Dawn of the Yeti Read Online Free PDF

doesn’t hesitate, not taking the time to look
menacing or snarl or howl over its kill, it tears into him. His screams quickly
turn to gurgles as the wolf rips out his throat. I freeze, as do we all,
watching in horror as the Banjankri is devoured. All thoughts of my escape
disappear from my mind.
    The other
Banjankri run, screaming, towards the wolf, brandishing their spears. Goatee
even has a shotgun. Meredith turns to me, motions to the hills with a slight
nod. I follow her pointing chin and see a line of wolves cresting the snowcaps.
There are five of them, including the one currently tearing into the Banjankri.
Monster for monster.
    The shotgun fires
and I see the first wolf drop in a spray of red, the top half of its head
exploding into shards and brain spatter. As if this were their cue, the wolves
descend, heading straight for the group of Banjankri.
    I can’t help but
stare, watch in horror as they tear into one another, spears jabbing into eyes,
mouths, teeth rending flesh, tearing it away one maw-full at a time. And the
snarls and screams fill the air as the blood spatters the snow in rainbow arcs.
It’s Meredith that finally pulls me away, takes my arm, and drags me in the
opposite direction.
    We head up into
the hills, trying to get away as fast as possible. My mind shifts to the
footprints we’re leaving behind, and I know that if any of the Banjankri
survives, they’ll be able to find us without much of any trouble. The gunfire,
screams and howls break the almost black night. We run.
    The snow crunches.
Overhead clouds drift into the moon’s budding gaze, turning the black even
darker, making it hard to navigate. We stumble, but keep moving forward and
away, the sounds still seeming to come from just over our shoulders. I can hear
Meredith breathe, myself. Mine are shorter, more gasps than breath. And I
suddenly realize why she drank the soup. My strength is all but sapped, and we
can’t be more than 100 yards away. I stop, tearing away from her to catch my
breath.
    Another shot rips
through the sky. Then silence.
    Both of us look
back, but there is nothing to see, it’s too dark, too far away. Meredith tugs
at my arm and drags me to the side of a hill, pushing me down into a divot.
    “It doesn’t
matter,” I say. I point to the tracks.
    Meredith’s
eyebrows knit over her fluorescent eyes. She doubles back and starts running
circles around the different hills. Though I appreciate her efforts, I know it
won’t matter. They’ll find us if they want to. If anyone is still alive.
    She drops down
beside me and huddles close. It’s the first time we’ve ever been alone, this
close. Her arms wrap around me, pulling me tighter. And the world fades.
     
    *         
*   *
     
    It’s a Sunday
morning and I can smell pancakes drifting in from the kitchen. Krista, my
daughter, must be making us breakfast. Genevieve nuzzles into my neck, her nose
tickling the short hair. Sun filters through the cracks in the blinds, warming
us even further. I feel cooked all the way through, too warm and drowsy to
move. So I stay, breathing in the scents of flour and syrup, basking in the
sun, the warmth, the comfort of my wife’s arms.

Chapter Ten

 
     I come back
to a gun barrel aimed in my face, a frantic Goatee screaming at the two of us.
We put our hands up. Two spears point in our direction as well. We stand, the
three enemies yelling us, prodding us with spear point and gun barrel. They march
us back the way we came, and I realize how feeble our attempt was. It failed
before we ever started. I failed, being too stupid to not keep up my strength,
regardless of what the meal consisted of.
    When we near the
cave, the aftermath of the battle oozes out like a wound. Blood and body parts,
both man and animal, are strewn across the area, connected by the thin trails
of red, almost black in the night.
    From what I can
tell, the only Banjankri to fall was the leader, though the youngest, looks to
be in a bad