The Bear chapter 19
Here's the next to last chapter. Enjoy! I ended it with a cliffy just for you :)
Chapter 19
The tall bearded stranger moved quietly through the woods, tracking his prey. He’d heard the bear roar and knew he was on the right track. The den had been empty, to his disappointment. He’d hoped that maybe the female had had more cubs; the three he’d shot awhile ago he’d been unable to claim. Well, he’d simply kill the mother then, an adult’s skin and paws were still valuable. Besides, he had a score to settle with her for scaring him away from some easy money.
The poacher was approaching a clearing when he heard a gun blast. He cursed; he didn’t want anyone else to have his prize. Slowly he crept to the edge of the cleared area. The smell of smoke was in the air; were they campers? Maybe he should scare them off; he didn’t need some pansies turning him in. He’d shot at tourists before to get them out of his way so he could hunt and these people would be no different.
He was finally in a position to see into the center of the clearing. Two young men stood there in front of a crackling fire, a shotgun at the taller one’s feet. At the opposite side of the clearing from him he heard the bear’s growling. He didn’t know what these two were doing here but it was time to get rid of them so he could shoot the bear. He carefully removed his rifle from the long bag and loaded it. He then removed the small handgun and loaded that as well. Zipping the bag shut he left it and crawled closer, still unnoticed by those in the clearing, downwind of the bear’s sensitive nose.
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“Sam,” Dean said warningly, nodding towards the bear that was now advancing on them.
“She won’t hurt us,” Sam said, not knowing how he knew that. He just had a feeling.
“Like she didn’t hurt your shoulder? Or knock your head into a rock?” Dean replied, slowly reaching into his pack for his gun.
“That was the ghost when it was confused,” Sam said, and shook his head at Dean when his brother brought the gun out.
The bear was only a few feet away now. It growled and rose on its hind legs, sniffing the air. It looked at the slowly dying fire and a mournful cry left its mouth. Then it dropped back to all fours and slowly went up to Sam. Dean quietly slid the safety off and the click made the bear stop. Suddenly it growled, baring its teeth at the older brother. Dean was about to aim when Sam grabbed his arm.
“Don’t. She won’t harm us. She knows the ghost is gone. Please, Dean. We don’t need to kill her; she’s not about to kidnap hikers any more. If she lets me touch her, will you let her live?” Sam pleaded.
Dean stared at his brother. Was Sam serious? Then as he looked at the bear, which had made no threatening moves since Sam had stopped him from firing, and back to his brother, who had his best puppy dog look on his face, he realized that yes, Sam was being serious. He sighed. Then against his better judgment he clicked the safety back on and put the gun in his waistband.
“Fine, I won’t shoot her, but you’re not deliberately touching her either, and if she attacks then all bets are off.”
Sam grinned and let go of his brother’s arm, then turned to the bear. “You’re free now. You can go; she won’t be bothering you again. She’s at peace.” He said calmly in a gentle voice, holding out his hand.
Dean rolled his eyes. “Uh Sammy, I can understand you talking to a ghost of a person, but this is just an animal now. It’s not going to understand you any more.”
Sam shrugged. “I know, but well, you never know. Bears are smart anyway, and we kind of bonded.”
Dean just shook his head as the bear grunted, sniffing at Sam’s hand. Dean tensed at the sight of all those teeth so close to his brother, but the bear just snorted, and seemingly satisfied it turned away, starting to slowly lumber back the way it came.
Sam turned an “I told you so,” look on his older brother, and Dean rolled his eyes again.
“All right, nature boy, you win. The bear lives and we go find your phone,” Dean said, picking up the shovel and handing it to his brother. “You can bury the bones first though. I’d help, but I got thrown around a lot,” he said.
He now had his brother’s full attention. “Are you all right?” Sam asked.
“Fine, nothing a good night’s sleep won’t fix. But it’s your turn to finish this,” Dean said smugly.
Sam shook his head and smiled, setting to work.
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What the heck was going on? The poacher wondered. At first he’d thought the female was going to attack the tall boy, but then it left him alone. No matter, he’d just track the bear and shoot it when it was a sufficient distance away. He went back and picked up his bag, putting the gun back into it, and carried it and his rifle. He skirted the edge of the clearing, but cursed aloud when his foot stepped on a fallen branch, snapping it. He knew he’d been exposed when he heard the bear growl.
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“What was that?” Sam asked, pausing in his work.
“Sounded like a branch snapping and someone cursing,” Dean replied, immediately taking out his gun.
Sam tamped the last bit of dirt in place and quickly put their supplies in his pack, and then checked to see the shotgun was ready. If it was the park official, he’d just say he and his brother were just following advice and being careful. He saw that the bear was heading back their way, its attention fixed on where the sound had come from.
The poacher didn’t want to be chased through the woods so he stepped into the clearing, immediately bringing the rifle up and aiming it at the bear, which let out an angry roar. It began to head towards him when he heard the taller boy gasp.
The brothers saw a strange man walk into the clearing, holding a rifle. Sam’s eyes widened and he gasped, as a memory, no a dream, flashed before his eyes.
“You!” he couldn’t help but exclaim. “You’re the one that killed the bear’s cubs. You’re a poacher! I saw it!”
Dean glanced at his brother, at first puzzled but then realizing that this must be the man in Sam’s dream that shot the bear cubs.
The poacher cursed and swung his rifle around. He couldn’t leave witnesses, the fines he’d receive would wipe him out and the animals in the State Park were protected; he might even receive jail time. He aimed his rifle at the tall boy and pulled the trigger.
