Instincts of Survival

*Content Warning*

This story contains themes of survival in challenging and extreme conditions, as well as depictions of violence and perilous situations. Reader discretion is advised.

The cave remained in eerie silence. No critters crawled, no embers crackled in the hearth, nor did the family within dare to move an inch. Within the pitch-black stillness, they extended their ears, straining to catch the sound that signified the short escape back into the past world. The incessant howl of the wind; once a subliminal echo in the depths of the cave, had become but a fading whistle until ultimately dying out altogether over the past half hour. No one wanted to say it, but they all knew it was here. 

The Mortal Solstice. 

A mere 74 hours whereby the Earth rapidly heats back to a liveable temperature on the surface before swiftly returning to the deathly grasp of -95°C. In the darkness; a father, mother, and teenage son remained crouched, linked in arms, whilst their palms were damp in anticipation. Their heartbeats thundered, the sound of blood pounding within their ears — the only noise that they alone could hear.

The mother slid her hands into her son’s and partner’s, grasping on with such a grip as if they would be blown away if the wind returned. Each member undoubtedly knew that the plan was set. Running through their responsibilities over and over again in their heads, each duty as important as the next. The father clung to his loaded hunting rifle in the opposite hand, he must get enough food or they will all starve. This past season was exceedingly harsh on all of them, for even with rationed portions of the elk he killed, and the vegetation stored from the last Mortal Solstice, they barely scathed by. Constant fatigue and weakness plagued his daily movements, and he could visually see the same tolls being collected upon his family. I need to find more, I can’t let that happen again.

In front of the mother laid the large silver bucket, water must be retrieved, or they will die of dehydration. Unfortunately, the bucket was punctured in its lower half. The mother inadvertently caused it on the last day of the previous solstice by tripping over the roots of a tree when heading towards the river and the bucket smashed into a sharp protruding rock. A full bucket could hold 10 litres of fresh water, but with a thirty-minute hike to retrieve and store it in the nestle of their cave was but an impossibility. For with the newly garnished hole in the bucket, by the time she reached the cave, the water would leak close to half its capacity. Without any form of material fix or replacement, the same complex problem persists. I need to somehow get more this time. 

The son bore an axe upon his shoulder, the burden of gruelling responsibility resting on him. Firewood and any type of insulators must be salvaged, or they will fall victim to the elements. Igniting a fire was rationed accordingly with their meals, primarily because the young teen slackened his work rate as the days progressed in the last solstice. Although their cavern dwelling was part of an intricate tunnel system bearing slight warmth within the mountain, the maze of tunnels maintained a relatively cooler temperature. The necessity of fire presented itself as a cooked meal, boilable water to ensure potability, and a privileged warmth in a numbing world. I need to work harder this year. 

Amidst the stillness, a faint commotion of flapping wings reverberated along the walls of the cave. Simultaneously, the noise erupted in a plethora of wings and chirps. The signal…The song of fleeing birds escaping out into the world rang like a melancholic love song to the ears of the family. The mother fumbled her hand along the ground until she found the handle of the torch. Using one of the few matches left in the stockpile, she lit the torch and the cave illuminated to reveal a look of doubt but determination in the eyes of the family. Instinctually, without a word, they briskly made their way through the intricate tunnels up towards the transitory light that life decided to grant them once again. 

————

Emerging from the cave, the family stepped back into the world of days past. Breathing their first bit of fresh air in eight months, they stood in a momentary trance as they gazed over the landscape. Rays of sunlight painted the thawing land in hues of soft pastels, exposing a breathtaking panorama of the mountain range. Crystalline ice formations glistened in all directions beneath the sunlight. The frozen river in the valley released itself from the icy hands of the Winter Solstice, revealing pockets of flowing water that meandered across its narrow expanse. However, just like recently escaped prisoners, they could not appreciate the freedom in its entirety.

As each family member reluctantly released from their reverie, they peered into each other’s eyes and came into a group embrace. The years they have spent in isolation, the measures taken to ensure their survival and the thoughts of a normal past life swept through the family as per usual in these moments. Words unspoken, but thought across the world; Will there ever come a day that we can go back to normal? No one knows. For in this reality, false hope and dreams do not entitle you to another day of survival. With one final look at each other, they charted off in different directions in the fight for the group’s well-being. 

———— 12 HOURS LATER ————

The moon casted a hollow glow in the slight opening of the trees, revealing a motionless forest with an accompanying silence that swept over it. The temperature remained steady throughout the night, even with the sun taking its rest for the next few hours. 

