Will of Man - Part Five (5 page)

My dad and I hunted a lot of dear after the LAST DAY, and I learned the kill zone for an animal (in the chest, either in front or just behind the front shoulder).

I made a perfect strike and penetrated the wolf directly in front of its front shoulder and deep into its chest. I could see a cloud of red blood form around the fatally wounded wolf.

With the same breath I swam towards the next wolf which was about three meters away. As I positioned myself under the next wolf, I could see the wolf paddling in confusion, not seeming to know where to go. My lungs began to burn and I knew I had to strike fast. This time I got a little closer and thrust my spear in the same spot. The wolf plunged its head beneath the water and bit at the spear. But it was too late, I had made my deadly strike and that wolf's fate was sealed - two down.

I needed to take a breath and searched for the best available location free of wolves. Thankfully the river water was clear and free from debris. I could easily see the wolves from beneath the water.

I didn't burst from the water, but rather bobbed my head out, and took a calm and quiet, yet deep breath. I was surprising calm and focused. My years of triathlon training were paying off.

I poked from the water surrounded by three confused wolves. The wolves were on their way back to the shore when I popped my head up. I let out a fake whimper to entice them once more. They turned and began to close in. When the moment was right I ducked beneath the water and repeated the process again.

The wolves were helpless in the water and at my mercy. But I showed no mercy and by now there was four dead or dying wolves floating down the river.

The fifth wolf, and alpha of the pack, abandoned his friends and began heading back to the river bank when I was attacking the remainder of his pack.

When I crested the river for a breath, I saw the alpha wolf nearing the river bank. With a quick and hasty decision, I took chase and swam hard after the last wolf.

I didn't want to allow the wolf to make it to shore. I had to take him out while he was still in my world. But to my dismay, the wolf made it to shore and turned to face me, with teeth showing and snarling with rage in its eyes, the beast stood its ground.

I didn't consider the danger and leapt from the water with spear in hand. I focused in on the wolf's chest, gripped my spear extra firm, envisioned the path my spear needed to make to strike the wolf in the kill zone, and then with an exhale of breath, I let the spear fly.

It seemed to soar through the air in slow motion. I could feel my heart beating. Every one of my senses was peaking and then the spear struck its target. The wolf howled like you see in the movies. It was haunting and startled me to a shiver.

I pulled the spear back using the rope that was duct taped to it. The wolf stumbled back as blood poured from its chest. I grabbed my spear again and with a dramatic effort, I let it fly again.

It flew through the air only to reach the end of its rope too soon. I felt the sudden jerk on my ankle and watched the spear fall short -  inches in front of the wolf.

The wolf looked at me with a look of, "nice try loser, but now it's my turn."

I pulled the spear back with haste, picked it up, and threw it again.

The wolf charged me, and with its head, it shrugged my incoming spear strike to the side.

With blood pouring from its chest, and poisonous antifreeze destroying its liver, the very weak, but very big wolf knocked me to the water and bit down hard into my shoulder, just beneath my neck. I could feel its teeth pierce through my wetsuit and into my skin.

I didn't feel pain, but immense pressure. My shoulder blade felt as though it was about to snap.

I reached for my spear, but it was too far away for me to grab and probably would have been useless at that point anyways.

Instead I reached my arms around the dying wolf and hugged it as I swam outward towards the middle of the river. The wolf kept biting down and thrashing its head from side to side like a shark using its razor sharp teeth to shred its prey.

The wolf and I tossed over each other in a desperate battle for survival. I took a final breath and pulled myself and the wolf beneath the water. The wolf snapped at me a couple more times, but then turned its attention to freeing itself from my grasp.

I bear hugged the wolf with all my might and was able to hold on to the squirming beast. The water around us was red with blood. Both I and the wolf were bleeding from our wounds, but I could tell the wolf was grasping for any remaining strength. It was hurt bad and suffering from the poison and open wound. Without those two factors, I didn't stand a chance. But I had earned the advantages and I used them.

We were both on a level playing field. Now it was a matter of who could hold their breath the longest. Who had the greatest will to survive? I thought of my family and looked at this wolf as my greatest obstacle between them and me. I had to survive. What motivation did this wolf have to fight so hard?

I felt a log with my feet lying on the bottom of the river. I wrapped my foot around the log and anchored us to the bottom of the river.

My lungs were burning and my head was getting clouded. I could feel my grasp weakening, but the struggling of the wolf was weakening also. I knew I was close to drowning my prey, but wasn't letting go until I knew for sure it was dead. I was either going to pass out trying, or that wolf was going to die beneath the water.

The wolf began convulsing harder and harder, then lesser and lesser, until finally it moved no more.

I held on a little longer and then let go. I had done it. MY WILL WAS STRONGER.

I swam to the surface and then to the river bank across the river where the wolves kept me from crossing. For days I’ve longed to be here on this side of the river and finally I am here.

As I crawled my way up the bank, I noticed blood seeping down my arm and onto the ground in front of me. The wolf had shredded my shoulder and as I looked at it, I became dizzy and faint.

I looked away and rolled over on my back. I laid looking upward towards the grey-cloudy sky. I was happy the ordeal was over, but worried about my wounds. To my dismay, I realized I forgot all my gear on the other side of the river.

I swam a sloppy stroke to the other side and gathered my gear, then swam back again to the other side. Once back on the other side, I took out my first-aid kit Dad packed in a giant zip-lock bag to keep it dry.

I mended my wounds the best I could, but the gauze couldn’t hold back the blood and I was soon purging again. I applied pressure to my shoulder with a rolled up pair of wool socks, but my wounds extended to my back where I couldn‘t reach.

I took a bearing with my compass and headed towards the nearby town where I was to meet Balow. The town was only two miles away, but I was fading quickly.

I think most of the fuzziness I was feeling was from shock, but also because of the loss of blood. As I trudged through the woods, I could feel my face going numb and see my hands turning pale white.

Panic set in and I stumbled faster to the nearby town, hoping to find anyone willing to help me.

What if the town was empty? What if there were only bad people there? What if I didn’t make it, and I died there in the woods?

As I stumbled through the open woods, I could see the tiny town ahead of me resting in a shallow valley. Smoke was coming from the chimney's of many homes.

The sight of the smoke rising from the chimneys gave me hope. I knew there must be people in those homes. Someone in that tiny town must be good. Someone might help me.

As I approached the first farm house, my sight began to fade. I lost feeling in my hands and feet, and the ground began to spin. I was about to pass out.

I shouted a shallow plea for help and raised my limp hand in the air to capture anyone's attention.

I came to a fence and got tangled in the barbed wire. I tried to pull myself free, but I was too weak by then, and I could only hang there - helpless.

With foggy vision, I could see a dark shadow approaching me. Then all went blank - and I was out.

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