Will of Man - Part Three (3 page)

But as far as training to fight, I have no clue where to start.

Tyler's Journal Entry: 386

Date: July 27

Day: Saturday

Weather: Rainy and hot

Miles to go: 629

Last night I walked through a thunderstorm. It was windy, with hard pounding rain, and lots of thunder and lightning. I know I should have taken shelter because of the lightning, but last night, I was motivated and felt strong.

Part of my training when I was preparing for a long race was to prepare my mind. I forced myself through tough situations, I pushed on when I wanted to give up, I ignored the pain when my mind told me to quit. I guess walking through that storm, was me starting to train my mind.

What if I’m PULLED during a storm? I may not be able to run for shelter. I may have to do battle in a tornado for all I know. Who knows, maybe I’ll never be PULLED again, and all this preparation is a waste of time. Hopefully that is the case. But preparing myself does keep my mind busy and it’s best to be prepared than not.

The thunderstorm lasted into the morning when I usually stop walking and start looking for shelter. I found a huge culvert to rest in for the day. Since it was raining, and I didn’t expect anyone to be walking around, I started a fire with some dry wood I found inside the culvert. I hung my clothes to dry and fell asleep near the fire I made.

I had been asleep for a long time when I finally woke up. I expected the fire to be out, but found it still going with a fresh pile of wood on it. Someone added wood to my fire while I was sleeping. I jumped back and grabbed for my machete, but it was not where I left it.

Instead, there was a man holding it, sitting across from me, staring at the fire. He didn’t react, he just calmly said that he wasn’t there to hurt me and that I could relax.

I’m not one to spaz out, so I calmly sat up and stared at him waiting for him to make a move. But he didn’t. He had a rabbit cooking over the fire and asked that I didn’t mind him sharing my fire. He offered me some of his rabbit and we ate in an uncomfortable silence.

The rain was coming down hard, and I could tell he had no intentions of leaving my warm fire for a cold shower.

After a while, we began talking. He asked my name and gave me his. I had a sense he was a good person, but I wasn’t letting my guard down.

He told me his name was Balow (I’m guessing his last name. He didn’t specify) and that he was a Navy Reservist stationed in Biloxi, Mississippi when the LAST DAY happened. He was there doing his annual two-week training. Otherwise, he was a technician for the post office and a high school wrestling coach.

He went on to describe his family of four. He said he had a wife and two kids - one boy and one girl. I could tell he loves his family much by the twinkle in his eye when he talks about them.

He chuckled as he told me stories about his kids and the fun they had together as a family.

He looks like a running back for some NFL football team. His hair is long and dark, his skin is weathered - probably from being on the move for so long.

He has unique eyes; they are light blue and almost appear silver. His silver-blue eyes light up when he speaks of his children. I can tell he misses them very much.

As we spoke, we realized we were both heading in the same direction. He said he is heading to northern Michigan to meet with his family who live near Mackinaw City near the Mackinaw Bridge.

We agreed that maybe our paths crossed since my family and I go near Mackinaw on family trips. We talked about the different places near Mackinaw, like fort Michilimackinac, the Mill Creek campground, and the Mackinaw Bridge.

He said he use to do the annual walk across the bridge with his family and that they often would ferry to the island to explore. It was nice talking to someone who had similar memories as me. It made me feel closer to home.

Balow suggested we stick together. He is good at traveling the land and I have an atlas to guide us. Maps are actually hard to find anymore since almost everyone was using GPS.

He was impressed with how prepared my dad was for the LAST DAY. Balow said he’s been traveling for almost two years and has seen and heard many things. Many people did not make it through the first year after the LAST DAY. Those that did, did so because they were prepared or had help from someone who was. And then there was those who turned bad and just took what they wanted.

Balow told me of a few close calls he had with bad people. He showed me his “weapons of choice” as he called them. They were two hatchets, more like tomahawks. He let me hold them, but warned me they were razor sharp. He said that if I want, he will show me how to use them. They looked pretty cool and I was excited to learn.

Balow is easy to talk to. He reminds me of my dad. I can tell he was a good coach, like my dad was a good teacher. Good coaches/teachers are interested in showing things to others, even when they don’t have to.

My dad was always involving me in the things he did around the house. He had me helping him change brake pads on his old truck when I was only five years old.

Whenever Dad thought he had a teachable moment, he’d call Tanner and me over to show us how to do something. If we could handle it, he’d have us do it. He’d often say, Tyler you’re old enough now; I think it’s time you start doing (fill in the blank).

Balow and I planned our route on the atlas and talked about the different areas we should avoid. He said he was heading to the Cumberland River and that he thinks he can get us passage on a steam boat. I’ve never traveled on a steam boat before. I remember reading Mark Twain and thinking how cool it would be to travel on a steam boat back in the old days.

I know I am letting my guard down, but having Balow in my camp allowed me to sleep a little easier that night.

Tyler's Journal Entry: 387

Date: July 28

Day: Sunday

Weather: Sunny and hot

Miles to go: 623

Balow talked me into traveling during the day in order to get to the Cumberland River on time. He said the steam boat departed at noon and we would have to travel by day to get there in time.

Traveling seemed to go by faster with Balow walking with me. He was impressed with the pace I was able to maintain. I told him about my triathlon racing and he thought that was cool.

As we walked, Balow filled me in on what he has learned about the PULL and the THIRST as I call it. I don’t know if what he says is true, but it does explain a lot.

