Morning all. I woke up out of a dream where someone was about to hand me a file folder holding the documents that i had apparently been searching for. I have no idea what the rest of the dream entailed as the alarm sent it scattering just as I reached out for the file. I woke up thinking my alarm had evil intentions though. Still, awake I am, even if i don’t know what was in the file or why I wanted it. So shall we jump into a new writing prompt and leave behind the last unsettled dream remnants? I think that would be a good idea.
Something is going to be up with this neighbor and possibly Craig. I can feel it. Not sure what though, but something.
Tuesday, October 25th: The bear ambled out of the woods.
The bear ambled out of the woods. It was the closest I had ever been to a wild creature that was larger than a squirrel and for a moment I froze. Later I found out it was the best thing I could have done. The bear glanced in my direction as I stood petrified near the side of the house. My brain whirled as I tried to figure out if I could make it to the front door before the bear made it to me.
He sniffed in my direction and with a snort that sounded derisive, he looked away and ambled out of the tree line. He crossed the yard and while the distance was about a dozen or so feet it felt as though he was closer. My eyes stared at him, their movement watching his passage the only movement I made as he made his way in front and then past me.
Never had twelve feet felt like such a small gap. He kept going, apparently easy with his stroll and looking comfortable in the area. He drew level with the front door. I left it open when I stepped outside to retrieve the laundry. When I arrived the sheets smelled of being too long in the cupboard so I string them out across the line to air out before making the bed. I saw them flapping shortly after I returned from the store. Worried it would rain and I would be left with the bare mattress, I unlocked the door and then went out to get them. The groceries were still in the car. I had planned to get them in once I was certain the sheets weren’t going to get wet. Thunder rumbled overhead and the bear glanced up and then adjusted his course towards the open door.
Somehow I didn’t think that was progress. He walked through the door and I wilted slightly just knowing he was not in front of me. I would have preferred that I was in the house and he was outside, but at least we were separated by walls.
I knew my cell phone was in my pocket but I wasn’t quite sure who to call about bears in the house. This was a bit beyond my expertise. I saw the lights go on in the house next door. Relieved at the thought of another human presence, I moved quickly in that direction walking away from the open side door and around the back of the house. I reached their back door and knocked loudly.
Heavy footsteps sounded. The door creaked open and a older man stood there. He was nearly as big as the bear, his brown hair going to white around the temples.
“Hi you don’t know me,” I began. “Kyle said I could use his cabin and I aired out the sheets now there is a bear in the house and I don’t quite know what to do about it. Do you know who to call?”
All of this information I spit at him in rapid fire. He blinked took a deep breath and nodded.
“Craig,” he said.
“Okay,” I replied. He pulled out his cell phone. Craig turned out to be less an announcement of his name and more the person who needed to be called.
“Craig,” he said into the phone. “We have a bear issue again.” He outlined the problem and nodded. He hung up. “He’ll be here in a bit. In the future, don’t leave the door open.”
“Okay,” I replied.
We stood at the back of his house where we could see the side door I so foolishly left open. Craig arrived. He brought with him a team of what I assumed were experts. They went into the house armed for, well…bear. The tranquilizer guns made no sound so there was no dramatic gunfire, just a team of experts manhandling the unconscious bear out of the house what seemed like a lifetime later. It was only later, that a few things began to worry me about the incident.
Ten til Midnight 