Will of Man - Part Three

by William Scanlan

  WILL OF MAN

  PART THREE

  By

  William Scanlan

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED FOR WILLIAM SCANLAN

  This publication is property of William Scanlan. All rights reserved for William Scanlan. Copyright 2013.

  No part of this book shall be copied, reproduced, distributed, or transmitted without permission.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  Other books by William Scanlan found at Amazon.com

  To purchase WILL OF MAN - PART ONE (click here)

  To purchase WILL OF MAN - PART TWO (click here)

  To purchase WILL OF MAN – PART FOUR (click here)

  Tyler's Journal Entry: 354

  Date: May 16

  Day: Saturday

  Weather: Cold and cloudy

  Days Since the LAST DAY: 2yrs, 10 months, 15 days

  Stars in the sky have a way calming a person. I laid on the river bank for quite a while before moving. My body ached from being tossed around, but amazingly I dodged any real damage.

  I stared up at the stars thinking about how so much has changed and so fast. It seems like yesterday when my biggest worry was getting my homework done. I miss those days. I miss training for triathlons. I miss playing with my little brother outside in the cornfield near our house. Visions of my Mom making cookies and Dad sitting in his chair watching the news or reading the newspaper makes me feel warm inside.

  I miss my family so much.

  My moment with the stars was interrupted by a swarm of people carrying torches walking down the river bank. They were far enough away from me that they couldn't see me, but I could see them because of their torches.

  I was soaking wet and cold. I could feel my wetsuit in my backpack and chose to put it on. I had time before anyone reached me, so I took the chance, and put it on quickly. I pushed my clothes in my backpack.

  My hand brushed the pistol inside my bag that Dad placed there. I paused for a moment contemplating pulling it out. But I chose not to. To be honest, I don’t think I could ever shoot anyone. I’ll take my chances outrunning whoever, before I choose to hurt anyone.

  My wetsuit is completely black, so I figured I'd be harder to see than if I had on my normal clothes. The wetsuit is 5mm thick (like I said earlier) so I knew it would keep me warm in the cool spring night air. Besides, this gave me the option of diving in the lake if I needed a quick getaway.

  I covered myself in leaves completely - except for my eyes. I took some dark mud and smeared it on my face to camouflage my exposed skin.

  I figured the people walking down the river bank were the same ones who sabotaged the railroad bridge. I watched them scour the water and river bank for any supplies left from when the train went over the edge into the river. They were grabbing passenger’s belongings and anything else within reach that washed up or floated by.

  Other than the ROAMERS, I hadn't seen anyone so heartless. I wondered how people could be so......bad.

  I laid there covered in leaves watching them pick miscellaneous things from the river, when I suddenly heard a scream, followed by people shouting. It was a woman who survived the train wreck. She was hiding near the edge of the river bank when she was discovered.

  She ran a few yards and was tackled by a couple german-shepherd dogs. The dogs were probably trained to do so. The dogs were pulled off and the woman was put in shackles. She squirmed and begged to not be hurt.

  The people surrounding her said nothing. They just looped a rope around her neck like a leash and led her away. To where or what, I don't know. I wanted to help, but there was nothing I could do for her.

  I decided staying put was not going to work since they were making their way towards me. I decided to slip in the river and take my chances there.

  I took a quick look around and crawled to the edge of the river. There was a lot of debris from the wreckage floating past me. I slipped into the water like a stealthy snake and grabbed hold of what looked like a large baby bed. I swam under and up into it.

  I could see the people and their torches as I floated by them. I was able to guide the bed to the middle of the river - out of anyone’s reach. I watched as the people stretched their necks to see if the bed was anything worth trying to get. Some pointed at it, but most just looked away.

  I had to work hard to keep the bed from rolling over. It needed to stay upside down, so I could stay hidden.

  I floated down that chilly river for as long as I could, even when I couldn't see the torches anymore. It felt like a couple hours at least.

  My wetsuit kept me fairly warm. After a while, I let the baby bed go and continued floating down the flowing river. A board from the one of the boxcars floated by with some black grease on it. I took the slimy grease and smeared it anywhere I had exposed skin.

  Fortunately, I had the full moon to light my way. Otherwise, floating down that river, in complete darkness, would have been too much to attempt.

  I finally pulled myself to the grassy riverbank. The warm sun was beginning to come up and I knew I was going to have to find a dry place to hide and dry off. My exposed hands and feet were in the water so long that they turned tender and felt mushy.

  Not wanting to cut my tender feet on anything sharp, I put my shoes on. I know I have a challenging walk ahead of me. About four-hundred miles.

  Tyler's Journal Entry: 355

  Date: May 17

  Day: Sunday

  Weather: Cold and cloudy

  Days Since the LAST DAY: 2yrs, 10 months, 16 days

  After finding a small-shallow cave (about the size of a small walk-in closet), I decided to rest for the day. A nearby tree supplied branches for a mini clothes line, which I hung my clothes to dry upon.

  Using some brush, I hid the entrance to my cave. The cave itself was fairly hidden, but I've learned since the LAST DAY to go the extra mile when it comes to safety.

