My body was covered in dried poison. As soon as I woke up I spat out one tennis-sized ball of black, sticky poison and smeared it all over myself. Then I went over to the plugged cave entrance and spat out another ball and smeared it on yesterday’s dried poison barrier. That left me with only enough in the tank for one last poison ball for the day. Only for emergencies.

  When I opened the makeshift door, I was hit with the fresh, clean air of the forest.

  Clean, unpoisoned air, made me feel unsafe. I preferred inside the cave. But as always, I needed food. Winter was over so I could no longer use hibernation as an excuse to stay inside.

  Before exiting, I geared up. Poison-covered stone knives on my hips, on my back bow and a quiver full of poisoned arrows, and in my hand, a spear covered in poison.

  I took one step outside and was right away met with a giant green snake hanging from a tree.

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  It looked at me and I looked at it.

  The snake hissed a little, then slithered away.

  Hunting snakes always felt wrong for some reason, so I never messed with them as long as they didn’t mess with me. It was annoying having them stay near my cave, but as long as they didn’t try to go inside my cave I let them be.

  Besides snakes, a few exotic frogs, and other unique animals, all of the life in the forest avoids my poisoned cave.

  I walked in the forest, and as I scouted I also picked and ate poisoned berries. They tasted great. I was more than tired of the dried berries I was eating all winter.

  The stream was full of deers.

  I turned away from the stream and shot an arrow to calibrate my aim. Then I turned back to the stream and took aim.

  I missed.

  Sigh.

  All of the deer ran away.

  That’s when I noticed the dirty girl with a baby strapped to her back, holding hands with a smaller boy and a smaller girl as they all walked nervously around the forest.