Hatchet #5

Hatchet

Chapter 5

Tuesday January 31, 2012

Gripped by unbelievable thirst and hunger upon awakening, Brian drinks water from the lake while trying to grasp the fact that he has landed in this complete wilderness. While reassuring himself that the searchers will come that day to rescue him in the near future, Brian recalls his old English teacher Mr. Perpich. He remembers that this professor had repeatedly emphasized to his students the importance of a positive attitude, and Brian uses this memory to motivate himself against despair. Brian experiences the profound silence of the woods, noting that such silence never exists back in the city. In a sudden wave of depression, Brian suddenly remembers that he had bumped the wheel when reaching over for the pilot's headset. He believes this action had most likely rerouted the plane, and begins to accept the fact that the search planes might not rescue him for a few days. Sensing imminent panic, Brian works to calm himself. With his hopes plummeting, Brian is determined to find something to eat and make a shelter to call home.