The Long Dark: A Survivor's Tale

Out of the frying pan

I awoke the next morning to calm, crisp air. Infant rays of sunshine beamed through the still open entrance to the bunker. I sat up with a groan. The bandage on my right hand was soaked in blood. Thankfully, the blood wasn't just pouring or flowing out of the wounds, it was sort of...oozing out. Slowly welling up and then oozing out. After changing the bandage, I rose, nearly losing my balance from the sudden wave of pain in my head. There was definite knot on my forehead that was tender to the touch. I slammed it into metal. I'm lucky a knot is ALL I suffered.

After taking a moment to gather myself, I picked up the rifle and ascended from the shelter. The air was clear and calm. The sun was relatively high in the sky and only a few clouds dotted the blue expanse. It was calm, serene, almost beautiful. But very faintly in the distance, I could hear howls. Speaking of wolves, the body of the one I had killed was now partially covered in snow and frozen solid. No sign of the pack from the night before. No tracks.  Only the now burned out emergency flare and the wolf corpse. A small little flock of crows, about 4 or 5, circled above.

After taking in my surroundings, I shut and sealed the bunker hatch. Adjusting the rifle in my awkward, three fingered grip, I trudged down the small hill I was situated on. Tracks. Railroad tracks. The remnants of the old railway line that bisected the area, cutting through Mystery Lake, the marsh and the coastal town. I could follow the line to the dam and to Pleasant Valley. If I remembered correctly, there was an old shortwave radio tower and control hut. Maybe I could use it to get help. I glanced up at the sky. The sun wasn't that high. If I started now, I may be able to reach the dam in an hour.

With that in mind, I let out a deep breath and began following the tracks. The snow crunched and shifted beneath my feet as I walked on. After around 15 minutes, I came across animal prints. Deer prints. This deer was running too. The tracks went on for a while until there was a sudden scattering of them, like the deer had lost its footing and stumbled. Then I noticed the snow was stained red. The tracks continued, a trail of blood along with it, but there was a second pair of tracks. My heart lurched. I gazed up and in the distance, was the corpse of a large buck. Feasting on the dead animal, was a black hulking monster. A 1-ton beast of raw, primal savagery. This beast had had run-ins with people before as there were arrows protruding from its hide. It silently feasted on the ravaged deer carcass. I had hoped to avoid having any sort of altercation with this animal. A bear.