The coyote pup's fluffy body seemed too large for its tiny head as it paused
and looked at her through wide, wild eyes. Then, stumbling over its too-large
feet, the young coyote disappeared into the brush that lined the trail.
Katie giggled.
“Go on silly baby, go and find your family . . . they’re all around us.”
She’d only
continued a few more steps before the howls silenced and the feeling of being
watched became almost too much to bear. As darkness deepened the sky’s hue,
Katie remembered the supper in her bag just as the whuffing sound of curious
coyotes met her ears.
Icy fingers of
fear clawed at her stomach as the feeling that came with the coyotes around her
changed from strangely cheerful and probing to strangely hungry and hunted. Maybe I should just start for home now and
forget any thought of Texas. If I walk quickly, I could even run, and I’ll leave
the food for these animals . . . Katie whirled on her heel, ignoring the
yellow eyes that peered at her from the lengthening shadows. A low growl roiled
out of the surrounding understory.
Thank you for stopping by! Please stay tuned, I will be announcing a cover reveal for Old Amarillo soon!
One coyote pup is cute. A whole pack of them circling and eyeing you and your meal with creepy yellow eyes is scary. Enjoying Katie's adventure so far!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Christina! Katie is going to have to learn some lessons the hard way, for sure!
DeleteI like her way with the coyote pup. I don't like the sound of that growl, though. Thinking trouble looms ahead for her.
ReplyDeleteHi Frank! I think you're right, Katie has no idea what she has in store, leaving the safety of her village.
DeleteThis is scary. Glad I"m not in her predicament.
ReplyDeleteMe too, Elaine!!
DeleteKatie's got trouble coming, and I don't think those coyotes are going to be content with what she has in her pouch.
ReplyDeleteThat said, something you might want to note between your memoir piece and this one... you used the same phrase "Icy fingers of fear" in both. It sort of stood out in these WeWriWa posts; it may not in publication.
Thank you, Eden :-) Yes, that is one of my favorite phrases hehe Old Amarillo already has a set pub date while my memoir does not, so hopefully readers won't notice :-) I'm glad you stopped by and spent some of your Sunday with me today!!
DeleteEnjoyed the snippet, feel sorry for her surrounded by coyotes. Tough, scary spot. Possible typo: "understory"? Was that supposed to be undergrowth or something similar? Didn't detract from the enjoyment of the snippet!
ReplyDeleteHi Veronica! Understory is one of my favorite though under-used words and it really just means the layer of vegetation beneath the main canopy of a forest or woods. I'm glad you liked the snippet, thank you for stopping by to hang out <3
DeleteSo glad to see other people using this great term. As a forestry major in college, I knew the word, but because it's so rarely used I did wonder a bit about you using it, Sara.
DeleteAnd I totally understand the use of beloved phrases. Do it all the time myself as well...