Page 107 of The Lottery

The thought of it sends a new rush of rage through me, and I clench the steering wheel, my knuckles turning white, and I scream. I scream as loud as I can, until my throat is raw from the effort.

“I will find you, Azalea. I will not let him hurt you.” I vow this to her as I drive.

It is cold and the sky has started filling with dark clouds. A storm is quickly brewing. Buddy must have some kind of shelter, the question is where. Traveling on foot with a forty minute head start, I know generally how far he could have gone; I just have no clue which direction they went. Snowfall has covered their tracks.

That is when I see it. I almost missed it at first. A cave, just north of us. It seems too close to base, labeled as an animal den in our logs. Without the radar map, I would have ignored this spot, writing it off as too unlikely a choice.

Looking now, I see two bodies pulsing in red and orange from their heat.

Two human bodies.

And one giant bear.

* * *

ZAE

Buddy’s attention is diverted by the deep growl that echoes throughout the cave.

A bear. A fucking bear.

My body trembles with fear, but I can’t freeze up. Not now. I take advantage of the distraction and push myself to my feet. My knees buckle under me, but I manage to find my balance, then lunge myself forward, straight into Buddy, slamming him against the stone wall.

His head crashes hard, and he slumps under my body. Alive, but unconscious. At least for the moment.

I fall to the ground, my body shaking with adrenaline and fear and rage and sorrow. I roll onto my side so that my hands can search Buddy’s pockets. I need a knife. Or something sharp.

I can’t find anything.

Buddy moans.

The bear roars again, closer now.

Shit.

I have to get out of here.

I give up on searching for a knife and move toward the exit. With my hands and feet bound, I make pathetically slow progress, crawling like a snail toward the entrance of the cave. My head still spinning, blood dripping off me like a trail of breadcrumbs for the bear as I scoot along.

The snow is falling when I make my way out, and the cold numbs me enough to take the edge off the pain.

We’re at the top of a cliff. My only escape is a narrow path winding downward through the trees. I make it a few more inches before something yanks me back painfully.

“You bitch!” Buddy grabs hold of both my ankles as he pulls me to him.

I kick him in the chest. “There’s a bear! Are you insane?”

“Shut up! Shut--”

His words are cut off by a thunderous rumble. A revving engine. Down below. Coming through the trees. Growing louder. We both look for the source of the sound.

And then I see it. The most beautiful sight in the world.

A rover coming our way, tearing into the earth with tires that spray it back like blood. It climbs the steep face of the hill, driving dangerously close to the edge but not slowing down.

I scream again, kicking harder at Buddy.

The rover comes closer, and pulls to an abrupt stop.

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