It was hot.
Almost unbearably so in West Texas.
Above a bright yellow sun beat down upon the mountainside with the force of the summer heat. And that heat, in turn, sweated the mountains, turning the beautiful mountain valley into a glorified desert.
The few clouds that dotted the sky barely enough to give a few seconds of reprieve from Gods deadly laser before they moved on, leaving only the briefest wisp of cool as they went.
Overhead vultures circled searching for an easy meal while the mountain lions hunted.
Yes, just another peaceful day in the Guadalupe Mountains.
~BOOM~
Only until it wasn't.
It came without warning. A sudden and loud Boom that shook the mountain like a small earthquake. Birds flew into the air by the hundred as other animals fled away from the source of the noise.
That earthquake shook the trees, sending an avalanche of nuts and berries to the ground. Most notable were the pine trees, with their nuts like little rocks that fell in droves.
Especially under the tallest pine tree, where underneath an unsuspecting figue layed enjoying the shade. Peacefully napping with their cowboy hat tilted over their face, their vest a pillow under their head, and their boots resting right beside them.
And a blanket of nuts to bury them under.
After the quaking stopped, the animals slowly came back. Those that hid emerged from their holes and burrows only to find a heaven-sent of food waiting for them.
A few squirrels that came out took particular interest in the mound under the tallest pine as they scurried atop to collect their prize.
Underneath the mound of pine knuts and scurried squiles a tired and annoyed voice spoke out.
"That damn idiot."
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"Jehahaha!" Laughter echoes through the trees.
A bit further up the mountain, a boy picked himself up out of a crater.
"Come on Robert is that the best you got?!" Alex laughed.
Mindful of his antlers, Alex brushed the dirt from his hair, careful not to push any into his ears as he did. Pulling down one of his rabbit ears, he started combing through the black fur.
Switching ears, Alex looked back at the crater behind him. Alex whistles. He was kind of joking earlie but man did Robert hit him hard. Thank God he had already taken off his shirt. He didn't need any more tears or rips.
His Grandma had already told him that if she had to fix one more hole this weakened, then she was gonna stop making him her Apple & Whiskey Pie. And he couldn't let that happen, especially not today, Sundays were the only day that he could get two whole Pies after all.
"Grggh!" Alex closed his eyes as a deep growl blew across his face, brushing his wavy hair.
Opening his eyes, Alex glared at the semi-sized black bear in front of him. An imposing sight for anyone who happened to walk into the forbidden parts of the Guadelpue maointians.
Of course, if you looked more closely, past the foot-sized fangs and dagger-like claws, you'd see some things that looked off. Like the glossy black fur matted with dirt or the large snout that seemed to be slightly pointing in the wrong direction.
Obvious signs to anyone that knew them that Alex had been having fun playing with the Bear that his family appropriately named Robert the Bear. In fact, all things considered, Robert the Bear looked pretty good considering they've only been playing for the past hour.
Alex pushed Robert the Bears face away from his. Rolling his eyes when Robert the Bear bared his fangs back.
"Hey, don't get mad at me, I already gave you a free shot to make it fair." Dusting his pants, Alex took off his shoe, dumping that rock that'd been bothering him for the last minute or so.
Head tilted down, Alex smirked at Robert the Bear.
"After all, it's not my fault that you're so weak." He said, pushing up his glasses.
The beady black eyes of Robert the Bear widened in anger as if he understood Alex's words. Lifting his head, Robert the Bear roared.
"GRAAAAGHH!!" The roar echoed through the mountains.
Alex covered his rabbit ears. "WHAT WAS THAT? I COULDN'T HEAR YOU! SPEAK UP!"
Lifting his paw, Robert the Bear swung with all his might at Alex, hoping to take his head off his shoulders. But Alex jumped out of the way.
"Jehahahaha!"
Then he felt a weight appear on his snout
Alex, with one foot on Robert the Bear's snout and another on his forehead, leaned forward with his elbow on his knee and got in close.
"After all these years, haven't you learned yet? You gotta be faster to catch a Jackelope!"
The sun above shadowed Alex's body. The only thing you could see were his bright, smiling teeth and his rainbow-tinted glasses with charms hanging from their frame that clinked in the wind like chimes.
