The River

Two weeks later, Brian and Derek get into a bush plane to leave for the woods, and Brian feels calm. Although Derek has little survival knowledge, he will accompany Brian in order to learn about the psychological aspects of survival. In planning for their trip, Derek and Brian chose a lake 100 miles east of the lake where Brian had crashed the first time, with similar terrain. They have a radio in case of emergency, and Brian tells his mother not to worry. As the plane takes off, Brian experiences fear; he sees how easily things could go wrong—the pilot could die, or the engine could quit. He flashes back to the plane crash and the dead pilot that marked the beginning of The Time.

He had dreams of the crash and his time in the woods when he returned home, and even now fights to control feelings of panic. However, he realizes that this plane and situation are completely different. He knows that returning to the woods with Derek will help people, and going back feels like the right thing to do. In the plane, Brian sees all of the gear he and Derek are bringing, and it feels wrong to him.