Crashing Stephanie

3 Death, Survival and Direction

Steph woke suddenly. She had slept very little, afraid Tom might leave her behind. She had never been so scared in her life. She almost screamed when she saw his sleeping pad was gone and three ration packages stacked neatly where his sleeping pad had been. She looked down and saw his three long and two short spears lying next to his pack board on the valley floor.

She quickly gathered her sleeping pad, blanket, extra clothes, and suitcase, then scrambled down to where Tom's packboard was lying. Remembering the ration packages, she scrambled back up to the ledge, grabbed the rations, checked to ensure nothing else was left, and then quickly scrambled back down to the valley floor. Her heart was pounding in her chest, but not from the exertion. Steph was deathly afraid of being left to fend for herself.

She had her things packed and her suitcase on the pack board just like Tom had shown her. She placed the food rations on Tom's pack and sat down with the spear she had made clutched to her body. He could have her food as long as he took her with him.

Tom had been collecting the snares he had set out the previous day. They were all empty, but he would need them. He saw Steph sitting there with her things packed and ready to go. Tom shook his head from side to side. When he saw her ration packages on his pack, he knocked them off and tied the wire snares to his pack frame.

Steph said, "I'm going with you. You can't leave me here to die." Tom looked Steph in the eyes and said, "Watch me." Steph felt a cold shiver run up her spine. She said, "I'll do anything, Tom, and I mean anything you want me to do." Tom looked at Steph and rolled his eyes.

Steph had never begged for anything, but she would beg for her life now. She knew if Tom left without her, she would not survive. "Please, Tom, I am begging you," Steph said as she got on her knees, "My parents will pay you millions of dollars."

Tom, not even looking at Steph, replied, "You can't spend money if you are dead. You are worse than useless. You suck the life out of everything. Survival is a mental game, and you are an impossible weight for me to carry. I don't need your money, but even if I did, I'd rather be poor than dead."

Tom took out his compass, a pencil, and a small notepad from his suitcase and stuffed them in his shirt pocket. He started climbing the steep sides of the valley. Tom needed to understand the terrain so he could come up with a plan. Once on top, he sat studying the lay of the land.

He saw Steph remove her suitcase from the pack frame and take out what looked like a journal. She slumped to the ground, took out the pen she kept in the binding, and started writing.

Tom took his pad and sketched the view of the land before him. The valleys all ran in the same direction, west-southwest, then bent to the left. The valleys emptied into what looked like tundra that was mostly flat with some rolling hills. A mountain range lay beyond the tundra.

Valleys like the ones they are in are usually formed by erosion. Water flows towards low spots, which is where you find creeks, streams, then rivers. People settle along rivers, so west-southwest would be the best bet to find people.

Tom descended the side of the hill. Steph was crying hard as she sat slumped on the ground. She did not seem to notice him as he stood behind her. He saw a folded piece of paper on his pack frame. Then he saw the sheath of his sheath knife on the ground next to Steph.

Tom walked over to his pack frame and saw "Mom and Dad" written on the paper. He opened the page and could barely read the scribbled words. Steph was holding Tom's knife out for him to take. Tom looked at Steph, who, with pleading eyes, asked Tom for one last favor, to kill her and bury her like he had Jim.

Tom walked over to Steph and roughly grabbed the knife from her hand. He stood directly over her. Steph held her head back to make it easy for Tom to stab her through the heart.