Collaborative fan fiction - Read, enjoy and contribute!

[upnorth]

They tied Mocha up between the house and the truck to be able to walk around somewhat freely while being easy to fetch in case they had to run inside quickly.

- So, what do you really think about this enterprise, with no young ears around? Erik asked as he got his tools out.

- It's a desperate measure for a desperate situation, as we discussed before. I think our odds are decent. We have a lot of supplies and a working truck. If this was an expedition by foot it would be a completely different situation. Christine answered calmly.

- I suppose so. Perhaps we should at least teach Amy how to shoot properly. I agree that Emma is too young for an actual gun but Amy is not. Might make the difference in a pinch. Erik continued as he got started on switching out the damaged wheel.

Christine being more focused on Mocha and monitoring their surroundings didn't answer right away.

- Yeah, that's a good idea. She finally answered as if thinking about something else.

- Can you hold this in place for a minute? Erik asked from under the truck.

- Sure. Christine got down on her knees to find Erik holding a part he was trying to tighten that he needed both hands for.

- What do you think the rest of the world is up to? That emergency message made this town go crazy, I bet we aren't alone. Erik asked as he finished up his current task.

- Yeah, now that you mention it it's a little scary that no new message has been broadcasted. Things can't be going well. Christine answered resigned.

- I'm kind of getting used to the company though, solitude is nice but risky. Might have lost my arm if you hadn't been around to do a proper job there. And Emma is a cool kid. Erik continued.

- Hah, thanks, but I'm sure we aren't the highlight of the current company though. Christine answered with a smirk.

Erik didn't reply. He stopped working for a second only to finish up the wheel repair and get up from under the truck a few moments later.

- Right. Hard part done, just have to finish up. Any signs of wildlife yet? Erik changed the subject.

- No, all clear. Mocha seems to have done her business. We should perhaps take her on a short walk before we leave. Christine answered while looking at their four-legged friend being eager to run around more.

- I can do that. You should get your radio and a crowbar if you have one before we leave. Erik offered.

- You think you will be alright with just the revolver? Christine asked before going inside.

- Yeah, I'm a pretty good shot and a revolver is a good one-handed gun anyway. But I'm probably just going around the truck a couple of times so that we can run for the door easily. Erik noted as he untied Mocha.

Edited May 28, 2022 by upnorth

[upnorth]

Christine wandered around her semi packed-up house for few minutes looking for a crowbar and her old radio. The radio was easy to find and she took it into the kitchen for the time being. She remembered having used a crowbar for some renovations at some point but couldn't quite remember where it was. Eventually she realized it wasn't in the house, but out back.

Leaned up against the wall beside the back door were a few different tools. In addition a sledge hammer for driving poles into the ground for fences, and a rusty saw. They had never got around to making a proper storage to get the tools out of the weather. She considered bringing more than the crowbar, but decided against it, the truck would be very heavy and she didn't have a bolt cutter anyway - the only tool she figured would have been more useful for a break-in.

She brought it inside after glancing around looking for any predator, but it was clear. Not even any tracks. But being more vigilant was apparently already ingrained in muscle memory, she noted. She brought the crowbar back to the kitchen and sat down to have a quick look at the old radio while the others finished up, just to make sure it looked ok and didn't need any immediate repairs. Well, as thorough an inspection you could do without turning it on anyway, the sky being clear and deceptively blue and inviting. Going through the motions of having used Erik's radio a few days ago everything did seem to be in order.

Edited June 20, 2022 by upnorth

[conanjaguar]

Can anyone give a quick summary of what has occurred so far? It’s a bit much to take in all at once. But, here goes with my piece:

         Christine finished packing up. What little had not been packed already or had been chosen to be left behind was arranged on the table in the dining room. It was mostly small items, such as a few cans of beans, some packaged pancake and soup mixes, a tin of coffee, and some tins of dog food for Mocha. There were also assorted items that might be useful later, such as a sewing kit, some scraps of extra cloth, a fishing tackle, a lighter, and a box of matches. Christine packed all these things into a small satchel, thought a moment, and then added Emma’s stuffed bear (that doubled as Mocha’s favorite chew toy) on top.

”I think that’s it,” she called out to Erik. “We can get going as soon as-“

Christine was cut off by Mocha’s frantic barking. By now, they had learned to trust the dog’s instincts, and immediately knew something was off. Erik unholstered the revolver, checking the cylinder. “Only five shots left,” he growled. “Whatever’s out there better be very fragile.”

A crunching of snow on Christines’ right alerted her, and she spun to look, raising the rifle to her shoulder and racking the bolt. She gasped, not so much from horror as from wonder. It was a cougar, a truly magnificent creature. Apparently it had managed to keep well fed, for powerful muscles rippled just underneath the sleek, tawny pelt. It’s piercing slanted eyes regarded them with a mixture of haughty pride and disdain, as if to say, “What do I care of the fates and actions of mere humans? Do as you wish, but do not get in my way.” 

