Backcountry Page 13

  “It’s gone,” she said. “You scared it away.”

  She ran her fingers through his hair, trying to calm him down. He was trembling, and his fear was infectious. She knew that he was far more familiar with the wilderness than she was, so if he was worried, then she needed to be, too. Caught up in their thoughts, they lay side by side, listening to the noises of the night, hoping that the thing by the fire would not return. They could hear nothing but the normal sounds of the forest, but this brought no comfort. Curled up against Alex, Jenn tried to think of the situation they were in, but her thoughts keep returning to those eyes and how far they had been off the ground. It was a long time before they slept.

  Tuesday Morning

  The dawn’s light shines on Jenn’s face as she moves in that strange state between sleeping and waking. Her eyes are closed and her face twitches, as if in the grips of a bad dream.

  There is a sound of movement outside the tent, and heavy footfalls begin to move closer and closer. Heavy breathing filters through the thin fabric as something walks around the tent, and something sniffs as it takes in the curious smells.

  The movement stops, and the outline of a large head appears as it pushes its face into the fabric of the tent. It pulls away and the footsteps resume. There are heavy breaths and the sound of fur brushing against the fabric.

  It moves to the back of the tent, where Alex and Jenn’s heads lie close to the wall, and it sniffs around the base of the tent near Alex’s head. It moves on to Jenn and pushes hard into the fabric, the outline of its head at least three times as big as Jenn’s.

  Nostrils leave a trail of moisture down the outside of the tent as it nudges her through the fabric and pushes her head to one side. She mutters something and reaches up, pushing at the nose. The moment she does so, it pulls away, startled, and stands there for a moment.

  Then, whatever it is slowly moves away from the tent. Jenn curls up against Alex, still dreaming.

  Jenn slowly woke and found Alex cuddled up against her. He was breathing slowly and peacefully, much of the tension that had been his constant companion over the last few days gone from his face. She felt a wash of protectiveness and wrapped her arm around him and pulled him closer. For a moment, she forgot all about the noises in the night and about being lost; all that mattered was the fact that the man she loved was in her arms. She thought back to the night before and wondered what would happen when they got home. She hoped that she had made it clear to him that she would say yes if he proposed to her, and that she knew once they were out of this mess, he would pick the perfect time to try again.

  She was running through scenarios in her mind when Alex woke up. For a moment they just stared at each other, then he stroked the side of her face. She smiled at him.

  “Hi,” he said softly.

  “Hi.”

  “So, I was thinking, why don’t I call the front desk and order us some room service?” Jenn grinned and nodded. “Maybe a couple of massages?”

  “Mmm, sounds good.”

  He kissed her gently. “We’re going to be okay,” he said.

  “I know.”

  He smiled at her again and sat up, stretching out his arms and groaning as his shoulder popped and cracked loud enough that Jenn could hear it. He crawled to the door and reached for the zipper.

  “We should get going.”

  He pulled the zipper halfway down and looked out, freezing in shocked surprise. She looked past him and let out a moan of terror. Less than fifteen yards away sat a big black bear, completely motionless and staring back at them. It was the biggest animal Jenn had ever seen in real life, and its sheer size was hard to take in. The bear’s thick, soft-looking coat was black, except for its brown muzzle and light markings on its chest. Its stocky front legs ended in broad paws tipped with thick claws, and its wide, blunt snout—which gave away the fact it was a male—opened in a lazy yawn that revealed a mouthful of sharp, vicious-looking teeth as it tongue curled, tasting the air.

  Alex quickly zipped the flap of the tent shut and put his face in his hands. He was trembling with fear.

  “What do we do?” Jenn asked. “It’s not going to come closer, right?” He didn’t respond. “Alex?”

  He turned and put his finger to his lips, telling her to stay quiet. Her eyes went wide.

  “What? What? You’re scaring me.”

  “Stay quiet,” he whispered. He lowered his head and closed his eyes, looking almost like he was praying. “Please move on, please move on.”

