Black Bear

• Sienna Fernando, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2013

Running, running, running I don’t exactly know what from but the slightest sound of a stick snapping would be enough to make me scream. That’s all I can remember when I wake up on the long thick roots of an old oak tree, one bent root has my foot wedged underneath it. I carefully slide my foot out. I test my foot and check for any sign of injuries, fortunately nothing is wrong and I can walk fine so I spot a tall sturdy looking tree and I begin to climb the thick lower branches then the high thin branches. I climb until I reach the highest branch making sure I stay close to the trunk as the branch is more of a stick. I look out above the sea of trees that swallows up the rest of my body. I look out around me and all I see is forest, endless forest. I begin my climb down, just as I reach the mossy ground I hear it, a ground shaking growl.

I swiftly turn on my heels to the direction of the sound and I see a fully grown black bear with an open cave like mouth. “It’s okay, just stay away from it and it will stay away from you’ I say calmly to myself. The bear stops growling and stands back on its four strong legs. “Well that looks a bit less frightening” I say. At that moment the bear walks toward me looking me in the eyes. I brace myself for the worst but the bear just sits beside me as if guarding me from the dangers of the forest.

I can’t explain why but I feel safer with this bear by my side and by morning I know he won’t hurt me.
I get up and the bear wakes instantly, standing up and growling at any sound he may hear in the distance. I feel the bear and I will be together for a long time to come. I slowly run my icy cold fingers through his warm black fur when I hear them coming, a group of maybe four or five people. Just as the bear growls the people burst through the trees.

I can see them now wearing knives in their leather belts. “Wow, a bear today, its head will look nice on my bedroom wall!” I hear one yell, possibly the leader. They all pull out their knives and I have no choice but to leave the bear and run. As I am sprinting through the trees I hear an agonising growl and tears begin to roll down my face, every step brings me crashing to the ground. As my vision blurs my ears pick up a long moaning growl and then, dead silence. My eyes are heavy with tears, but now I know something for sure, I will be running for a very long time, not only from the humans but from the guilt.

Running, running, running…