Erik and Christine still aimed their weapons, staring in awe at the beast. Even Mocha was cowed into shutting up.

“There have never been cougars on Great Bear. He must have crossed from the Mainland.” Christine commented. “But that means...”

”It means,” Erik said, “that the Strait is frozen over. Otherwise he wouldn’t have been able to cross.”

 

 

[upnorth]

On 6/22/2022 at 3:25 PM, conanjaguar said:

Can anyone give a quick summary of what has occurred so far? It’s a bit much to take in all at once. 

Thank you for your suggestion and contribution to the story! As mentioned in my DM the story is indeed rather long and complex at this point, but there are plans to deal with that. I would suggest consider each thread page a "chapter" and re-read parts of the story if needed, I hope everyone can enjoy it as is for the time being

[upnorth]

BANG! *Sounds of a rifle reloading* BANG!

The cougar seemed to get hit the first time but was ready and mainly scared off by the second shot. Erik looked to the side to find Christine still aiming with a wisp of smoke leaving the barrel.

- Nice shooting. We should get going while we still can. Did you find the last stuff? He asked.

- Yes, all good. I'll get the girls. Christine replied as she went back inside.

A few moments later they reached an important milestone for their big goal set a few days earlier. All of them were finally packed tightly into Erik's truck with all the supplies they could make room for. Not really knowing what would come next the mood was relieved but somber as Erik started the truck and they slowly rolled away from Christine's house.

[conanjaguar]

There was a crunch of snapping bone. The doctor wrapped the still-warm rabbit in a trash bag, to contain the scent, and then laid the bundle on top of the pile of ten others of its kind that he had assembled in the makeshift sled, covering them back up with a tarp. He then searched for the stone he had brought it down with, which was marked with a covering of dry blood. Although the doctor was not a superstitious man, he considered this his “lucky rock”, and did not want to risk losing it.

It had been rough going. For the past two days, the doctor had been going down the main road in search of shelter, food, firewood, and medicine for his patient. Now, he was coming to a promising-looking side road, that also took the power lines with it. Those power lines have to connect somewhere, don’t they? The doctor once again took up the handle of his sled and went down the side road, hoping that, this time, it would lead somewhere.

[upnorth]

- So, anyone knows any car games suitable for an apocalypse? Amy asked with a smirk after a couple of minutes.

- What are car games? Emma asked.

- Haha, well, a common one is to count cars of a certain color passing you by on the road. Since we are the only ones moving we might need an alternative... Amy replied, suddenly feeling a little guilty about her adult joke.

- Ok, can we count rabbits instead? Emma replied.

- Perhaps, but they aren't usually near the roads, especially when a car is approaching. Amy continued.

- Hey kid, counting rabbits sounds pretty fun, how many can you see? Erik suddenly replied.

- I don't know! Let me see! Emma replied more excited this time.

Everyone in the truck was suddenly on a rabbit safari looking in various directions for small furry movement.

Edited July 8, 2022 by upnorth

[conanjaguar]

They quickly became so absorbed with searching for the rabbits that even Erik, who was driving, became caught up in the activity. So, he was presently shaken out of his reverie when Christine cried: “Swerve! SWERVE RIGHT NOW, DAMMIT!”
Instinctively, Erik simultaneously stomped on the brake and turned the wheel all the way to the right, sending the truck into a precarious fishtail that spun it almost 180 degrees.

”I’m glad we didn’t eat anything before we left,” Amy commented. “I would have thrown it right back up.” 

“Why did we have to do that?” Emma asked. “I hit my head on the window.”

”I’m sorry baby, but if we hadn’t, you would be hurting a lot more. We all might even be dead.”

Ahead, the road went through a tunnel, which was blocked by tons of rubble; the cause, a bus had crashed into one of the supports, bringing the whole thing down on top of it.

Edited July 9, 2022 by conanjaguar

[upnorth]

- Everyone ok? Erik finally spoke again after recovering from the shock.

Everyone seemed fine. He wiped his eyes and took a look around the truck to get oriented.

- I think we should get out and check if we lost any cargo. He continued after getting a grip of their new situation.

- Good idea. I'll follow you. Christine answered.

It was hard to tell but everything seemed to be in place. Well, a bit rearranged, but there. They did find a couple of items in the snow near the collapsed tunnel after noticing some sliding tracks and retrieved them. Suddenly Erik noticed something else. Movement.

- Ok, lets get back, we are being stalked. Erik shouted to Christine.

They both jogged back to the still running truck.

- All good? Amy asked.

- Yeah, we're fine. But I noticed movement in the shadows, we should get out of here. Erik answered as he slowly got the truck moving.

Emma looked out of her window, she couldn't see anything. It both calmed and scared her.

- I think there is an old side-road we can take, it's about half way back to town. Christine suggested.

