He Came From The Wild

Chapter Eight | Meeting Monsters

Miranda’s father hugged his daughter until she was begging him to let her go, which she regretted as they were then interrupted. The rest of the search team took over the situation in a flurry of activity that had Braydon’s head spinning. The hounds all went to him, tails wagging and curiously excited over the find. Their howls sent birds flying across the sky to escape the intrusion and the creatures that had started to venture out from their homes in the dimming light all stayed in longer. 

“Get her some water!”

“Where is the medic?”

The chorus of questions and orders only added the chaos of the moment, and taken from her father, Miranda was wrapped in a foil blanket from behind, and turning a woman shoved water and a protein bar into her hands. As she stepped back, a man was there with a torch which he flicked between each eye making her drop the food and she pulled the blanket tighter around herself defensively. It didn’t deter him from trying to take her blood pressure or check her vitals. Being rescued suddenly didn’t like such a great idea and it was as MIranda looked for Braydon, one of the team asked the most obvious question of all.

“Who is that guy?”

Everyone stopped as all the focus left Miranda and instead went to Braydon. Just like the birds, he wanted to take flight and disappear. His face paled while a nervous sweat beaded along his forehead and breaking free from the group around her, Miranda pushed through them all and went to stand beside him.

“This is Braydon. He kind of saved my life!” She declared to the team, and looking up at Braydon, Miranda smiled to try and reassure him. “It’ll be okay Braydon, trust me!”

In his mind, his wolf was urging him to stay as it accepted Miranda was right and it was time to return to the real world. It was the human who wanted to run, hide; stay invisible and be forgotten. That was until Miranda took his hand in hers and gently squeezed it.

“What do you mean saved your life?” Miranda’s father spoke first, moving over towards them as the group suddenly found a variety of things to do, which included calling in their discovery on the radio to base camp.

“Braydon, this is my father, Donald Wright,” she introduced; hoping that would help Braydon with his nerves. “Well Dad, after the plane crashed, I remember walking to find help. Instead I must have passed out after crossing the river and when I woke up, I was in a hut not far from here and Braydon was looking after me. He cleaned up the few cuts I had, gave me food and water. Saved my life really.” Miranda rambled, praying no one asked too many questions about her story – or his.

“Well son, you’re my hero. Thank you for saving my little girl!” Miranda’s father extended his hand for Braydon to shake, and instead he only looked at it as if it was a cobra ready to strike.  Miranda nudged Braydon gently and instinctively his hand raised to shake the older mans.

“What are you doing out here?” Donald asked, glancing behind them as if he expected more people to appear looking back at Braydon. Tanned skin covered a strong, lithe build and His hair was longer than Donald thought acceptable on a man, yet he had kind eyes - even in his terrified state and for some reason all he could think of a dog he had rescued years ago. It had been so frightened and unsure, reluctant to leave the cage it had been kept in. It took some effort, but after being reassured it would be okay – it turned out to be the most loyal animal he had ever met. He had never met someone so hesitant and clearly the attention was making his daughter’s rescuer uncomfortable.

“That’s the other thing Dad, Braydon is as lost out here as I am! He has amnesia, and has just kind of stuck around the cabin for the last few months. It’s a miracle really!” Again Miranda was praying her stories were believed and the doubt on her father’s face was obvious.