Lips curled back Robert the Bear snarled as he shook his head. Alex jumped off, dodging his grabbing paws as he landed with his hands in his pockets.
Still smirking, Alex jumped to the side as Robert the Bear barreled past on all fours, slamming into a tree when he couldn't stop.
The tree, wide enough that Alex wouldn't even be able to reach halfway with his arms wrapped around it, snapped at its base and fell to the earth with a thud with a grown.
Alex tsked as he shook his head. "Now look at what you've done, you better pick that up cause I'm not cleaning after you."
Not even fazed by slamming the tree, Robert the Bear turned around and charged again.
From there, it became a game. Where he would charge and Alex would dance out of the way, barely escaping by a hair each time. And every time with a smart little quip.
"Oh so close."
"Come on, try harder."
"Ole`"
After the fifth time of doing this though, Alex got bored and started fighting back. There are only so many chances that you can give after all.
So this time, after dodging another snap of Robert the Bears jaws, Alex fieldgowl kicked him in the face.
Snapping back from the force of the kick Robert the Bear tasted blood. Not an unusual taste for him, but one that surprised him all the same. Licking around, he noticed that he was missing a tooth.
A couple of teeth, in fact. Gone.
Shattered under the power of a fourteen-year-old kid's kick.
Robert the Bear roared again at Alex.
Alex rolled his eyes. "Oh please, as if they won't grow back."
Alex couldn't understand how a 50 ton bear could be such a baby. Look, new incisors were already slowly growing back as he spoke, filling in the gaps with fresh new fangs just off the conveyor belt.
In an hour it'll be like it never happened.
Sensing Alex's distraction, Robert the Bear shot forward like a cannonball. Charging foward he jumped up with the intent of slamming his front paws down on Alex with the force of a landslide.
Alex's eyes widened. "Oh, you cheap-shotting mother-"
Robert the Bear hit the ground with another Boom that shook the mountains. Sending a dust cloud up it engulfed the clearing ina brown haze that made it impossible for him to see Alex's crumbled body.
Swinging his arm Robert the Bear cleared the air hopping to see Alex's body under him and defeated. But all he found was and empty crater. He was gone.
Robert the Bear seached the clearing, looking for any sign of Alex, but nothing. Then a noise.
"JEHAHAHAHAHA!"
Robert the Bear's eyes widen. Above!
Swirling his head up Robert the Bear wtached as Alex hopped bewteen trees, climbing up zigzag like a pinball until he reached the top.
"NICE TRY!" Alex yelled out.
Kicking off a tree, Alex clasped his hands together and turned his body into a backwards C. And for a second, it was like he was flying, until he came down like a hammer.
Plummeting back to Earth, Alex couldn't stop smiling. This was so much fun.
"Jehahaha!" Laughing Alex swung his arms and slammed his fists onto Rober the Bear's head.
Hitting like a train, Alex sent Rober the Bear back to the ground, making another crater underneath him for good measure. And might he add, his was bigger than the Bears'.
"Jehaha-koff, ack, ah- Dirt in my mouth, ah!" Alex coughed.
"Oh, well. That was fun, but-" Fixing his glasses, Alex looked at the sun. "It's lunch time, so let's take a break today."
Walking back towards the tree where he hung his clothes, Alex waved goodbye to Robert the Bear.
"I'll see you next week ok? Same time-" Alex stopped talking. Below him, a large shadow started to grow.
Stretching out from behind him it started to rise. Seeming to take up the whole clearing, it soon eclipsed him in its shadow. Blocking the sun and covering him in darkness.
Feeling a cool wind against his back, Alex turned his head to look behind him.
Robert the Bear.
That colossal mountain of obsidian fur stood back up. Looking down at Alex with his emotionless eyes Robert the Bear stuck out his tongue and licked the blood dripping down from his head. The redness of his blood glaringly standing out from his dark fur.
Not saying anything, Alex stood still with his back to Robert and just stared at the Bear with a bored glaze.
But after a few seconds of silence, Alex couldn't hold it any more.
A happy (more like demented) smile blossomed across his face as his eyes turned into cresents.
"Ok then… round 5?"