To start from the beginning? Go here: Doh – Rey – Me [Chapter 1]
– one of the fiction books written by Michael K. Hurder © [2025]
Read along as I create fiction. You might recognize at least one character. In the realm of make-believe, I’ve explored various themes and characters. This one is dearer to me than all the rest of my writing.
It most resembles my fantasy life just as I envision it.
As this story’s fiction unfolds, it reveals the struggles and triumphs of its characters, inviting readers to reflect on their own lives. A great way to self-analyze using fiction as the screen. We find ourselves wondering how our life differs from the fiction. How is it the same compared to the fiction? Only in the dreamworld can we create any life we want…and live it vicariously.
The thing about fiction is that we may not always like it. This is okay with fiction. None of it is mandatory reading. That’s what makes fiction so much fun, to read and to write.
Begin
[Chapter 3] — Rescued
The bigger of the three cubs stood in the entrance to their den, trembling and, at the same time, refusing entry to this strange two-leg. It smelled all wrong. It was so tall, and it wouldn’t stop coming closer. The cub remembered the big feline and trembled again.
The cub tried desperately to sound like his mother with a deep fearful growl. It ended with a whimper, and he backed further into the den, his siblings crowding closer behind him. Why wouldn’t it stop?
“GROWR! Go Away!” he threw his fiercest voice at the two-leg. Finally, it stopped. It even lowered itself to the cub’s height and made soft mewling sounds. Was it submitting, the cub thought?
“GROWR,” and he charged forward a few tentative paces just outside the entrance. The two-leg just stayed there and continued the soft sounds. It didn’t seem a threat anymore. The cub inched forward, sniffing. He sneezed and yipped at the smell. There didn’t seem to be any danger. He sat in the entrance and looked on. The two siblings edged up behind him and looked too. What is it?
Shorty wasn’t getting any closer to these cubs. Not right away. Darkness was already settling in. He made a quick decision and would be spending the night. It happened sometimes, and he was prepared for such an occasion. He slowly backed away from the den, careful not to step on the mom’s carcass, and made his way down the slope to his snowmobile to grab his emergency pack. With that in hand, he climbed back up to the cubs and started to set up camp.
He only knew one way to keep animals away from him in the open at night, which was with fire. Smoke makes a lasting impression on animals after they’ve lived through the terror of a forest fire. The area around Yosemite was no stranger to fires. He was worried the lion would return for the rest of the cubs too. They weren’t going to chum up to him, not yet. So he took it upon himself to be their protector for at least this one night.
He had one more chore before packing it in. He dug the hole first, far from the camp. Then, he came back for the mom’s body. On the way back, he noticed another smear of red off the path. He found the fifth cub. He carefully collected both bodies on an old tarp, so he didn’t leave another blood trail back to the den.
He buried them together while the cubs watched. Already, their instincts were leading them to survival. Shorty felt a pang of guilt for supplanting these beautiful creatures’ places in the circle. He buried them deep and mixed boulders in with the soil he covered them in to keep the diggers from success.
Then, he returned to the den and his camp.
After he’d set up his ground cloth, tent, and arctic sleeping bag, he warmed some jerky and beans over the fire. He took a chance that the cubs had no fear of fire or smoke yet, though it was sure to be strange to them. He pitched his gear out of the direct line to the brook so the little ones would have access to water. The smell of the meat cooking had the desired effect. The cubs’ noses came poking out of the den together, snuffling great gulps of the savory scent.
“Hungry, aren’t you, kids? I thought you might be. Come on. I don’t bite. It’s good.”
He took a bite of the jerky himself, making yummy sounds as he chewed. The cubs backed into the den again.
“So, it’s gonna be like that, eh? All right. Suit yourselves. I’ll just leave a little over there by the entrance, Okay?” He tossed several small pieces towards the den, then turned away and busied himself eating his supper. Along with the portable gas cookstove, he also had a French press small enough to carry in a backpack.
He brewed a cup of coffee as he nibbled at his meal. Finding a good (if not perfect) coffee solution was paramount in all his plans. The makings for his special blend in the field were the last items packed, so they were on the top and easy to access. You never knew when coffee was needed. Yes, needed!
Enjoying his evening brew, Shorty thought this was the most he’d spoken to any living creature in months.
“Go figure’ Donna would be thrilled to know that. Shit!” He thought his oldest son, Jake, would cuss him out seven ways to Sunday. He made sure the fire was well-damped, tightly surrounded by rocks with no brush or wood nearby. Then he crawled into his tent, leaving the flap open, just in case. He figured to read for a little bit, then get a good night’s rest. He’d be up early in the morning.
He was going to need a new book soon. This was the third go-round with Katie Cross’s Network Series. Something about kids and magic made him smile.
Shorty had just started to drift off when he heard a slight commotion beyond the tent opening. The bigger of the pups was nosing a scrap of jerky. With some hesitation, he daintily picked it up between his teeth and hurried back into the den.
Within seconds the three of them were outside devouring the scraps. Shorty wished he’d left more, but it was a start. They’d have something to talk about in the morning now, like MORE FOOD, PLEASE HUMAN. Shorty chuckled to himself. All three cubs made their way to the brook for a quick slurp, snuffed around and made water, then scampered back into the den.
It was a start.
end chapter 3
To start from the beginning? Go here: Doh – Rey – Me [Chapter 1]
[next – Chapter 4] What a howl
Bonus Fiction Feature:
If you read any of the fiction I create here to the end, you will be able to download a free copy when It’s complete. If I get a referral from you, I’ll throw in the fiction – Burtt.