//------------------------------// // 7). When rural spelunking goes awfully right // Story: Us Against the World // by Chelis //------------------------------// It was like deja vu, only it actually happened. Many years later since his first hike that’d nearly ended in disaster, Big Mac was smart enough to pack the essentials: A first Aid kit, a canteen, hooks and fishing line, a flare gun, a box of matches, dog treats, a handgun, a pair of binoculars, beef jerky,and a baking sheet-size Rice Krispie square. He also packed the current edition of "The Pocket Guide to Animals, Birds, Plants, Insects, Cryptids, and Mountain Folk - Winter Edition" along with the rest of his gear inith an all camo white backpack, thermal pants, jacket, and a fanny pack filled with ammo tied around his waist. He was set to go as soon as the sun was high enough in the sky to get an acceptable amount of light. The wolves tend to hunt the hour before dawn. He was stopped by Applejack about not going near the to the abandoned commune. She believed, from an old chain email that was being sent around, that there might be Nazis using the commune, and did not want her brother to become a nazi or something of the like, mostly because Zecora was a generous customer and it would be a tad bit awkward. The trail from the farm to the woods was one of cold and blight. The trees were stripped of their usual green, replaced with the lifeless looking bark. The once fertile fields of grass was buried beneath ankle-deep snow. Big Mac paid no mind since it was the norm of winter. Instead of taking the right of a fork that would of lead him to the now frozen lake and the abandoned commune, he took the left. It led him away from the beaten path and up a hill, and on top of the hill was one particular tree, with a large metallic plate sticking out of it. Pa's old deer seat. It was rusty. It looked like the elements had kicked its ass, but it supported Big Mac. Winona was below, gnawing at the leather wraps that kept her legs and paws from getting frostbite. Sticking a piece of jerky in his mouth, he used his binoculars to scope around at the commune. Most of it looked worn and battered, a few parts had caved in of itself and were not piles of termite-infested wood. The barn was still standing, but it looked like it was on the brink of collapse. From the same vantage point, Big Mac saw another shed. It was newer, still inhabited even. The first thing he noticed about it was that the smoke from the chimney was weak and dreadful, as if the inhabitant was burning branches and not full logs. He tried to look inside the house, but the lights inside would run for only a few seconds then turn off. On the side of the house was an old, rusted generator connected to solar panels on top of the cottage. There was cloud cover and a storm yesterday, so the electricity must have been shit since then. The door swung open, and he knew it. Hello, Fluttershy. Fluttershy was covered in several layers of clothing, must be from the summer and not really suited for fall. She was shaking as she walked out, clutching an ax in her hands. The cold was too much for her to cut the wood needed for a bigger fire but was content with the pieces of the wood that had splintered with the bark. She placed the gatherings in a bucket next to her while she went to the shed right next to her cottage. Inside was the bare shelves of her pantry. It was common to move the ice chest outdoors to save money, because what was the point of winter if you can't use it to your full abilities. From his vantage point, she had 5 jars of various fruits and vegetables, and maybe a slab of beef. She was barely able to carry the items inside, which was also another cause for concern. Big Mac saw her take bushel after bushel of apples without a problem. Losi'n streinght. By that point, Big Mac had seen enough. He climbed down the metal bars that were drilled into the tree and landed softly on the ground. As he walked home, he went to his phone and checked one thing: his bank account. After seeing the amount of money he had left, he picked up his pace towards home. He had a plan, and money to spend. *** It was a cold and miserable morning for Fluttershy, the last sad day, or so she hoped. She was asleep in the living room because anywhere outside of the warmth of the fire was unbearable. She was also hungry, only able to feast on rice cakes and jam. The stove was electric, and there was no way to cook the slab of beef outside. No way to go to the diner either because her warm clothes were ripped apart by a raccoon that decided to make a nest of her winter wear. Of course, the raccoon was nesting currently, her babies warm. So, at least some good came out of it. Suddenly, she had a craving for peach. Rice cakes and peach jam it was. She had her clothes on already, so all she had to do was to step outside. When she opened the door, she was met with two things that nearly brought her to the edge of tears. The first was a pile of firewood, chopped and neatly stacked. It was probably enough for the next week, given if there was cloud cover. The second was a basket filled with canned goods, fresh fruits and vegetables, smoked sausages, and meats, all on top of a rack to cook in the fireplace. Between the basket and the rack was three warm sweaters and pants, all of them new. A small note topped it all off. "Saw you having a rough time and thought I’d lend you a hand. See you in school tomorrow. -Flutterfriend."