  Trust no one and take no unnecessary chances. Double check and then check again. That attitude will keep me alive and return me safely back to my family.

  Being in the cold river for so long drained me of my energy. I was tired and decided to try to sleep.

  A fire would have been nice, but I held off building one. I didn't want the smoke to attract anyone while I was sleeping. If I was going to take any chances, like building a fire, I was going to be packed, awake, and ready to flee at moment’s notice. Like I said, leave nothing to chance, always be ready to move.

  My nap didn’t last long, maybe an hour or two. I decided I was in a good spot to reorganize and gather my thoughts for the day.

  I set my two spring traps Dad packed in my bag, set out a fish line with some grubs as bait, and gathered some dry fire wood.

  With some scavenging, I was able to find some ripe berries and plump grubs to eat. I'd eaten grubs a few times under Dad's direction. They are a good source of nutrition, but can taste nasty if you chew them. The trick for me is to swallow them whole with a gulp of water.

  I don't know if it necessary or not, but I made sure to crush their head before I swallowed them. Visions of them biting the inside of my stomach or crawling around inside me, freaked me out.

  After starting a small fire, I boiled some water and purified it. I made sure to use dry kindling. Wet wood creates a lot smoke and can attract anyone nearby.

  I kept a look out and an open ear to listen for anyone coming. Mischievous squirrels and birds made a ruckus around me and made it hard for me to relax.

  I know this was my first day surviving on my own and I will hopefully relax over time. I thought of everything my Dad taught me. He made sure I was prepared for
this day. Now it's up to me to make it on my own.

  I will check my traps and fish line just before dark. If there's food, I will cook it and eat it before I head out. I will need the energy. If there‘s no food, I will have to settle for the small amount of berries and grubs I ate earlier.

  Traveling under the cover of night will be better than traveling during the day. During the day, people are active and can see me. Fortunately, its spring time and the nights are mostly windy. The sound of the rustling wind will muffle any sounds my clumpy footsteps make. The swaying of the trees will disguise my movements.

  There are winding roads all around and I will follow them, but only at night. Dad showed me how to find the North Star using the Big Dipper constellation. I have a compass, but it will be too dark to see. The North Star will take me home (as long as it's a somewhat clear night). If it's too cloudy, I can take a bearing off my compass using my lighter to see. And then gage my direction from the moon.

  Once I see a sign or something with an address on it, I can then find my location on the atlas my Dad supplied. I’m excited, yet scared to find out where I'm at. I know I'm far from my destination, but how far is the question?

  I contemplated following the same train tracks that guided me here. But the atlas my Dad supplied me, doesn’t have train tracks on it.

  I chose to follow the winding roads instead. I figured it would be more to my benefit to know where I am and where I’m heading.

  Train tracks branch off in many directions. I won’t know where I’m at and I will need to know when I’m approaching larger-unpredictable cities - so I can go around them.

  Avoiding the large cities may take longer, but it may save my life. Besides, there’s no food to be found in the scavenged cities anymore. The people there are violent and I don’t want to have to deal with that.

  I tried studying the atlas, but it was really useless until I knew for sure where I was. All I know, is that I am near a big flowing river, in a small-shallow cave, in the middle of a dense woods with a road about two hundred meters away. The road heads north and south, so I will follow it north when night comes.

  I had a few hours before night time, so I spent my time boiling water and gathering grubs and berries. However, I ate most the delicious berries and not-so-delicious grubs as I found them. I have two MRE’s (meals-ready-to-eat), but I want to save them for when I really need them.

  Earthworms are abundant, and I know they are high in protein, but they are just too slimy for me to take the plunge right now. Maybe I’ll try them later when I’m starving. My plan is to try one or two a day and build up a tolerant taste for them, but no worm sandwiches for me today.

  The sun’s nearing the horizon so I decided to check my traps and fish line. No luck catching anything, which was fine since I didn’t feel like cleaning any catch and having to cook it. I just wanted to get started with my walk.

  I packed all my gear and waited for the sun to set. I waited an hour before I headed out to make sure it was good and dark. I figured anyone hunting late would have called it a day and headed in for the night.

  As I took my first step on that long road, I told myself that this was the beginning of a long and hard journey. I accepted the fact that the days ahead were going to be tough, dangerous, and the hardest journey of life. I’m anticipating starvation, exhaustion, near death experiences, horrific scenes, and even more than I can imagine. But I accept it, so I am ready to face this journey. Maybe I will survive, maybe I won’t. But I will try, and I will not give up until I find my family.

  Tyler's Journal Entry: 356

  Date: May 19

  Day: Tuesday

  Weather: Sunny and cool

  Days Since the LAST DAY: 2yrs, 10 months, 18 days

  I walked for a long time each of the last two nights. The terrain is very hilly and is taking its toll on my legs. Being from Michigan, which is very flat thanks to a glacier millions of years ago, I am not used to ascending such steep elevations.

  Thankfully my mind and body are used to pain from training and racing. This type of continuous walking and climbing, I think, would be very hard for someone who sits on a couch all day watching TV or playing video games. Ok, that was a little snobby to say. But I feel as though I am in my element.

