Chapter 70

• It must smell me or what I’m cooking and probably followed either scent to investigate. It doesn’t look inquisitive; it seems mad as hell, with raging eyes and bared teeth, and I can tell how it rears on its back legs and wails at me that it’s probably my scent ticking it off and not here to say hello.
• Bears don’t like my kind; it’s a well-known and documented fact. They deem us a threat, and we never wander into bear territory alone. Those monsters are strong, relentless, huge, and weirdly capable of taking one of us on as long as it’s a more petite femme like me, with little to no combat skills.
• I get up and start backing away fast, knowing that this is some nasty shit to be in right now, eyes darting around for a weapon, or escape route, as it wades towards me through the underbrush, kicking rocks aside with its massive clumpy paws. I swallow hard, pull my wits about me, and start pulling off my clothes slowly, keeping my eyes trained because I don’t want to lose the very few items I have to wear. I only have two outfits, and they are already worn and ragged from constant use, so I can’t afford to lose a single item by shredding it to scraps by turning when dressed.