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Holy shit!
It was absolutely tremendous. Much bigger and bulkier and heaver than it even looked. I’d tackled a lot of things in my life; a seemingly endless supply of practice dummies and blocking partners over the course of countless football scrimmages. But never anything this big. Definitely never anything this important.
You just tackled a BEAR.
The concept didn’t hit me until I had my arms locked around it. It didn’t even seem real until I was wrapped up in its body, my face pressed tightly against the disgustingly matted hair. The thing was still on fire, but only partly. For the most part the creature was just… well, pissed off.
The bear and I bounced off of each other like two big kids colliding headfirst on a playground. We fell sideways and in opposite directions, knocking the wind from my lungs as it took a moment for each of us to recover.
“GO!” I shouted at Shane, as soon as I could choke the word out. “TAKE HER!”
The bear rose surprisingly fast, its paws scratching hard against the smooth lobby floor, scrabbling for purchase. That’s what struck me as odd, really. How quick it was, as I leapt back to my own feet.
“GET HER OUT OF HERE! NOW!”
Distantly I was aware of him gathering Morgan up and scrambling for the exit. Shane was clutching his wrist, obviously hurt. Instead of heading back outside he seemed to be leading her through an archway at the end of the lobby, though. Or rather she was leading him.
Good.
I sucked in a deep, painful breath. It felt like something sharp jabbing me, somewhere inside my chest.
They’re okay…
Seeing them reach safety brought me even more joy than I thought. The last thing I wanted was to see Morgan hurt. Shane — fraternity brother and all — could take care of himself as far as I was concerned.
But Morgan…
No. I had to make sure she was alright.
Even if it meant tackling a bear.
A part of me grinned, still in disbelief as I whirled back to make my next move. The bear was ‘out’, if that’s what you could call it. Its fur was still smoldering, but it was no longer aflame. It was definitely pissed though. Pissed to the point of roaring furiously, and then charging toward me as I stood ready for it at the other end of the room.
I braced my legs apart, ready to dive left or right. If I chose wrong, I was doomed. The bear was already zig-zagging, either because it was smart enough to fool me or maybe it was just dizzy to begin with.
It didn’t matter. It was almost here..
WHOOSH!
Something flew in from my peripheral vision, moving so fast I almost didn’t see it. It struck the bear hard on the right side, sending it staggering left as I threw my body and dove in the opposite direction.
Boone.
“HEY! WHAT ARE YOU—”
My cry was cut off as the bear actually roared. Its roar was so loud, so ferocious it couldn’t be confused with anything else other than a scream of pain.
Again and again Boone’s arm pounded into the bear’s side, thrusting deep against its fur. Again and again it pulled out. Something warm and dark splattered across my face — a splash of hot blood — and that’s when I realized he was stabbing it with something. I squinted hard, trying to make it out…
That something was a long-handled screwdriver.
“Hang on!”
I pushed to my feet, determined to help him if I could. But they were already too intertwined. The scene before us became a whirling blur as the two of them — man and animal — began spinning in a dizzying circle.
“DO SOMETHING!”
Morgan’s voice carried in from the next room. I looked over and Shane was holding her back, gripping her by the shoulders.
