Day Fifty-One: Another Exploration of the Coastal Forest (Part One)

What a rare occurrence—it’s another beautiful day!

At dawn, rubbing my aching muscles, I sat at the entrance of my treehouse, gazing into the distance. Last night I returned in utter darkness, fortunate not to have lost my way; I stumbled home under the moonlight, finally arriving deep into the night. Before falling asleep, I discovered a leech hidden on the inside of my thigh, which sent a shudder through me… The fright nearly drove away what little sleepiness I had left, leaving me restless and suspicious, anxiously searching my body several more times. Luckily, I found no more leeches.

Recalling yesterday’s experience, it feels almost like a film—sweeping highs and lows, terror and relief interwoven. When the wild boar and I locked eyes, I was completely dazed; it was as if my soul had burst through my skull, the whole world drained of color. My eyes were filled with dread; I scarcely had time to berate my own carelessness. I dared not move.

It just stared at me, motionless. Soon a second boar noticed something amiss, and then a third raised its head… In that moment, I had only one thought left—

Let death come painlessly.

Yes, I had nearly lost all will to resist! There was nowhere to hide, nor could I outrun them. My only hope lay in the gun in my hand! In those few seconds, a torrent of thoughts flooded my mind, every possible worry and scenario:

“If they charge, which one should I shoot first?”
“What if I fire and miss?”
“What if the bullet jams?”
“Should I run for the sea instead?”
“Would climbing a tree help?”

With worries spiraling, the veins in my temples throbbed wildly, my mind growing ever more chaotic… I don’t know how much time passed, but then, to my surprise, one of the boars lowered its head and resumed eating. Soon, the other two did the same.

“Phew…” I’d held my breath for nearly twenty seconds. As I exhaled the stale air and filled my lungs with freshness, tension melted from my nerves, nearly causing me to collapse on the spot. Of course, I couldn’t let myself fall into the sea—no, I wasn’t that foolish, nor did I wish to make any sound that might draw the boars’ attention.

As the sun set and the sea breeze swept by, I shivered involuntarily. Only then did I realize cold sweat had soaked my back, my clothes clinging uncomfortably to my skin. All I wanted now was for the boars to leave. I dared not hope for more; my body was already protesting, my strength draining rapidly. My mouth was parched, my limbs numb, my head spinning—these sensations clung to me, relentless.

Every passing moment tested the limits of my endurance.

At last, one of the boars seemed sated. It flicked its short tail, turned, and ambled off in the direction it had come. Yes, it was truly leaving—and soon vanished into the woods. But to my dismay, the other two remained, still foraging, while my legs trembled and I dared not move, unwilling to draw their notice.

When the final rays of sunlight faded, the last two boars, finally full, set off on their own return. Only after all had melted into the forest did I let out a long-held sigh of relief and prepare to leave. My legs were numb; at my first attempt to move, I nearly fell, but managed to steady myself against a tree trunk.

After a moment’s rest, I regained my composure. Picking up the bird’s nest I’d left at the tree’s base, I hurried back toward the treehouse.

To get there, I had to skirt the shore and cross a small patch of woods—a section joined to the forest I’d just left. The woods weren't large, but inside it was pitch black, greatly slowing my progress. Fortunately, I encountered no further danger. Though it took time, I made it through unharmed.

Emerging from the trees, I found the moonlight outside remarkably bright. Reflections from the ground kept me from stumbling completely in the dark. Still, the gravel path was treacherous; though it seemed level, the loose stones caused me to slip several times. These tumbles weren’t serious—I caught myself with my hands, scraping them on the rocks but suffering nothing grave. Even so, I slowed my pace, wary of twisting an ankle.

The beach at night was dominated by the rushing of waves and the salt-laden breeze—refreshing, but tinged with a chill. Beyond the pebbles sprawled a field of jagged rocks, which I navigated with utmost care, climbing and crossing as needed. Only hours later did I finally return to my treehouse.

There, Little Black stood waiting at the gate. I’d thought it would have gone to rest, but no—it was waiting for me! The moment it saw me, it dashed forward, reared up, and leapt into my arms, its wagging tail whipping the air so forcefully I could feel the breeze on my ankles.

All my exhaustion, my stinging wounds, my sour mood—vanished in that instant, swept away by Little Black’s exuberance. It bounded around me, licking my face enthusiastically and leaving a trail of slobber.

Patting its back, I signaled for it to come inside with me, showing it the bird eggs I’d brought. True to its greedy nature, it darted straight to the lower level…

Yesterday, I’d boiled the eggs. Little Black ate eighteen in one go; as for me, perhaps from sheer exhaustion, I managed only five before I was too full to continue.

Today I set about repairing the fishing nets I’d found. My idea was to fashion them into effective traps and set them in the submerged woods, hoping to catch fish, shrimp, or crabs. But the mesh was much too large—there were no fish of such size near the shore. So, I folded the nets several times, threading fine but sturdy vines through the mesh, then rolling the nets into long, cylindrical shapes. I cut an additional piece from another net, folded it, shaped it into a funnel, and secured it with vines at the mouth of the cylinder.

Yet something felt off. After pondering a while, I realized the flaw: the cylindrical net lacked internal supports and would collapse in water, preventing fish from entering. In the end, I used a few flexible branches, bent into rings, to prop open the net—six rings in all, forming a perfect fish trap.

It was time to test it. If this net worked, I’d need only check it every few days to easily supplement my food stores.

Armed and carrying the trap, I set out again.

As for the wild boars… Surely I couldn’t be that unlucky again.