She goes down to the river. Like every other day. Restless. She finds the otters dragging up bodies. Across the shimmering water the heron croaks. Everything is in sunshine and the blue depths of heaven have given birth.
There's afterbirth splattered on the rocks. Like after Raven was born. Oh, it's baby legs the otters are eating. Chomp, chomp.
The backpack cuts into her shoulders. “You have delicate shoulders like birds' eggs.” Does he want to eat me? She drops the bag on a rock not covered in placenta. The otters splash blood. She grabs the bag and pulls it back. Pushes that tangled knot of bangs off her face.
Nowhere to sit that isn't bloodsoaked. Should have asked him for a drink but I saw what he did. Is that Justin?
“Hey, Justin!”
His neck pushed forward peering. He lifts a hand and crosses the road from 7-11. He walks on the gravel. Shoes untied, of course. He steps up onto the riprap.
“Careful, don't slip on it!”
He hops off the big rocks back to the path. “Slip on what?”
“There's blood on the rocks. I can't believe you didn't fall.”
He bends down and peers at the rocks. Lifts and foot to inspect his shoe. Wipes the shoe on sparse grass and comes on. Well back from the water's edge, at least.
“I didn't see blood. What's up, Sue?”
“Just surviving. Those otters are eating a baby. And that's not the worst thing that's happened today with otters. You should have seen what I saw. Hey, you got enough for a Loko?”
“Those otters have been at it all night.” He picks up a stone and runs at the riprap, arm cocked. Freezes just before the bloody rocks. An otter comes up chomping. He jerks and throws. Plunk goes the rock. “Missed by a mile.”
“You saw it though, right? That was the baby's leg. They're eating it.”
“Was it?” He moves back. Stands facing her side.
Get off me boy look at the water. “Hey, you got enough for a drink? A Loko?”
“I thought you were staying with Tony.”
“Oh, no. Not after what I saw last night on the TV. No way.” Smile and tilt your head he likes that. “You got enough?”
He nods. “Back at my camp.”
“I'll wait for you.”
“Walk with me.”
“Oh, no, not after what I saw Tony do on the TV. He was raping that otter. I'm not going anywhere with anybody.”
“Fine, Sue.” He shrugs. Struts past her. Hard as a board, probably.
I can't go with him. She turns away from the otters with their bloodsmear. Their baby legs. But there's Tony at 7-11. He'll buy for me.
No way he'll touch me at 7-11.
