Day Forty-One: When Two Paths Meet, the Brave Prevail (Part Two)

At last, the wild boar relinquished its grip on my hand, perhaps driven by pain, and darted away. My left hand was now completely numb from its bites, devoid of all sensation. The hooves that had trampled my chest finally withdrew, granting me a moment to breathe.

The wound on the boar’s belly was substantial, and its blood continued to drip steadily. I thought it might flee, which would be the best outcome. My injuries didn’t seem too grave, but if the fight persisted, I doubted I would survive to the end.

Yet the boar’s next move chilled me to the bone. It lowered its head, aiming its curved tusks directly at me. I knew what it intended: it meant to kill me with those tusks.

Would I simply offer my neck for slaughter? Never!

So, as it charged, I forced myself to prop up my body with my right hand, enduring the agony. Just as it came within a hair’s breadth of me, I managed to roll to my left. What seemed an effortless roll was, in fact, excruciating; the pain wrung cold sweat from me, and I nearly blacked out.

The boar’s tusks missed their mark once more. Furious, it didn’t halt but immediately turned, aiming its tusks at me again.

This time, I failed to dodge.

Yes, I wanted to evade it, but my body was close to collapse. In that instant, my heart nearly stopped, and even my breathing ceased.

Had I failed? Yes, the boar had succeeded in claiming my life!

Lying on my back, I felt only the hard tusks striking my back with relentless force...

Perhaps Heaven pitied me, for the boar’s tusks were so close to the ground that they pierced only my clothing, not my waist. Had it been otherwise, I would surely have died!

The force of its charge flung me aside; my clothes caught on its tusks and were torn apart completely. I crashed heavily to the ground as my shredded clothing gave way, pain once again sweeping through my body.

The boar was enraged by the fabric tangled on its tusks, shaking its head wildly in an attempt to rid itself of the remnants.

This gave me another chance. Clenching my teeth, I desperately crawled toward the knife lying nearby.

At last, I seized the knife again. My heart pounded with anxiety and fear, and the sound of blood pulsing echoed in my ears.

The boar still hadn’t managed to shake off the clothing, but it had no intention of sparing me. It opened its mouth wide, lunging at me.

I was waiting for my opportunity!

It bit my left arm again, this time near the shoulder.

But the wound I had inflicted on its belly reappeared before me.

The pain was so intense I felt worse than dead, my screams once more resounding through the woods. The agony forced me to writhe helplessly on the ground, but my right hand gripped the knife with all its remaining strength.

This time, mustering every ounce of energy left, I drove the knife into the boar’s wound!

Warm blood gushed over my arm, soaking it as the blade slid into the wound.

This time, I truly hurt it. With a mad scream, the boar twisted its body violently. The knife, which I had clutched tightly, was pulled free as it spun.

Blood sprayed forth, but there was no sign of the beast collapsing. Its eyes were blood-red, and it began a final frenzy. I was powerless against this last bout of madness.

Once again, its tusks lifted me like a bulldozer, and though the tusks didn’t pierce my flesh, I felt a long gash open across my back...

Thrown, dropped, trampled—my weakened body could no longer endure. Just before I lost consciousness, I glimpsed a dark shape speeding toward us.

“Little Black, is that you?”

That was the last thought I had before I sank fully into darkness...

I don’t know how much time passed. I felt a pair of warm hands caressing my face, so gentle, so comforting. It felt as if my mother were waking me from sleep, pulling my consciousness from the shadows.

Finally, my senses and awareness reconnected, and I opened my eyes.

It was Little Black, licking my face incessantly.

“You alone, like a loyal guardian, have stayed by my side. I can no longer recall how many times you have saved me; I only know that without you, I would never have survived to this moment...”

Ignoring the pain, I raised my right hand and gently stroked Little Black’s face. Seeing me awake, he was overjoyed, barking excitedly and wagging his tail with vigor.

This time, my injuries were severe; I wouldn’t be able to get up for a while. My wounds burned as though dusted with chili powder and forcefully inflated, the pain sharp and the swelling intense!

Yet when Little Black leaned in again, I noticed a patch of blood on his chin. Worried, I touched it, relieved to find it wasn’t his.

“Right! The wild boar!”

I turned my head and saw the boar’s corpse not far away. Its body was riddled with wounds, blood pooling beneath it. A single glance told me the injuries on its back and haunches were Little Black’s doing; he, too, had fought a great battle.

I examined Little Black carefully. Thankfully, he showed no signs of injury.

Still, a chill ran through me. Had I not wounded the boar so badly, Little Black might not have been so fortunate. A boar can easily kill a dog. But the boar was dead.

I couldn’t imagine life without Little Black. We had spent many days together and had grown to completely accept, even depend upon, one another.

This ordeal forced me to reassess the safety of this island. From now on, I would be more cautious. I wouldn’t leave the pistol by my bedside anymore.

Though I hadn’t used it, I had studied it in detail days before; I understood the safety, the loading mechanism—everything.

This island is not small; it’s vast. Last time I stood atop the mountain, I realized I had explored less than one percent of it. The other sides are densely forested, and I haven’t ventured into them yet. Someday, Little Black and I will have to explore them together.

After all, I don’t know how long I’ll be stuck here!

“I can’t stay lying down for too long!” I told myself.

I had so many tasks to handle. I had some medicine; I needed to treat my wounds and apply it. I didn’t want to die from infection.

Moreover, the dead boar was a treasure trove. In this hot and humid environment, if I didn’t deal with it quickly, it would attract insects.

Time was running out...