Wil had never worn a watch. He considered them an outdated antiquity of an era long gone. He had usually relied on a phone or other handheld device to keep track of time. He was now mildly lamenting that fact, as he now had nothing but the height of the sun to approximate the time of day. He tried to shove aside these regrets with the excuse that even if he had carried a watch, it would likely have disappeared with the rest of his personal effects.
This brought him back to the question. Where in the world was he? He hazily remembered something about the jackalope being North American lore, but none of the local topography or even the shapes of the distant mountains looked even the slightest bit familiar. That being said, he didn't consider himself a learned or scholarly type, but he had received a modest education, something which most youth of his generation were unable to boast.
Through the miles and miles he'd walked he hadn't seen a single sign of civilization or human presence. Not a single piece of litter on the ground or a jet in the sky. No vehicle tracks on the ground or land markers. It was possible that he could be on some kind of preserve, but even a preserve would show signs of human passage as it was cared for, not to mention the seemingly gargantuan chunk of land it seemed to cover. He couldn't even begin to make a guess. The climate seemed so perfect that he couldn't imagine humans not putting it to use.
He glanced behind himself briefly. The jackalope was still bouncing after him, matching his own pace while keeping the same distance from him as it had done for all this time. If he stopped, it would stop as well, and remain motionless, unless of course, he attempted to approach it, as it would simply hop backwards to keep distance. Whatever its intentions were, he had nothing to go on. The possibilities were seemingly limitless. It could simply be following him out of curiosity, or perhaps it was trying to follow him back to his territory so that it could make future attacks, not that Wil felt particularly threatened. It was an animal after all. If what he had seen before was the extent of its abilities, he was sure that he could easily come out on top.
Wil once again put the rabbit out of his thoughts, and resumed his pondering as to his current situation. "Where" was not the only important question he needed to be asking, but also "why", assuming this was not all just some crazy dream. It seemed incredibly long lasting as well as realistic for a dream. The area the animal had kicked him was still painfully sore, not that he let it show. For what purpose had he been left here? He imagined that anyone with knowledge of the company he kept would have found it much more sensible to simply kill him if they had the chance, or at the very least, torture him for information. If not that, then perhaps someone with a grudge? Even then, anyone with an idea of his capabilities should have understood that leaving him alive was just giving him another chance to seek retribution. Leaving him alive was too dangerous. In that case, there was the chance that his abduction was entirely random. He stopped for a moment, then continued walking. He wasn't going to undress out in the open in the middle of nowhere, it didn't matter if there were people around or not. At a later time, he would have to check his body for scars or wounds. Perhaps he had been a victim of one of those organ stealing schemes with no understanding of his affiliation. He could have been left here so that his death could not be connected to them. In addition, if he suddenly showed up out of the wilderness making such claims, people may dismiss him as mad. The more he wondered on it, the more questions he acquired, and the more his train of thought came to resemble his previous ponderings.
He would have liked if the organization was keeping their eyes on him, and would be suddenly showing up to remove him from the feild. However, if they already knew where he was, he'd be cozy in a car or aircraft right now with a drink in hand. With the chance that they had lost contact with him, he knew they would not simply write him off. He had value to the organization, and they would not simply let even one of their dogs vanish or remove themselves from the grid. They would continue to search for answers, and with their abundant resources, no matter where he was in the world, they were sure to find him eventually. He understood that some operatives held fancies of "retiring" from the organization and taking their wealth and resources to live a luxurious lifestyle free from their eyes. As far as Wil was aware, there was not a single operative that had ever escaped. Wil did not dislike his work, but he could understand why some would have those desires.
To put it simply, the organization would catch up to him eventually. If they found him in a situation that looked like he wasn't actively trying to reconnect with them...
It wouldn't be good.
Wil continued to chew on grasses as he went on his way. His throat was growing quite dry, and at this point he was sure he was beginning to smell. He was making an attempt to keep a pace at which he should have sweat minimally, but likely due to his uncleanly state and his lack of proper nutrition, his back and limbs were slick with sweat, which was in turn being absorbed into his clothing. The weather was fine. The gentle breeze was actually cooling him off. It was the non-stop walking that was bringing it out of him. From an onlookers perspective, Wil would have seemed overdressed. However, the materials of his clothes were especially light and allowed for air to flow through them easily, as long as excessive sweating and grime from his body didn't smother them. Luckily, his clothes hadn't been damaged in his tussle with the jackalope. They were custom-made and fitted, as well as moderately expensive. He typically wouldn't be dressed as such while in the field, and while replacing his finer clothing wasn't exactly a hassle considering his funds, he still preferred not to spend frivolously, a habit from his life before the organization. He shook his head, as if shaking such thoughts off. There was nothing from those times worth thinking about.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Searching for some distraction from all of his questions and wandering thoughts, Wil scanned the horizon. The ever-present mountains loomed ahead. Strangely enough, they only seemed to be growing larger, while as far as he could tell, he was still a long ways away. He was still unable to see the base of the mountains over the horizon. They must definitely be monstrous. Hopefully there would be some sort of human presence closer to the mountains, otherwise, he heavily doubted he would be able to cross them. Mountain climbing really wasn't his expertise, as the organization generally operated around human populations.