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Chapter 19
The tall bearded stranger moved quietly through the woods, tracking his prey. He’d heard the bear roar and knew he was on the right track. The den had been empty, to his disappointment. He’d hoped that maybe the female had had more cubs; the three he’d shot awhile ago he’d been unable to claim. Well, he’d simply kill the mother then, an adult’s skin and paws were still valuable. Besides, he had a score to settle with her for scaring him away from some easy money.
The poacher was approaching a clearing when he heard a gun blast. He cursed; he didn’t want anyone else to have his prize. Slowly he crept to the edge of the cleared area. The smell of smoke was in the air; were they campers? Maybe he should scare them off; he didn’t need some pansies turning him in. He’d shot at tourists before to get them out of his way so he could hunt and these people would be no different.
He was finally in a position to see into the center of the clearing. Two young men stood there in front of a crackling fire, a shotgun at the taller one’s feet. At the opposite side of the clearing from him he heard the bear’s growling. He didn’t know what these two were doing here but it was time to get rid of them so he could shoot the bear. He carefully removed his rifle from the long bag and loaded it. He then removed the small handgun and loaded that as well. Zipping the bag shut he left it and crawled closer, still unnoticed by those in the clearing, downwind of the bear’s sensitive nose.
----------
“Sam,” Dean said warningly, nodding towards the bear that was now advancing on them.
“She won’t hurt us,” Sam said, not knowing how he knew that. He just had a feeling.
“Like she didn’t hurt your shoulder? Or knock your head into a rock?” Dean replied, slowly reaching into his pack for his gun.
“That was the ghost when it was confused,” Sam said, and shook his head at Dean when his brother brought the gun out.
The bear was only a few feet away now. It growled and rose on its hind legs, sniffing the air. It looked at the slowly dying fire and a mournful cry left its mouth. Then it dropped back to all fours and slowly went up to Sam. Dean quietly slid the safety off and the click made the bear stop. Suddenly it growled, baring its teeth at the older brother. Dean was about to aim when Sam grabbed his arm.
“Don’t. She won’t harm us. She knows the ghost is gone. Please, Dean. We don’t need to kill her; she’s not about to kidnap hikers any more. If she lets me touch her, will you let her live?” Sam pleaded.
Dean stared at his brother. Was Sam serious? Then as he looked at the bear, which had made no threatening moves since Sam had stopped him from firing, and back to his brother, who had his best puppy dog look on his face, he realized that yes, Sam was being serious. He sighed. Then against his better judgment he clicked the safety back on and put the gun in his waistband.
“Fine, I won’t shoot her, but you’re not deliberately touching her either, and if she attacks then all bets are off.”
Sam grinned and let go of his brother’s arm, then turned to the bear. “You’re free now. You can go; she won’t be bothering you again. She’s at peace.” He said calmly in a gentle voice, holding out his hand.
Dean rolled his eyes. “Uh Sammy, I can understand you talking to a ghost of a person, but this is just an animal now. It’s not going to understand you any more.”
Sam shrugged. “I know, but well, you never know. Bears are smart anyway, and we kind of bonded.”
Dean just shook his head as the bear grunted, sniffing at Sam’s hand. Dean tensed at the sight of all those teeth so close to his brother, but the bear just snorted, and seemingly satisfied it turned away, starting to slowly lumber back the way it came.
Sam turned an “I told you so,” look on his older brother, and Dean rolled his eyes again.
“All right, nature boy, you win. The bear lives and we go find your phone,” Dean said, picking up the shovel and handing it to his brother. “You can bury the bones first though. I’d help, but I got thrown around a lot,” he said.
He now had his brother’s full attention. “Are you all right?” Sam asked.
“Fine, nothing a good night’s sleep won’t fix. But it’s your turn to finish this,” Dean said smugly.
Sam shook his head and smiled, setting to work.
----------
What the heck was going on? The poacher wondered. At first he’d thought the female was going to attack the tall boy, but then it left him alone. No matter, he’d just track the bear and shoot it when it was a sufficient distance away. He went back and picked up his bag, putting the gun back into it, and carried it and his rifle. He skirted the edge of the clearing, but cursed aloud when his foot stepped on a fallen branch, snapping it. He knew he’d been exposed when he heard the bear growl.
----------
“What was that?” Sam asked, pausing in his work.
“Sounded like a branch snapping and someone cursing,” Dean replied, immediately taking out his gun.
Sam tamped the last bit of dirt in place and quickly put their supplies in his pack, and then checked to see the shotgun was ready. If it was the park official, he’d just say he and his brother were just following advice and being careful. He saw that the bear was heading back their way, its attention fixed on where the sound had come from.
The poacher didn’t want to be chased through the woods so he stepped into the clearing, immediately bringing the rifle up and aiming it at the bear, which let out an angry roar. It began to head towards him when he heard the taller boy gasp.
The brothers saw a strange man walk into the clearing, holding a rifle. Sam’s eyes widened and he gasped, as a memory, no a dream, flashed before his eyes.
“You!” he couldn’t help but exclaim. “You’re the one that killed the bear’s cubs. You’re a poacher! I saw it!”
Dean glanced at his brother, at first puzzled but then realizing that this must be the man in Sam’s dream that shot the bear cubs.
The poacher cursed and swung his rifle around. He couldn’t leave witnesses, the fines he’d receive would wipe him out and the animals in the State Park were protected; he might even receive jail time. He aimed his rifle at the tall boy and pulled the trigger.
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