I Am Still Alive

Jess takes Bo out hunting just before dawn and starts to consider the area she lives in like a kingdom she must protect. She walks across the lake, which is mostly frozen solid, and hears a rustling in the trees nearby. Jess spots a large doe and realizes that she has an amazing opportunity to feed herself and Bo for weeks. She shoots the doe with an arrow, and although it runs, it quickly weakens and falls to the ground. Jess shoots it a second time to kill it, then uses the knowledge she has gained from her new wild game book to gut it. After completing the process, Jess begins hauling the deer carcass back over the lake. When she gets about halfway, the wolf-dog appears again and charges for her and Bo. A struggle ensues as the wolf-dog attacks. She eventually manages to stab it with an arrow and scare it off, but Bo has an injured shoulder, and Jess nearly falls in the lake when a section of ice breaks.

Jess manages to get herself and the deer carcass back to the cabin, leaving it in the shed so she can tend to Bo’s wound.