1
Liam
Iwas havingthe same nightmare again.
Dark grey clouds stormed the dying pink and orange sky above. Someone was holding my hand, squeezing tightly. My grandmother. A fierce high-pitched wind tore through the leafless trees, making them crack against each other like dry bones.
Grandmother was whispering. No – she was speaking normally. I just couldn’t make out the words over the roar of the wind. I shook my head desperately.
“I can’t hear you, grandmother.”
She didn’t seem to notice. She went on as if I hadn’t spoken, her lips moving but no sound coming out. I was on the verge of tears.
Then she turned me around and pushed my back with her frail arms. She always did this. I had to go now, she was saying. But I still didn’t understand why.
The sky roared with snow and ash. Suddenly she was in front of me again, begging me to listen carefully.
There was only one sentence she ever repeated, the only words I actually heard.
“Seek the golden bear who glows like the sun.”
I woke with a jolt, then groaned. Sweat beaded at my temples. I was tired of waking up from the same nightmare the same way every single night. I gritted my teeth, wiped the sweat off my brow and got to my feet.
The den was dark, dank, and dusty, as usual. I sneezed, then sighed. My sensitive nose would never get used to amount of musty smells in this old wreck of a building.
Above me, a piece of rotting wood creaked. I glanced up as particles of debris sprinkled down. As much as I hated to admit it, this place’s days were numbered. Even calling it abuildingwas pushing it. It was a decaying scrap of wooden frames, at best.
I couldn’t remember how I got here, and to be honest, I didn’t care. But I knew it was that it was home now.
A rusty door hinge squeaked and a beam of light shone across the dusty front foyer. My heart soared. There was only one person who ever visited me – or who even knew I was here. A frail old woman stepped cautiously inside.
“Doris,” I greeted.
“Oh, Liam,” she said. “There you are.”
“Watch your step,” I said, rushing to her side. She had weak knees and I didn’t trust the integrity of the wooden floors with the way all the other wood in this shack crumbled and fell apart.
There was a paper bag in her arms, and a heavenly scent wafted out of it. I tried to stop myself from sniffing, but it was hard when it smelled so damn good. I bit my lip. I knew she’d gone out of her way for me again.
Doris chuckled. “These are for you, dear.” She handed me the bag, which I accepted with a mix of shame and appreciation. There were two big fresh loaves of bread from the bakery up the street.
“Thank you,” I murmured.
Ever since I’d met Doris the night I stumbled upon this abandoned building, she’d been bringing me food every day. She knew I didn’t have money or a job, or even a proper shower, but she was still kind to me - which was more than I could say for the dark glares I got from anyone else if I dared to show my face outside.
“It’s not a problem,” she said, waving a hand. “I want some weight on those bones. It gets cold out at night, you know, and this place is so darned drafty.”
“It’s alright,” I said with a shrug. She didn’t know my secret, and I wasn’t keen on telling her anytime soon.
She could live without knowing the fact that I usually shifted into my bear form on cold nights to keep warm.
“Nonsense. I’ll bring you a jacket before the winds really set in,” she said.
“Doris, really, it’s fine.”
She shushed me with a wagging finger. “I’ll be back tomorrow with a brand new outfit.”
“Anoutfit?” I protested. “You said it was a jacket a second ago!”