- Sounds good. The truck actually seems very sturdy, the repairs and upgrades seems to have helped. I suppose it also helps that we are driving on snow and will slide rather than roll over in situations like this. Well, as long as we don't slide into or over something I suppose. Erik remarked with a smirk.

Everyone but Emma laughed at the very rare joke from Erik. She was still looking into the shadows. Amy felt a sense of home and comfort that she hadn't in a very long time. They continued to joke and talk a bit more easily as the truck found its way onto the old side-road and continued the journey towards the mysterious base.

Edited July 13, 2022 by upnorth

[conanjaguar]

The doctor anxiously fingered the grip of his flare gun in its makeshift holster of a rabbit skin. For the last half-hour, he had seen low, sinister shadows dart between the nearby trees, and heard odd sequences of yips, yaps, and short howls. The wolves were after him. 

It was not so much the thought of being stalked that disturbed the doctor, but the sounds! By nature, wolves were fairly intelligent pack hunters with some social tendencies, and they did have some means of communication, but this... it sounded like a language in itself; something that could be expected of a sapient species. Whatever happened must have rewired their brains completely, the doctor thought.

The wolves mostly kept their distance as the doctor dragged the sled. Once again, he checked the flare gun to make sure it was loaded, and, reassured by the solid feel of the weapon in his hand, kept scanning the trees for movement. There! One of the wolves broke from the forest, rushing at the doctor in a blur of savage hunger, but the doctor sensed that this was not the blind charge of a half-starved beast. This had been planned in advance.

The doctor quickly aimed the flare gun at the onrushing wolf and pulled the trigger. There was a popping of the percussion charge detonating, and, for a split second, a red star was born as it traveled the distance between the doctor and the beast. The flare impacted and then glanced off the shoulder of the wolf, causing it to combust. The wolf yelped in pain and fear and ran off, rolling in the snow to extinguish it’s burning fur.

[conanjaguar]

The cold, clear air was filled with howls. They came one after another, each beginning as soon as the last had ended. Any attentive human observer would note that the howls were all in the same tune, with almost no variation in the execution. However, they could not guess at the meaning.

But Luna knew. The purpose of the chain of howls was simple; to alert the main body of the pack that prey was coming. She barked three times, in varying tones and degrees of intensity. They are coming. Prepare the ambush. Silently, in absolute obedience to their alpha, fifty sinister shapes arranged themselves in hiding places on either side of the smooth rock trails that the humans and their mounts were so fond of.

The plan was fiendishly simple, and yet had proven effective many times over. Small elements of the pack would detach and spread out in all directions from a chosen ambush point, with the task of locating prey. Once the prey was located, it would be herded into the ambush point.

Humans, however, posed a bit more of a problem. They were smart and resourceful, but almost pathetically emotional. They could easily be lured away from the protection of their fires and mounts by witnessing another member of their species in trouble. 

That was the intended purpose of the lone human. He would not be killed, merely severely wounded; the integral empathy of the humans would do the rest.

If Luna were human, she would hav chuckled and gloated over her coming victory. However, she was a wolf, and so she made do with baring her fangs and licking her lips in anticipation of the coming feast. The hunger she felt was not hers; she had eaten recently. The hunger she felt was that of the pack.

[conanjaguar]

Post deleted, revised, and extended:

The next two hours after leaving the tunnel went slowly. Even with the upgrades, the truck had to go slowly, plowing through deep snow and skidding on the icy road. Occasionally the truck got stuck in a particularly deep snow drift, and everyone had to help dig it out. Thus, with the short winter days, the sun had set by the time Erik had been relieved at the wheel by Christine. Even with the truck’s heating system, everyone was cold, wet, and tired, and, after Mocha attempted to bite into an unopened can of luncheon meat, they agreed to pause for a brief meal.

As Emma secretively picked the unappetizing chunks of meat out of her can of beans and fed them to Mocha, she again glanced out the window into the darkness. Her breath steamed up upon contact with the cold glass, and she rubbed it with her sleeve to have a clear view. She had briefly glimpsed something moving, a mere silhouette that was darker than the night itself. She touched Christine’s shoulder and pointed. “Mama, did you see that?” she asked.

Christine turned to look out the window. “I don’t see anythi - waitaminute!” She looked again. “There is something moving out there. Maybe it’s just a deer or a - OH SH**!!!” A huge grey wolf had emerged from the shadows, its eyes glowing green in the moonlight, and leaped at the truck, attempting to break the window. It failed, but it’s gaping jaws smashed against the window before sliding off, leaving a trail of saliva behind. Barking and growling, another dozen wolves emerged from their hiding spots and began to climb atop the truck.

Erik drew his revolver and held it at the ready. “We need to get out of here now!” he ordered. “We might be up safe in the cab, but most of our stuff is not, and some of it is essential!”

Christine floored the petal, throwing off a wolf that had climbed atop the hood and crushing it beneath the heavy tires. The truck drive through the light snowfall, eventually coming up to a ridge.