Wil squinted as he tried to make out the edge of the horizon. There did appear to be something there against the towering mountains, something besides what he had been seeing before, a contrast before the earthen monuments. He couldn't make it out.
He looked up into the sky. The sun was still hanging high. Wil was the type who enjoyed spending his free time doing very little. Boredom was welcomed and enjoyed, and yet, he was growing tired of the unchanging landscape. It didn't help that both hunger and thirst were slowly gnawing away at him. In fact, if he could secure food, water, and shelter, he might have even been able to actually enjoy his predicament, like a little unplanned vacation, almost. Perhaps, if he ever found his way back to civilization, he might do just that.
Once the sun had completely fallen from the sky, the light had gone from the day, and the stars and colorful bodies of the universe emerged, Wil made his way to the nearest standing tree and set himself down. Naturally, the jackalope stopped as well, although it seemed to have inched closer slightly. He reminded himself to keep a close eye on the animal.
He had been eating more of the grass as his thirst had increased. His craving for liquid gave way to him trying to alleviate his needs by putting more of something else down his throat. He had only needed to relieve himself twice over the past few days, and while he had heard of a survival show host "recycling" his own body fluids, Wil figured he would rather die than surrender his dignity in such a way, though, who knew what kinds of things he could convince himself of at death's door.
Leaning against the base of the tree, he looked up at the sky while also keeping tabs on the rabbit. He was still left speechless by this sky. He had seen images of such displays throughout his life, but he had never seen something of such stunning grandiose himself. He had been taught as a child that certain types of pollution had led to the true night sky being hidden in all but the most remote places in the world. There was something oddly calming about staring out into the infinite beyond under this kind of magnitude, in a way similar to that of submerging one's entire head underwater, in which the familiar everyday noises were quieted, garbled, and replaced with the ambience of the water's movements.
After some time, Wil closed his eyes, keeping his ears open and ready and attentive in case the animal tried anything while he rested.
Thud.
A low, powerful sound reverberated through the night air. Wil's eyes snapped open as his gaze darted in all directions. He caught sight of the jackalope lying almost flat on the ground as if trying to conceal itself in a patch of grass that nearly came up to his knees. Its long ears normally standing straight back from the top of its head were pressed flat across its crown and back. It was shaking.
Thud.
It was louder this time. It seemed to be coming from above. While the bright and starry sky illuminated the heavens, the blanket of night still darkened the surroundings. He couldn't see any movement anywhere, nor could he make out the moving lights that would normally give an aircraft away. He pressed his body straight against the tree's body and kept his vigilance.
THUD!
A sudden blast of wind rocked the greenery, pressing Wil forcefully against the wooden effigy. The jackalope was knocked over by the wind as well, sending the animal barreling in his direction. Its body offered no resistance as its limbs appeared to be locked in place in a reaction of utter terror.
An even darker shadow fell over the area as an enormous shape blotted the moon and the stars from the sky. The limbs of the tree creaked in protest as the powerful winds battered them mercilessly.
THUD!
Wil tensed. The grass was not tall enough for him to hide in, not that such cover would be of much use in the face of a stealth aircraft able to pick up thermal signatures. He listened intently and kept his eyes to the sky for any sounds of gunfire. There wasn't anything he could do against an aircraft unarmed, but he would stay alive for as long as possible, however futile his efforts would be.
Thud.
The stars overhead reappeared as the shape passed by, the furious winds dying down and becoming still almost immediately. He looked down at the jackalope, which was now mere steps from him, huddled on the ground. It was still shaking, its sides heaving from heavy breathing.
Thud.
The sound grew quieter as the object moved further away. Wil slid down against the tree, and let out his breath as his body relaxed. Whatever it was, he had never heard that kind of sound coming from an aircraft before. The organization typically would act in such a way, using aircraft to search for or hunt anyone down, and since he had been unable to get a good look at it, he had no idea what make or nationality it belonged to.
Either way, if the organization was looking for him, he wouldn't see them coming