  The forest was completely quiet, and they couldn’t hear any signs of movement. Alex could wait no longer. He slowly unzipped the tent door, stopping halfway. He took a deep breath and looked out. The bear hadn’t moved. It was still sitting facing them. As if it could feel their gaze, it let out a snuffling grunt and clambered to its feet. Rising up on its hind legs, it sniffed the air and gave out a muffled huff of breath that echoed across the clearing and steamed in the morning air. It came down on its front legs with a thud that communicated its sheer bulk and then slowly started to walk toward the tent. It appeared to be in no hurry, ambling casually, its head moving from side to side as it approached. Alex zipped the tent shut once more and shuffled backward, away from the door.

  “It’s coming for us, isn’t it?” Jenn asked.

  They could hear its heavy footfalls coming closer and closer.

  “Shit,” Alex said.

  Jenn looked around frantically, searching for the bear spray. For a moment, she thought she had lost it, but she found it had simply rolled under her backpack. She grabbed it and clutched it tightly against her chest, the cold metal a reassuring presence.

  “I can’t believe this is happening,” she said, close to panic. Alex looked as scared as she did, and Jenn started rocking back and forth. “What do we do?” she demanded. “What do we do?”

  Alex didn’t reply.

  “We don’t have any food in here,” Jenn said plaintively.

  “I know.”

  She pulled the orange safety cap off the spray can. Her hands were shaking so badly that it took her a couple of tries. While she was doing this, Alex desperately searched around the sleeping bag, moved towards the pillows at the back of the tent, and turned them over.

  “Where’s my axe?” He stopped, a frown of concentration creasing his features. “Fuck, where is it?” he demanded, more to himself than to Jenn.

  “In your bag?” Jenn said.

  He gave her a despairing look and Jenn’s blood ran cold at the resignation in his eyes.

  “What?” she asked, dreading the answer.

  “I left my bag outside by the fire.”

  His voice quavered like an old man’s, and he looked like he had aged decades in the past five minutes. Jenn dropped her head, cradling it in her arms. The shuffling footfalls came right up to the tent’s entrance and then stopped. Jenn and Alex looked at each other, listening intently, neither wanting to break the tense silence. They could hear the bear’s deep breathing and sniffing as it investigated the tent. Jenn gasped, almost crying out as the bear pushed against the thin fabric, its massive head outlined against the straining material. It let out another grunt, then the head disappeared. Jenn and Alex sat in complete silence, barely daring to breathe themselves as they listened to the bear’s heavy breaths. There was silence from outside the tent. They looked at each other, hoping it was gone. Alex tensed, about to move to the tent door—then all hell broke loose.

  With a terrifying roar, the bear clawed its way through the tent’s entrance, shredding the fabric like tissue paper. It roared again, showing its jagged teeth. Alex and Jenn were screaming hysterically now. In the chaos, Jenn
dropped the bear spray. She fumbled for it as it rolled away from her. The tips of her fingers closed on the canister, then slipped away, and she let out an agonized sob as she scrabbled at the floor, trying to locate it again. Jenn was closest to the beast, and its eyes focused on her. It lunged again, snapping at her, its efforts hindered by the remains of the tent wrapped around its shoulders. In its rage, the bear lashed out at the sleeping bag, ripping long tears into the fabric as stuffing flew everywhere. Alex and Jenn were battling to fight off the terror that threatened to completely immobilize them. Alex tried to reach Jenn, but the bear’s sheer size and bulk caused the tent to be flung from side to side, making it impossible for either of the campers to find their feet. Jenn screamed as her forearm caught a glancing blow from the bear’s paw; both her sleeve and her flesh parted instantly beneath the vicious claws. Blood seemed to be everywhere and for a moment Jenn thought she would faint.

  “Stay behind me!” Alex screamed. He grabbed her other arm and pulled her to the back of the tent, placing himself between her and the animal.

  The bear turned its focus on him, swiping and biting at him. Alex punched and kicked wildly, beyond fear and in primal terror, just desperate to keep it off him.

  “Get out, Jenn!” he screamed. “Get out!”

