And now we have disappearing bears. Really, now?'' Clarke sighed, as she paced around the abode.
After the sudden loss of their prey, they had decided to call it a day and return to the abode. Which, by all means, should've been a source for Madi's happiness—after all, she did spend most of the hunt complaining, generally because spending time inside the abode was a LOT better than being scorched red by the sun and being virtually burned alive—but she had felt disappointed, instead. This was supposed to be her big hunt. This was supposed to be her first and only win and her victory at impressing Clarke and Lexa with her hunting skills! But nope, not only did the bear disappear, but her favourite spear had disappeared as well.
All in one, Madi felt very glum about it. Clarke expressed her feelings very well on that topic. ''I-I can't believe it,'' Clarke muttered. ''It must be around that area. It can't just disappear...''
Oh, they ALL agreed that a bear couldn't just simply disappear. But they had searched around the area for fifteen minutes and counting—and obviously, it wasn't there. Which was why they were all fed up in the first place.
Madi breathed in loudly and suppressed an irritated sigh. Somehow, somehow, even if the bear had survived their strike, it had managed to evade the three of them too as they scoured for the corpse. Which simply wasn't possible. What did the bear think it was? It wasn't the Heda, or the Wanheda, or Madi. So WHY did it just pull off a vanishing act like it was nothing?!
''Apparently, bears possess a trait, adapted for survivability,'' Lexa had said sarcastically, which had upset Madi even more. ''Vanishing in thin air.''
Huffing, Madi had sat down on one of the chairs and propped her head up on her hands. It was as if the bear had some tactical training of some kind. She wondered what it would be. Maybe sneaking-out-of-there training or evading-strikes training or fight and flight training as the cherry on the top. And above it all, the very important disappearance training that could have you vanish on a whim. Which Madi was pretty sure all combined together to form that bear because there was simply no way it could've disapparated into thin air like it was nothing.
All of them were as disappointed as Madi, if not more. Clarke was visibly upset as she paced around the abode. Lexa was quiet, but Madi was about halfway sure that she was annoyed on the inside too, if the sarcasm wasn't a testament to anything (''Mockery isn't the product of a strong mind, Lexa.'' Clarke had muttered to that in response. ''Do not mock a battle we both fight.'' was Lexa's reply.). And Madi herself wasn't going to rein in her anger & sadness at that loss.
They could've been feasting on meat by now. But too bad the bear just had to escape, and with Madi's spear as well! It could've at least left that behind as consolation, but nope. Madi's favourite spear was now forever gone, lost in a void that never was.
She felt distressed form at the thought. But then, she heard Lexa clear her throat, and say—
''Madi. Would you like to pick berries?''
And suddenly, Madi felt a lot better.
...
She could only see blurs.
In and out, like a magnifying glass that adjusted out-of-control. Her ears rung with blood; her mouth shaking at the edges; her face in a grimace as she tried to keep her heart-rate under control. Pain shrilled down her fingers and jostled up her spine, but she pressed her hand into the wound still, even as lighting struck through her head and her limbs threatened to give out.
Can't. Can't go now. Not when—not when I've come so far.
She could only feel pain. Pain that poured from a jagged wound that poured from a black hole, pain that descended like a bolt and pulsed where the gaping wound was as if there was some bastard heart in there that pumped the slick black out.