  I haven’t seen or heard anyone since I started out last Sunday. The nights have been windy, hiding any noise I may have made, and I’ve stayed hidden quit well during the day due to the hilly, wooded terrain.

  Last night, after seeing no street signs or homes for a couple days, I finally came across an abandoned cabin. I searched for any supplies and found none. However, I did find some mail which supplied me with an address.

  Apparently, I am in Hixson, Tennessee near the Tennessee River. According to my calculations I am around 780 miles away from my destination (Grandpa‘s house).

  If I walk ten miles a day, I can reach Grandpa’s in 78 days. A conservative estimate would be more like three to four months. I will have to travel through summer and into the early fall. I don’t want to have to travel in the winter, so I will have to stay disciplined and keep moving.

  Hixson is a small town, but I am still going to avoid it. I don’t need anything major right now. So I will not take the chance wondering around an unknown town to find a can of soup. Some of the homes look lived in, and that means people. The less contact with people, the less chance I have running into some psycho.

  Tyler's Journal Entry: 369

  Date: June 10

  Day: Tuesday

  Weather: Sunny and warm

  Miles to go: 650

  Traveling has been harder than I initially thought it would be. I’ve only covered a little over a hundred miles in the three weeks I’ve been traveling (averaging five miles a day). The terrain is so hilly and full of turns. My energy is low due to lack of proper nutrition. I catch food in my traps and fish line about every three days.

  Most of my food consists of berries and small game like muskrats, possums, and fish. When I don’t have meat from the small game to eat, I feed on grubs and earthworms. I’ve learned to turn over every fallen log I find. I can almost always find some sort of wiggly bug to eat. However, I would kill for a large pepperoni pizza and frothy chocolate milk shake.

  The muskrat and possum aren’t too bad. The fish, however, always tastes like nasty pond water. My mom use to soak fish overnight in milk to rid the fishy taste. Then she had an assortment of spices and bread crumbs to coat the fish with. I just cook it over a fire and eat it still on the bone. It’s a great source of nutrition, but a bad tasting meal otherwise.

  The grubs and earthworms go down easily and don’t have much of a taste. I still swallow them whole with a gulp of purified water (kind of like taking a pill). The muskrat and possum are best when I leave the fat on the meat. Fat gives the meat flavor. I pretend I’m eating rotisserie chicken.

  I’ve learned to save a little fish, so I can use it for possum bait. Possums eat anything and a morsel of stinky fish attracts them pretty good.

  My Dad taught me how to preserve meat by smoking it. I build a small fire then place wet wood chips in it to make it smoke. Then I hang the meat over the smoky fire and cover it with a blanket I found. I make sure the blanket is far enough away from the fire so it doesn’t catch fire, but close enough that it captures the smoke. Then I let it smoke for a few hours.

  The meat tastes like a burned piece of wood, but it gives me food for when I am on the move. It’s been a long time since I’ve eaten anything I consider “tasty.”

  My food intake must be sufficient, since I’m still moving. I was worried I would become so weak that I would be unable to keep going. But so far it’s been good. Presently, I’m in the state of Kentucky and the area has been a good source of food and shelter. I’m lucky it’s not winter though. That would be a game changer.

  Tyler's Journal Entry: 372

  Date: June 15

  Day: Sunday

  Weather: Sunny and warm

  M
iles to go: 635

  Today a very strange thing happened to me. I was scavenging for food in the early morning, when all of a sudden, I felt a tremendous surge within my chest. It felt like someone kicked my heart from within. I fell to my knees holding my chest gasping for air.

  I don’t know what caused it, but I do know it scared me and I had never felt that sensation before.

  I tried walking back to camp but found myself shaking too much to walk. I laid on the ground staring up at the fluffy clouds.

  Since the “surge,” I’ve felt a strange sensation from within. I feel an incredible pull towards the east. I can’t explain this pulling sensation other than I feel like I’m in a flowing river and the current is pulling me towards the east.

  I thought maybe my equilibrium was out of whack due to lack of nutrition and pushing too hard during my trekking at night. But no matter what direction I face, the pull is always to the east.

  Just sitting here now, writing in this journal, I feel this tremendous pull, and it’s pulling me to the east. When I walk in the easterly direction, I feel like a wind is to my back and I move easily. When I walk in the opposite direction of the pull, I feel like I’m walking upstream in a river that’s over my head.

  Not only do I feel this pulling, I also feel this uncontrollable thirst for whatever is to the east. I feel like there is something waiting for me if I just follow the pull and go to it.

  However, I cannot. I will continue on to the north. Finding my family is my goal and nothing will stop me.

  Maybe after some good sleep, I will lose this feeling. It must be something in my head. My dad has raced in races that went over the thirty-six hour mark and he felt and saw some really strange things.

  One time, he was doing a thirty-six hour adventure race and he was in the twenty something hour when Dad started to see monkeys swinging in the trees. He could have swore they were following him. We live in Michigan; there are no monkeys in Michigan.

  My dad has also had a complete shut-down of his body due to lack of hydration and nutrition. He said his face went numb, then his arms and legs, then a complete shut-down and he had to disqualify himself from the race. The sad thing about that race is he only had about twenty minutes to go.