Getting Ready
At last, John was ready to make the rescue. He didn’t know how long the suffering animal had been trapped by now. Compared to most people, John was much more determined, so he asked his friends for help.
He was sure they would be eager to help, and he knew that they had the skills necessary to succeed. But none of them realized what they were planning to save.
Closing In
Under the impression that they were ready, the men closed in. John could hardly resist running to the animal to rescue it, but he was well aware that would be the wrong move.
They wouldn’t get another chance to save the creature, so they had to succeed the first time. Through the thick mud, John guided the others towards the beaver. But their belief that everything was under control was a mistake.
A Bad Feeling
Keeping his eyes on the terrified animal, John waded through the mud of the riverbank. Knowing that the animal was wild, he reminded himself to be cautious. Becoming acquainted with a beaver’s teeth and claws would not be fun.
But even if it was dangerous for him, he felt it was necessary to rescue the animal. But he soon realized he didn’t take every danger into consideration. Now that he was within a few feet of the creature, he began to feel that something was off.
Not What I Thought
John was within inches of the animal when he understood his error. He noticed something he’d previously missed. His pulse started racing, but it was too late to do anything now.
He was already too close, and the sticky mud made a quick escape impossible. If the creature decided to attack him now, his life would be in its hands.
Getting Scared
John glanced back at his friends in horror. He was overcome with a sense of dread. One of the men asked him, “What’s wrong?” The only words John could get out were, “That’s no beaver.”
The others stared at John, puzzled. Seeing his expression, they could tell that this was much worse than just a little beaver. They were all questioning what they should do next.
Taking A Chance
Inhaling deeply, John proclaimed that they still needed to rescue it. The others were all in agreement. What sort of animal it was was irrelevant. They couldn’t leave it to suffer like this.
Slowly moving forward, John didn’t know what to expect. The creature’s size was too large for a beaver, and those weren’t a beaver’s teeth meant for wood. Those were massive fangs.
Touching Distance
Creeping onward, John was getting close enough to touch the animal. He would now be able to help it escape the thick mud. It was likely getting exhausted from endlessly fighting to get out.
John didn’t know if it still had the strength to fight. After slowly counting to three, he gently placed his hand on the creature. He was able to feel its ragged breaths through its matted coat. But he was still unable to identify the animal.
A Beast Set Free
So far, John’s plan had succeeded. After tying the rope to his own waist, he passed it to his friends to do the same. He carefully placed his arms around the mysterious creature. Then he yelled to his friends to pull, and they started trying to yank him free from the mud.
But they didn’t know the events they were putting into motion. The men finally managed to get the beast out of the muddy bank, but as soon as it realized it was free again, it took action. John and his friends then discovered that they would not be able to defend themselves from what they set free.
A Kansas Man
An average man from Kansas, Missouri, John Dent had spent his childhood on the edge of the city, living with his parents near one of the countless forests in the area. To spend some valuable time together, John’s father would often take his son hiking nearby.
As he grew older, he became familiar with all the hiking trails and continued to explore them now that he was an adult. But he never expected what he would eventually discover.
John’s Dream
When he was just a kid, John had already chosen his dad as his idol. He dreamed of being just like him and becoming a policeman. John wanted to be able to save other people’s lives and protect those unable to do so themselves.
Immediately after completing high school, John joined the police academy. He graduated at the top of his class.
Just Like His Dad
His scores were the highest in his class. Even some of the instructors told him he was just like his father. They were big shoes to fill, but he knew he could do it.
John enjoyed doing exactly what he had wanted to do growing up. He was willing to do things many people weren't. But he didn't know that one day, he'd have to put it to use.
Friends
John made sure to make friends with the right people. He had a buddy who was in the military and another in construction. These were people willing to do whatever it took to get the job done.
They were strong-willed, and that's what he loved in people. One day, they would all be pushed to their limits after John decided to go on a hike.
A Day Like Any Other
It was a normal Saturday like any other. John woke up at eight in the morning and knew he had the whole day ahead of him. It wasn't often that he took an entire day off, but today was one of those days.
He was excited thinking of all the possibilities of the day. He decided that he would hike on one of his dad's old trails.
A Special Trail
The trail he had in mind was one he didn't use often. He thought it was too special to use it too often. It even cut through a stream at one point. It was his dad's favorite, and he felt closer to him whenever he walked on it.
His dad had passed away a few years prior, so it was one of the only times he felt connected with him again.
Walking It Alone
Because it was a special trail, he would only walk on it alone. He had hiked with his friends plenty, but this was his dad's trail. He made the preparations to head out into the nearby forest.