“There!” Erik pointed off to the right, where the ridge was less steep. “The road is to icy to climb up, but with the snow chains, we should be able to go over the ridge that way.”
 

The doctor heard the vehicle coming over the ridge. The only problem was, how to get there. Another four or five wolves, compatriots of the one he had shot a few minutes ago, silently emerged from the trees and began slinking towards the doctor. He cursed his frozen fingers as he fumbled in his belt in search of more flare shells to load into the distress pistol. As the wolves drew near, the doctor holstered the flare gun and uncapped a flare, illuminating the night with a harsh red glare.

One of the wolves, a huge black one with powerful muscles in its neck and shoulders, worked up its courage and ran slightly ahead of the others, opening its jaws wide to reveal a set of razor sharp fangs. The doctor drew his hatchet and swung with a strength fueled by sheer adrenaline. The weapon was a bit unwieldy, but the doctor had split his fair share of wood, especially during the prison’s frequent blackouts, and had occasionally had to help put down a riot, so he was no mean slouch in a brawl. The side of the hatchet connected with the skull of the charging wolf with a thud, sending it crumpling into the snow.

Luna observed all this calmly from her high perch. The humans were acting exactly as she had predicted they would. Soon, they would be in the predesignated ambush location, and then the pack would feast. The only thing that could throw a wrench into her plans would be if the lone human somehow fought through the entire pack, but that was impossible.

Luna’s observations were disrupted by a crunch of snow behind her. Without looking, she barked. Speak.

A few short yips from behind her. If it pleases you.

Luna then turned, as one of her omegas approached, tail between his legs in the customary gesture of submission. 
Luna, the scouts are reporting back. They say that the humans that they were ordered to follow had temporarily stopped, but they were herded forward. They are now attempting to crest the ridge.

Luna pondered for a while before giving further orders. Make sure that they get over the ridge in time to see the other one suffering. Their emotions will take hold, and we will feast.

Nodding his assent, the omega withdrew back into the shadows from whence he had came, barking orders at his subordinates.

The doctor was bringing his hatchet back to a ready position, when the wolf leaped at him without warning. Almost forty kilograms of savage muscle and fangs knocked him to the ground, and the wolf sunk its fangs into his left forearm, which he had raised to stop those slavering fangs from reaching his throat. While he struggled to bring his hatchet into the fray, the doctor noticed that the wolf was seemingly deliberately trying to avoid biting him in places that would be immediately fatal. Taking advantage of this, the doctor slashed at the neck and shoulders of the wolf with his hatchet, inflicting deep wounds that should have made it run off with its tail between its legs, or at least caused it to yelp in pain, or at least cause it to somehow acknowledge that it had been injured! However, the beast did not falter in its resolve. Grimly, it sank its fangs deeper into his arm, in an attempt to bite it clean off.

Grunting with pain, the doctor wrenched his arm away from the wolf’s jaws and grabbed at its throat, intent on keeping those saliva-dripping fangs away from him while he bashed and slashed at its face with his hatchet. Deep wounds and cuts appeared all over the wolf, until one final, desperate blow from the hatchet split its skull to its teeth. After a moment, the doctor rose, heaving the still-twitching corpse of the wolf off of him, it’s teeth, brains and bits of bone all mingling in a gory puddle at his feet.

The other wolves were seemingly taken aback at the death of their companion, halting the attack for a few seconds. The doctor took advantage of the brief lull to inspect his arm, which had only now begun to throb with pain. The wolf had torn away much of his flesh and opened several blood vessels, but the bone and major arteries had miraculously escaped damage. “I’ll live,” the doctor grunted with pain as he wound a makeshift bandage, “but the question is, will I live to worry about whether or not I will live?” Despite the circumstances, he grinned at the irony.

[upnorth]

- Hey, look! Do you see what I see? Erik shouted to Christine as the truck slowly skid its tires over the slippery hill.

As night had settled on the snowy forest, moonlight was suddenly illuminating the truck and its surroundings. At some distance there was a lot of movement, which Erik seemed to be looking at.

- Yeah... is that a guy surrounded by wolves!? Christine replied.

- Sure looks like it. Seems to have had one hell of a hell of a fight too, but he's still standing.

Amy and Emma were now looking as well, the lone fighter with his hatchet and bleeding bandage in the snow surrounded by wolves was quite a sight. A grim sight to be sure, but still. Mocha had started to bark and Emma tried to calm her down, afraid that it would attract the wolves.

- Hey! Are you ok? Can you run to the truck!? Erik shouted out of his window as the car was slowly getting closer.

The man seemed to have noticed them at least but didn't reply. Just kept his defiant stance giving the approaching truck a glance but mainly focused on his current foes.

- Damn, I think he's pretty wounded and tired. We're gonna have to help out but getting out of the truck is going to be risky. Erik thought out loud with a more stressed out voice than the group was used to.

