Maya, clutching a broken branch, eyes the largest lion with trembling hands. James stands nearby, breathing hard, sweat streaking the dust on his brow. Eli and Sophie form a loose semicircle, each wielding makeshift weapons scavenged from their packs. Their faces are pale, lips pressed in thin lines, as they fend off the lions’ probing advances, each time barely driving them back with shouts and feeble swings. "We can’t keep this up. They’re wearing us down," James pants, voice ragged. "Just hold on, they’ll leave if we look dangerous enough... right?" Sophie whispers, voice tinged with desperate hope.

Eli watches the lions, voice barely above a whisper. "We’re not going to make it. They’re waiting for us to slip," Eli says, despair etching deep lines into his face. A raw silence falls. Maya glances at each friend, her jaw clenched. "One of us has to distract them. Draw them away so the rest can run," she says, her words trembling in the cold air. Eyes widen in horror. James shakes his head, voice breaking: "No. There has to be another way."

Sophie stands, voice shaking but loud. "I’ll do it. I’m the fastest. I can lead them away and maybe—" Eli cuts her off. "No, I should. My leg’s already hurt. I probably can’t run anyway." Maya steps forward, fighting tears. "Stop it. None of us should have to, but... we have to choose. It’s the only way, unless we want to die together."

James holds out the straws, his hand trembling. Each camper pulls, silence thick as stone. When Eli reveals the shortest straw, his face crumples and he nods, lips pressed together in grim acceptance. "Take care of each other," Eli says, voice steady despite the fear. Maya catches his arm, tears glistening. "I’m so sorry. We’ll never forget this,"

Sophie stares into her glass, silent tears tracking down her face. James keeps glancing at the door, flinching at the sound of laughter. Maya sits rigid, jaw clenched so tight it aches. "Did we really have a choice?" Sophie whispers, voice barely audible.

James[/@ch_2] suddenly stiffens, his eyes wide with a terrible clarity.] "Wait," he breathes, voice trembling. "When we were drawing straws... we all put down our weapons. We were completely exposed. The lions... they could have attacked. They let us choose. They let us live." A chill settles over the table. The survivors stare at each other, the horror of their ordeal twisted anew—not just by the loss, but by the unnatural intelligence in the eyes of the beasts that spared them.