that fell out of her mouth against her attempts at staying quiet.

The bear now sat down and started ripping pieces of flesh out of the Coati. Having a meal right on the spot she sat earlier. Mirabel had the perfect vantage point to see her now only friend being eaten.

The tears running down her face didn't stop but she closed her eyes, she didn't want to see it anymore. To hear it was still too much for her. The rip of skin and flesh and the swallowing, time and time again.

After a long time, she fell asleep. She was too exhausted from her injuries and her crying to stay awake.