Rita sees the bear. It checks the mirror
on the truck like a paramour concerned about their hair before a date, then
drops to all fours.
It’s her first bear sighting. As a
newcomer to the wilderness community the event is also an initiation; her
reactions will be noted. Wonderfully, she’s excited but not afraid. This
surprises her, she had worried.
Across the street someone spots the bear
and darts back inside as though their heart had stopped but their feet sprouted
wings.
Rita hadn’t done that. Her first bear
story is how she saw the bear before it saw her.
