Greetings!
I'm back, and to celebrate the fact that there is no way in hell I'm going outside when the temperatures are in the negatives and it is snowing like a beast - I will be playing "The Long Dark", a pre-release game I recently acquired on Steam. The premise is not far from my current situation, except for the fact that I will not be in a cozy house, I'll be flung into the elements after a natural disaster and left to survive on my own. Will I be able to scrounge up enough food? Will the wind speeds of the blizzard rip my clothing to rags before I find shelter? Will I be straight up devoured by a pack of wolves? Who knows - only time and the slow icy hands of death can tell. Let us begin!
Day One
It's cold, very very very very cold. Not like, oh hey sweater weather cold - but I'm going to die out here in a few minutes cold. It's also dark, which is great. I don't remember how I got here or where I am, but it's cold and dark - wonderful. The only thing I can make out in the gloom is the partial outline of a snow covered road, my best guess is to follow said road - could lead me to a settlement of sorts. Let's get moving.
I got lucky, just as I was sure the fingers on both of my hands were near snapping off from the persistent freezing wind I stumbled upon a small clutch of fishing houses. Not exactly a Marriott, but I can't complain. No one else is around, there is no electricity as far as I can tell, what happened here? My hands numbly fumble for the doorknob and I stumble inside. Quiet, dark, and it smells moldy - but it's warm....well warmer. It looks as though most of the shack has been ransacked, anything valuable that wasn't nailed down is gone except for large pieces of furniture and things they didn't have time to carry, ah well all the better for me. Time to dig through some cabinets.
I can't help but feel slightly disheartened, I did find a small amount of drinkable water and a few granola bars but that won't be enough to last me long. I've only been out here for three hours and it feels like an eternity. Well, I can't hide in here forever, there are still two more fishing sacks to look through - better get to it. *zips up his jacket and steps outside*
While my stores of food and water aren't improving by much, I did run into a streak of luck in the last of the fishing huts. A perfect condition lantern was resting on a dusty shelf, complete with a jerry can of lantern fuel nestled in a corner not far away. Nearby on one of the small bunks I found a jacket, and not just any old jacket - but one of those that a pro would buy from some exclusive website or upscale shop. Well, it's not doing anyone good sitting around here - out with the old in with the new. If the owner returns hopefully they won't mind me switching out my wind-ravaged jacket with theirs.
I'm tired, my knees ache, and I don't want to go ranging away from the fishing village while it is still dark. After gathering up the meager amount of blankets in the small hut I crawled into a creaking bed and drifted into an icy sleep, only to awaken a few hours later as the sun peeked through the windows. Time to get up and get moving.
It's only slightly warmer outside as the sun is out and the wind has died down some. To my right I see a frozen lake dotted with small ice-fishing huts, a large home rests in the center of the frozen lake on an island...perhaps I'll take my chances with the ice later, but for now I'm not equipped to deal with a dip into sub-zero waters. Time to follow the road some more!
About two hours of walking later and I can see a small village ahead of me, perhaps four to five serviceable houses still remain among the burned out husks of their neighbors. I'm freezing now, I've been outside too long and I swear the howls I keep hearing are closing in. I've seen something prowling through the trees from the corner of my eye once or twice, but never enough to see what is following me. Better to just put a little pep in my step and get to those houses. A distant (but closer) howl rings out form behind me. My jog becomes a wheezing sprint, the door to the first home is only a few steps away. I crash into the door, push it open, and slam it shut behind me.
Not bad, not bad at all. A two story house with a fireplace no less, swanky. I drop my gear in the living room near the fireplace and begin my scavenging. Much to my joy a few rolls of newsprint, some fuel from my jerry can, and a few logs I found stacked in a corner make for an absolutely divine fire. I can't help but sit and absorb the warmth from the flames for a few hours before I begin my search of the home further.
Now we're talking, a fridge full of soda, a freezer with a hefty amount of raw venison, and even a sewing kit and cloth! I've also stumbled upon a treasure trove of pork and beans cans, but alas I have no can opener or way to pry the can apart - smashing it against the ground until I could get at the contents crossed my mind, but I think it would be better to save them for the moment. With a few inexperienced stitches I repair a few troublesome holes in my jeans and wool socks - not much but the patches will keep the wind out a little longer. I stoke the fire with another log and prepare the venison I found for cooking. After about 2 hours of slow roasting over the fire it's time to dig in, and if this were to be my last meal in this frozen wasteland I could probably die happy. Even with no seasoning or fancy sauces the warm cooked meat was everything I needed. My spirits were lifted, the house smelled of delicious cooked venison, and I had a safe place to stay for the night. I made myself at home and curled up for a nap in front of the roaring fire.
The fire is out and the house has gotten cold. How long did I sleep? It's hard to tell, I haven't been keeping track of time well, but if I had to guess I would say I've been here for almost an entire day. The sun is beginning to set, but now that I am rested, warm, and fed I think I have the strength to hit the other houses in the area and see what I can come up with. I'd give my kingdom for a rifle to deal with any troublesome wildlife, and even to hunt some game if the opportunity arose. Whatever, let's get moving again. I take another deep breath of the smokey house and reluctantly turn the doorknob leading outside. The wooden frame creaks, but there is another noise. A low guttural growl greets me from the other side of the door. I don't know how many there are, but a writhing mass of black fur and bared teeth awaits me, I freeze in place. How could I have been so stupid, the smell of the cooked meat probably attracted every wolf within ten miles - and then the first was on me.
Teeth snapped at my face and neck, I pushed back and fought - I'd be damned if a dog was going to finish me after all I've done. I feel its teeth sink into my shoulder and cry out, I gain a momentary advantage as it rips my shoulder apart and drive my left fist into its right eye. A plaintive yelp splits the air and the wolf releases its grip on my shoulder. Dark blood seeps from the puncture wounds in my fancy new jacket. Damn, that's going to be hard to repai- Another wolf, I'm too weak. My vision swims, I'm pinned to the ground once more. I push the wolf back with all the strength I can muster with my right hand, my left grasping desperately for anything to fight the beast off with - but nothing is there. Is this it? My arm weakens, the snapping jaws of the wolf inch closer - its friends close in now, sensing my weakness.
I never got to....
The wolf's jaws close around my throat, searing pain tears through my chest darkness swirls down.
Not even a day this time, rough. I've managed to make it to three days, but that was mostly luck. I'm off to try again as the snow piles up around my house in real life - perhaps I'll have better chances this time.
