Patagonia

Hognosed Skunk

~Jasper~

We journeyed back down towards the lake. I knew being near a water supply would be our best bet for long-term survival out here, the only issue was finding enough fish or game to keep us from starving before the winter season came. Once the temperature would begin to drop, so would the fish.

Feeling panicked from the lack of tools I needed, I swam back to my submerged plane and grabbed out anything I could. Using some wire, I crafted a makeshift fishing pole before finding beds of moss to begin netting together a gilly net.

I instructed Abby to search for logs, mossy grass, stones, anything she could find for us to begin working on a more permanent shelter. We were both mostly quiet as we went about like that for another week.

Fortunally I was able to gather enough snails off the beach, a few trout and forage some edible mushrooms and plants to keep us somewhat nourished. One day while I was working on the shelter, Abby handed me another stone before asking,

"Do you know how to do all this stuff from being in the army?"

"What stuff?" I asked, placing the stone on the beginning of an indoor fireplace.

"You know...survival skills. Luke said you were in the army..." her voice died off as if she were worried she had said something wrong. She hadn't at all. I just didn't like remembering.

"More or less. You're not too bad at it yourself...for a barista." I remarked, sending her a wink.

Don't wink at her, you idiot. She's your brother's girl.

She scrunched her nose at me in her usual adorable way. I realized teasing her brought out the best in her, sides of her that both surprised and delighted me. I wanted to know all of her, but knew I couldn't. What was that old saying about tasting forbidden fruit? Once you had it, you could only crave more...

I was already in too deep already, which was why this entire ordeal was not sitting right with me. If we got any closer, I wouldn't be able to stop myself from wanting more. Holding her in the nights was bad enough.

Sometimes I caught myself playing with her hair while she slept, or caressing the soft skin of her arms while they were curled around my waist. Last night, I even went as far as to softly brush her lips with my thumb in nothing less than longing.

"Excuse me, sir, but I am so much more than just a barista. I'm a child of God." She said proudly, handing me another stone. I nearly snorted at her religious prattle before catching myself. I never wanted to insult her faith. After all, it could be the very thing she needed to keep herself mentally grounded throughout this experience.

"Of course you are." I replied. The sun was feeling brazenly hot that day, therefore I stopped to take a break and catch my breath. Yanking my sweat-soaked shirt over my head, I walked down towards the lake edge. Crouching on my haunches, I dipped the shirt inside the chilly water before rubbing it on the back of my neck.

Abby was strangely quiet before I heard her footsteps crunch beneath the gravelly shore. When I turned back around to glance at her, she was staring at me with wide eyes. At first assuming she was liking what she saw, I felt a swell of smug satisfaction.

Luke doesn't have muscles like these, huh darlin?

"Jasper...don't move." She suddenly whispered. I frowned, deflated in my shamelessness.

"What's wrong?" I asked her softly, still as a statue. Her eyes veered to my right where something moved in the corner of my vision.

I turned slowly to stare down at a black, furry hognosed skunk, confirming in my mind that we were officially, unarguably trapped inside Patagonia like I assumed.

"Sh--" Was all I could say before it turned, lifted its tail and sprayed both Abby and myself with the most foul liquid bolt of death I ever had the misfortune of experiencing.

Abby screamed and fell back as the skunk took off into the woods. I cussed loudly, frantically trying to use my shirt to wipe my face. Reaching for Abby blindly, I shouted,

"Strip your clothes and get in the water, now!"

"What?! Ugh okay!" She cried as she hastily began throwing off her clothes. I yanked my pants down and threw my shirt onto the ground before pulling her in the shallow waters with me.

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh that skunk just farted on us!"

If I wasn't so disgusted and overwhelmed by the horrific scent of both of us, I probably would have laughed at her.

"Come here." I managed out as I slathered us both in lake mud and scrubbed our skin with it, "Just pretend this is the world's finest mud spa."

Abby snickered a little as she exclaimed,

"I never thought I'd see the day when a skunk would fart on me!"

"Abby, it sprayed you, not flatuated." I corrected finally as I grinned. She snorted and said,

"Same thing! Smells just the same anyway." For the first time in weeks, we both actually laughed. Abby slung some mud at me. Feeling oddly happy, I scoffed before lunging for her in the water. She screamed as I picked her up and threw her. She came crashing back into the lake with fits of laughter. We hadn't even thought about the fact that we were both naked, until I reached for her again.

The moment her bare breasts rubbed against my chest, we both froze. Quickly, she pushed away from me. I let her as I turned away, allowing her privacy as she dashed out of the water. Once she was clothed, she cleared her throat before saying quietly,

"I'm sorry...I shouldn't ha--"

"Abby, it's fine. Really." I cut her words short as I moved towards the shore, not hiding anything. I let her blush and turn away, feeling a slight pang of jealousy for Luke...I shouldn't have acted so arrogant about it, shouldn't have displayed my entire male anatomy for her eyes to take in, but I wanted her to see what she was missing out on, who exactly was touching her back there in the water.

That night when she was asleep, curled up beside me, I softly stroked her hair through my fingertips. She still smelled faintly like the skunk, but all I could think about was how perfect her body felt molded against my own, how perfect everything about her was...