Survival Skill #12

 

In the wilderness, there are many predatory animals. Stay alert.

 

 

 

Dylan, Sadie and I huddle together. Frozen. Shocked. Scared.

If Annie got gunned down and mauled…we’re next.

Uncle Bob walks up to the boy and slaps him across the face. “Boy, don’t you ever hesitate again or you’ll find yourself running.”

A man from the crowd steps forward, “Bob, don’t.”

Uncle Bob faces him, “Don’t? Your boy almost cost me a fresh hunt. Phil, if he wimps out again, I’ll kill him myself. We can’t let people rat us out.”

Phil joins his son and pulls him out of sight.

Uncle Bob’s words echo in my head. He’s telling the truth. He is going to let us go.

He’s not going to let us live.

My throat is dry and swollen. I want to cry but I’m stuck. Even in this heat, my body is frozen to the earth.

Uncle Bob faces us. “Well, that wasn’t much of a hunt, was it kids? Little filly got ahead of herself.”

“You’re sick. Sicker than I ever imagined.” Sadie glares at him like she wants to hunt him down and gut him herself. Her eyes water with a glimpse of tears that she refuses to let see the light of day. She mutters, but loud enough for us to hear, “I’m so taking you out.”

He ignores her buzz and speaks with his men a few minutes, making sure his back is to us so we can’t hear.

I nudge Dylan who’s been awfully quiet. “Do something?”

“Like what?

“If you can take on an alligator.” I keep whispering out of the side of my mouth. “Surely, you can take on a few men.”

Dylan leans down. “Alligators only hunt for food. These crazies hunt for fun.

“Whatever happens, we’ll have to run in different directions.” I clear my throat and keep an eye on Uncle Bob and his posse. “That way they’ll have to split up. We have a better chance of taking them on if they aren’t together.”

“No way—we should stay together.” Dylan shakes his head. “Power is in numbers.”

Sadie watches the men to see if they’re noticing our football huddle yet. “Dylan, she’s right. If we run in different directions, it will separate these dingdongs. But if we stay together - they can all shoot in the same direction. Odds are - they’ll hit one of us.”

“Sadie…I don’t want to…”

“Hope you’re not worried about me because I’ll be fine.” Sadie grins and lightly pecks his cheek. “I’ll even race you home, baby.”

I don’t say anything because I’m not sure how she can sound so light and confident. “The only way home is to divide and conquer. Trust me.” The line scrolls through my head as I second-guess myself, praying I’m right. Dad would say the same. We won’t stand a chance against these guys as a group.

Uncle Bob walks up with his men flanking him. “Party’s over, kids. Time to deal with the devil. Here’s the game. The three of you are going to run and we’re going to hunt you down. No dirty tricks.”

“Ha!” Sadie says in his face. She even has the overconfident head roll. “Over my dead body, Bobby.”

“Well good. Cuz that’s the idea.” He leans on his rifle acting all casual. Like we are on a fun paint ball mission. “We will give you a one hour head start before we hunt you down.”

“That’s big of you.” Dylan says.

Uncle Tom reaches into a cooler sitting off to one side. He pulls out a few waters and tosses one to each of us. “Don’t say I’m not nice. Sure don’t want you slowing down due to the heat. Dehydration doesn’t make for a very fun challenge.”

I stare at the water bottle sweating in my hand. “You’re insane.”

“Why thank you.” Uncle Bob bows like he’s on a stage show. “Should have thought twice about causing my property problems. You wouldn’t have been on my radar. We usually like the less conspicuous.”

“Big word, Bob,” Sadie says.

He paces in front of us. “There are no rules. Anything goes. We will hunt you down fair and square. None of that technology crap. If you make it out, you get to live. If not, well then you know the ending.”

“What makes you think we wouldn’t tell anyone if we got out?” I shake my head as I say it. This is all surreal. A man hunting kids on a nature reserve? Reality is much stranger than fiction.

“I wouldn’t know.” Uncle Bob faces us and pulls on his chin. “No one has ever done that. Meaning we have caught every one. Every time.”

“There’s a first for everything.”

Sadie checks out Dylan and me. A wily smile cuts through her face and she narrows her eyes. “Is this a joke? This must be a joke. Right?”

“Don’t make jokes. I’m dead serious.” Uncle Bob picks up his rifle. He pulls out a box of ammo and loads his weapon. The men behind him take his cue. “One thing. You only get the hour if you make it away from this spot without being shot first. Ready?’

How do you say yes to that?

“On your mark.”

I jolt to attention and quickly gather myself. I’m not sure which way to go, where to run, or what to do. I glance over at Sadie. She gives me thumbs up like this is a potato sack race. She doesn’t appear the least bit scared. Just focused.

“Get set.”

She points to Dylan and then east. She motions for me to go north while I assume she’s heading west.

I nod, still unsure of the plan. But there’s no more time to think it through.

“Go!” A gun shot goes off close to me, making my ears ring.

I take off straight, veer right, and never look back.

I run faster than ever. Faster than the time I found the camp in North Carolina. And faster than the time last winter when I thought Al was chasing me.

I pump my arms and jump over small bushes. I need to get to over the plain and into the trees without getting shot. Only then do I have a chance.

A gunshot sounds off behind me. I belly flop on the dirt, not knowing which way the bullet went.

A scream fills the air. I can’t tell if it was Sadie or Dylan. Or if the men are hooting in glee.

I pray that Sadie and Dylan are okay. I’m not so concerned about Dylan. He grew up on an African reserve and has been living here long enough to know the lay of the land and how to survive. Experienced many animal encounters. It’s Sadie I’m worried about. How much experience can a mayor’s daughter have in the swamps? I’m thinking, not so much.

