Flutter: The Story of Four Sisters and an Incredible Journey by Moulton Erin

Author:Moulton, Erin [Moulton, Erin]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Penguin Group
Published: 2011-05-12T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

Jeez Louise. I have never been so close to a wild animal before in all my life. Well, a moose once, but never anything with such big teeth. I grab Dawn by the shoulder and we both jump to our feet as though there is a sudden grass fire. The black bear must not like the quick moves, because he bounces like he is getting ready to run. I am feeling like running myself.

“Don’t run,” Dawn whispers to me. I try to tell my legs to stand still, but they’re popping like touch-me-not seeds. The bag, map, and compass are lying there on the ground next to that black bear’s meaty paw. I want to grab them, to keep them with me so we can get to the Wise Woman. Dawn must see me eyeing our goods.

“Don’t make any sudden moves. Let’s, let’s just back up really slowly,” she barely whispers.

I try to remember some things about black bears, like if they maul humans and eat them for lunch.

“Black bears don’t eat meat,” I say. The black bear steps toward us, and I take a teensy step back.

“Yes they do,” Dawn whispers. “Black bears are omnivorous.”

Jeez Louise. This is not happening. The black bear’s fur is glistening and his eyes are beady. He looks us over and his nose starts going wild, wiggling back and forth, like he is sniffing our delicious human flesh.

He inches closer and I can see he has some big claws under his fur. They are long and black and sharp. Bears eat berries, I say to myself, and grass before they hibernate. But my legs don’t stop jumping. My teeth don’t stop smashing into each other like they have a mind of their own. I hear Dawn’s quick breath. I see the map, the contents of our bag, spilling out. I feel the breeze across my face. Then something flits out of a shadow. It seems to appear out of nowhere. The monarch. It gently flaps and flutters down. It lands its tiny body right on the compass. I am betting it’s the same one we saw earlier in the day. Just like that, I remember our cause. I remember what it is we are doing. If Davy Crockett could grin down a bear, I could at least try and scare one.

I feel the catamount paw on the top of my head, and I pull the strength down into my chest and into my legs. I look into the bear’s eyes. He inches forward. His pink tongue lolls from his mouth, and his teeth glisten in the sun. The birds in the trees stop twittering, the grass stops rustling, the squirrels and chipmunks seem to stand still. All I can hear is buzzing in my ears.

My body moves on its own. My throat lets loose a scream and it is part wild holler and part growl. I don’t run but my legs pump in place and I stomp the ground with my feet. I hit one foot and then the other into the earth.

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