- Why don't you drive up as close as you can get and we'll try to scare off the wolves with the guns we have in here? Amy suggested.

- Not a bad idea actually, we might have to get out anyway but the smaller the distance the better. Erik replied as he tried to increase speed along the snowed over road in the middle of nowhere on an island somewhere in the Canadian wilderness.

Edited August 7, 2022 by upnorth

[upnorth]

In the nearby cabin the injured man woke up again, feeling cold. Slowly rubbing and then opening his eyes, he took a look around the room, to find the embers of the fire about to go out.

- Damn, the doc must have been gone for a while. I have to get more fuel on it or it will die on me... he thought to himself.

With great effort and a lot of pain coursing through his body, reminding him to take more painkillers, he managed to get out of bed and get a few more logs on the fire. He needed to blow on the embers a few times to kick start the fire again, but eventually it started to grow on its own. Luckily there was good dry logs in the cabin. He shuddered at the thought of running out and having to venture out to find usable firewood in the middle of winter.

On his way back to the bed, he made the effort to pick up the can he dropped on the floor before he passed out. Cleaning the rest would have to wait. The painkillers went down a little easier with the help of food. Slowly he felt the searing hot pain subside a little making it easier to think while at the same time feeling a little foggy.

- I should rest some more, the doc's diagnosis was damn depressing but he's not gonna stand a chance of saving my sorry ass if i take myself out before he comes back. He said out loud to himself and whoever else might be listening in the universe.

Laying down once more, the painkillers continued to help him relax. Just as he started to fall asleep, he suddenly heard what sounded like wolf howls in the distance.

- Man, I hope the doc is ok, that sounded pretty close... His final thoughts as his exhausted body and mind finally fell asleep once again.

Body and mind in a ragged state, but for the time being on a trajectory away from The Long Dark...

Edited August 13, 2022 by upnorth

[conanjaguar]

Luna howled once more, this time with an air of finality; the last command it would be necessary for her to give before the sun rose once again.

Now, brethren! The pack shall feed well this night!

The pack obeyed, taking up the howl; both as a sign that they understood, and as a means of instilling fear into their prey. Barking and snapping, the hungry wolves emerged from their hiding places among the trees, forming a loose circle around the humans.

There was just enough moonlight for Luna to pick out one wolf that particularly interested her; a lean, hardened grey male known as Phobos, a stranger from across the waters.

Phobos was new to the pack, having only joined a few days ago. He was muscular, wiry, and swift; nearly as physically adept as Luna. However, his wit could not be assessed at a glance. Luna was eager to see how would perform. If he did well, he could rise quickly through the hierarchy of the pack, perhaps to someday become her mate.


As the wolves emerged from the tree line, Erik muttered a curse. “Clever things. They had planned this all along.”
He turned back to Amy, passing her his revolver. “Here. It’s loaded. Center your front blade between the rear sights over your target, and pull the trigger. Be sure of your shot; we don’t have much ammo.”
Taking the rifle from its place in between the seats, Erik racked the bolt to chamber a round, rolled down the window, and propped it up, ready to fire. “Get us down there, quickly!” he told Christine, who  had taken the wheel. “But don’t hit any bumps,” he added. “We don’t want to miss.”

The doctor hefted his hatchet again. Grimly, he noted that the wolves surrounding him had been reinforced by some of their cohorts that had come out of the forest. A growl on his left alerted him, and he turned to face the threat. It was a lean gray male, with a wiry build and keen, intelligent eyes.

The doctor awaited the charge, but it never came. Instead, the wolf he was facing weaved in and out, feinting, snapping, and dodging. The doctor had almost made the decision to attack the wolf outright, when a bullet whizzed past him and imbedded itself in the throat of the wolf that had been sneaking up behind him while he was being taunted by his canine opponent.

[piddy3825]

...meanwhile back in town...

Hank woke early only to discover the fire had gone out in the boiler room of the firehouse.  He could see the frost building up on the inside of the windows of the firehouse as the bitter cold began creeping in.  He muttered curses under his breath as he roused himself from his warm bed and began dressing quickly. 

"I'm getting to old for this damn cold," he muttered to himself out loud.

Taking his time, he shuffled down from the firehouse loft and made his way to the furnace in the boiler room. 
The self feeding coal bin was empty.  Fortunately there was an ample supply of coal outside, but that meant going outside, and Hank wasn't too keen on spending the next few hours shoveling coal by hand into buckets in the freezing cold in order to refill the hopper.  Normally he'd delegate this task to one of the probies but now there was no one manning the old station but himself.  Resigned to his predicament, he grabbed a bucket and a shovel and headed outside.

[piddy3825]

The cat limped silently along the shadows of the tree line, stopping occasionally to lick it's wounded paw.  Fortunately for the big feline, the shot had grazed the cougar's paw, but that wound reminded the big cat to be wary of the men who carried a boom stick.