  His screams changed pitch and filled the tent as the bear bit down on his leg. There was a sickening crunch of bone as its massive jaws clamped shut.

  “Aaaah! My leg!”

  His cries were barely human. Jenn clamped her hands over her ears, trying to hide from the agonizing sound of his pain.

  “Alex!”

  “Spray it!”

  His whole body jerked as the bear shook its head from side to side. Blood splattered everywhere, all over Jenn, the walls of the tent, everything.

  “Spray it, Jenn!” Alex shrieked.

  Jenn tossed what was left of the sleeping bag out of the way, moving her hands through blood as she searched for the bear spray. Her hand closed around the metal cylinder and she let out a gasp of relief as she straightened up. Arm extended and trembling, she pointed the nozzle at the bear’s eyes and squeezed the trigger. A cone of orange mist enveloped its head, and it let out an awful roar of pain and frustration. It let go of Alex and shook its head, orange-stained saliva flying in every direction, then retreated from the tent, leaving Alex writhing in pain. Jenn grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the entrance, or what was left of it, gagging as she looked down at what little remained of his foot. Most of it was just gone; scraps of flesh trailed off into the bone and gristle that was clearly visible in the gaping wound. Blood was spurting from severed arteries, and Alex was already turning white from blood loss.

  “How bad is it?” he gasped.

  Jenn couldn’t meet his eyes. “Not that bad,” she lied.

  Alex moaned as he leaned forward, trying to get a look at the injury. Jenn pushed him back, gently but firmly.

  “Don’t look.”

  Alex’s eyes widened. “Your arm!”

  She looked down, surprised. Whether from nerve damage or sheer adrenaline, she was barely feeling any pain. She had forgotten her own injury in the terror of the attack.

  “Grab . . . grab the . . .” Alex sputtered.

  He was sweating profusely and his skin was pale and clammy from shock and blood loss. He seemed about to pass out.

  “Don’t say anything,” Jenn murmured. She was unsure what he was referring to, but she knew that nothing was more important than stopping the bleeding. “I’m going to wrap it.”

  “It’s bad, isn’t it?” he gasped. “I can’t feel my foot.”

  She didn’t answer, but grabbed one of the pillows and pulled off the pillowslip, then began ripping it into wide strips. Both their eyes were red and tearing up from the lingering spray.

  “My eyes are killing me,” Alex said. “Fuck, it burns.”

  Jenn was glad that the effects of the spray were distracting him from his hideous injury—though part of her knew he must be in serious trouble if he wasn’t feeling the full extent of the damage—but she grabbed his hand before he could wipe his eyes.

  “Don’t touch them!” she said. “It’s the spray, and it will pass. Just keep breathing. Deep breaths, Alex.”

  “Oh, my God, I’m going to die out here,” he sobbed.

  “No!” There was steel in Jenn’s voice. “I’m going to wrap your foot and we’re going to crawl out of here if we have to. You hear me?”

  He was fading fast and didn’t answer.

  “Alex, stay with me,” Jenn begged.

  She began wrapping his foot. He let out a scream of pain. Jenn was sobbing, but she didn’t stop, binding the wound as best she could while blinking back tears. She used strip after strip. Blood bloomed through each layer as she fought to staunch the flow. Behind her came the sound of the bear’s grunt. She froze. Alex and Jenn locked eyes, listening.

  In an explosion of savagery, the bear launched itself through the entrance, ripping aside what fabric remained like it was a cobweb. The spray had enraged the bear, and now that it had shaken off the effects, it was even more brutal than it had been the first time. Its roars filled the tent, drowning out their screams of terror. Jenn grabbed Alex’s hand and squeezed it. If they were going to die, they would die together. Alex shrieked as the bear seized his injured leg and began to drag him out of the tent. Trying to fight against it, Jenn braced her foot against the ground and locked her leg in place, pulling back on Alex’s hand. It was like a toddler wrestling with a grown man; the bear didn’t even notice her efforts. Inexorably, Alex began to slide along the ground, still screaming in pain and shock and fear. Jenn sobbed, still holding on tightly, refusing to let go. Slowly, agonizingly, she felt his fingers slipping through hers, his sweaty skin and the bear’s tremendous strength defeating her. With one last desperate look, Alex was gone, pulled from the tent. Jenn was left alone, sobbing on the ground.

