“Hello,” I said, waving my hand. “Which one are you?”
The bear tilted his head to the side like a confused puppy. I grew a little nervous.
“Dammit, I don’t know how polite I should be. What if we don’t know each other at all? Sorry. I’m Laurel. I’m staying at Monty’s, down in Beauville. Maybe you’ve seen me at the pub.”
Sniffing, the bear made a couple of steps toward me, blocking the path. Was he trying to tell me something?
“Um. I was just going to…” I pointed behind him. “Squeeze past you? I’m going to the viewpoint up there.”
But as soon as I moved toward him, the bear snarled, spit flying from his muzzle.
Shit.
My stomach dropped, and it hit me. What if this was an actual bear?
Fucking shit.
“Wink if you’re a shifter?” I tried in a shaky voice.
The beast growled, showing its teeth.
Nope. This one wouldn’t change into a hairy hunk.
It was black. So I should…fight back?How?
The can of bear spray from Monty. It was in the open side pocket of my backpack. I twisted my hand around, fumbling for it.
The bear observed me and, to my horror, began strolling my way.
I grasped the can and pointed it at the animal.
“I wouldn’t come closer if I were you,” I said with zero confidence.
Except the spray didn’t work. The trigger didn’t budge, no matter how hard I pressed it. What was I supposed to do now?
The bear paused, looked left and right, and sniffed again.
Heart pounding, I lifted my arms above my head and shouted.
“Buaaaaah! Aaaaargh!”
I must have sounded ridiculous. I jumped up and down like a clown.
“Go away! Huaaaa! Leave! Go!”
To my surprise, the beast listened. Chunky butt swaying, it walked off into the bushes. The sound of cracking branches and heavy stomps faded away.
I let out a bewildered laugh.
I made it. I scared off a bear. Look at me, mountaineering like a pro.
No way was I going further up, though. I’d had enough adventure for one day.
I turned around and?—
“Fuck!”
Another one? It was twice as big! And brown.
