8'  English Canada

Mei scrambles through the woods to escape an unseen horror. She stumbles into a clearing with a fire and a figure hunched over it. Meet Betty, a black woman who prefers the solitude of the bush over the bigotry of towns and settlers. She brandishes her rifle, but quickly realizes that Mei is no threat. She steps to one side to reveal the fire and the coffee pot [...]

Mei scrambles through the woods to escape an unseen horror. She stumbles into a clearing with a fire and a figure hunched over it. Meet Betty, a black woman who prefers the solitude of the bush over the bigotry of towns and settlers. She brandishes her rifle, but quickly realizes that Mei is no threat. She steps to one side to reveal the fire and the coffee pot bubbling away.

Betty sits and waits, as Mei skirts the corona of the fire before taking a seat. She tells Mei stories
about herself until finally, she attempts a variation of a Chinese tea service, hoping it will assure Mei of her safety. Betty stands, bows, and extends the coffee mug. Mei reciprocates.

As Mei accepts the cup, she sees old scars on Betty’s wrists, just as Betty looks up to see fresh rope burns on Mei’s. They take a seat, finding safety in their shared experience. They finally begin to open up before noises from the darkness signal danger.

Betty stands to face the darkness with her rifle. She takes a chance and asks if Mei can shoot. Betty gives Mei her rifle, then pulls her pistol. Mei takes her position by her new ally, and simply says, let them come now.

Category:  Fiction 

Genre:  Western