Will of Man - Part Five Read Free

weren't so lucky, but it made the wolves run into the woods and out of sight.
    I went back into the cockpit feeling triumphant. Knowing the wolves were away in the woods and temporarily scared of me, I unlocked the cockpit door and peered into the cabin. It was dimly lit by the crack in the side of the cabin. I could see the skeletal remains of the soldiers and four large pieces of cargo wrapped individually in plastic wrap. The pieces of cargo were tied down with cargo netting.
    Listening for any wolves, I carefully crept my way around the cabin. At the feet of the dead soldiers, I noticed camelbacks. Camelbacks are are small backpacks that have a bladder inside to hold liquid. Sprouting from the camelbacks is a long tube with a bite nozzle on the end. Camelbacks could mean water. I grabbed one and found what I was looking for, an MRE and plenty of water.
    Not knowing if the wolves would return, I grabbed the camelback and two others, and quickly took them back to the cockpit. I knew I had limited time before the wolves returned, so I hurried to grab the other camelbacks and put them in the cockpit.
    I could hear rustling outside the cabin, so I aborted exploring the rest of the cabin. My curiosity was killing me of what was in the cargo nets, but I was happy with my find and anxious to eat some MRE's and drink some water.
    As I ran back to the cockpit with my loot, I noticed a knife strapped to one of the soldiers, so I snatched it up as I passed.
    Not long after I returned to the cockpit and locked myself in, it started to rain hard. Lighting lit the inside of the cockpit and thunder shook the plane. I kept a watchful eye for any returning snakes as I ripped open one of the MRE's. I didn't bother looking at the expiration date, since I would have eaten it even it was from the civil war.
    The MRE was chicken-ala-king, which was actually pretty good. There was a flameless ration heater included, but that requires water, and I didn't want to waste any water. So I ate it cold. Inside the MRE package was a desert, crackers, spreadable cheese, fruit flavored powder to add to my water (yummy!), cocoa (yummy!), a spork, chewing gum, matches, a napkin (yea! toilet paper), a moist towelette, seasoning, and a tiny bottle of Tabasco sauce. I couldn't believe so much could be packed in an MRE. So cool, and so welcome.
    I feasted on the chicken-ala-king, made a fruity drink with the drink mix, and ended it with a desert (which was some hard candy). The cocoa I would save for later and heat up over a fire I will make on the tale of the plane.
    The meal doesn't sound like much, but before my time in prison, I was eating grubs, worms, and fish that taste like pond water. I felt like I had sat down for a Thanksgiving feast. Ok, maybe not that good.
    My rain catch was working so good, that it filled my water bottle within seconds. The camelbacks had bladders with water inside, but the water was nasty and needed to be purified. So I drained most of them and refilled them with fresh rain water.
    For the first time in a long time, I had a full belly. The gum that came in the MRE was spearmint flavor and I enjoyed the freshness of its taste.
    MRE's are full of carbs and I felt the energy returning to my body. Even my thinking was clearer. I kicked back in one of the pilot chairs and wrote in my journal till I was ready to sleep. And oh by the way, no snakes!
    Tyler's Journal Entry: 435
    Date: September 24
    Day: Tuesday
    Weather: Cool and cloudy
    Miles to go: 625
    The wolves are dedicated and won't leave me alone. For the past three days, I spent my time tormenting the wolves with my spear, writing journal entries, and exploring the plane.
    The MRE's have reenergized me and I am motivated to continue on with my journey. It will be full-on winter in a couple months, or less. I need to get moving or set up winter camp here and wait till spring.
    The cargo in the back was like finding a mountain of gold. They are stacked with MRE's, jugs of water,