by Tina Lee
“Josh, are you okay?” I grabbed his face.
“I’m alright.”
“What do you want with us?” I asked while tears filled my eyes.
He looked at me long and hard, and said not a word, only a terrifying laugh.
This was not going to end well, so I needed a plan, and fast! I looked Josh in the eyes, and we both knew what was on each other’s mind.
The man was looking for something, probably a rope to tie us with. If we had allowed that to happen, then would have positively die. I was not prepared to run through the woods. I was in a shorts, bare feet and my legs were still weak from that pounding I got. Enough of this preppy talk. I was prepared to do what it took to survive.
Josh gave me that look and I nodded. He was ready, and so was I. The man found his rope and walked towards us. Josh did a count down with his fingers. Three. Two. One. We dashed off into the woods and the man ran after us. “Josh, I’m scared!”
“Just keep running!”
I heard his foot steps getting closer. He was gaining in on us, shockingly fast for his age. I ran and jumped over objects I could not see. The moon’s faint light was our only guide. My chest contracted, and for a second I wanted to stop, then I saw the man take his gun from his waist and aimed it at us. “He’s gonna shoot us!”
“Oh fuck!” Josh shouted.
We heard a loud bang. I felt no pain so I assumed it didn’t get me.
“He’s going to catch us.” Josh said.
“Let us keep running.”
Josh shook his head. “At least one of us should make it out alive.”
“Wait. No. No. We can both make it.”
“I’m sorry.” Josh looked into my eyes, and I could tell there was sadness in them. He pushed me to the ground and sped off.
I screamed and cried. Not because that psycho was going catch me and kill me, but because Josh betrayed me, just like that, after I impulsively jumped out to save him. The feelings I had for him weren’t mutual, and it shattered me. Josh was out of sight.
I heard his heavy breathing as he stepped over me. “Bad girl. You know who I hate most of all? Runners. They make my blood boil.”
I screamed until my lungs ran out of air. He lifted me and threw me on his shoulders and set off back to our tent. No matter how loud I screamed; no one would hear me. He laughed at my whimpers. He whistled while he walked, proud of his successful capture. If his plans was to kill, I just wished he would get on with it.
He took me back to the camp site, tied my hand and feet and taped my mouth. I didn’t beg. No. I would not give him that pleasure. He sharpened his knife by the fire, still whistling his song of victory.
“You’re a fine one.” He said. “A real beauty.” He wiped his blade in his shirt. He licked his lips.
I looked him straight in the eye, and I saw a monster. Go ahead. Do it, you bastard.
He placed the blade at my throat. I kept my eyes open, showing no sign of the fear that was crippling me. Out from the woods, a Bear charged and pounced on the man. I lay flat and played dead while the Bear mauled the man, sinking its teeth into him and swinging him around like an old rag.
The man managed to reach his gun and fired one off, hitting the Bear in the arm. The Bear made a quick swing with its claws and slashed the psycho dead. His mangled body lay lifeless beside the fire.
The Bear spun and turned its attention to me. I lay motionless, hoping it would think I’m dead and move on. It was a big brown bear with thick fur. It sniffed me, then licked my face, Its fur tickled my chin and immediately I flinched. It growled, then the strangest thing happened, the big frame of the Bear began to shrink! It’s fur began shedding at an alarming rate. It growled until the coarseness of its voice was gone, and the voice that emerged was that of a human. Infront of me, naked, was a man! But how was that possible? Am I dreaming?
He moaned, grabbing his arm, blood poured out of the fresh wound. My eyes widened, and it would remain that way, for I was too shocked to do or say anything. With all his strength, he untied me and immediately after, he went unconscious.
Derek
I woke up to someone singing, a woman’s voice. Her melody calmed me, and beautified the morning, like the birds singing in the trees. Where am I? How did I end up here?
“Don’t move.” I heard a voice say. She came from behind the tent with a rag in her hand. “Hold still.” She took my arm and gently wiped it with the damp cloth. She made a faint smile, her dimples awoke from hiding and her nose crinkled. My god, she was beautiful.
I watched her nursed of my arm then I realized something, I had forgotten to ask a obvious question. “Who are you?”
“I’m Sarah.” She wrapped my arm and squeezed it tight, causing me to flinch. “I’m the girl you saved last night.”
It all came back to me in quick burst of flashes. The man. The gun. I was shot. The woman. I pulled my arm from her grasp and quickly rose to my feet. “Stay back!” I realized another thing; I was clothed. She dressed me.
“It’s okay.” She held her hand up. “You saved me, remember? You were a… I don’t know how to say this without sounding crazy. But you were a—”
“Bear.” I completed her sentence. She had seen me. How foolish was I for being so vulnerable. It was incredibly stupid. Now, my secret wasn’t safe, not while she’s alive.
“It’s okay. I won’t tell anyone.” She said, as if she had read my mind. “No one would believe me anyway.”
I looked at my arm. That bastard got me good. My body heals quickly, so it would be only a matter of time before I could use my arm normally again. “Thank you.’ I said.
“No. No. I should be thanking you. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you.” She stepped closer to me.