With the hunger growing inside, the animal desperately needed food as it hadn't eaten for many days since being released from it's captivity at the zoo.  The keepers there knew that releasing the animals from their enclosures was probably not the best idea they ever had, but also knowing that the zoo had run out of food for the animals since the supply lines had been interrupted,  the zoo staff had no choice but to free the animals to fend for themselves.  

Having traveled many miles over the frozen ice , now for the first time in many days, sniffing the air, the big feline detected the faintest odor of cooking meat.  The cat's stomach began to growl with ravenous hunger as saliva began to drip from it's sharp incisors.  

Slowly, the cougar began to follow the scent that wafted on the breeze, straight into town...

[conanjaguar]

...meanwhile, back at the ridge...

Luna snarled in frustration. These humans are craftier than I gave them credit for, she thought. Perhaps it is time to cut our losses and flee... Making a quick decision, she turned to another one of her omegas. Go; give the pack new orders. We shall try once more, and if we fail, then we withdraw.

The omega gestured his acknowledgement and loped away, fading into the shadows like a silent harbinger of death.

Erik ejected the spent casing from the hunting rifle. It fell to the floor with a tinkle, as he chambered a new round and closed the bolt, and began looking for new targets. Mentally gauging the distance between the truck and the wounded man, Erik felt a little better. If they hurried, they could get to him and leave.

”Step on it!” he told Christine. She nodded her assent. Her lips were pressed together into a thin line, and her knuckles were white from gripping the steering wheel so tightly. It was clear that she was anxious and worried.

The doctor felt a glimmer of hope. The distance to the truck was closing, and the wolves seemed to be temporarily taken aback by the death of their compatriot.
Taking a chance, he lowered his guard and began jogging as briskly as he was able to through the deep snow. Fortunately, the wolves were as hindered by it as he was, or he would have been dead long since.

The hesitation of the wolves did not last long, however. As if somehow sensing that their chance was slipping away, they renewed the assault. The doctor could almost feel thesnapping of their fangs on his legs as he ran; ran for dear life. 

Another bullet whizzed last the doctor, and he heard a yelp of pain. “Another one down”, he muttered grimly. “Only about thirty more to go.”
He was rudely snapped back to the current situation when one of his pursuers tackled him to the ground and sunk it’s fangs into the meat of his shoulder.

“Damn!” Erik cursed as a wolf tackled the man to the ground. “We’re so close!” Indeed, only a few yards now separated the truck from the man.
“Amy,” he turned to her. “Find me something heavy, and fast!”
Nodding silently, Amy rummaged around for a second, before passing Erik a heavy crowbar with a sharp edge. “Will this work?”

“That’ll do.”
Erik opened the door of the truck and leaned out as far as his seatbelt would allow him to. Raising the crowbar, he struck at the wolf. It howled in pain as the sharp side of Erik’s crowbar impacted the back of its skull, but didn’t let go. Erik struck again, and again, until, finally, there was a snap, as the vertebrae of the wolf’s neck were broken. In death, it’s grip was released. Leaning out even further, Erik hauled the unconscious, badly bleeding man into the truck and slammed the door…

[upnorth]

Emma was more used to drama and danger after the last week or so, but what had happened in just a couple of minutes was still hard to process. Especially the near dead man laying between Erik and Christine in front of her. She noted that the wolves finally seemed to back off, hopefully they would find another pray and not stalk them further any time soon. Her thoughts were interrupted by Erik assessing the situation.

- We need to stop the bleeding, do we have any bandages close by? Erik said in a loud voice to the rest if the truck.

- We have plenty of medical supplies but it's all in the back. Here, take my scarf. Amy replied.

Erik was impressed with the young lady's ability to improvise in a tense situation, and wrapped the scarf tight around the worst torn up areas.

- Where are we going!? Christine asked.

- It's not snowing. We should be able to follow his footprints. He must have a camp nearby where we can get him warm. Erik answered quickly, almost out of muscle memory.

- Ok. Let me see. Yeah, he seems to have come down this road from the other direction. Come to think of it I think there are cabins up here. Christine replied.

- Good. A cabin would be great. His pulse is faint but he is still breathing. Erik answered now a little more relaxed.

Emma sat quietly and listened to everything, while still watching out into the dark making sure that they weren't followed.

[upnorth]

Inside one of the nearby cabins, the gunfire and yells had woken up a very tired and sick man, but without him realizing why. It just seemed like the aftermath of more bad dreams since the crash. His hunger wasn't too bad, but he was starting to get perched. He looked around and couldn't find any water in the cabin, but the fire was still roaring, so he figured he would have to melt some snow. He couldn't find any cups in his drowsy state either, but brought the jar of food he managed to open earlier.

It was painful but possible to limp to the door and open it. The cold air sweeping inside was actually refreshing, at least initially. Things seemed quiet as he tried to bend down to scoop up some snow.

- Fuck, that hurts. He muttered as he bent down supporting himself with a hand on one of the steps in to the cabin.

