Reflex Vs Reason

He lied down on bare snow, using the parachute as a makeshift blanket. The
harsh cold winds showed no sign of ending. He had to wait. But he didn’t know
whether he could, any longer.
The fall had been bad, very bad. The impact had frozen him. He was lucky, not
to have broken any bones.
As he waited for sleep to engulf him, he heard a thump on the snow, a few feet
away. He ignored it, very well aware of the need to keep his calm. He must not get
disturbed by these otherwise usual stimuli. Lack of oxygen at high altitudes made
people see and hear illusions. But he was not going to let it happen.
The thuds gathered pace and intensity. It’s nothing. My mind is just playing
tricks on me; he consoled himself, knowing that sleep was more important at this
time of the night.
Suddenly he felt a large weight on his legs. A shiver went down his spine and
survival instinct made him open his eyes. He saw its small round eyes, gleaming in
the moon light. I am about to die; he managed to think before the beast tore his
throat open.