My muscles tensed as she got closer. It had been a while since I had seen another human, and even more so, a woman, a beautiful one. The color in her eyes became visible; Green, like the woods we were in. Her hair danced in the light morning breeze.
She embraced me, squeezing her arms around me, burying her face in my chest. “Thank you.” She said.
I wondered if she could hear how strong my heart was beating. Her warm hold started a sensation in my manhood, and I could only hope that it didn’t poke her.
“Whose clothes are these?” I looked at the jeans I was in.
She started a fire then put a kettle of water to boil. I admit, I hadn’t had tea in a long time, and I was looking forward to it. “They belong to my boyfriend. Well, my ex-boyfriend.”
“And where is he now?”
She paused, her eyes lowered to the ground. “I don’t know and I don’t care. He left me to die.” Her eyes watered, she then quickly wiped it away.
What man would leave his woman to die? No, he was no man. He was nothing but a filthy coward, and not deserving of such a lovely soul.
She brushed it off. She was a tough one, I could tell. We drank tea by the old wooden seats. Its flavor bring color inside of my life. It was one of the few things I missed back home. I must not think too much of the past, it was of no use. I knew what I was; an animal, and I was where I belong.
“Here, taste this.” She placed a piece of sugary treat inside my mouth. Its sweetness explodes into my mouth, so much that I let out a soft growl. I licked my lips, then I lick the remaining sweetness off her finger.
“What is this?” I asked.
She giggled. “It’s a Poptart. Want more?”
I nodded. She fed me pieces of Poptert, or was it Popturt, whatever they called it, it was delicious. This time, she left her finger on my lips, then she leaned in and kissed me. Her sweet lips was something I would never forget, and when our lips finally parted, I could feel my stomach twist. I wanted more.
“I’m sorry.” She apologized. “That was out of place.”
“No. It’s fine.” I assured her. I could feel the beast in me getting excited. I wanted to rip her clothes and have my way with her. My cock tensed and pulsated in this tight jeans, despera
tely trying to bust its way out. I calmed myself with slow breathing and the beast within me had settled.
I could tell she was excited too. Her erect nipples printed out of her thin shirt.
“What are you?” She spoke softly.
What are you? Was always a difficult question. It was way more complex than what one would assume. For the sake of simplicity, I answered. “A Shifter.”
“Meaning you can change into Bear whenever you want?”
“I wouldn’t say anytime I want, there are multiple factors, But I shift into a Bear. That’s it, nothing amazing.”
“Are you crazy? That’s amazing! And terrifying too!”
“It can be a burden at times.”
Her excitement disappeared. “I’m sorry.”
“What for? You didn’t make me this way.”
“How did you become a shifter?”
Flashbacks of my father entered my mind. “I inherited it.” I accidentally crushed the cup in my hand.
She looked at me, then the cup. She chose not to acknowledge it. “How long have you been in the woods?”
“Too long to count. I’m older than you think.”
Her eyes narrowed in on mine. “Do you know what an Iphone is?”
“No.”
“Wow. It is— never mind. It’s not important.”
“I have everything I need here.”
“But don’t you get lonely?”
“Yes. Sometimes I miss the presence of another person. Its warmth and familiarity. Like what I’m feeling now.”
Her cheeks widened and I am blessed with her smile. I returned a smile. After not smiling in a long while, I wondered how I looked, and if I had forgotten how.
Sarah
He had a wonderful smile, like a baby that’s smiling but you aren’t sure what for. His face didn’t resemble a child, no, his face had scruffy beard and looked tired, like he had been in many battles. But it was the way he smiled, with such innocence, and completely genuine.
“Shall I escort you out the woods?” He asked.
“Uh, that’s alright. I think I’ll spend some time with you. I mean, it’s not everyday one meets a…Shifter.”
He thought about I just said. “Very well. But we must leave.” He pointed to the dead psycho that he covered with leaves. “The Albamo leaves will hide his scent for a while, but it won’t be long before the wolves smell the blood. You don’t want to be here when the wolves come.”
I shook my head. He spoke with such power, like a leader who expected to be obeyed. In his eyes, you could tell that it wasn’t ego, he wasn’t begging for praise. It was just in him, all the characteristics of a leader.
“Shall we go?” He asked. His voice soft but coarse.
I grabbed all I could carry and set off through the woods. He told me old stories about this place. All fascinating stories. I could listen to him speak all day. I learned that there were more animals here before the hunters kill them all. This was once a safe place for Shifters, where they could start a new life and could be accepted for who they were, and not some freak of nature.
I liked how he walked too, his back straight, shoulders broad and every step had purpose. I strolled behind him, unable to match his pace. “Where are we going?”
“By the river.” He turned to me. “There you can wash off and rest.”
“Where would we go after that?”
“You’re welcomed to stay in my home.”
“Home? Where?”
“It’s up ahead.”
Maybe I wasn’t thinking things clearly through. I was following a Man-Bear—who killed someone lastnight— through the woods to his home. Every part of me was telling me to turn and around and go home. It was right thing to do, but I couldn’t.
There was just something about him, and at that point I had grew too curious to just leave. I needed to know more about him.
