Wolv

12 - Bloodvein

After three straight hours of driving, my hunger began to grow in the pit of my stomach. I hadn't had a decent meal in the past two days, but with everything that had happened at the hospital, I had been ignoring my starvation. I reached back and grabbed a meal, tearing the packaging open. I sniffed the uncooked meal, and threw back a few mouthfuls of dry pasta, crunching loudly as I chewed. Forget the hot water--the meal was delicious!

A sign to my left read "Manigotagan," and a small town came into view. I glanced down at my dash clock wearily. 5:32 a.m. Ugh, this day hasn't begun and it already feels like it will never end! I parked my car at a dilapidated gas station and pulled out my map from the glove box, tracing my finger along the route I had taken.

The highway ended only a few kilometers away, giving way on the map to a thin grey line. I looked over at the corresponding legend entry: "condition unknown." I swallowed hard, hoping that there would be enough of a road for me to get up to Bloodvein. I hadn't honestly considered the possibility that Bloodvein was accessible only by air. Had I just drove myself to a dead end? Where will I go if I can't get there?

I pulled out of the parking lot and continued down the road. The road began to crumble, giving way to loose, dusty gravel that stretched on for miles. As the sun began to rise, the road deteriorated even more, becoming a dirt pathway, with large ruts cutting through it, dug in by previous vehicles. As I drove, the road remained in that state, making for a nail-biting drive. Dirt plastered its way up my car, clouding my windows slightly.

Despite the miserable route, the surrounding country was starkly beautiful. The great plains of Manitoba had long since faded to thick, boreal forest, and the flat, fertile ground was becoming more rocky by the mile, as the plains slowly morphed into tough Canadian shield. Several tiny lakes zipped by, glittering brightly with the morning sun.

An hour later, I pulled up to the edge of the reserve and rolled to a stop. A sign stood by the road, signifying that I was now on treaty land. I don't even know if I'm allowed to come in here without permission. Heck, I don't even know who to ask. I opened the door and stepped out, walking awkwardly towards the sign. My knees protested with every step, until I finally stopped walking and squatted down on the side of the road. Instantly, the pain in my legs disappeared, as if this was their natural position. My vision whitened slightly, and in the back of my mind I heard the eerie voice of the wolf, whispering to me.

"It soon will be."

A shiver raced down my spine at his words, and I forced myself back up to a standing position in front of the sign. There were no notices, no indications anywhere on the sign that forbade me from entering--none that I was seeing, anyway. I turned around and loped my way back into my car, sighing heavily as I sat back down, feeling my knees almost sing with relief. I threw the transmission back into drive, and pulled forward, covering that last few miles to Bloodvein in a thick, lonely silence. The road began to smooth out, and eventually gave way to white gravel. If the drastically improved road conditions were any hint, than the town had to be near by! I continued driving, and my fuel light flicked on. Frick. I hoped that there was a place here that sold gas!

The community finally came into view. It appeared to be little more than a smattering of homes, nestled into the surrounding forest; gravel roads laced between tiny houses, and to the west I could see and airstrip and a hangar. I drove past a tiny nursing station, with a notice taped over the door proclaiming the number and availability of nurses for the week. Ahead of me was a white building with peeling paint and several missing shingles, marked "Bloodvein First Nation." I pulled up in front of it and opened my door, stepping out into the morning air. I could hear the sound of flowing water to the east, signalling the presence of the Bloodvein river.