Her face crumples. Confused and scared.
“Look at me,” I hiss. “Don’t look at anything else.”
I physically shield her. Press her face into my jacket. Place my body between her and the bear.
This is it.
This is how I die.
Seven-year-old me was right to be terrified.
The bear is maybe twenty feet away now. Fifteen.
“Leave us alone!” I shout. My voice cracks. “Please just leave us alone!”
The bear doesn’t even slow down.
“Go away!” I’m crying now. Full-on sobbing. “Please go away. Please.” Begging.
If a bear could smirk, this one would.
And then.
“Hey motherfucker, over here!”
Marco’s voice. Loud and commanding and coming from my left.
The bear’s massive head swings toward the sound.
I hear it. The click-snap of a safety being released.
The shotgun.
He brought the shotgun.
Marco steps into the open. The weapon raised. Aimed.
The bear charges him.
No no no no no.
Marco waits for the perfect shot. One breath. Two. Doesn’t want to miss... he has only one chance...
He fires.
The blast is deafening. Ben screams againstmy jacket.
The bear staggers. Blood sprays from its head.
He got it. Oh thank God he got it.
But the grizzly doesn’t fall.
It just gets angrier.
It charges faster. Closes the distance between him and Marco in seconds that feel like hours.
And then it’s on him.