It was more quiet again after the attack and they started following the footprints, but the truck started to get into sight of the cabin, and the headlights became visible.

- What the hell, is that a truck!? The man looked up after seeing the lights in the corner of his eye.

He stood up holding his half-filled jar of snow, and with his heart rate quickly increasing tried to decide whether or not to hide from possible looters or to get their attention and possible help. The doctor was nowhere to be seen...

Edited October 21, 2022 by upnorth

[upnorth]

- The footprints seem to end at that cabin. Christine told the rest as the headlights descended on the area.

- Are the wolves following us? Erik asked.

- No, I think they left when we got him in the truck. Emma replied.

- Ok! Good job keeping track of them! Erik replied.

- .... thank ...you". The unknown man suddenly whispered in a couple of labored breaths.

- He really fought for his life huh... without knowing we would magically appear to help out. Amy commented, feeling unexpected admiration.

Edited October 27, 2022 by upnorth

[Piotross]

The injured man seeing the truck get closer and closer gripped his revolver with both of his hands and pointed it at the oncoming car. His hands were trembling as he slowly pulled the hammer and wrapped his index finger around the trigger.

- Who's standing in front of the cabin? - Amy said loudly.

- Seems like he's holding something.- Erik had squinted his eyes before replying. - Christine get your rifle ready.. just in case. - 

Christine nodded, pulled out the rifle and inspected it. - Will do.-

 

The man took a long breathe in and out, trying to calm himself. He slowly pointed the barrel of his weapon at the oncoming truck, his whole body shaking, weakened by the illness. He ploddingly pulled the trigger.

BANG!

The bullet left the revolver and went through the windshield, grazing Amy's shoulder in the process. Erik swerved to the left, almost hitting a nearby tree.

- GET DOWN EVERYONE! - He yelled as unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the car's door. Christine followed and soon they were standing outside. Christine pointed the rifle at the man, just as Erik pulled out his revolver.

- DROP IT! - Erik yelled, seeing as the man had trouble with pulling the hammer again. - DON'T MAKE ME SHOOT!-

- Erik, he doesn't seem like a looter, or someone dangerous. - Christine said out loud. - Look at the state he is in! -

- HE ALMOST KILLED AMY! - He replied. He kept the man between his sights. If the man raised his gun, he would fire immediately. He wouldn't take any chances.

The man with the revolver, seeing that the group didn't look like looters slowly lowered his weapon and dropped it into the snow. Then, he put his hands up.

 - Christine, cover me. - He ordered, as he started moving towards the man. He was going to knock him out and decide his fate later, however suddenly he heard Amy voice.

- He is not a threat! - She stepped out of the car alongside with Emma and Mocha. She had a bandage wrapped around her wound. - The man we rescued earlier told me that he's friendly. Lower your guns. Slowly. - She said in an assertive tone.

Christine lowered her weapon with relief, whereas Erik started to back away, albeit he did that hesitantly. The injured man slowly bent down and reached for the revolver.

- Amy? - The injured man tried raising his voice. - Is that really you? - 

- Frank? - Amy recognized her boyfriend's colleague. She further made sure it was him, after seeing the Mocha's tail wag and a couple of joyful barks. She couldn't help but smile, even though that man almost took her life a few minutes ago. She was hopeful about the idea that Frank would give her more information about her boyfriend.

[piddy3825]

Hauling coal into the firehouse using an old wheelbarrow wasn't exactly the kinda day the old fireman had planned for himself.   Damn probies had left the coal tender uncovered out back and the result was a weeks worth of snow that had to be shoveled before he could even start shoveling coal into the old rickety wheelbarrow.  

"Damn useless sonsabitches!" Hank cursed aloud as he drew his scarf tighter across his face.  He spied the burn barrel and thought to himself, might as well get that fired up and maybe I'll stay a little warmer while I do this grunt work. 

Grabbing some sticks and cardboard from the rubbish bin, Hank soon had a nice little blaze going.  He dumped a couple of shovel fulls of coal into the fire and the flames seem to dance with joy, tendrils of flame shooting small sparks into the early morning sky.  

"At least there ain't no damned snowstorm."  He said to himself and grinned.

After some considerable effort shoveling snow and coal and seven subsequent round trips between the coal pile and firehouse, Hank had finally filled the coal hopper to the firehouse furnace.  He rewound the mechanical timer, sprayed the coal pile with a little firestarter and tossed in the match.  The match twirled end over end hitting the pile which instantly ignited with a solid whmpff !  He close the grate and smiled.  

Might as well make some lunch he thought to himself as he headed back outside to cover the coal pile.  Stopping in the kitchen he took a couple of moose steaks outta the freezer and grabbed a can of peaches as well.  He popped the grill on the burn barrel and placed the steaks over the fire.  Using his pocket knife, he opened the can of peaches and set them near the fire where the radiate heat would soon warm the canned fruit.  Soon the air was filled with delicious aroma of cooking meat...

