Did you know that coconuts are almost as hard as the human skull?

That may be a myth I think to myself as I tumble down the side of a dune my head crashing violently against the ground every second or so.

My head feels way softer than it should be right now and I don’t think it’s the constant blunt force trauma.

Anyway, I kinda slipped in my rush to get some food in my belly and didn’t notice that the sea level was about twenty feet below me. A lot of my wounds are reopening which I happen to be taking quite well.

I finally stop at the bottom my body even more bruised and battered than it was a minute ago.

Stars block my vision and I struggle to even twitch my fingers as I lay there breathless and in agony.

And then I see it.

My eyesight turns purple as a small figure steps beside my head, it’s about the size of a rabbit and despite the odd coloring and strange patterns on its ears, it matches the little critters I know.

With how docile it seems I’m tempted to pet its fluffy head but my arm just flops limply in the vague direction of the purple rabbit. It sniffs the outstretched hand and to my absolute delight, it nuzzles some of my fingers.

This was almost worth the fall.

A scream erupts from my throat and I jerk my hand away, the pain of my fall seemingly forgotten as a much worse sensation replaces it.

The rabbit is snarling its razor-like rows of teeth dyed red with blood, my blood.

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I clutch my left hand to stem the flow of blood and find my pinkie finger missing from the appendage.

What the FUCK is wrong with this desert.

It takes a few steps towards me and I almost collapse as I try to backpedal from the monstrosity coated in my hand juices. Seeing my retreat as a sign of weakness it jumps at me with a speed I didn’t expect, luckily instinct triumphs and I punt the little bastard as hard as I can sending it flying.

I don’t waste a second grabbing a fallen coconut and rushing forward with my left hand still throbbing from the pain.

My first swing connects just as it staggers upright and I swiftly learn how hard this fuckers bones are as my hit only stuns it.

I swing again and a faint trickle of blood flows down to its eyes blinding it long enough for me to swing again.

And again.

And again.

And again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again.

By the time I pull back my hand is dripping with grey matter and the rabbit thing isn’t even spasming anymore. Absentmindedly I end up wiping my mouth trying to clear the sweat, receiving a mouth full of blood in exchange.

I lick my dry cracking lips just as my stomach rumbles.

‘Hey it was gonna eat me first’ I say to myself as the first bite of red passes between my teeth and before I know it I’ve devoured the thing down to its bones and what few bits I absolutely couldn’t stomach.

God does it taste good.

Not really it’s pretty gross.

My t-shirt is a pale red and the crystalline waters look even more inviting than they would’ve yesterday so I don’t hesitate to lower my aching body into the surprisingly cold water. I’ve had rabbit before, cooked of course, and I don’t think it was anywhere near as satisfying as that one just was.

Quickly rinsing my head and hair is my last pleasure before I keep walking, the ocean in all its salty goodness is perpendicular to the mountain range so I get to trace its shore as I travel.

Lucky me!

That night I try cracking open a coconut but my hood hand is too sore and my other hand is a half second from spraying blood again.

I dream about my sister, about how long I would sit in her room, those tubes barely keeping her alive, and how the doctors kept promising that she was getting better.

I braided her hair the day before it happened, I spent a week learning to French braid in between shifts just so I could show her I was there, waiting for her.

That long blond rope stayed with her.

Tears cloud my sight when finally I’m pulled from sleep, I’m silent for most of the day.