Progress (A Short Story)

Sweat poured down her body; swinging a machete in the deep jungle required vast amounts of energy and stamina, both of which she had in spades.  She paused from her path-clearing to take a long swig from her canteen.  The sweat on her heavily-tattooed arms glistened in what little sunlight filtered through the dense canopy.  She knew where and when each tattoo was acquired — each with its own story.  A lotus from Cambodia, a skull from Nicaragua, a lion from South Africa; one for every gig sh...