“I don’t think they lurk.” I untie one end of the hammock. “I’m pretty sure they just go about living their bear life.”
“Eating unsuspecting campers,” she adds, quickly gathering and folding our chairs. She stows them in the van.
With the fear of becoming a wild bear’s lunch, Sarah moves fast, and we get everything packed up and ready to go in less than thirty minutes.
On the way through the campground, Sarah points to the spot, now empty, where the pregnant girl was staying.
“I didn’t notice earlier, but she’s gone.”
“I’m just relieved that neither of us had to deliver a baby this week.”
“No kidding. I hope she’s okay, though. She was so young andsopregnant.”
When I stop at the kiosk to check out, I point to the spot on the van that’s dented. “Any idea what might have caused that? We found it after we took a little hike this morning.”
The man scowls at it, then shakes his head. “I’ve heard that there’s been a black bear hanging around,” he says. “Could have been that, trying to get into your food. It also could have been a deer, or anything, really.”
“That’s what I thought.” I nod and sign the checkout paperwork. “Probably wildlife.”
“I hope y’all enjoyed your stay.”
“We did, thanks.”
I nod and drive off, headed toward home.
“Shouldn’t they alert people that there’s been a bear about?”
“I suspect that they assume anyone who’s camping knows that they’re taking the chance that there might be any kind of wildlife around.”
“I suppose.” She bites her lip. “Oh well, we survived the attack. Wait until I tell the others.”
I stare over at her and then turn my eyes to the road again, and I laugh my ass off.
“I can’t wait to hear how you spin this.”
“So,you’re telling us that you survived abearattack,” June says, narrowing her eyes.
“A bear likely dented the van, yes.”
“But you didn’t see the bear,” Apollo adds.
We’re sitting out on my patio, telling camping stories. Not an hour after we arrived home, friends started showing up.
Luna and Wolfe were first, followed closely by June and then Apollo.
I guess they missed us this week.
“We didn’t see the bear with our own two eyes,” Sarah concedes and reaches for one of the sandwiches that Luna brought with her. “But the ranger said that there had been one about, and what else could have left that dent in the van? It was huge. Poor Petunia was probably scared to death.”
“Aside from wild, carnivorous animals,” June cuts in. “Did you have fun?”
“So much fun. But enough about us. What’s been going on around here? I didn’t hear from anyone, so I figured everything was okay, but my phone has been screwy.”
Wolfe frowns at Sarah. “What’s wrong with your phone?”
“Who knows?” Sarah shrugs. “I’ll probably have to go down to Newport to have it checked out. But I have a shiny new car, so I can go do that whenever I want.”
“But not by yourself,” June says before I can. “Because if your phone doesn’t work and something happens, you need to be able to call for help.”