When There Is Nothing Left But Love

“Let’s go that way!” Nora called to us. She spotted Tabitha and Laurel just climbing out of the hole. “What’s up, you two? If you’ve had a good rest, let’s move on!”

The two women nodded as they dusted the dirt and grime off their wrinkly clothes. They glanced at Tessa, who was still immersed in her prayers. Tabitha mumbled, “She’s so pious. Do you think God with really bless her?”

Nora shrugged. “Let’s go!”

The forest was rather humid in the morning. The soil had become loose. One could hear the soft crunching of the earth just by stepping on it.

“Ah!” Laurel screamed. Then, she squatted on the spot she had previously stepped on and began to scrape at the ground.

Very soon, we saw what had been hiding underneath the earth. It was a cluster of yellowish-white fungi. Some of them had been crushed under her feet.

Only a few short and stout ones were spared.

“Mushrooms!” Tessa, who had been reciting her prayers the whole time, promptly came forward and started digging up the plants from under the fertile soil. She wiped the dirt off and began to swallow them a few pieces at a time.

Laurel, looking equal parts terrified and worried, wondered, “Do we… eat them raw? Just like that?”

Tabitha turned around and, indeed, managed to find other mushrooms of the same variety under some rotten leaves.

She passed some of them to us. “Yes, this kind of mushrooms can be eaten raw. There used to be plenty at my place and we did this all the time. Sure, they won’t satisfy our hunger, but it’ll have to do for now. Let’s eat!”

They dug in. The rest of us, having barely eaten anything for a day, followed suit.

these? Once, I watched the news about poison testers in the south. They usually do that come May and June. Those

which ones to eat and which ones to avoid, basically you won’t have

in the soil. She turned

them. If not,

have made ourselves a feast supplied by Mother Nature herself,” Nora sighed as she stuffed more mushrooms

Tessa shouted all of a sudden, prompting everyone else to look towards her, surprise hanging on our

your God decided to show Himself?” Nora

body stiffened, as she

snake, about fifty centimetres in length, hanging around the leaves of the tree

paying attention. The snake spat

be careful!” Tabitha yelled, her face pale

the surroundings from the corner of my eyes. There was a branch that must have been snapped in half by the wind.

now! What now! I’m going crazy just looking at that ugly thing! Ah, it’s giving me goosebumps!” Nora stood

I was scared too. The creature

if we run now?” Nora muttered,

too late!” Tessa said, her voice trembling. “This is a

it! But we can’t just stay here

that she was shaking

dared to glare at the reptile hiding among the leaves with a wicked glint

was closest to the snake. Any careless movements and the snake could latch onto her and sink its fangs