"Possum Rabbit or Rat" drabbles by George Stephens

Tonight's Chef's Special

Possum Rabbit or Rat #5

Jasper had never thought about what it would feel like to be gut shot, but he never would have imagined this much pain. He looked at the blond woman who had shot him as she knelt beside him.

"I'm... I'm not one of them," he managed to say. "I'm still alive."

"I know," she said as she smiled down at him and pulled out her knife. "But the dead do not seem particularly appetizing."

"You're going to... eat me?" Jasper asked, horrified.

"I'm sorry, sir," she said sincerely, "but I really cannot take another meal of possum, rabbit or rat!"

A Less Than Pleasant Surprise

Possum Rabbit or Rat #4

Every cabinet in the camper was empty. The fridge had nothing in it either other than the melted remnants of a stick of butter and the spoiled leftovers of what had likely been a final freshly caught trout dinner. Jasper had not been the first to climb down to the RV after all.

Jasper turned to the one door he had yet to open. It would lead to the bedroom at the rear of the camper. There seemed to be nothing to lose by opening it, so Jasper turned the knob and pushed it open. Then he heard the boom.

Knock-Knock! Anybody Home?

Possum Rabbit or Rat #3

Knocking on the door of the camper seemed a bit surreal, but it was the best way to find out if anyone -- or anything -- was inside. The dead may be many surprising and astonishing things in this new world, but smart and wily they were not. If there were any dead inside, they would make noise and lots of it.

When only silence answered his pounding, Jasper pulled the door open and peered inside. It appeared deserted. The cabinets and fridge were closed which was a good sign. Maybe dinner tonight would not be possum, rabbit or rat after all!

Going for a Visit

Possum Rabbit or Rat #2

As he neared the rocky bottom of the ravine, Jasper held his pistol at the ready. He could see the driver of the RV trapped in the wreckage, his mottled skin covered in filth and blood as he stared at Jasper with his dead eyes and snarled. These creatures smelled awful. Worse than simply dead.

Jasper was more concerned about other members of the driver's family. Were the wife and kids still around or did they make it out alive? Of course, in this Godforsaken new world of death, they did not have to be alive to make it out.

That's No Vacation Spot

Possum Rabbit or Rat #1

Maybe it would be worth a look, but Jasper did not expect to find anything. It had been weeks since he had come across anywhere or anything that scavengers had not been through. But he was sick and tired of possum, rabbit and rat. What he would give for just a bag of chips or can of peas!

As he made his way down to the wreck, he told himself this time would be different. The RV at the bottom of the ravine might not have been looted. Maybe... just maybe... he was the first to make his way down.