Chapter 11 #2
I didn’t allow myself much time to think or talk myself out of what I was going to do. I just rushed at the bear, and as soon as I got close enough to touch it, I reached up, grasped a handful of fur, and hoisted myself up onto its back.
I’d never been this close and personal with a bear before, and the creature reeked of shit, forest, and decay. It took everything in me not to gag.
Good news, the bear’s focus was pulled from Martin, and the bear released him.
Bad news, all of the beast’s attention was suddenly directed to getting me off its back.
It twisted and shook to try and dislodge me, but I held on for dear life as I tried to scramble closer to its head.
When I finally got close, the bear stood on its hind legs to try and drop me. I clung to its neck with everything I had as it continued to twist in an effort to reach me.
Thank God, bears didn’t have the dexterity to reach behind themselves the way humans did.
As it was, this bear was certainly trying.
I was also amazed that I was capable of staying where I was for so long.
Even as I clung to it, I could feel the muscles in my body simultaneously scream out in exhaustion, while also strengthening.
I could practically feel myself growing stronger, but it didn’t make any sense. Could this have something to do with those skill points?
I didn’t really have time to think about it at the moment.
As I struggled with the bear, Tyler came running back with a fresh spear, and Kyle crept forward to drag our injured teammate out of harm’s way.
Kyle’s actions caught the bear’s attention, though, and when it realized its plaything was being taken away, it didn’t react kindly.
The bear dropped back to all fours, and one paw landed directly on Martin’s leg. There was a sickening snap as his leg broke under the bear’s weight, but this time Martin didn’t scream.
He passed out.
The pain had been too much for his body, and it simply shut itself down for the moment. The bear used its other paw to swipe at Kyle, who was forced to drop Martin and leap back.
He narrowly missed those massive claws as he stumbled out of the way.
With the bear no longer focused on removing me, I clutched its fur with one hand while I used my other hand to dig into my pocket and produce my knife.
It was the only weapon I had at the moment, so it would have to do.
I said a silent prayer, clung to the bear as tightly as I could with one hand, reached up, and plunged the knife down as hard as I could.
Directly into its left eye.
The bear instantly reared back with a roar and tried to shake me off with even more aggression than before. I clung to its fur and my knife that was still embedded in its eye.
Then the shaking stopped, and I felt the bear start to tip backward.
The asshole was going to fall backward on top of me.
I braced myself and used its body as a springboard to leap away before I could be crushed under the bear’s two thousand and something pounds. Once I hit the ground, I quickly rolled away, but not before the bear swiped at me with its massive claws.
I was able to dodge any serious damage, but a sudden burning sensation across my abdomen told me I hadn’t gotten away completely unscathed. When I glanced down, my shirt was completely torn, and red blood had begun to stream from the slash mark across my gut.
Shit.
I guess it could’ve been much worse, though. Not that we were out of the woods yet.
Kyle was able to get back up, and he dragged Martin’s still-unconscious body deeper into the trees and away from the immediate threat.
As I scrambled to my feet, the bear was also getting back up, but thankfully, Tyler was right there with his spear, and he jabbed it deep into the bear’s rump.
I thought for sure the bear would roar and turn on the new threat, but instead, it turned its enormous head to face me. The beast’s face was covered in blood, both its own as well as Martin’s, and my knife was still protruding from its eye.
Oh, this was personal now.
The bear completely ignored Tyler as it lumbered toward me at speeds I didn’t even think were possible, and I narrowly dodged its attack.
The bear slowed much too quickly, and before I knew it, the beast was rushing me again.
Again, I dove out of the way, and the whole interaction brought to mind video games I’d played in the past. When I fought the final boss in a game and injured it to a certain level, it unlocked its next phase where it became even more aggressive and harder to kill.
The way the bear was acting, it suddenly felt like I had unlocked its next phase.
I dodged for a third time, and even though Tyler kept stabbing at the bear in an attempt to draw its attention away, it only seemed to want me.
After I’d gotten to my feet again, I raced to the spear pile, but the beast had already started to charge me again, and I had to quickly duck out of the way.
That was when I got an idea.
If I needed a certain level of speed and force to kill the bear with a spear, then perhaps I could use the bear’s own strength and speed against it…
I rolled to my feet and lunged for the pile of spears, and then I quickly grabbed one and ran.
