Look, she said.
A Western scrub jay.
Yes but look what he’s doing.
Trying to get the pine nuts?
No, he’s burying it! Watch–
The Western scrub jay was a passerine corvid about eight inches long. Its back blue as a tropical sea. Eyes alert. It contemplated the ground. Looked for the right spot. Dropped the pine cone on a dirt lump and held it between its toes and began hammering it into the earth. He pecked and pecked intently until the tip vanished under soft toast-colored soil.
Are they food cachers?
It’s more than that. They’re forest planters. The forgotten caches grow into trees. They create new ecosystems without meaning to. The pine cone will be opened up from all the fire–
We should stay here, he said.
Is it a sign?
I bet they have a nice bed. Plus I could use a shave– maybe Portia left her snatch razor.
The fridges were empty. Ellen’s co-branded cheese plates and flatware in the cabinets but every atom of food gone. An engraved thuya wood door from a Berber harem led to the pantry. It squeaked when he pulled it. Heart thumping in anticipation of Ellen and Portia’s organic low carb snacks. The shelves were empty. FUCK, he said.
Anything?
Nothing.
Can you fish?
Yeah but it will take time. We have to find the gear, maybe the boats–
We have to eat.
I know–
There was a click click click click click from upstairs.
They looked at each other wide eyed. Breathing extra quiet. His hand moved to the revolver handle. Finger on his lips. He motioned for her to hide in the pantry, and she did, and closing the naturally distressed harem door it squeaked. The sound again. Click click click click click.
He stalked through the sitting room past the L-shaped sectional in white calfskin. Spun around the corner with the big silver gun and tried to say something cool but just wheezed.
A honey colored teacup dog was stumping down the staircase. Worming down the steps like a slinky on her tiny legs. Dirty pink bow on her collar. Faux lion haircut growing in. She must have heard the pantry door. A sound that meant food.
J & J had integrated its “Sparkle” trans teen anti-bullying campaign with Ellen!’s segments featuring her newly-adopted Pomeranian, Duchess. Ellen pre-taped selecting and nurturing the rescue after her early life of neglect in a puppy mill. The buy was a success. Segments showed Ellen grooming Duchess. Dancing along with Sparkle’s cheerleading. Per her father’s Instagram, Sparkle was emotionally abused on social media for wearing nail polish while presenting as a boy. Now she and Duchess enjoyed tandem pedicures. Sparkle had to be angled carefully. Her artificial hormone breasts had grown in lopsided.
Focus groups indicated high uptick in key axes of brand affinity. Significant effect sizes in Strongly Agree for core questions:
Clear and Clean is a health and beauty brand that supports my values
Cleansing with Clear and Clean is one way I can help change the world
(p < .02)
Duchess paused on the landing. Cocked her little head to gaze down with wet black doll eyes, innocent and afraid and hopeful. Shivering. Her pedicure had grown out. Her nails like talons. Metallic teal polish chipped into scattered shapes like ice melting on a black lake. Her shaking made them clickclickclickclick on the imported fruitwood inlay.
He knew her name. He called her, and she came to him. They cooked her over driftwood. It was the best meat he ever tasted.
Copyright
Cover: mattlawrence.net