Chapter 74. The Bear

It must smell me or what I’m cooking and probably followed either scent to investigate. It doesn’t look inquisitive; it seems mad as hell, with raging eyes and bared teeth, and I can tell how it rears on its back legs and wails at me that it’s probably my scent ticking it off and not here to say hello.

Bears don’t like my kind; it’s a well-known and documented fact. They deem us a threat, and we never wander into bear territory alone. Those monsters are strong, relentless, huge, and weirdly capable of taking one of us on as long as it’s a more petite femme like me, with little to no combat skills.

I get up and start backing away fast, knowing that this is some nasty shit to be in right now, eyes darting around for a weapon, or escape route, as it wades towards me through the underbrush, kicking rocks aside with its massive clumpy paws. I swallow hard, pull my wits about me, and start pulling off my clothes slowly, keeping my eyes trained because I don’t want to lose the