...the cougar wrinkled it's nose to the delicate smell of roasting meat that wafted through the morning air.  Lite snowflakes were beginning to fall softly fall as the lioness began following the scent into town.  She moved with caution, favoring her injured paw resulting with her walking with a noticeable limp.  The big cat knew she would not be able to put up much of fight in her weakened condition so she crept warily and slowly towards the delicous smell.  

Her mouth begain watering with anticipation as her belly audibly groweled with ravenous hunger.  Each footstep she made brought her closer and closer to the rear of the firehouse.  Stopping to observe from a safe distance, the lioness caught sight of the man as he emerged from the doorway.  He approached the fire and there basking in its warmth, he removed his scarf, revealing his face!  The lion's tail twiched with excitement and regognition as she suddenly sprang up from her crouch and leapted towards the man!

Hank barely saw the motion from the corner of his eye before the cougar slammed into him knocking him to the ground.  Immediately she was upon him nuzzeling, licking and mewling.  Hank's feeling of terror began to subside when he realized the mountain lion meant him no harm.  

"Kiara?  Is that you???"  Hank asked astonishedly.  The lioness continued to paw and lick his face, purring a deep deep purr of love and affection.  Turns out Hank had saved this particular cougar from a poacher's trap many many years ago when she was a mere cub.  He had named her Kiara after the lioness in the movie "The Lion King," one of his favorite movies that he had watched dozens of times with his favorite niece.  

10 years ago, Hank had raised the orphaned cub with every intention of returning it to the wild before the bureaucrats had gotten involved.  Kiara had been sent to the zoo after they determined she had become to dependent on humans and therefore could not be successfully returned to the wild.  Hank had been truly devasted by their order when they came and took her away.  

Slowly climbing to his knees, Hank stood up petting the cougar.  

"I bet you're hungry" he said to big cat as he tossed her the freshly roasted meat.

[upnorth]

- Relax Frank, lets get inside, we just fought off a pack of wolves. Amy said as she walked up to her old acquaintance.

Frank winced as he tried to use his bad leg.

- Oh, you're wounded? Here, I'll help you. Amy offered her hand and supported him as the party slowly got inside.

- So you met the doc? Frank asked.

- Yeah, we actually managed to rescue him from the wolves, he was in pretty bad shape when we arrived but he seems to be alive at least. We followed his footprints to this cabin, luckily it isn't snowing. Amy replied.

- In bad shape huh? Ironic, he rescued me when the helicopter crashed. He's been caring for me even if it sounds like I'm a hopeless case... How bad is he? Frank continued.

- We don't know, we just tried to stop the worst of the bleeding. But if he is a medical doctor as you say he might be able to tell us himself. We brought everything we could scrape together on our truck so hopefully we have enough to treat both of you. Amy answered as she glanced over to the bed that Erik and Christine had put down the doc on and started to look him over more closely.

At the bed, Erik and Christine were cooperating to quickly diagnose and mend what they could immediately see.

- Hey, you are in pretty bad shape but I think you will live. You put on quite a fight out there. I've got some painkillers and water for you so that you can get some rest. Christine told the wounded doc as she leaned over to get closer.

- Man, I thought I was lost, those were some eager wolves and I left the gun here with my patient. The doc replied.

He took the pills with a sip of water. Gazing around the room he noticed his patient now in a chair with the girl apparently called Amy. A little girl and a dog were sitting by the fire watching everything. A strong looking man was cleaning and dressing his wounds. Finally he looked up to take a closer look at the women beside him, she looked familiar!

- Christine... is that you?

Edited November 27, 2022 by upnorth

[upnorth]

Christine froze for a moment, before putting down the glass of water on the bedside table and turning back to her patient.

- My name is Christine, yes. Do I know you? she replied.

- I think we grew up together on Great Bear a lifetime ago actually. I guess my face is a little messed up at the moment, but I'm Alexander. I think we dated briefly when we were very young? Alexander tried.

Alexander gave a sheepish smile as he felt his face turn to a different shade, but he didn't realize that the light from the fire was flickering too much for Christine to notice his embarrassment.

In about half a second it clicked for Christine. Alex, her and her late husband used to hang around all the time as kids. They had dated for a couple of years. She then fell in love with her late husband instead and they started hanging out less as it became hard for him and Alex to be around each other. She felt a little ashamed for not having thought of their old friend for so long.

- Oh my God! Alex!? It's been ages! What have you been up to all these years? Christine replied.

- Oh... yeah. So I left Great Bear to go to medical school and stayed away to work for some years, but I came back to work at Black Rock when an old professor referred me. I'm specialized in trauma care. I suppose I simply missed Great Bear as well. What have you been up to, is that your kid by the fire? Alex glanced at Emma.

Her and Mocha were preoccupied with a snack bar and some dog food that Erik had fetched and didn't notice the grown ups looking at them.