He said the world is being divided into two “types.” Not necessarily good and evil, but in his words, the GIVERS and the TAKERS.

Balow went on to explain that there are two types of people - ones who give themselves to others and those who think only of themselves.

He gave an example, “Two men come to a door at the same time, one man stops and opens the door for the other, the other man walks through without saying anything.”

Balow went on to say, “The one who walks through the door without thinking of the other, expects to be the first one and will make sure he is the first to walk through. He takes from the world and takes advantage of situations to benefit himself. The other, who opened the door, will always put others in front of himself and gives to the world around him.

“
Which are you Tyler?” Balow asked.

“
I guess I’m a giver.” I answered.

“
I know you are Tyler.” I just wanted to hear you say it. You will find a bond with those on…” Balow paused as he placed his hand on my shoulder and then said, “…Our team.”

Balow went on to explain that the world is now made up of two types of people. I will know who is and who is not on my side. I will feel comfortable with certain people, like Balow, and sense a common bond with those on our side.

The other side will seem foreign to me and I will be disgusted by their presence. They will feel the same towards me. Balow said it is pointless trying to bond or come to a common ground with the other side.

The other side is who we are PULLED to and ultimately will have to fight against. They did not start this, and neither did our side. Balow does not know why this is happening, but knows that the world is fighting over something, and the war will not end until the other side is wiped from existence.

I asked how we will know who is winning. He said we can tell by the moon. If the moon is more dark than light, then the other side is winning. If there is more light than dark, then we are winning.

Balow said to not worry when the moon is darker on some nights. He’s been observing the moon for a long time and has noticed it going back and forth for quite some time. Right now the moon is in two equal halves. I guess no one is winning - or losing.

Balow asked me to raise my sleeve to expose my forearm. He showed me a mark on my arm I dismissed earlier as a scratch. He explained that the scratch was actually a tally mark to show how many times I’d been PULLED. He showed me his. He has six.

We exchange stories of our PULLS, and they seemed the same every time. Balow said when someone is PULLED; they feel the SURGE in their chest, and then comes the PULL, followed by the THIRST. It is useless to resist.

The PULL can span over a hundred miles, or last just a couple miles. As each person is PULLED and gets closer to the other, the THIRST increases until each opponent finally meets. Then there is a brief moment when the two meet where all PULL and THIRST ceases.

From there, no one knows what happens since everyone at that point blacks out. There is never a witness to the fight and only one person survives.

However, sometimes the fight is so fierce; the victor dies on his way from the fight. That’s why Balow always carries a first aid kit to mend himself after a PULL. He said he came close to death twice now after his six PULLS.

I had forgotten about my PULL for a while until we started to talk about it more. That pukey feeling was returning to my stomach again.

I asked him how he knew so much about what was going on. He said there is a third “type,” and they are neither on our side or the others‘. They are the people who are considered to be on the autistic spectrum. For some reason, they seem to have all the answers to what’s going on. They speak to us when asked and warn us that we must win this battle if we wish for our kind to exist in the future.

The autistic ones are called the GIFTED. People from all over, come to them for advice and knowledge. Both sides have their GIFTED ones.

I still don’t know if I believe Balow. This all seems so….crazy. I’ve only known Balow for a day now. Maybe not having anyone to talk to for a couple months has made me gullible. My heart says I can believe him, my mind says to stay cautious.

Balow and I reached the Cumberland River with time to spare. We had some time before the steam boat was ready to leave, so Balow asked me if I wanted him to show me some fighting techniques.

I accepted, but in my mind, I was self conscious. Balow looks like a tough athletic man. I've never considered myself tough. I was worried he was going to think I was a wimp.

He took me on the other side of a big hill and sat me down.

He got a serious look on his face and said, "How you decide to train will determine how you do in a fight."

This made me feel good, because training was never a burden to me. I love to train. Training was a release from the everyday stresses in my life.

Balow went on to say, "When training, train as though you are training for the heavy-weight championship of the world. Give it everything. Remember, there is someone out there you are going to have to fight. Ask yourself, are you giving all that you can? Are you training harder and smarter than your opponent?"

I was already inspired by Balow's intensity.

Balow said, "You know you will be PULLED again, and that there is someone out there right now you will have to eventually fight. I want you to think about that person often and wonder what they are doing to prepare themselves to defeat you. How many pushups does he do? How often does he practice with his weapon? What is his weapon, and how can you defend against it? Is he sitting, staring at the sky all day, or is he training himself to defeat you? Because you are on his mind constantly. He does not want to lose, anymore than you do."

Balow said we were going to set goals everyday and work towards them when we have time. Achieving little goals each day will build self-confidence. He said we'll set achievable goals and start off slow. For every goal I set and achieve, I will build my self-confidence. A confident fighter is a deadly fighter. Confidence is one of the most important characteristics of a fighter.

Balow noticed my journal and that I write in it every day when I can. He wanted me to take notes and record a journal of my goals. Seeing the goals that I achieve, will inspire me to make new goals, and build upon the ones I already achieved.

Balow said a goal he wants to revisit often is the goal of pushing me physically beyond that which I think I cannot go. He said three times a week, he will spar with me and we will fight until I can't fight anymore. And then we will go even further. Because there will come a point in a fight, where both myself and my opponent will be at the quitting point, and through training, I will be the one to push further - and I will win.