With his back against a wide spruce tree, drifting off in thought and fighting off the urge to sleep, was the father. So far, he sighted a buck well over 500 yards away six hours ago, a shot distance too risky to chance, and trying to trail it had been significantly unsuccessful. Beyond that, other than the occasional bird, he has not come across any wildlife for the time he has been on the hunt. 

The father’s vision blurred, and subtly knew, sooner or later he will become victim to sleep’s embrace. He was numbing over the life they used to live, quite simply, in harmony. But that was years ago. It had already been 6 gruelling years since the weather transformer had malfunctioned, throwing the Earth and its inhabitants into destitution. The government implemented and oversaw the weather of the country, manipulating it and effectively making food sources bountiful, minimizing natural catastrophes, and harsh conditions were an afterthought. For two decades, everything was seamless. 

Now, the world was unrecognizable…a stranger. The father could not shake the memories of a time when life promised abundance, when the land was a provider, not a battlefield. Once a symbol of control and progress, the weather transformer was now a broken piece of a shattered reality. Dozing off into the arms of slumber, he dreamed of a day that resembled the past, an existence of relaxation and comfort rather than desolation. 

A short distance away, rustling in a bush interrupted the father’s train of thought. He pointedly fixed his gaze to a bush thirty yards away where antlers protruded above it. Now or never.

————

The valley was pierced by the sound of a gunshot, a violent disturbance on a tranquil night. The mother, settled near the edge of the sloshing river, jolted at the unexpected bang. Clutching the water bucket, she casted a sideways glance towards the sound of the gunshot. Deep within those insidious trees, her partner hunts and searches for big game that ensures their hunger is satiated. I hope you got us some meat.

The moon’s glow casted an eerie shine along the grounds, casting long shadows in her direction. Instinctually, the mother crouched and scooped up the next bucket full of cool water as she scanned her surroundings. The sound of the gunshot lingered in the air like an unanswered question. 

Is our hunger taken of? Will it be enough to survive the winter? 

As she pulled the bucket up from the water, the leak began again. The mother tightened her grip on the handle, whilst placing her other like a bandaid over the hole, and began the trek back up to the cave. Her body was screaming for her to take a break. The throbbing in her thighs, back, and forearms was incessant from the hike back-and-forth from the cave to the water supply. Her mind was trying to bargain with her to take a break till the sun rises, what if I get lost? Neither could strike her hard enough to stop her willpower. The mother trudged up the mountain, wandering off in her imagination again; the subconscious escape from the incessant pain she felt. 

The mother was suddenly back in a chalet, sitting down at the kitchen table. She was on the phone talking to her best friend, Dr. Melissa Mountcastle; one of the leading scientists in the U.S. Department of Energy. 

“Listen, Elaine! You and the family need to get supplies and find a bunker of some sort. The tests I’ve been running on the weather transformer are showing me alarming deviations in atmospheric pressure and unprecedented irregularities. If the consequences are what I think, you need to take Michael and Henry and go underground, somewhere where the conditions can be stable!”

Elaine’s grip tightened on the phone, her heart racing in disbelief. “Melissa, I—what do you think’s going to happen?” 

“The Earth is likely going to fall in a constant winter solstice” Melissa replied, breathing heavily over the line. “Our surface level temperature is likely going to be upwards of -70°C…we’re talking about the temperature similar to a day on Mars! If it’s not a winter solstice, there’s a chance that the Earth could do the opposite and become a scorching desert. In both situations, we’ll all die if we stay above ground! If you want your family to stay alive, you got to find something NOW.” 

Elaine’s gaze wandered over to her husband and child, playing across from her in the living room. My god. 

“I’m—I’m—We’re not in California, Mel. We’re in the Rockies this week, we can try getting a flight tomorr—”

“NO. There’s no time to fly back here. This can happen any freaking moment!” 

“Where the hell do we go then!” Elaine tried whispering.

“I don’t know…I don’t know. Listen, Elaine, I have to go. I got to get my family underground as well. I wish this wasn’t how we would ever say goodbye to one another. I’m sorry, Elaine…” Melissa mumbled. 

The disconnected phone line beeped as the call fell to a conclusion. Melissa held the phone, in a gaping dissociation. Any moment? As she looked back to her family, her husband peered at her from across the room and saw the frightened look on her face, and when she met Michael’s eyes she began to burst out crying. 

