The Key to Everything by Alex Kimmell

hidden predators. The squirrel moved from the protection of the log and crawled toward Jabez’s hiding spot behind the window. 
    The scope brought out beautiful patterns hidden in the small animal’s coat. The squirrel stood up on its hind legs, and Jabez made out a thin swirl of lighter tan tracing a labyrinthine maze across its belly. Jabez took his eye from the scope. He shook his head and blinked a few times. He must be exhausted, but he could swear the squirrel was looking right at him. 
    Resting his eye back down to the rifle sight, he saw the tiny black eyes beaming straight back. A blast of thunder exploded off to the west, and Jabez felt his body twitch. The squirrel remained still, unfazed by the concussion. The sky opened up, and rain came pouring down so fast and so thick that it washed out everything but the end of the table in front of him. 
    Jabez pulled a thin poncho out of his backpack and slid it on over the rifle and his head like a small tent. It might help provide some more camouflage, if not protection from the elements. He wiped some of the moisture from his eyes and looked back through the scope. The brown shape of the squirrel remained motionless in the downpour. A small part of him felt better to have some company. 
    The squirrel lifted its right arm and appeared to be pointing straight at Jabez. Through the rain and the water dripping down the glass of the window, he couldn’t be sure at first. What stopped his heart cold was watching its tiny claws form into the shape of a small gun, cock its head to the side and pull an imaginary trigger before it disappeared back into the snow.

-13-
    Jabez: Entrance
     

    The rain stopped after a few hours. Leaving the poncho over him helped Jabez feel more hidden and secure, although the fingers crawling up the back of his spine persisted. Though whoever planted the explosives that destroyed his convoy might not have found his trail, he couldn’t shake the creeping dread that something was indeed coming for him.
    He needed to move. He began to mentally prepare himself for the pain and checked his remaining ammunition and supplies. He funneled the rainwater that pooled on top of his poncho into his canteen and took a small drink. He drew the cold liquid down into his throat and felt every inch of its chill slide down his esophagus to his belly. 
    Using the butt of his rifle, he pushed himself to his feet. The first step wasn’t as bad as he expected. He moved forward on his good leg and quickly pushed off with the bad. The true test would come when he cleared the table and couldn’t lean on it for support anymore. The door looked like it was only three or four steps away, so he figured to try for it quickly.
    Taking a deep breath, he steadied his nerve and stepped forward. Letting go of the table, he hopped on his good leg, almost falling immediately. The weight of the pack threw off his center of balance. About to go down, he lunged for the doorknob. If it was unlocked, it would have turned in his grip and he wouldn’t have been able to hold himself up. Fortunately, it remained motionless in his hand.
    Fashioning a splint out of a few broken pieces of the building would take longer than he wanted. The white clouds were outlined as the sky grew dark again. He braced his back on the door and took another pain pill. He swallowed it dry and allowed his head to slump forward onto his chest. 
    Sticking out from underneath the tip of his boot was a bright light. Gritting his teeth, he slid the leg to the side to get a better look. What he could see sticking up from the mud at first glance appeared to be a coin reflecting the little sunlight that broke through. It was rounded at the edge and had the rubbed-down remains of an engraving on its face. Bending over to get it would be next to impossible now that his leg was braced, so he let it be and reached for the long piece of wood he wanted to use as his crutch.
    The squirrel appeared silently. Jabez