Chapter 2

I scouted around the edge of the pond and found some tubers that I washed off in the pond. I came to the other end of the pond and resumed walking along the creek while I munched on a raw tuber. I'm not sure what it was but it tasted okay and I was hungry. I also thought that at least there were some animals existing here. I did wonder again where "here" might be located. I thought about it some more and decided that "when" might be a good question also.

Late that afternoon, I found the beginning of the creek. It bubbled up from the ground as a spring. The spring was just below the crest of a low ridge. I went over the top of the hill carefully. I ducked down as I did because I saw a lot of movement. I watched from my vantage point lying on the ground to see many animals before me. On this other side of the hill, there were two springs feeding a larger creek. I had found a stick that might become a thrusting spear but nothing else that looked like a weapon. I had trimmed on it whenever I had stopped.

The animals, when they saw me, showed no fear. That did not bode well for finding people. I literally walked up to an animal that looked like a small deer and thrust my stick deep into its side killing it. I had a lighter and managed to start a fire. I cut pieces from the deer to eat. I ate a lot. I was hungry and the tubers hadn't sated my hunger. They did taste better cooked though.

I found what I hoped was a safe spot to sleep and went to sleep holding my spear. I woke in the morning. I had been left alone. However, I noticed that the carcass was gone. I could see a couple of lion looking animals but they didn't seem interested in me. I had a new creek to follow as it flowed down. I debated for a while but decided to stay with water for right now. I hoped the new creek would be promising whatever that might mean. I had seen neither people nor signs of people. I could now eat and drink. I was okay with being alone but didn't want to perfect that ability. People weren't all bad. My other self reminded me that they weren't all good either. I would be careful when I found people. Theb I heard my little voice say, "If you find people." I told it that, if it couldn't be optimistic, it should shut up.

I followed the creek for another day killing another deer-like animal. This time I tried to skin it. I managed to do that though it wasn't a great job. I tried to scrap the skin without much success. In the morning, I took up my task though the hide had hardened over night. I worked at it with my hands trying to soften it but had no luck. I kept it trying to figure out if it would soften and be useful. After another day of travel and fruitless kneading of the skin, I threw it away. I never had known anything about tanning a skin. I would try again some day though the prospect didn't excite me very much. I was now gorging every other day though drank from the creek regularly.

It had been ten days according to my watch since I had left the cave. I noticed one thing about the days that troubled me. When the sun was at its apex in the sky each day, my watch indicated that a little more than twenty-four hours had passed. I also hadn't seen the moon. If this were the future, things had changed. Otherwise, it wasn't my world at all. I was not comforted by either idea.

I saw animals regularly and became pretty good with my sharpened stick. I found another potential one and began to carry it, too. The weather was good and I saw nothing that suggested a cold season here. I had been rained upon once and didn't like it. I also was tired of traveling without any real purpose.

On the next day, I made a kill in the morning and skinned it. I built a small fire for cooking some of the meat and worked the hide with my knife to scrap it. When evening came, I tried putting the hide in the creek under some rocks to keep it from floating off. On the next morning, it was a little stiff but working it brought back most of the suppleness. I stayed in the same place. Like I had thought, I was tired of going just to go. I built a small lean-to with my fire in front of it.

I built a drying rack for strips of meat I cut from the carcass. I had to quickly remake it higher when it caught fire and the meat started to burn. My second try was successful. I wished I were a better woodsman but I had never trained for that. My camping had always been with plenty of gear and not just the clothes on my back and the contents of my pockets. Having a knife and a lighter were definitely items that made me thankful. I continued to work the skin hoping that I would have acceptable success this time.

The only thing that was missing was people. This existence is lonely. I don't care for people that much but no one and no sign of anyone was starting to make me want some people.

I kept at my efforts and made my hut more weather-proof and more thoughtfully designed. I now had a fire pit and a moveable drying rack. I knew I needed salt for a decent tasting jerky. I figured that I might use some of it with the skin, too. I tried exploring around my area getting to know the small forest behind my hut. To my surprise, I found a cave almost a mile from my lean-to. Inside it, I found a small rivulet that appeared and then vanished under a rock. I looked around outside and found where it came to the surface and emptied into my creek. I debated things and finally moved into the cave abandoning my lean-to though I brought a lot of useful ideas and a few items like my drying rack into my cave. It was more protected and I could even have an inside fire. There was a natural chimney. I searched for and found a secondary opening from my main area that I could use if I ever needed it.

I have now passed Christmas in this new land. Santa Claus didn't bring me anything. I guessed the old boy doesn't know where I am either. I had plenty to eat, wasn't being threatened by animals, had water to drink, and was protected from the elements by my cave. I wanted something that I didn't have.

I wanted people. I am comfortable now. I have stored some smoked deer and tubers. My tanning efforts haven't met with great success but I have found a great source of salt. I am using salt more heavily in my next deer hide tanning effort.

Sometime after the first of the year, I plan to extend my search further away from my cave. It's nice to be dry but living in the cave in bad weather is boring. I think I would have killed for a book.

It's almost the end of January and I am setting out for a longer trip. The short rainy season is over, I think. It's time to start because I'm beyond being bored. I will follow my creek downstream and hope that there will be some changes in scenery. I would also like to find people.

I guess you could say that I'm learning my home. It's always warm and the weather doesn't seem to change except for rain or I am stuck in the summer of the year despite the date on my watch.