Page 8 of Chosen By The Grizzly

They’re headingtoward the river, of course.

To the cabin.

They’re going slow, stumbling through the trees. Lindsay’s having a lot of trouble navigating and it takes a long time. But at last, there’s a shriek of excitement, which ends in a kind of muffled sound, as if someone clapped their hand over the shrieker’s mouth.

“Ashley—!” I hear Lindsay hiss, and I break into a grin. It would be kinda funny if these airheads sabotaged their own scheme.

I take a few steps closer, then I duck behind a big old fir tree. I can see the cabin from here. My heart beats fast.

When Lindsay, Madison and Ashley climb the steps and stride right up to the front door, thumbs hooked into the straps of their silly backpacks, I almost choke on my own spit. Every bit of me wants to yell,Get the hell away from there!but somehow, I’m paralyzed. And where’s Brittany?

Oh, she’s filming on her phone. Of course, she is.

But who the hell is in there?

Looks like I’m just about to find out.

Lindsay knocks on the door. Softly at first, then harder.

I stop breathing.

There’s no answer, for a long, long time.

No one’s home.

I start breathing again. We’re not going to get shot by some half-crazed mountain man.

Then Madison clears her throat. “Hellooo!” she trills.

I cringe as her loud, fake voice reverberates through the forest.

“We’re looost! Can you please help us?” Ashley calls in a pathetic mewling tone.

Time ticks by, but there’s only silence. Good. Maybe whoever lives here has gone on vacation to Aruba, or wherever mountain man go when they need a change of scene.

Guess the girls will be coming back now. I’d better go, so they don’t see me. I start to step away, just as Lindsay grabs the handle of the front door and turns it.

“Oh, my god, it opens,” she gasps.

“Go in!” one of the others squeaks. “Maybe we’ll find some evidence or something.”

Evidence?

We’re all dead.

I watch in horror as all four girls creep through the door, one at a time. There’s a ton of whispering, and… a wild roar. An earth-shattering sound that booms from the cabin.

What the heck was that? I swear every single one of my hairs stands on end. It sounded like a bear or something. Shit, did they just disturb a snoozing grizzly?

Suddenly, the air is full of high-pitched screams, and all four of them burst out of the cabin and sprint back the way they came, arms flailing, mouths hanging open. It’d be funny if I wasn’t so darn freaked right now.

A moment later, a huge, dark shape fills the doorway. Holy crap. I make out thick, brown fur, dark, glistening eyes, and a set of gigantic white fangs… and, it’s heading right at me!

I don’t stop to think. I unclip the can of bear spray from my utility belt, flick open the lid, and blast the giant grizzly right in the face.

I’m so fricking scared, I squeeze my eyes shut, but I keep going and going, releasing one blast after another.

Somewhere in my fog of terror, I hear the beast bellow. But it’s a sound more of annoyance than pain.

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