Tattered Journal (Stalker In Character Journal)

[coryduran]

Day 1

I had been walking for over a week, since my plane went down in the wilds. They say it's darkest before the dawn and that couldn't have been more true for me. I was out of food, out of water, and getting desperate. As I stumbled my way down the hill I had ascended, I began to see something that gave me hope. I saw a clear cut, signs of civilization.

I needed to move because the weather had been getting worse since the crash and today was the coldest yet. I could feel the wind tearing through my thin sweater and chilling me. As I walked toward the clear cut I saw a deer walking among the tree stumps. It stopped to sniff the air and I saw a black wolf stalking it through the trees. I made my way through the clear cut keeping my distance from the wild life. I was hoping that I was going to be able to find someone, anyone. Instead I found a corpse, mauled by the wolves and frozen.

I couldn't give up so I kept moving, a sign pointed me towards a trail leading up a hill, and I found another corpse at the bottom of the trail. The jacket was salvageable so I grabbed it and put it on, but I was still freezing. I started to run up the trail, winding switching back as I moved up. I came upon a forestry outlook, and again I found another corpse. It was defeating to see so many corpses, but I climbed the stairs up to the outlook anyway. I found a knife and a hatchet inside, and a little bit of food, but it was still freezing inside and I knew I couldn't stay.

As I started walking back down the trail I noticed a lake with a hunters stand next to it. I found a way down the hillside and started moving toward the lake, but I noticed a small cabin on the way. I stumbled into the cabin, freezing and tired. I laid down in the bed hoping that a few minutes under the blankets would help me warm up but the weariness of my body overcame me.

I woke up a bit later, it must have been about noon judging by the sun. I made my way to the lake, hoping to find anything useful, what I found was a group of large wolves. I waited there at the edge for half an hour until the wolves kind of dissipated. I took the opportunity to try and collect the cat tails that were there, I needed the sustenance. A wolf picked up my smell and charged, which isn't what I expected, but I was able to get a flare lit and thrown at the wolves face. The beast freaked and ran the other way, and I took the opportunity to get out of there.

I kept moving, and I found a couple of ravaged deer corpses. They were frozen but there was a little useable meat left on all of them I was able to get off with my hatchet. I could tell I wouldn't last much longer out in the open like this as I dragged myself up another hillside. When I came down the hill I saw a run down barn and a house near it.

I made my way into the house and here I am. There was a good amount of supplies inside, some food a couple more rounds, still no rifle though. Seems whoever lived here made a life off the land based on the supplies and the high quality snares I found inside. There were a few hours of sun left but I'm feeling pretty rough still so I think I'll call it a night here. I don't know what's happening still but I can't give up hope of finding someone else. Anyone else. If I end up like one of those corpses, then let this journal tell anyone who might find my body this story.

[coryduran]

Day 2

Well, it was a hell of a day. I woke up early, I could have stayed inside but I decided I'd better move, I needed more food still and I knew there wasn't much left here. I left the house and I started moving again. I came upon another corpse in a clearing. This one had a wallet and a ID, his name was max. I couldn't help but think to myself who he was before all of this, another pilot? Maybe he was a hunter, or a local fisherman. I knew the thought process didn't matter but I couldn't help myself.

I kept walking through the trees and as I walked through another clearing I saw a pile up of train cars. I saw a wolf walking in the distance so I tried to avoid it as I moved to investigate the train cars. I found a few metal boxes with some food in them. I went to leave the train cars, I figured I'd follow the train tracks and see what I could find. While I was searching I had lost track of the wolf though, and he hadn't lost me. He started coming towards me and I was able to get another flare lit. I'm lucky I found one in that house. I scared the wolf off and started running down the train tracks. I wasn't sure where I was going but I wanted to get there fast, I figured this was my last flare and if I need it I want it burning still.

I found another pile up of train cars. As I moved in to investigate it I found a wolf walking between the cars. I was able to get it to run off with the flare and I started searching. I found some first aid supplies and food in some boxes laying in the snow. There was a dead deer that I was able to get some meat off of, so I stripped it, and as I looked up I saw a wolf slowly creeping towards me. I started to back pedal, keeping my eyes on the wolf. The flare was burnt out and I didn't feel up for a fight at this point, it was cold and my body was already hurting. As I started to turn to try and leave the wolf charged. I clambered into the train car and in there I found another corpse. I searched it and some near boxes hoping I could find a flare, but I was out of luck. I had some fire starting supplies so I tried to figure out a way to start a fire while staying away from the wolf.

The wolf had other plans. As I stood on the edge of the train cart looking out, the wolf jumped up and dragged me out of the cart. I fought it hard in the snow, stabbing at it wildly and desperately. I was able to put the wolf down with a knife to the neck.

Now I lay here in the snow next to it. I was able to bandage my wounds, but I'm done. I didn't think it would end this way, hell how could I have. As I lay here in this mix of snow and blood from me and the wolf, feeling myself fading, I look up at the tree canopy and sky, and I feel some semblance of peace.

[coryduran]

So yup my experiment is over lol. The shortest stalker run I've ever had happens to be the one that I finally decide to try this idea I've been contemplating for a while out. I also got taken out by a wolf behavior I've never even seen before! Damn what a sucker lol. But I might try something like this again on my next play through.

[Hotzn]

Haha, watched the film with Liam Neeson, didya? Nicely written, let's have more!

[Ryan CM]

Great story!