”You fuck!” Bear screamed, shoving the barrel of the rifle away. His putrid breath rolling over the smaller man, causing him to involuntarily recoil.

”It’s you that’s been stealing my shit.” Bear continued. ”I should shoot you where you stand.” He had made an impromptu camp, rather than returning to Chip in the cave the previous night.

Steve backed up a few paces, holding his hand out in front of him. ”Woah there.” He stopped only when his back hit a tree. ”What the hell is happening?”

Bear frowned. ”You’ve not been stealing my shit?” he asked.

Steve shook his head. ”Man, I’ve not seen you since we left the plane.”

He watched as Bear processed the information before shrugging it off. ”Oh did you see those new ones.” he smiled. ”I popped another one of them last night.” His mood lifted considerably as he performed a celebratory dance on the spot. ”Shame though,” he leered, ”She was…” he grunted, thrusting his hips.

”What?” Steve swallowed against the bile that rose in his throat.

Bear nodded, the lecherous grin plastered firmly on his face. ”She was…” he cupped his hands at imaginary breasts. ”Bet she was tight.. shoulda found out first.”

Nausea overcame Steve and he turned, vomiting violently into the scrub.

”You gotta lighten up man!” Bear laughed, slapping Steve on the back.

Wiping his mouth on the back of his hand, Steve pushed past Bear.

”You’re a sick, sick man!” he spat, turning from the clearing and heading back towards the beach.

As he edged closer to the tree line almost an hour later, he paused. Bear had been right. A lithe brunette, clad in shorts and a sports bra moved purposefully in her task. He watched her for many minutes as she built some sort of platform. Her strength surprised him; she threw logs around effortlessly, pausing only to secure them.

”What is she doing?” he wondered aloud. Creeping closer, his heart sank into his boots when he saw the body. ”Oh God.” he turned quickly, the snap of a branch shattering the silence. Glancing over his shoulder, his stomach dropped as the brunettes head snapped up towards him. Even with the distance between them, she was clearly wild, feral. Dangerous.

Steve took to his heels and ran for all he was worth.