Astride her, he raised his knife to kill her. She was pointing with her left hand, frantically, at something that lay on the ground beside them, and saying, "No, no, little boy, no, no—" Then she just whimpered, knowing that his knife was poised, and kept stabbing her finger at the ground. Because she was helpless, he paused, looked, and saw a squirrel lying there, head bleeding.
He understood. She hadn't been trying to kill him. She had seen the squirrel, and gotten it.
He decided to kill her anyway. For the squirrel.
"No, little boy—"
He hesitated.
"Friends, little boy...."
After a moment he rolled off her.
She sat up, cheeks tear-streaked. She pointed at the squirrel, then at Steven, and shook her head violently.
Knife threatening her, he reached out to pick up the squirrel.
Mine, the knife said.