  “Alex!” she screamed in anguish.

  There was a hideous grunting, snuffling sound as the bear began to feed. Alex’s screams echoed through the woods and speared straight into Jenn’s heart. She could see flashes of movement thought the rents in the tent, and as the bear moved, she could just make out Alex. Horrified, she watched as he struggled to free himself from the bear’s implacable grip, its teeth and claws as they inflicted terrible wounds. He turned his ruined face toward the tent and Jenn screamed at the sight of a flap of skin dangling from his face, revealing flesh and bone and a wildly rolling eye.

  “Oh, God!” Alex’s voice was distorted and strange, as if he were yelling from the bottom of a river, and she realized with horror that it was the sound of him drowning in his own blood. “Run, Jenn! Run!”

  Jenn staggered to her feet and made her way out, hunched over, fighting her way through the collapsed entrance, nearly tripping as she put her foot down on the grass outside the tent. She straightened and began to run for the trees. A quick look over her shoulder revealed the massive black body of the bear crouched over Alex, who twitched and writhed as the beast’s shoulders convulsed and powerful muscles tensed and flexed beneath its shaggy, black coat. He was still screaming as she reached the first of the trees. Then the screams cut off abruptly, leaving a shuddering silence broken only by the crack of bone and the rending of flesh. Jenn slowed, then stopped, turning to face the campsite. She hesitated, then began to move back toward the tent, one slow step at a time. The bear had dragged its meal to the treeline on the other side of the camp from Jenn, and it was feeding leisurely. As if in a trance, Jenn took a few steps toward it, and it shifted, growling ominously. Its movement allowed Jenn a clear view of Alex, and she staggered back in shock
. His face was gone, as was one of his arms, and his rib cage had been gnawed open, revealing ropy coils of intestine. Her mind flashed back to the deer carcass they had seen in the woods, and the truth crashed down on her with all its terrible weight. Alex was dead and she was alone.

  “Oh, God. Please,” she whimpered. “Oh, God, please.”

  The bear was still, lying across Alex’s body, claiming it for its own.

  “Alex,” Jenn said.

  The bear lifted its head and looked straight at her, and she flinched at its bestial gaze. From blood-stained jaws, it let out a low, deep growl that turned into a sharp, heavy huff. The noise cut through the fog of shock that had threatened to envelop Jenn. Without taking her eyes off the animal, she slowly backed away, almost tripping as her heel clipped something on the ground. She looked down at Alex’s overturned pack, its contents half hanging out, and her eye was caught by a small black box. Without thinking, she bent down and grabbed it. Somehow its weight in her grasp gave her something to focus on, and her mind cleared. She continued to back away slowly, watching the bear carefully through the tears rolling down her face, until her back came up against a tree trunk. She gasped at the shock of contact with the tree before she realized what it was; her eyes were still locked on the animal and its grisly feast. As she watched, it bent down and ripped off another chunk of flesh from Alex’s body. His limp weight flopped and jerked as it wrenched the mouthful free. Jenn felt bile rise in her throat and she swallowed, barely managing not to vomit at the sight before her. The bear chewed and swallowed and then raised its head again to look at her. It growled again and something inside her snapped. Taking one last look at Alex’s body, she turned and ran into the trees.

  Jenn’s breath came in short, sharps gasps that burned. The jagged pain of a stitch rode in her side. Still she ran, trying to put as much distance between herself and the bear—and the sight of Alex’s ruined body. She sobbed, remembering his last moments, how even then he had been trying to protect her. She stumbled slightly and then straightened, still running, hurdling rocks and dodging branches. Her face was covered in scratches, but she paid them no mind, the memory of teeth and claws and blood all she could think of. As she ran, the slope steepened, and then she was running downhill, leaping over roots and fallen logs, trying not to lose her balance. She didn’t dare look behind, scared of what might be on her heels.