Saved

The forest is a strange place to be at night: the trees bristling in the darkness, the sounds of critters and birds you’ve never seen before, and the constant fear of survival. It can make you feel like there are evil spirits everywhere you turn. This is the environment Dave found himself in. While the forest is a dangerous place, Dave was happy to be anywhere at all. Driving home from spending Memorial Day with his parents, the biggest worry he had on his mind was finishing the data analysis project due to his supervisor the next day. The sales numbers from the spring quarter were still running through his head when his left-rear tire blew out sending his car serving off the road and down myriad of trees. He still doesn’t remember much from the accident but the pain from his fractured arm and scars on face serve as a constant reminder.

            It’s been four days since the accident and Dave still hasn’t found his way out of the forest. While initially he was just thankful to be alive, the fear of his survival is now setting in. The hunger is now setting. Of course that’s the first thing he had on his mind when he regained consciousness. Initially, he thought he would have found his way out before the hunger set in, but as each hour passed he became more and more skeptical. He did have some leftovers from his parent’s house. His mom made him take a dinner home. “Honey, I never get to see you anymore. Here at least take some of this food home. It’s just going to go bad if you take some,” she said. How thankful he was for that dinner around day two. However, now that day seemed like ages ago now.

            He had left his car miles ago. Initially, he tried not to venture too far thinking that the car would be the best and safest place to sleep. However, after two days he realized just how dire his predicament was. His parents lived out in the country, and those Wyoming roads don’t see a lot of traffic. The main thing he knew he had to do was keep his mind occupied, and not loses hope. But the hunger was deafening. He felt strangely connected to his humanity like never before.

            Two days later he finally reached a stretch of highway. Now he was sure it was just a manner of time until he was saved. Surely, a car would drive by and pick him up. A car did eventually pick him up. But he didn’t know it would take sixteen hours. By that time he had finally broken. It was around the eleventh hour when he turned to god. Five hours later he was saved.