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I'm in!
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Jan 7, 2015 22:51
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| # ¿ May 18, 2025 08:48 |
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Sikuaq Nunavut, Canada (878 words) Kassuq stood motionless on the ice, peering down into the small hole before him, his eyes fixed on the still water. The ice was thinner than he'd liked, as it had been for several winters now, but he couldn't risk travelling any farther north, away from his village. The days were too short; even now the sun had already begun its descent. The water within began to bob slightly, as the seal below searched for its breathing hole. In one hand, Kassuq raised his spear, the other gripped the cord tied to the spear's detachable head. Just as the seal breached the icy water, he thrust it down, feeling it sink down into the seal's soft flesh. He dropped the length of the spear and grabbed the cord with both hands. The seal cried out in pain, thrashing and fighting against him, but as its strength waned, Kassuq pulled it to the surface. In a matter of seconds, the fight was over. The seal lay motionless beside the breathing hole, its dark red blood staining the otherwise pristine ice. Kassuq leaned over his kill, and, smelling fresh blood for first time in many days, hastily cut from the seal's underside. He closed his eyes, savouring each bite of the warm, still living flesh. In years past, hunters would return to the village with what seemed like mountains of seal, but as the ice has receded farther north, so too has their prey. Today, Kassuq was simply pleased to know that he would not return empty-handed. As his hunger subsided, he slowly opened his eyes, looking out across endless plain of ice. Something had broken the silence, a faint, rythmic thumping being carried on the wind. His eyes slowly traced the horizon, stopping at the sight of a polar bear running towards him. Kassuq grabbed his spear and ran toward his snomobile, some twenty yards away. He grabbed his rifle from the sled and turned to face his kill, upon which the bear was swiftly closing. He fired, narrowly missing his mark, only grazing the animal's shoulder, turning its attention toward him. He ran back to the other side of his sled, pulling back the bolt on the rifle to reload. In his haste, the rifle jammed. Though he quickly cleared the chamber, the bear was already upon him. It leapt over the sled and landed on Kassuq's back, tearing through his thick sealskin coat and digging into his shoulder blade. He struggled to roll over, feeling with both hands for something, anything to use against the beast. The bear lifted up to strike, and his hand came across the wooden length of the spear. He raised the spear as the bear came down, letting the bear's own weight drive the wooden shaft into its chest. It reared back, giving Kassuq time to crawl out from under its massive shadow. Using the snowmobile, Kassuq pulled himself to his feet, as he watched the bear struggle to fight the spear lodged in its chest. Slowly, its howls turned to a whimper, and it fell to the ground, its heavy paws clawing at the spear. Truly looking at it for the first time, Kassuq saw the bear's gaunt, ravaged appearance. It seemed it, much like himself, had grown thin and weak over the sparse winter months. He found his rifle, and steadied his aim on the bear once again. He fired, putting an end to the animal's suffering. By now, the sun was nearing the horizon, threatening to abandon him in darkness. He strained to pull the spear from the bear's chest, its underside now dyed a deep maroon. The adrenaline coursing through his veins dulled the pain in his back as he dragged the seal to his snowmobile, and, as best as he could with one good arm, hastily tied it to the sled. Kassuq raced across the sea ice, the sun slowly setting behind him. The pain from his shoulder kept him alert, but in the ever increasing darkness, he struggled to follow the morning's tracks. He squeezed the throttle, pushing the engine as fast as he could, as the cold wind slowly seeped in through his parka. Even with the roaring of the engine, he could hear the ice beneath him start to crack. He turned sharply, hoping to somehow escape the soft ice, but it caved under the weight of the snowmobile, sending him and his ride into the dark waters below. His breath escaped him, and his skin burned, as the water sucked the heat from his body. His arms fumbled blindly, trying to pull himself out of the icy waters. Every muscle ached, each one shivering and spasming, as he crawled towards his pull-behind, which remained on the surface. Kassuq sat in darkness, drifting in and out of consiousness, as the pain in his limbs gave way to a thick, numb, warmth. To die like this would be a long and painful journey, one that he was not willing to make. With his good arm, he stiffly reached for his rifle, and placed the butt between his legs. A brief flash illuminated the area, and the sound carried out across the endless, frozen sea. Kassuq's lifeless body slumped down against the side of this sled.
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Jan 11, 2015 21:59
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I've been itching to write some terrible space stuff. I'm in.
Jick Magger fucked around with this message at 19:32 on Jan 20, 2015 |
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Jan 20, 2015 16:26
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in. My wife's out of town this week, so I should have plenty of time to
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Aug 5, 2015 13:26
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