The Freedom We Gave Up Pt. III

Body still brimming with adrenaline from the fall, I give no hesitation and get up from the ground.

Wiping my nose with my sleeve I smell the scent of copper. Lowering my sleeve I see residue of blood. “Damn, hope it’s not broken.”

I check over my body for other injuries but see none. But I notice a few tears in my pants. Suddenly, a quick jolt of panic over takes me. I quickly swing my bag off my back and examine it.

“Oh, thank God, still have everything!” I place the bag back on my back, adjust the straps and start heading out. The weather is still thick with cold air and rain.

Mist slowly sifts through the tree lines. Visibility seems like it will be sparse as some areas seem to hold joy to the mist more than others.

Walking, the adrenaline starts to dissipate. I start to really feel the aches and pain in my body, but I have to keep going.

Each step is slightly painful in my right hip, “I think I might have bruised my hip?! First my nose now my hip. Stupid bear, stupid Sam!”

Agitated I mumble out a few more sentences in recognition of how I got to this situation. Seems like only yesterday I was living with my parents. How strange time can pass, yet memories hold as if you are still there?

The rain begins to pick up, the air chills a bit more. Still in thought of the bear, “The rain will make it even more difficult to see but also hear, best keep my head on swivel.”

Taking in a deep breath I look up to the canopy, the trees massive sizes remind me how small I am to this world. How easily I can be taken out, the bear alone was a humbling moment.

But something about trees have always placed me at ease, maybe that is why, though alone and evading dangers to stay alive, I somehow feel a sense of comfort.

SNAP!

The sound of a tree branch breaks my thoughts just to my right. I freeze, and dart my eyes over to the sound. Searching the area for danger, my heart starts to beat fast. The fear of another bear sits at the fore front of my mind.

Rain crackles against my body as the wind pushes past. Looking about I see something, I see another deer, but this one, this one is quite imposing. A buck like I have never seen before.

His eyes locked on my mine, neither of us are moving. Licking my dry lips the deer pushes out a heavy breath from its nostrils. Admiring is presence I start moving toward it slowly.

Thinking, “ I survived a bear, why not test my luck with a buck?”

Inching my way over, I out stretch my hand in hopes to coax it out. The bucks onyx eyes remain focused on me.

I make no sounds and keep my eyes steady upon his.

Few yards toward it, it steps back, I pause, trying not to frighten.

In a calm voice I say, “Hey man, everything is alright, no need to fear me.”

My heart becomes steady, I feel the embrace of peace yet anxiety as I do not want to scare him off.

Only a couple more yards and i’ll be right next to him. The closer I get, the more beautiful this creature becomes. “Come on, only a couple more feet.” I think as I can almost feel his body heat radiate against my hand.

THUMP!

The buck suddenly drops to the ground. I step back, eyes wide, I become stunned in this unexpected scenario for a moment. Then the bear comes to mind, I give no time to wait and start to run.

Running, I look up for a drone but see nor hear one.

THWACK!

I hear a sound resonate like dart hitting a board just in front me. Running by where the sound came from, I see a large metal arrow lodged into the tree.

Again, I am taken over with adrenaline as thoughts of what is happening over take me. “What the…?! Is someone trying to kill me? S.F.F.A here?!”

I pick up my running pace and bam!

I’m thrown onto my back. “uuuuhgh!”

My breath is stolen from me as I gaze up into the sky, clasping my chest as I try to gain back my breath, I hear it. I hear the sound of a drone steal seconds between the rain and wind.

Bzzzzzz!

Unable to move I feel terror over take me as the thought of the drone being my demise in all this once again frightens me dearly yet coats me in sadness.

Swooosh!

“WHOAAAAA!”

Grasping at the ground for anything to hold on to as I am suddenly being dragged across the ground.

Frantically I try to reach for what I feel seems to be dragging me but I cant get to it. I can tell it is pulling me from my back, but the pressure from being pulled is not allowing me to pull my bag from my body. My arms flail as I keep trying to escape, suddenly I stop moving.

No time to think or anything I whip off my bag and stand up and look around ready to fight. Nothing, no one, not even a bird.

I look down at my bag, and there on the handle of the bag is what appears to be a spring loaded clamp. Cautiously I look around as I reach down to grab my bag.

I pick it up and look to the clamp. I look around one more time then pry off the clamp. As I do, I smell something oddly familiar. I smell a fire, I look around and sure enough I see one.

A fire, lit up underneath what looks like a handmade shelter out of brush stone and mud.

I walk toward it while investigating my surroundings. The rain still falling but the wind has subsided as the mist has somewhat evaporated. “Must be reaching noon if the mist is fleeting.”

I reach the shelter with the fire, the shelter is clearly made for one person. Inside to the right is a stone perfect for sitting on draped with what I think is bark padding. I don’t enter, I turn away look around one more time and yell out,

“HELLO?! WHO ARE YOU?! WHAT DO YOU WANT?”

I wait for a moment, no response, only the sound of my own voice being suffocated as it dies beneath the rain.

Wet, cold and unsure of my where I am, I go inside the shelter and sit down on the stone. I remove my shirt and hang it above the fire along with my boots and socks.

I remove my blanket from my bag and warp myself in it. Sitting next to the fire a sense of relief comes over me, “Well, who ever this belongs to, I hope you won’t mind.”

Looking to the fire, I mill over everything that has happened to me in such a short time. The sound of the crackling coals accompanied by the whirling flames, I fall into what can only be felt as hypnotic relief.

The rain spatters on the roof the shelter as I start to drift off to sleep.