I hope they make it. Because no matter what Sadie says or what Dylan thinks, they’re here because of me. And, I can’t be responsible for another death. Not directly or indirectly.

My heart can’t take it again.

Another gunshot explodes.

I lie on my stomach in the tall grass for a few seconds longer. Even though my chest is pressed to the ground, I gulp in enough air to slow down my breath. Once it is silent again, I push up to all fours and crawl through the grass on my hands and knees. Safer than running.

For now.

When I reach a single pine tree, I scramble behind it. About fifty more yards, beyond the field, and the thick woods will shroud me. The hammocks. That’s where the real race will begin. Not only are strange men chasing me on a bizarre hunt, but there are a crap load of other challenges I’m going to face. Alligators, dangerous plants, murky swamp water, venomous snakes, deadly bacteria—you name it, it’s out there. This is not a race to the finish.

It’s a race to survive.

I crouch over and head toward the woods. Quietly. One step at a time. I separate some grass and get ready to head through the open field. When I peek through the opening, I freeze.

Hercules is straight off to my right. His back faces me and he stands over Annie’s body. All I can see are her legs. Trails of blood mix with dirt and swirl along the ground. I cover my mouth with the back of my hand to keep back a gag.

My heart wants me to check, see if she’s still alive. But my head knows better. I missed my chance to help her. And now she’s dead. I want to run in her direction but I stop myself.

Pretty sure Hercules won’t let me get close.

At this point, I can only hope he stays preoccupied. Then I can slip across the field and into the woods without any confrontation.

I test the wind. Lucky for me, its direction blows in my favor.

I take in a deep breath and inch out into the open. Taking one step in front of the other. The liger doesn’t know I’m here yet. He’s too focused on his meal. I pick up the pace, keeping my eyes on Hercules at all times.

His ears flinch and he sniffs the air. I’m not sure if he heard me or saw me, but I don’t wait to find out. I take off running so fast, I practically stumble my way across the large open space. The tree line moves closer and closer, urging me to safety. As soon as I break the leafy barrier, I stop.

I am home. This is where I’m the most comfortable.

I take in the area for a split second and dash off down a sparse path, around bushes, and through mud. No matter what, I don’t stop. I need to make up some ground before the night consumes the light. The dark is safest part of the day for animals. But the most dangerous for humans. Especially out here.

Luckily, I’m still in the dry part of the Everglades. Once I hit the swamps, my race home will take much longer, so I need to make up ground now.

Part of me wants to turn around—go back and find Sadie and Dylan—but there’s no telling which direction where they are or where they are headed. They’re probably not even together. I have no choice but point east like we planned and keep going until I get find some place safe. As I move deeper inside the forest, the already dim light continues to fade. Luckily it’s summer and the days are longer, giving me more light.

Eventually I stop to rest. I haven’t heard any noise for a couple of miles. I sit down and pour a few drops of water onto my bandana. Then I wrap it around my neck. The water chills the base of my neck, making me arch. I sigh in relief as my body temp comes down. A person can live much longer without food than water, so I have to stay hydrated and alert or I risk being careless. I check my compass, making sure I’m on the right trail.

Crack.

The loud noise grabs my attention.

I scan the bushes and spot something moving.

A low rumbling noise warns me. The liger comes bursting out of the vegetation like a bull. His massive head remains steady as he bounds after me. He pads through the vegetation with a grace, shoulders bunching and muscles rippling.

I fly through the trees, hearing him crash through the vegetation. I stop and take a quick right. Hercules slams into the tree beside me. Luckily, this huge animal isn’t as limber or agile as a real tiger, or I’d have no chance at getting away. I am only spared because it took him a split second longer to regroup after his massive weight threw him off balance.

I search for a tree with low limbs, and within seconds I’m climbing frantically to the top. I reach a higher branch when Hercules springs off the ground. I jerk my foot out of the way before he can swipe off my leg. His paw nicks the bottom of my shoe. He flashes his giant, vampirish fangs and whisks his tail. The liger springs again, this time almost reaching me barely balancing on the limb. He huffs in frustration.

We both know I’m safe. For now.

Frustrated, he stretches up and expels a deep guttural growl that is soul shaking. The sound literally makes my bones quiver under my skin. His forearms reach up for one last attempt. His razor-sharp, retractile claws poke out of their furry pouches, hoping to rip me apart. The liger stares with amber eyes that reflect an implacable hatred and hunger.

This animal doesn’t play around. He’s built to kill.

As the liger paces under me, I sigh a huge breath of temporary relief.

I made it. For now.

I sit up on the limb and wait for the bloodthirsty animal to surrender and go away. He’s probably been stalking me for a while, treading silently. I assume no men are with him, or I would have heard them by now. Hopefully Hercules isn’t going to tree me until Uncle Bob arrives.

Eventually the adrenaline rush is over, but my body pays the lasting price of its fatigue. Muscles locked. Mouth dry. Brain tired.

As the day winds down, the night noises jump into a whole different symphony. After the last year, the wilderness is no longer a safe refuge for me, a place of beauty and mystique. The way it used to be.

For me, danger lurks everywhere. I never cared what was out in the wilderness with me. But now, as I wait, the thick canopy presses down, suffocating me.

Soon, there’s no light left. No matter how much I want to leave, I need to wait it out until morning.

Out here, one wrong move can throw you off.

One wrong move can prove dangerous.

I think about my friends and wonder where they are. If Dylan and Sadie are alive, maybe they are perched in a similar tree, thinking about me. I wonder if they feel as alone as I do.

As the night lengthens, shadows and fear consume my courage, causing pure, unadulterated fear to multiply inside, invading my hope.

I may have gotten this far.

But this is not over yet.

I settle into a crook of the tree and tie myself to a branch with the rope so I don’t fall off while I’m asleep.

Tomorrow morning, I need to make a new plan.