Thankfully, he hadn't moved too far from where he lived as a kid. This meant that all of the familiar woods were never far away. But today would be full of surprises for the off-duty cop.
Just As He Remembered
John walked into the woods alone and immediately smelt the soil in the air. It had just stormed the day before. This meant that the mud was thick enough to swallow his shoes if he wasn't careful.
He loved walking into the cool shaded forest when it had just rained. It brought back fond memories of his father. He continued on towards the stream.
Seeing Something
As John approached the stream, he saw something that didn't look right. The river bank looked like a muddy paste, but he saw something brown against the grey.
He decided to walk closer, but what he saw made his heart drop. While it was a rare sight, beavers inhabited the woods. John always loved seeing woodland creatures on his walks. But this one needed help.
Springing Into Action
John quickly assessed the situation. The beaver was stuck in the mud and barely moving. He knew that it wouldn't last for much longer without any food.
He sprang into action, but then he realized something. It was no good if he got stuck, plus the animal could retaliate if it was scared. He knew that he couldn't do this alone.
A Phone Call
John grabbed his phone and decided it was best if he called the people that he could rely on. He called his friends, who were the perfect people for the job.
Angus and William told him they'd be there as soon as they could. No one was going to let a poor creature die on their watch. But they were mistaken about it being helpless.
On The Scene
After half an hour, both Angus and William were on the scene with the equipment that John had asked for. They had a long rope. They agreed to pull him out once he got hold of the creature.
It wouldn't be easy, but they had no other choice. They couldn't wait around for a rescue service. John knew that with his friends by his side, they could achieve anything.
No Hesitation
John had finally made the right preparations to go in for the save. The poor animal had been stuck for who knows how long. He had more resolve than most people. It's why he called his friends.
He knew that they wouldn't hesitate to help out and that they'd be competent enough to pull it off. But no one had any idea what they were really rescuing.
One Chance
The men all got closer now that they thought they were prepared. John wanted more than anything to sprint over the animal and save it, but he knew that wasn't a good idea.
They only had one chance to save the animal, so they had to make it count. John led the rest of the men through the thick mud towards the beaver. But things weren't in control like they thought they were.
Through The Muddy Bank
John pulled himself through the muddy bank as he closed in on the scared animal. It was a wild animal, so he had to be careful. Beaver's claws and teeth were no joke.
He had to try to save the animal even if it put him at risk. But he hadn't factored in every risk. He was now just a few feet away from the animal. That's when he realized that something was very wrong.
A Mistake
John got close to the animal before he realized his mistake. There was something else that he hadn't seen before. He felt his heart start to pound, but there was nothing that he could do now.
He had already gotten too close to the creature, and with the thick mud, he wouldn't be able to retreat. He knew that if it chose to attack, then he would be at its mercy.
Dread
John felt dread creep up his spine as he looked back at his friends with a look of terror on his face. "What is it?" One of his friends asked, but all John could mutter was, "Not a beaver."
The rest of the men all looked at him in confusion. From the look on his face, this was something far worse than any beaver. But the real question was what their next move would be.
No Compromises
John took a deep breath and said, "We still have to save it." The rest of the men agreed. No matter what kind of creature it was, it didn't deserve this fate.
Now venturing into the unknown, John crept closer. It was far too big to be a beaver, and instead of the oversized front teeth for chewing through wood, there were large fangs.
Touching The Animal
He inched closer until he was in touching distance. Now, he could help pull the animal out of the muddy bank. No doubt the animal was tired from struggling for who knew how long.
He wondered if it had any strength left to fight back. He counted to three and put his hand lightly on the animal. He could feel its deep breathing through the matted fur. But he still had no idea what it was.
Unleashing A Monster
John had gotten this far without incident. He tied the rope around his waist and it to his friends. He slowly put his arms around the creature and shouted, "Pull!" The men started heaving him out of the mud, but they had no idea what they were doing.
They managed to unearth the creature from the mud, but as soon as it knew it could move, it sprang into action. The men didn't stand a chance against what they had unleashed.
A Wolf
The three men were now staring danger right in the eyes. The animal was now in a defensive pose, waiting to see what they would do next.
Now that it was free, they could easily tell what it was. They had just freed a wolf from the mud. They were informed about how dangerous they could be, even for three grown men.
An Understanding
The wolf stared them down as its hackles sprang up. The animal stared at them with golden eyes. Nobody knew what would happen next. Everything depended on the wolf's next move. But just as quickly as it had gone on the defensive, it seemed to relax before turning around and trotting away.
Just before it disappeared behind the treeline, it stared back at the men as if they had an understanding. Then it vanished. John and his friends knew they would never be the same. They were changed by the experience and were proud that they had saved such a beautiful creature.