I was in the forest and so was the bear. I had survived in the forest for several months. I didn’t know exactly how long but the seasons had changed.
Despite being alone with a bear in the forest I wasn’t afraid of the bear because he was in a man-made bear trap. The bear’s left paw was caught and he couldn’t move, for when he did he was in a lot of pain. It was because of that pain that he was angry and growling, but he was also whimpering and I knew that he would let me help him. I waited. Finally, he fixed his gaze on me and stopped growling.
I knew that he wouldn’t hurt me because I knew that the same creature that had created the bear trap was the same one that kept me here, caught with nowhere to go. I had walked the length of the electric fence that surrounded this land often and there were no openings. I also felt that the bear would walk away after I let him go, because the bear did not know he was enclosed by that fence. Ultimately, I felt that the bear would be grateful that I had released him and would expect nothing more of me. I knew that when I let the bear out of the trap the bear would be too injured to walk and it would perhaps even need my help with its injuries. I knew that if I helped the bear, then the bear would be grateful. He would show his gratitude by leaving me alone once he was able to. I did not think for a second that the bear would hurt me. Certainly not after I ensured he was not hungry.
I went to the lake. I went to catch some fish. I didn’t have a fishing pole. There are other ways to catch a fish.
I used my spear and I pierced one fat fish. I was strong. I was used to this and to eating mostly fish. Being forced into a “pescatarian” diet was just one of the ways in which I had been caught. After the bear had eaten, I started to work at the trap on its leg. I was relieved that the injury wasn’t deep enough where the bear was going to lose its paw. However, it was certainly deep enough that the bear would limp. Even so, as I worked I began to feel hopeful that the bear would be make a complete recovery. I lost myself in the task at hand.
I became alert when there came a rustling sound from behind me, that sound which both the bear and I feared the most. The sound of boots crunching on the dry grass. The sound of the creature who set the traps to ensnare us all. I had almost set the bear free.
At first, he was loud, yelling “Who goes there?” repeatedly, with increasing volume. He wasn’t close enough to see that neither the bear nor I were a threat to him. When he did see us, he saw the tattered layers of my clothes and how I was hunched over the bear trap, working hard.
“Oh!” He said, “It’s you, of course!” then he chuckled, audibly relieved and even amused. Perhaps it’s funny to them, seeing how the game attempts to survive.
The crunching leaves stopped and then his laughter came. It was a loud, frightening sound. He was still far away enough that I could make an escape, but the sound of it was so loud that it scared the birds out of their nests, and even the bear winced. Still, I did not turn my head at the sound of his presence, thinking that he would give me time to run. It was part of the game. He would see me from afar, laugh and chase me until I fell or he got tired. Then he would shoot the rifle into the air and walk off in a different direction than I was. I didn’t know that this time was different. I began to turn when I heard him cock his gun.
“Two for one,” he said, this time to himself, and then he shot us both down.