Book 3 -12-

[Strange Pains]

MALIK

“Okay, that was the last of the holes and traps,” my father declared. “All we need to do now is cover them. This way, they won’t be noticeable.”

I stood above the last hole, drenched in sweat from head to toe. I had sweat in places I never knew could perspire.

My father grabbed a shovel and handed it to me. “Start packing in the dirt as tightly as possible,” he instructed.

I did as I was told, though my arms felt like they would give out at any moment. After a few minutes, my father motioned for me to stop. He came over to check my work.

“Good job,” he praised, before moving on to the next trap. It took us all day, but we covered all the traps with fresh dirt and debris. By the time we were done, it was almost dark out and our stomachs were growling loud enough to scare off any nearby game.

My father picked up the shovel and slung it over his shoulder with a satisfied nod. “Now for dinner,” he said with a grin.

After we washed up, our family sat around th