Bear

The eyes are on top of a mouth and nose. Right, of course, stupid, I think to myself. That's how faces work. Snout, round ears, heavy body. And a face Elyna would probably call cute.

Yeah, it's definitely a bear.

Auizia is further back. If she were here, the two of us with both our weapons would stand at least a tiny chance. On my own, though, I'm just a piece of moving meat. Fighting isn't an option. If I want to make it out of this alive, I need to be careful.

Foraging comes with the risk of becoming a pile of discarded bones. That's always been the case. But encounters are rare. I've only seen one twice before, and both times it was far enough away to avoid.

I snap back to reality as the beast steps forward. A paw comes into sight, then two. The claws are big enough to rip me to shreds with a single swipe.

As I take a step back, the bear follows me. I go as slow as I can, step step step. But the thing is big and bulky. I'm a fraction of its girth as an average-sized man. There's something I can do.

"Auizia!" I call as I take another step backwards and start back the way I came, climbing down a steep edge the bear will need to maneuver around.

It's matching my pace. I haven't broken into a run, because that will only trigger its aggression. Right now it's merely stalking me and seeing if I become a threat. My nerves are revved up and tingle with every current of air.

In what feels like forever, I'm back in the main clearing. Auizia is there, looking up at me from my cry. She sees the thing following me and gives a stern nod. The sight of it restores some hope of my survival. I know she's survived worse on her own.

This is a new area we haven't been to before. We must be in its territory. If the bear were hungry, I'd be a chewed-up corpse already. But now, all I have to do is get far enough away for it to lose interest.

Much easier said than done. My mind is so blank, I can't remember anything before this moment. My entire being is focused solely on survival. I don't even remember my name.

My legs carry me further, to another side of the slope we haven't traversed.

And then.

Up ahead, or rather behind me, another clearing. A tiny, cold oasis. A pond.

Pond. Water. Reflection.

My face whose face is there my face I need to see my face my face my face—

That moment's hesitation leads to the bear catching up. With a silent gasp I narrowly avoid a swipe of its claws. I need to find something now if I don't want to be minced meat.

I slide across the ground, small rocks crumbling beneath, then jump down a large slope. My knees and ankles sting from the impact, but I can't even feel the pain. I only bought myself a few seconds. Please, of all the time in my life, I need luck now.

There! A small crevice in the rocks, wide enough for me but too small for the bear. I just need to make it a few more meters.

Its growl is so close I can feel the breath tickle my neck. This is what it means to be a mere moment from death.

With one final leap forward, I make it inside.

In the rocks I shiver, the darkness closing around me. My head spins. It's hit me. Death is just outside. There is no fighting, no escape. I feel like throwing up. The bear continues to reach its claws inside.

How long will it be before it gets bored and leaves?

I start choking in the small space as every time the claws swipe in they come closer and closer to my abdomen. My life will be gone in an instant. Thump thump. Thump thump.

Whose face? Whose face will be mauled to bits?

My voice croaks out a small noise.

I wait, who knows how long. My eyes are closed. I wish I could say I've accepted my fate, but it's nothing other than terror of the unknown. Maybe I even fall asleep, or I might be unconscious. An eternity passes.

My name is… My name is Solen.

"Is"? Or is it "was"? Am I already dead? How long has it been since I've been inside here, waiting for death?

Thumpthumpthumpthump.

"Hey."

My eyes shoot open. Auizia is standing where the bear had been, reaching a hand out to me. "It's gone." And that's all she says.

Adrenaline seeping out of my system from my veins, I take a wobbly step outside. The sun has slowly started its decent. It's probably around three now.

You'd never even guess there was a bear here. It's nowhere to be seen. I look at Auizia, her lack of visible worry letting me breathe a sigh of relief. I don't know when it left, or how she escaped its notice but—

Memories from before being in the cave come flooding back to me. I remember now. The hesitation that nearly cost me my life.

The pond is right there, over the the other side of this slope. Since the wind has picked up, the water ripples. Just a little further, and I'll finally be able to see…! I climb as if I wasn't just fearing for my life a moment ago. The adrenaline which had left me comes pouring back in.

And then I slip, first one foot sliding off, then I lean back, my balance tipping until I tumble down.

Thud, roll, thud, roll, thud. I fall down a few meters. Hard pain assaults my shoulder. My head is cracking open, I can feel the pain splitting and covering my whole body.

Wait, no. I instinctively touch my head, and I realize it's only my lingering headache aggravated. There's no wound at all, only the small bump still remaining from the delivery man's beating.

Then it hits, the second pain. I hiss, grabbing my left arm and pulling up the sleeve. The cloth skids across my skin and causes even more pain. There's a wound there. I must have hit it on a rock. My shoulder too, is crying out in agony. Fiery heat burns from my shoulder to my chest. Thankfully, it's not dislocated. It stings like a bite from a dog.

Wearily, I stand up, but limp. My ankle rolls and I take a step forward. I take another solid step. This time it doesn't collapse underneath me. Nothing is broken, but it is strained. I take another step. No, the pain is bad, but I can walk it off.

Where did Auizia go? I squint through the fog. Walking slowly, I reach out to try and climb the slope again, but I can't put too much wait on my shoulder. Dammit.

There she is. I see her standing at the top of the slope, staring down… huh?

She's making an expression I've never seen before. Her eyes are slanted downwards, lips terse. Eyebrows pointed, it almost looks like she's…

A thought appears. Something separate from the bear or the pond takes form in the back of my mind. It pokes and prods my brain, turning my thoughts to ice. But I swallow it.

"Well?" she says, face returning to her normal stone slab. "You good?"

I gesture with my bad arm and wince.

She sighs, then comes down to give me a hand. Once I'm steady again, she reaches into her bag and tosses me a roll of bandages.

I dress the wound, eyes nearly getting lost in it. I'm not squeamish, but I still feel sick. My injury stares back at me. I touch it to make sure its mine. Stinging like needles rises across my flesh. Yes, this tarnished skin is definitely mine. I find some comfort in that. Regardless if I've been hallucinating or not, no matter what I look like, I will be the same on the inside. My flesh is still human. No matter what, I am still alive.

Once I've dressed the wound, a silence lands between us. "Do I look…?" I open and close my mouth a few times. "Alright?"

She looks me up and down and then nods. "You're fine," she says. A person of few words. "You're not dying."

I already know that, at least. Maybe I should have asked if I look normal.

My shoulder preventing me from climbing slopes has us call it for today. The encounter with the bear alone means we should find a new location for next time.

We begin the long trek back home, my limp eventually evening out to a slow even stride as the pain there subsides. But I don't care about the pain. My thoughts are trapped in a loop. That nagging feeling I swallowed before has extended its reach to suck the remaining energy from my limbs.

It's no good. I look to Auizia, seeing her side profile. She turns back to me and I look away, feeling my ankle begin to hurt again.