Part 2 Mini Short Series

Part 2 Mini Short Series

Standing across the little stream, a bear cub, just watching me. A jolt of adrenaline shot into my veins as I quickly looked around for the mother, I saw no other animal nearby.

Knowing that just being near the bear cub put me in a dangerous position, I eased myself up and slowly backed away from the cub, it's attention seemed to never waiver from me. I stopped backing away and looked around again, every moment expecting the mother to come charging in and rip me to shreds. Yet, there was no movement or indication of any other animal.

One backward step later I bumped up against another maple tree, I decided to sit and rest a little more and get some sort of game plan together. I figured the cub would eventually wander away.

To start with, water flowed downstream and into larger bodies of water which would lead to a town at some point. I would follow the stream until it led me to larger waterways and so on and so forth, also it would provide me with at least hydration, if not some sort of food. Secondly, it was already late in the day, so I would be going nowhere for the night, I needed a fire to ward off any unwanted animals.

At this point I realized that the cub had crossed the stream and was laying only a couple of yards from me. It's eyes were open, though droopy, and for the first time I noticed how thin and worn it looked. I glanced about the forest yet again and still saw no sign of it's mother or any other animals save for the bear cub.

I had never made a fire without matches or a lighter, and the air was chilling with the suns descent towards the horizon. Looking at the bear cub a wild thought came to me, what if it would let me lay with it? Even if the mother came around, which seemed less and less likely as the day dwindled, she might take me for one of her own if I had the scent of the cub.

With nothing left to do about it, I began inching my way towards the young bear. It's interest in me seemed to become a little more direct and focused, though the only movement was the ears and nose twitching ever so slightly.

When I got within touching distance from the creature I stretched out my hand very slowly, it was a cub with a large mouth of sharp teeth. I brushed it's head just behind the ears, no real movement. I began to gently knead and pet the animal. After a few minutes the cub pulled itself closer to me and let me actually use it's body heat for warmth, the smell was nearly overbearing but I needed the heat.

To Be Continued.....Part 3