Nov 8th 1988, The Day I Almost Died

It was dark, but I wasn’t scared. Honest. And just because it was dark didn’t mean it was late. It’s almost always dark in Alaska in the wintertime. But still… my mum told me to be home before the golden hour of sunset faded, but she wasn’t home anyway, so it wasn’t like she’d notice. The wind rustled in the trees around me, bringing with it the scent of pine and winter. I stepped off the road and onto the path I used to cut through the woods. With all the snow on the ground, it didn’t really look that dark. Just gloomy, and quiet. The snow muffled the small noises that usually fill a forest and made my crunching footsteps so loud they seemed to echo back to me oddly. But it was fine. I wasn’t scared or anything. I swung my head from side to side, letting the light from my headlight brush against the edges of the path, highlighting the darkness beyond. There weren’t any glowing eyes. So that was good.

My friend had just gotten his new Nintendo, and I’d definitely stayed longer than I should have. But the idea of walking home in the dark isn’t that scary when you’re comfortable on a couch playing games. I mean, it’s not scary when you’re out walking either, obviously. Not to me anyways… other people might be scared but not me. I wasn’t even scared of Keeluts. Nasty hairless dogs that stalk people who walk through the woods at night. I shivered. From the cold, not fear. Keeluts were just an Inuit legend we’re learning at school. I was eight years old, and eight-year-old boys don’t…

My thoughts stuttered as a soft sound echoed from the forest around me. Had that been a growl? I stopped moving for a second; I didn’t even breathe. The air went quiet around me as my footsteps stilled, but their strange echo kept coming, accompanied by another soft growl. I should turn and look. No, I should just run home to my mum. But she wasn’t home. And running made monsters want to chase you. The footsteps came closer.

Morbid curiosity overcame my terror and I turned around. Stalking down the path towards me was a giant black dog. It was huge! It towered over me. I could see its eyes glowing in the light of my headlamp. It stopped moving right at the entrance to my shortcut, blocking my path back to my friend's house. I could hear its breath as it sniffed the air, and then it licked its lips. Its teeth were huge and shone in the lamplight. I didn’t dare move. But then that seemed like a bad idea, because being chased and hunted is sort of like being in a race, and in a race you never want to be the last one to move.

Slowly, I took a step backwards, then another. It didn’t move. I turned around and grabbed my backpack that I had slung over my shoulder. I kept walking, just walking. It was hard not to start running. But monsters chase things that run. I unzipped my backpack shakily and carefully reached in, pulling out my leftover half of a bologna sandwich. I chucked it to the side of the path and kept walking. After a few steps, I chanced a glance back. It worked! The monster was eating my sandwich instead of me! But just as soon as I had that thought, it swallowed the last of the sandwich and looked up at me, eyes gleaming in the light. I quickly looked ahead again.

The trick with the sandwich had bought me a little time, but the creature was still following me. I hugged my backpack tightly as I reached in to pull out my special beef jerky. Dad had bought it for me. Dad never bought me stuff. But it was better to lose my beef jerky than to be eaten by a Keelut. It took me three tries to open the package. You know, it's really hard to tear a jerky package open normally. But it's a lot harder to do it when you’re hugging your backpack and your hands are cold and shaky. Finally, I tore it open and I tossed the pieces of jerky into the woods as I walked. The beast’s footsteps were loud in my ears, and I couldn’t keep myself from speeding up. I glanced over my shoulder as I threw the last of the beef jerky and its packaging to the side of the trail. Was he getting closer? Or just bigger? Up ahead, I saw the light from a street lamp filter through the last of the trees. I’d made it to the edge of the forest! In the distance I saw my house. It was across the road and two houses down. I was so close! I looked back at the creature. It had found the package and was sniffing and licking it. The monster looked up, and our eyes locked as it licked its lips again, teeth white and bright in my headlamp. I turned and ran. The woodland path gave way to road, and I nearly fell as I ran out onto the packed snow, but I windmilled my arms and kept running. The monster barked, and I was pretty sure I could hear its footsteps close behind me, thudding loudly even over the sound of my heart pounding and my breath puffing in and out. As I ran, I’d managed to sling my backpack back over my shoulder. It was a practiced move. Maybe if the Keelut jumped for me, its teeth would catch onto my backpack instead of my neck.

I reached my house in record time and was more grateful than ever that I’d forgotten to close the fence gate earlier. I grabbed the edge of the gatepost and flung myself through the gate, not bothering to close it. With as big as that creature was, it could probably jump the fence. I tripped on the steps but scrambled up them anyway, grasping at the railing as I leaped the last few feet to the door and pulled it open with a swift tug. I turned around to slam it closed and gasped as I saw the monster jumping towards me, clearing the steps in one giant leap. Slam! The door shut just in time, and the creature slid into it with a thud. I sat down so hard my butt hurt and my teeth rattled. He’d almost gotten me! I’d almost been eaten! I’d almost died! He’d eaten all my special beef jerky! I sat there for a long time listening to the sound of him snuffling outside. He scratched at the door, and I could hear him whining. But I wasn’t stupid. There was no way I was letting that thing into the house. I thought about getting up and making myself some dinner. But I wasn’t hungry, and my legs didn’t want to move. My hands slowly stopped shaking, and suddenly all I wanted to do was sit there and close my eyes. I leaned back in the door frame and rested my head on my backpack. Maybe I’d just stay there for a bit.

I fell sideways onto the floor when I was jolted awake by the sound of a car door closing. My mom! She was home! She was going to get eaten! I jumped up and raced to the window. I peered out into the darkness, trying to see where my mom was. Had she gotten out of the car yet? Was the Keelut after her yet? I ran to my bedroom and grabbed my baseball bat. I heard her yell from outside as I ran to the front door. Nobody, not even a Keelut, was allowed to hurt my mommy. I yanked the door open and looked up into the face of my mother. She was glowering down at me angrily. I blinked up at her. Was she hurt? Had the creature gone away while I’d slept? What was happening?

“I have told you time and time again, Johnny. No, you cannot have a dog! What were you thinking letting a stray dog into our yard and letting him sleep on our porch! This is why you have to keep the gate closed! Get back inside. Quick! It probably has rabies or something.”

My mom put her hand on my back, trying to push me inside, but I hardly noticed her; my attention was caught by the beautiful dark brown husky that was curled up, but alert, in the sheltered corner of our porch. “We are NOT keeping it.” Came my mother’s voice again, but I grinned. I knew she was wrong; I knew we were going to keep that dog. Because it had chased off the Keelut, it had saved my mom’s life, and it was guarding our house. There was no way I was letting my mom talk me out of this one. I was going to have my own dog, and I would never have to be scared of Keeluts again!