The bear was already on my tail again, but this time I didn’t try to dodge out of the way, I didn’t try to outmaneuver it. I just ran as fast as I could across the clearing with the bear close behind me.
It was so close that I could hear its labored panting as it tried to keep pace, and it was the only sound I could hear over my own heavy breathing and rapidly beating heart.
I ran harder and faster than I ever had before, and even though my legs began to burn from overexertion, I didn’t slow at all.
The treeline was coming up ahead, and I knew I needed to act, because it was now or never.
I said another silent prayer to whoever was listening, before I abruptly stopped and whirled to face the fast-approaching creature head-on.
If I hadn’t turned at just the right time, my own momentum would’ve made me stumble, but I somehow felt lighter and quicker on my feet, and I was able to keep my balance.
The bear was seconds from me, and it opened its mouth wide to bite down.
I lifted the spear and shoved it forward with all my might, as hard and as quickly as I could, and in the same instant, the bear collided with the wood.
The bear’s momentum made my knees buckle and give out, so I was shoved back, but at least I wasn’t crushed under its weight, which had been my main concern.
The spear went straight through the bear’s opened mouth, almost down to where my hands grasped at the end of it, so the bear’s wickedly sharp teeth stopped just a few centimeters shy of my bare skin.
A second later, the spear shattered from the force, deep inside the animal, and the thing collapsed with a gurgling groan.
When I finally got to my feet again, the bear was dead on the ground, with its one good eye still open and glassy.
“Oh, my God.” Tyler jogged over to me with wide eyes. “Holy shit, man, are you okay?”
I did a quick mental check before I answered him, but besides my burning abdomen, I felt fine.
“I think so,” I said as I glanced over at Tyler. “Are you alright?”
He had a small cut on his cheek, scratches everywhere, and he looked like he’d have some nasty bruises in the morning, but other than that, he looked fine.
“Yeah, man,” he assured me. “I’m good.”
Just then, we heard rustling from across the clearing, and I whirled and hoped the bear didn’t have a friend. But a few seconds later, Parker poked her head out from behind one of the trees, and when she saw Tyler and I, and then the dead bear, she rushed over.
The other women were close behind her.
“Are you guys alright?” Parker asked with notes of both concern and admiration in her voice.
“We’re fine,” I assured all of them with a nod. “But Martin isn’t. He needs medical attention immediately.”
“I’ll get the medkits,” Parker said as she turned and rushed away.
Tyler and I moved to the spot we’d seen Kyle and Martin last, and we found both of them hidden in the bushes beneath a nearby tree.
For once, I wasn’t pissed that Kyle had wimped out and hidden instead of continuing to help us fight, because at least his presence had kept other potential predators from taking advantage of Martin’s vulnerable state.
Between the three of us, we were able to drag Martin back into the clearing, where Parker and Sadie were waiting with the medkits. Parker didn’t hesitate before she began to examine the man.
“This doesn’t look good,” she murmured as she checked the wounds on either shoulder. “He’s lost a lot of blood.”
“He also has a broken leg,” I said as I pointed to the leg the bear had crushed.
“Okay,” Parker said after a minute, and she clapped her hands together to indicate she meant all business. “We need to act quickly. He needs stitches on his right shoulder, and the wound on his left one needs to be packed and bandaged. He’ll also need a splint for that broken leg.”
“I can stitch him up,” Sadie volunteered. “I know how to sew, so it won’t be perfect… but--”
“That’ll work just fine,” Parker assured her.
Sadie immediately began to dig through the medkit for a suture needle and thread.
“I’ll find a splint for his leg,” I offered quickly.
Parker nodded, and I hurried to where we’d piled all the spare branches. I was able to find a straight and thick one that I hadn’t fire hardened yet, and I returned to the group.
“We’ll have to cut it down to size, but this should work,” I said as I showed Parker the branch.
“That’s perfect, Liam, thank you,” she said. “Could you cut it for me? We need to get his leg straightened before he wakes up. This medkit has painkillers, but none of the heavy stuff he’ll need to withstand the pain of having his leg set.”
I readily agreed and got to work.
Once the branch was cut down to the appropriate size, there was nothing left for me to do but stand back and watch Sadie and Parker work.