The Bear

The uneven ground dug into the flesh of my exposed feet. Rocks and sticks cutting like little knives as I ran. He was coming. I couldn’t hear anything over my ragged breathing, but the hairs on the back of my neck stood erect giving away his presence. Trees flew by me in a blur, a mix of green and browns. 

I had no idea where I was going. My cheeks burned hot with blood. Adrenaline forcing my heart into overdrive. It beat like a fist in my chest cavity, pounding on my sternum, trying to punch its way out. I swiveled my head back and forth as I ran searching for a hiding spot. I could not keep this pace for much longer. Sweat beaded on my upper lip. I quickly wiped it off with the back of my hand. My long auburn hair trailed after me, unruly and caressed by the wind. 

A crunch behind me caused my legs to pump faster. I wouldn’t go back. 

“Eliza,” he called out. His voice rang through the trees- a chilling song. 

“Ellie!” he yelled out again, sterner this time. From the tone of his voice I could envision his yellow teeth clenching down on each other. Tops and bottoms grinding together in anger. Spit spewing from his lips. Like an angry dog. I resisted looking behind me. My instincts implored me to keep moving forward. My breath came in short hiccups. My lungs ached, straining to take in oxygen, craving a deep breath. Thirsty for more air. I focused on my thoughts. Slowing the slideshow playing in my brain. Something…I could control. 

The brain is a powerful thing. This had been preached to me growing up. Think too hard about your chest hurting, your brain will cause it to hurt more. The negative thoughts almost always do more damage than good, yielding enough power to not only destroy your brain, but also your physical. Slowly breaking the body down. 

The opposite is also true. Think intentionally… your lungs don’t hurt. Your feet feel great. You’re running. You’re escaping. The hard part is over. Don’t stop. Keep going. 

I kept these thoughts on a loop. A positive mantra willing my ailing body forward. 

My feet pounded the ground. The crunching behind me sounded closer now. The trailing footsteps angrier. Stomping out the life of plants and leaves in their wake. Sweat dripped down my back. I could feel it snaking its way from my neck down my spine pooling at the small of my back. I pumped my limbs faster. My instincts push my body past its limits in hopes of championing this race of survival. 

I had no choice but to outrun him. I wouldn’t allow myself to live another day locked in that room. Feeling his hands gliding over me. Hearing him tell me I am his. Carving out pieces of my flesh in slow, cruel strokes when I refused to agree. Him smiling at the tears unwillingly streaming down my pale cheeks. Giddy at watching the crimson red liquid fall from my open, exposed tissue. 

I squint my eyes, focusing my vision ahead of me. The trees seemed to be thinning. The floor of leaves turning into a sandy oasis. I thought I saw a shimmer of a reflection. 

Water. 

I surged towards the clearing. The gritty sand stung my shredded feet. The blue water lapped at the shore softly. My lungs burned as if acid had been forcibly injected into them. The sun reflected on the surface of the water creating a glimmering, translucent mirror. 

Calling me in. Guiding me to freedom. 

My scalp suddenly pricked with pain as my head was snapped back hard by a tug at my hair. I yelped. Momentum lurched my body forward. My knees and elbows connected with the ground, the rest of my body following with an ungraceful thud. My breath hitched for a moment knocked out of me by the force of connecting to the land. I reached my fingertips out in front of me stretching my arms as far as they could go. Reaching for the water, letting it glide over my fingers. A comforting embrace. 

A hand gripped around my ankle ripping me back. I slide effortlessly, the sand sticking to my stomach and chest. 

Easy prey. 

“Now Ellie, you know you love me. You know you need me,” he cooed in his cold drawl. His voice sent goosebumps sprawling up my arms- my body rejecting it. 

He briskly flipped me over so that I was now lying on my back. He sat straddled above me glaring down. His weight was heavy on my stomach locking me in place. My body stopped working even as my brain raged and screamed at it to move. 

Kick, scream…anything. 

“This is what happens when you’re difficult, Ellie.” 

I looked to meet his gaze. His dark eyes gleamed almost playfully as he slowly raised his right hand. His fingers were curled around a fistful of my hair. A perfect auburn curl- the roots still buried into the bloodied chunk of scalp that had been torn from my head. 

I narrowed my green eyes. My instincts slowly turned from freeze to fight. I dug both hands on either side of my body into the sand filling my fists with the tiny particles of rock. In one swift motion I raised both arms flinging the sand at his round face. A primal growl emerged from his throat. He clawed at his eyes frantically. Sand clung to him invading his eyelids, scratching at the cornea. His legs were still on either side of me. Knees planted firmly on the ground. His weight felt heavier. Each breath I took was a fight. My chest pinned against his body with each inflation of my lungs. Never able to inflate enough for a full gulp of air.  It felt like drowning. I frantically tried to shimmy myself backward. Back to the water. Back to my best shot at freedom. 

