Missed Day 8? Read it here.

Still Not Mystery Lake

I woke to a stillness that felt suspicious. No howling wind, no wolves pacing outside — just quiet. That’s usually when the game decides to spring something on you.

Determined to make a second attempt at reaching Mystery Lake, I packed up and retraced yesterday’s route. The wolf from Day 8 was gone, which should have been a relief, but nature likes balance. In the wolf’s place? A bear. Of course.

It was lumbering near the path, swaying its head like it owned the place — which, to be fair, it did. I froze. When it didn’t spot me, I slowly backed up the slope to my right. This wasn’t cowardice, this was strategy. The slope spat me out at the cabins the bear had been guarding the day before. I swept through them quickly, but they held little worth taking: a few tins, some thread, and an old hoodie with more holes than fabric.

Rabbit > Trailer

Heading further down the trail, I spotted a trailer and made a mental note to check it out. Then I spotted rabbits. And just like that, the trailer was forgotten. I crouched, aimed, and — miracle of miracles — hit one. Bagging small game in this weather felt like winning the survival lottery.

By the time I’d harvested it, the trailer was a few minutes behind me. I considered going back but decided to keep pushing forward. Momentum in The Long Dark is fragile — stop too long, and you’ll talk yourself into a nap instead of a trek.

Shelter from the Storm

Another trailer appeared just as the weather turned. Inside, I found a jerry can. Heavy, useful, but not worth the burden today. I left it behind with a mental bookmark in case my fuel stores ran low later.

Outside, the wind had picked up. Snow swirled, biting into any exposed skin. My pace slowed to a crawl, every step feeling like I was dragging my boots through wet cement. The landscape faded into muted greys — that in-between stage before a blizzard hits where you have just enough time to regret your choices.

I stumbled into the Train Unloading area in Coastal Highway just as the light began to fail. There was no way I was pressing on to Mystery Lake in these conditions unless I wanted to end up as tomorrow’s beachcombing loot.

Good news: there was another trailer here. Better news: it had an intact stove. Even better news: no wolves inside.

Hot Meal and Light Reading

I set up shop outside the trailer. The rabbit carcass became a proper meal — cooked meat, boiling water, even a little stockpile for the morning. As the fire crackled, I pulled out my sewing book and read by the flickering light. Sewing Level 2: achieved. I’m still not turning out runway fashion, but I might be able to patch my socks without making them worse.

With the wind howling outside, the trailer felt almost cosy. I had a belly full of rabbit, a few litres of water cooling beside me, and just enough optimism to think tomorrow might finally be the day I reach Mystery Lake.

Maybe. Unless the bear decides to relocate. Or the weather decides to remind me who’s in charge. So… probably not.