After thinking about it more I realized that I couldn't remember anything past that moment. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't retrieve anything that followed that event.
'I would say maybe I was flash-banged and got kidnapped but It came from the sky, so that can't be it. And I can't say I have any other great theories about it.'
This had to be the first time in my life I have ever felt so clueless. As these thoughts continue to race inside my mind I can feel myself slowly falling asleep within the confines of the hollow tree.
'Maybe more memories will come to me in a dream.' Is the last thought I had before finally falling asleep.
When the morning came, I was disappointingly still at square zero with ideas. Fortunately I have many other things to do that will take up my mind. As I go to the stream and drinking some water I lay out a plan in my head
'First I'll look more towards the mountain for any sort of coves near this stream to set up a more permanent camp that is safe from rain. after that it would just be a matter of finding food either in the stream or in the surrounding nature. Hopefully as I adjust to the area I can slowly travel further out and find civilization in some direction.'
If I can follow this plan in theory I'll find any civilization that is close by while giving myself much more safety. I splash water on my face and begin walking up the river bed. While I look at the passing scenery I continue to glance at the water to see if I can find any amount of fish. There are some spread out here and there but for the most part its very barren. The scenery gradually inclines more and more. The terrain grows more jagged with rocks jutting from the ground and a breeze becoming more apparent from the ground of foliage and underbrush.
As I followed the stream, it eventually expanded to be much wider and deeper. Before the stream was at most 10 feet across and only about shin-deep at the center, this was much more. The stream was now almost 25 feet across and it looks to be much deeper in the middle but I can't be sure how much deeper yet. I could see up ahead where the stream once again shrunk down to around the original size. There were much more signs of life in this stream basin than there had been in the other parts I've seen.
"This will be where I get my food from now on!" I declared to no one. Or maybe to the fish I guess. "The next question is how the hell do I catch a fish." The idea was important because without a fishing pole or net, I can't think of any other way to get them. I know I am not skilled enough to grab them. Maybe I can find a stick that can be used as a spear? That is my only real idea here so I guess It'll have to do.
After some searching, while I wasn't able to find any spear sticks, I found a very thick stick that almost forms the shape of a large mallet. hopefully blunt force trauma will be effective on fish, otherwise it is gonna be a long day.
As luck would have it, fish are susceptible to being beaten to death. although the first kill floated downstream too quickly, the second was retrieved and eaten raw. Sadly there were very few other options. I grew up living in and around a relatively big city, I never thought survival would be a priority of mine. Learning to survive off the land wasn't interesting to me up until now, and it would be a lie to say I was interested in it. I'm more interested in living rather that the skills themselves. But it's too little to late I suppose.
"I really wish I learned how to start a fire right about now. Life really is unpredictable. Never thought I would have to know all these things. I'm in the city and next thing you know I'm stuck out in the wilderness." I contemplated the absurdity of my situation and kicked myself for having no interest in outdoor survival skills in the past. Now that I have a method of getting food, the only thing left is to begin walking in order to find shelter. I grabbed my wood mallet and began walking upstream once again in hopes of finding a nice cove near the stream once it reached the mountains.
When the mountains became closer, the terrain I would be working with became more apparent. there was a distinct line where the incline began to rise much more drastically than it had before, most notably contrasted by the ending of all the plant life. From that line forward it was a slope of sheer rock and stone. Only small plants could nest itself onto the rocky incline. The forest edge was drawn clearly around the edge of the mountains. The stream that I have been following was coming from the gap between two mountains. The two mountains were close yet separated. there was a tall strait down chasm between the two mountains peaks. They looked almost as if the two mountains were initially one mountain but were sliced in two.
"This has to have exactly what I'm looking for" I stated in excitement.
As I entered the mouth of the gap, I was able to see down the entirety of it. It was hundreds of feet long and had multiple coves in it that he would be able to find shelter in. The more I looked at this gap it seemed like a straight cut through the mountain. I am not a geography expert but I do know that something like this does not occur naturally. The gap looks to be cut out by man. Maybe with this I am one step closer to finding civilization again! At least I'm not stranded somewhere that is untouched by humans. I begin exploring the cut with much more bounce in my step than before.
"I really am lucky today aren't I?" I asked myself.
The answer was yes, but it made sense. Who would have dragged me all the way into the middle of nowhere without waking me, and have no way of returning to civilization? Hopefully the answer was nobody. As I explored the chasm, I found a fairly deep cove and set down the burdensome mallet and took a short break. This should be a good enough place to call home base for now. As I adapt to this environment I can maybe turn this into a nice little house or something.
'If only I had a hatchet, then maybe someone would write a book about me' I mused
After a short break I continued my walk down the chasm, this time leaving the heavy hammer at home. After walking for a bit I saw a hole that was much bigger and deeper than the rest. It was not a cove, it was a cave. I slowly walked over to the entrance to the cave and could see some light coming from the end of the cave. There was a bend in it so I couldn't see the end of it but there was clearly something on the other side. I entered the cave, the closer I got to the bend the more I realized is that it looked like natural light. Maybe it was a cave leading up to the top of the mountain? Once I turned the corner I was blown away by what I was seeing.