Surviving the Smoke

Ch8 - Prey beats predator

Chapter 8 – Prey beats predator

I woke up one morning someone screaming. I think it was Jack. I rushed out of my bed asap with my too-big pjs on (again from the officer’s wife’s closet) to find Jack looking through the small semi-closable window in his room. All of us had come. “Jack? What’s wrong?” Andrew said, concerned. “Look… Look… They’ve never bothered us before! Maybe it’s really…. Really… hungry? I don’t know… Just look…” Andrew looked first. “It’s a bear. Everyone be quiet.” Andrew said in a very silent whisper, almost making no noise at all. We all froze. “We have to kill it.” Dustan said, very silently, “Jack you need to calm down and be quick. Go and SILENTLY grab our bows. Get as many arrows as you can carry.” Dustan ordered. Then he looked at me and said, “Molly, go and grab 6 knives for each of us. If you can carry a few more that would be even better but be silent and careful you two. And noise and it could break down these wall and come inside. Then we are all dead. The rest of us lets slowly make our way to the door. Molly and Jack meet us there.” And so we all did as Dustan said and moved out.

The bear was still just staying in that one area near the doorway sniffing around. We were ready and knew what we had to do, we’ve gone over taking down a bear a dozen times before because we knew that we’d have to do it eventually.

The next thing I knew, Jack had a bow ready to fire and was running outside to distract the bear. It started chasing him and then we all ran outside and made our circle. I’m trying to sound calm but I’m freaking out right now. Like major!!

“Back legs! Fire!” Andrew yelled. We all took down his back legs and it roared and howled at the same time. I hate seeing animals suffering but we can’t have it near us. You just never know. It tried charging but was too slow and was limping. Jack pulled out his knife, leapt on the bear from behind and stabbed his knife in deep through the neck-area. It was horrible to watch. I turned away. “Jack! Get off now!” Alexa screamed, “He’s rolling over!” but it was too late.

Jack tried to get off but was caught and the bear rolled over on top of him and a muffled cry came from Jack. The bear was dizzily getting up now a stepped right on Jack’s left arm with its ginormous paw and we all heard a loud “CRACK” then the bear looked down at Jack and was about to sink its fangs into him but fell sideways just in time.

Thank god that it was only a break of the arm… Jack was almost killed. “Jack! Talk to me!” Chris ran up and yelled at Jack, “Come on man wake up!” “Uuuuhhhhhhggggg…..” Jack moaned and we all laughed in relief. “It’s gunna be ok Jack. Come on guys let’s all carry him inside and check out his arm.” I told them. Everyone agreed.