After the hunters had gone, everything felt different.
It was as if the laughter they had carried into our tent disappeared with them, leaving behind a silence that seemed far too heavy for such a small place.
I remained seated on the edge of the bed, staring at the entrance flap as it swayed gently in the afternoon breeze.
Three days, they said.
Three days before, I would be expected to follow five seasoned hunters into a forest I knew nothing about.
Three days before, every pair of suspicious eyes in the settlement would be watching me.
Fred remained standing near the entrance.
He waited until the footsteps outside had completely faded before pulling the flap shut.
He tied it tighter than usual.
Then he walked around the tent, carefully inspecting every seam as though expecting
