Come on then. Come kill me, too.
I dare you.
I spray again. More. Covering its face in the chemical mist.
The bear staggers. Retches again. Then wheels and crashes back into the brush.
Gone.
Silence.
Except for the sound of ragged breathing.
I glance at Ben. Her eyes are still closed. Good girl.
I move to Marco.
What’s left of him.
Oh God.
Oh God no.
His face is wrong. So wrong. I can’t recognize him anymore. The beautiful features I kissed last night are just torn flesh and blood and exposed bone.
Tears blur my vision. I have to look away.
I kneel beside him. Try to saysomething. Anything.
But I just sit there crying and sputtering like a useless idiot.
“The bear.” Marco’s voice is wrong, too. Wet and garbled. “Might come back. The shotgun.”
Right. The shotgun.
I grab it. Try to remember everything he taught Ben.Me.
Chamber clear. Safety on. No wait, safety off. Finger off trigger until ready to fire.
I stand. Go back to Ben. Pull her into my arms without letting her see anything.
“Turn around, sweet girl. Face the trees.”
She obeys.
I scan the woods with the shotgun. Ready. Waiting.
I don’t feel fear anymore.
Just rage.
I want that bear to come back. Want to kill it for what it did.
I don’t look at Marco. Can’t.
He’s dying. Right there behind me. Dying.
And there’s nothing I can do except protect his daughter.