Awakened from her trance, she was only standing a few feet outside the cave entrance. Breathing in a sigh of relief for another successful trip, she squinted down at the bucket in the moonlight. Empty. Tilting her head back in disbelief she took laboured steps towards the inner parts of the cave, where she fell into the fetal position, wrapping her arms around the bucket like a teddy bear, and fell into the sweet bliss of sleep. 

———— 48 HOURS LATER ————

The thunk of the axe repeated and echoed across the mountain range. The young teen hammered away, chopping the wood deeper and deeper. Progress was truly made this solstice. He had taken down more than enough wood to last them through the winter, and for the first time, they’ll likely have enough to maintain a consistent flame. 

Existence might become a bit more tolerable. The thought made him smile from ear to ear. When was the last time he actually smiled? He couldn’t even recall, his memories were but a masked gallery of misplaced happiness. As he sliced the pine tree one last time, it creaked as it tilted and came crashing to the ground, shaking the world beneath his feet. Lodging the blade in the stump of the fallen tree, he picked up his water bottle and walked to a nearby vantage point to gaze over the landscape. He truly had not paid any attention to it prior to the time they finally left the cave on the first day, nevertheless, the sun shone brightly in a clear blue sky that would soon turn grey and frigid. A colourful ensemble that made life beautiful. Today was the final day of the Mortal Solstice, and as he stood over the gulley, the thoughts of another eight months in isolation took the grin off his face.

Bringing the wood back to the cave was the easy part. The group of pine trees that he was chopping down were only a ten-minute hike from their home. The mother sat beside a fire near the cave entrance, cooking some of the final bits of the elk they still had. The boy’s mouth was beginning to water, readying himself for a well-earned meal, as he dropped off another pile of chopped wood. The father had brought a massive buck that took half a day to carry back, he had not seen any other animals within distance to capture, so it would likely resemble the solstice prior; rationed deer for 8 months. He sat beside his partner on the ground, breathing softly with his eyes closed. Although they may have to ration, they will possess firewood in abundance, and more water; for the mother worked three times as strenuously to retrieve it this year. Everyone was somewhat satisfied. 

The family ate the elk stew together and enjoyed the sights beyond as the sun quickly began to set; winter was approaching rapidly. Clouds began to form in the distance and the first gust of wind shook them. They knew it was near once again, and they all understood its implications. Packing up the last few logs, and pots, twigs snapped nearby around the corner. Each member froze, listening intently. The twigs snapped again, the family standing up slowly in anticipation. Revealing itself, an enormous grizzly bear turned the corner making eye contact with each of them. Its brown fur glistened in the draining sunlight, and instantly the family’s heart thudded relentlessly in unison. The bear, slowly approaching, locked eyes with the boy. Time stood still as both stared into the souls of one another. No one moved an inch. The grizzly, now within 20 feet, began huffing and growling as it came to a sudden stop. At a snail’s pace, the father reached slowly for the hunting rifle that lay by his feet, subsequently raising the weapon to his shoulder, sighting the bear in the scope. Existence hung in limbo, life and death held in the balance like a fleeting moment suspended in eternity. 

As the father tightened his grip on the rifle, a grave roar erupted from the grizzly bear, shattering the stalemate. The bear reared on its hind legs to display its monstrous frame, then unleashed a swift attack. The family, suspended in terror, scattered in disarray. With adrenaline peaking, the father squeezed the trigger. The bullet found its mark; however, the grizzly, fuelled by instinct and rage, pressed on. The mother managed to seize her son’s hand and sprinted towards the cave, whilst the husband fumbled to reload the weapon as the behemoth ferociously closed the distance. A second shot echoed through the mountains. The bear, wounded but determined, swiped the father with a significant blow across the chest. The rifle clattered on the ground as the father collapsed under the strike. The mother and child swiftly turned their heads to see the bear standing over the father, horror swept over the family as they were hit were crushing vertigo. In the diminishing twilight, the father lay motionless as the bear staggered towards the mother and son. The bear lowered its gaze from the family as it lost its footing and collapsed into a lifeless heap of mass. 

———— 8 HOURS LATER ————

The cave was soundless. The enclosure was in a hush, one that no one wanted to disturb. Time returned to a standstill, the essence of survival hung in the air like a bitter taste that couldn’t be swallowed. An oppression that would last months with no remedy other than time alone. Approaching like a faraway train, a whistling wind travelled through the passages, becoming louder and louder. As it reached its steadied point of crescendo, whimpering sobs echoed along the cave walls as the sanctuary became filled with the noise of life again. 

No one wanted to say it, but they knew it had returned.