Prepper Mountain by Chris Bostic

Author:Chris Bostic [Bostic, Chris]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-04-09T06:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 25

“Bear,” I said weakly at first.

It was not a young one. The heavy black mass moved through the trees on all fours, looking as big as a Volkswagen Beetle. I held my ground, knowing it was better to stand than run.

I found my voice. “Mom! Dad!”

Still no reply.

The black bear looked up and locked eyes with me. It was on the opposite side of the stream, but quickly closing the distance. Bear attacks weren’t something I usually worried about since the animals were somewhat domesticated in the park. But knowing the rest of my family was sleeping, there was unpredictability. Sudden movements or panic could encourage the beast to attack.

“Mom!” I yelled even louder. The bear stopped again to stare at me.

“Yeah, hon?” she replied. A disheveled head of hair appeared above the bushes lining the creek.

“Bear.” I continued the staring contest. “A big one.”

She disappeared below the brush. “Harold, wake up.”

He mumbled something while I watched the bear pad its way on all fours to the edge of the creek. My feet told me to run, but my mind kept a tighter grip over my nerves. I’d never been afraid of bears, but hadn’t been quite this close before. I’d seen several along the roads of the park, even gotten out of the Jeep to get within twenty yards. But they were usually young and less imposing.

Muscles rippled through its shiny black coat. The bear pulled at some sort of vegetation along the stream bank with giant claws and shoved its toothy maw into the dirt.

I stood still and debated whether I should be waving my hands and making more noise to try to frighten it away. Instead, I was fascinated watching the claws work over the vegetation, raking through the brush with ease.

It straightened up suddenly as Mom and Dad appeared off to my right.

“Easy big fella,” I said to our visitor, and kept talking in low tones the way I would talk to a growling dog. Tempted as I was, I wasn’t about to pet it.

Dad gasped when the bear moved toward me, but I didn’t back away. My parents added their voices to mine, slowing its progress. The bear got so close I could nearly feel its breath on me. A gust from its nose would’ve blown me over. I swear I felt the fur brush against my pants as it abruptly turned.

I cringed at the sound of Austin’s voice. “Whoa, cool!”

He popped up from somewhere out of the woods behind me, and stomped through the brush toward me. The bear watched him closely; his big body shuddering with every one of Austin’s pounding footsteps.

Abruptly, the bear turned and bounded several yards downstream. I couldn’t blame it for running from my brother. I’d been tempted to do that many times too.

We stood as a family, minus one, and watched as the creature finally stopped along the side of the creek below to drink before sauntering off toward the road.

Maddie raised her head. “Whatcha doing over there?”

I breathed a huge sigh of relief.

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