We reached the river around midday, when the sun was at its peak. It was lovely here, the tranquil beauty of it all. Wind swayed the dancing trees, and off came gliding leaves, falling until they hit the water, and sailed off like boats with the current.
He sat by the shade, watching me watching him, I couldn’t hold his stare no longer, it was too intense. I turned to the water, looking at my blurry reflection in the moving water.
I got undressed. And I could feel his eyes still on me. If he wanted to stare, then I’ll let him. It was only fair, I saw all of his manly goodness last night. I dived in the river and immediately I felt much better than before. The cool water washed over my naked body and eased me. I floated on the water top, exposing my breast and cunt in the open.
“Aren’t you gonna come in?” I asked.
“No. I’d much rather stay here and admire the view.”
I closed my eyes and smiled. You intrigue me, Derek.
After I had washed off by the river, Derek took me to an secret orchard he had built. Rows after rows of Apple trees, all bearing bright red apples, luscious and abundant. At the other end of the orchard, small Strawberry vines grew, and that especially got me excited. I loved Strawberries, and he could see that too, from how I eagerly ran to pick some.
“Do you love fruits?” I asked.
He held an Apple in his hand, twirling it. “No. To be honest, I don’t have much appetite for Apples or Strawberries. I’ll have one on an occasion, though.”
“Then why build an Orchard if you don’t eat the fruits?” I asked, while I took a bite out of an Apple.
He kept twirling the Apple in his hand. “My family had an Orchard, back then, when our lives seemed normal. My siblings and I used to play in Orchard all the time and my mother used to get so upset.” He chuckled. “We would lay by the shade and tell stories. My brother would throw the Apples that were on the ground and I would swing at them with a stick, destroying my mother’s fruits.”
His eyes gazed on the trees. “I suppose I built this because I had too much time on my hand, and…It reminded me of home; of my dear mother, my rebellious brother and kind-hearted sister.”
“And where are they now?”
“All gone. Hunted by men who didn’t understand us.
I ate fruits and listened to him speak. He had many stories to tell. And in the middle of it all I felt jealous, jealous of the thrilling life he had, while mine was always mundane and repetitive. That’s why I liked it here, it was out of the ordinary.
We stayed until afternoon caught us, and we were lit with the sun fading orange light. My stomach was full, and I had packed all I could, which was more that I could carry. The good thing was, I had a strong man in my company, and her offered to carry my load.
We set off again, I was keeping at his pace this time, trying to beat the nightfall. It didn’t take too long, for up ahead was his home. The entrance looked like a big thick wall of wild thorns, at first thought, I didn’t believe that it was an entrance. It didn’t seem possible, there was nothing there other than wild vines and thorns.
He walk towards the pointed spikes. “Come on.” He said.
“What? But there is nothing there. You’re going to kill yourself.”
He laughed. But I wasn’t trying to be funny. I was genuinely concerned.
“Yes. To anyone else it would be dangerous, but it safe for us.”
“Why? Do the thorns favor you?”
He took a purple leaf from his pocket. I wasn’t sure at what point did he pick it. He held it up so I could see. “You see those fuzz on the surface?”
I nodded.
“The thorns react to them. Chemicals in the leaves cause the thorns to retract and for a moment.” He shook the leaf and all the fuzz started floating in the air. When it made contact with thorns, the thorns curled up and shrunk, giving way to an opening which led into his yard.
His home was simple. A small wooden house surrounded by pleasantly rich grass, it looked like something you would see on a postcard cover from Sweden. High walls of thorn bushes surrounded the yard, no way of anyone seeing inside.
He led me inside, and the first thing I noticed was how clean it was, which surprised me. The bad boy types that I’ve met were all messy, and then I realized I couldn’t possibly try to put him in a box as Bad Boy. He was so much more.
There was no decorations or anything close to that, he didn’t even have curtains for the window, just a bed, a table, a chair, a small drawer and a fire place.
“It isn’t much” He stated the obvious. “You can take the bed.”
“And where will you sleep?”
“Anywhere where I can rest my head.”
“Nonsense. We’ll share the bed. We might have to huddle together.”
He smiled for a second then it went away.
“What is it?” I asked.
“It’s time.”
“Time for what?”
“For me to change. I can feel it inside me, forcing its way out.”
I hugged him, as if my embrace would actually stop the animal inside him. He pushed me off. “Stay back!” He groaned. “And whatever you do, don’t run!”
“When you change, is it you I will see in its eyes?”
“I’m present in my Bear form, but only faintly. I cannot control it, however I can influence its thoughts.”
I knew I should have turned around and went home, but no, I was too curious, and now I may get killed because of it. In the middle of my thoughts, he grabbed my jaw and gave me kisses all over my face and neck. He then slid his tongue into my mouth and kissed me deeply.
Our lips separated. “My scent is on you, now. It will not harm you.”
His breathing got heavier. He stripped himself of all his clothes and knelt on the floor. I turned my head a few times, undecided on if I should watch or turn away.
His body grew huge, inflating like a balloon. I could hear his bones breaking like twigs inside his body and I watched as his limbs stretched and furs grew from his pours.
And in the matter of a minute, there was a huge grizzly Bear breathing in front of me, grunting, apparently dazed from the transformation.