He lurched forward both hands grabbing my wrists, pinning my arms down back on either side of me. I could feel his fingers digging into my skin forcing my tendons to move, restricting my blood flow. 

“You aren’t going anywhere,” he snarled. Spit flying from his mouth onto my face. 

I thrashed desperately trying to wiggle out of his grip. But, he was bigger, stronger and had the advantage of positioning. His eyes connected with mine. His pupils filled his irises giving the illusion of two black holes. A bead of sweat formed on his forehead. It lingered for a moment before sliding down the bridge of his nose leaving a wet, river-like tattoo in its place. I took a deep breath willing the air to fill my lungs. Finally giving them the course of oxygen they so desired. 

I had been so close. Only to be unceremoniously pulled back. 

He leaned his head closer to mine. His stale breath felt hot on my face. 

“You are mine,” he spit. His forehead was almost touching mine. Invading my space. Taking control. 

I fought to turn my head trying to avoid his dark gaze. My eyes scoured for any other sight. Trying to take snapshots to take back with me. Little memorabilias of freedom. Behind his unkempt brown hair the sun shined blindingly. I allow myself to gaze directly at it-  little balls of fire blurring my vision. I wonder how long it took for the sun to start to scorch a retina. How long for the burning to yield to vision loss. My eyes involuntarily blink averting my vision before I have a chance to find out. The sky is blue, not a cloud in sight. A perfect day really. Across the lake I picture families having picnics, people walking their dogs, basking in the glorious weather blissfully oblivious of the scene playing out across the water. Ironically unaware that I was moments away from my last gulps of real air, last rustle of the trees…last touch of sunlight. 

A loud snap from the woods behind us drew my attention to the treeline. I moved my head a bit so that I could more easily look past his dark outline still poised on top of me. A dark figure moved along the edge of the treeline. It was only visible for a split second. I blinked a few times trying to determine if I had imagined it. 

“You are mine…forever. I am going to make sure of that,” he continued, grabbing my face. His fingers dug into both of my cheeks pressing them into my teeth causing my mouth to taste of pennies. 

“Look at me while I speak to you,” he snapped. 

I once again forced my green eyes to meet his. His pupils had taken over reminding me of the look a cat gets when hunting a mouse. He pulled his hand away from my face rummaging in his pocket. His hand reappeared clutching a thin piece of rope. 

“Hold out your hands,” he smiled, as he held the rope out taut above me.

I dug my fingers back into the ground for a moment in frustration, the sand rough against my palms. His body weight keeping me down…right where he wanted me. The water sparkling behind me. I could hear the small waves sing to me. They begged me to stay. 

A small growl rumbled from him snapping my brain back to attention. I had never heard him make a sound quite like it before. He paused. I watched his eyes widen. His body tensed. I stared at him. His eyes bore into mine. I couldn't pinpoint the emotion behind them. Maybe he wasn’t taking me back. Maybe this was it. Another growl, louder this time. My own eyes widened as I realized the sound had not come from him. 

Before I was able to process, something yanked him off me. He cried out- a guttural, painful sound that made me want to cover my ears. I instinctively pushed myself upwards, scooting myself back to the edge of the water scrambling as fast as I could in the position I was in. Sand flew up around me. My eyes glued to the horror in front of me. A large brown creature held him by the shoulder. It’s teeth burrowing into the soft flesh. Blood painted the yellow sand like a canvas, staining the creature's sharp teeth a dark red. His eyes popped out, the whites overpowering the dark of his pupils. My heart picked up again, pushing another dose of adrenaline into my veins. I continued to slowly back myself away. My hands came in contact with the cool water. 

The bear continued its attack. Its thick, dark fur shined brilliantly in the sunlight as it ripped away chunks of flesh. Primal sounds rumbling from its throat. It held him in place. Its long claws ripped apart his chest. There was so much red..like water colors leaking across the earth. His screaming had become quieter now, his body tired, ravaged. I could no longer recognize him. His face hung in pieces. A tattered painting of purples and crimson.

 The bear grabbed his ankle slowly pulling him back into the woods. The same way he had tried to drag me just moments prior.  His body left behind a gory trail.  A warning not to follow plastered like art in the sand. The bear paused at the edge of the treeline. It rose to its hind legs looming over what was left of him. The bear’s eyes bore through mine as if it were searching for my soul. My heart rate slowed. I was no longer scared. Its lips raised over its sharp teeth now stained a pinkish color as if it had eaten a mouthful of raspberries.  A low rumble escaped its throat. I stared back in awe of the creature. I slowly nodded my head. 

Thank you. 

The bear dropped back to all fours staring at me for a final moment before disappearing with his body. I sat there letting the water rush over my legs, feeling the coolness on my skin, like a luke-warm hug. I raised my face up to feel the warmth of the sun. It beamed down on me. A spotlight. 

I was finally free.