Day 73

I scooped up Lupe and bolted for the river, seeing drag marks near the dirt right by the water. Whoever had taken my boat had either pushed it in or was riding it down the river. Whoever it was, they got away. Even if it had happened only 10 minutes before I got there, they would be long gone. My roughly made boat was still here, in the shape of a rowboat, but I still needed another day to finish it, which is probably why they didn't take it. It was only two or three people I bet, otherwise they might have taken both.

I figured a couple of things walking back to my home, and as I started cleaning it up. One, whoever took my boat didn't destroy the nearly finished one, so they must not see me as a threat. I feel like they're almost taunting me. Two, they must have known I'd be coming back eventually, so why did they run instead of stay and fight me, are they scared? Three, whoever it is must be about human-sized or smaller, otherwise, they wouldn't have taken the boat, since it didn't make sense to just throw the boat in the river when they could have destroyed everything instead.

I finished cleaning up, finding the rest of my journal intact felt like a relief, at least they hadn't fucked with this. I locked my door by sealing it fully and did the same for the roof of it, and the trapdoor, before settling for bed, after placing some primitive tripwire alarms around the hut and staircase up. I curled up with a large bowl of water and Lupe. We had had a large dinner, eating the watermelon flavored boar meat, as strange as it was, it was a new flavor and gave me some ideas for future preparation. I started meditating before going to bed.

I got up bright, early, and ready. I was going to finish my boat, and then take it downstream. One way or another, I was going to find whoever did this, and find out why the fuck they took my boat. So I got to work, after a light breakfast and all that. It took me till noon to finish sanding and polishing the boat, making sure there were no gaps or leaks, floating it, and testing the oars and everything, including a rudder.

I was eating a heavy lunch, and preparing to launch the boat, with me and Lupe in it, when I heard the distant rumble of thunder. I climbed up a tree, and peered out, seeing storm clouds rapidly approaching. I picked up my boat and ran it back home. Lupe followed behind, seeming to sense the storm clouds as well. We got into the hut, and sat down, the boat properly stowed, and tucked next to the sled under a hastily made shed, fully sealed.

It seemed like the rain wasn't going to be letting up anytime soon, and I decided to eat dinner early before meditating for a long while and then going to bed.