by Mia Mills
The moment I reach the booth, I lift the railing up and jump off the lift. I’ve only got myself, this radio, and my flashlight to use.
I open the flashlight and check for a trail. The new snow has already covered most of the prints. I growl before shining the flashlight in front of me.
“Mariah! Mariah where are you?!”
There’s no response. Not even a sound. My mind is telling me this could mean several things. She could be down the mountain now. I need to check the slopes.
Or she could still be here and is just ignoring me. Maybe she’s too far away to hear? Or perhaps both?
Fuck this! Where am I even going to start? This mountain is just too large to just scan by one person. How the hell am I supposed to find her here?
I’ll follow my gut and go towards the ski trail just to see if there are any new tracks. My stomach turns when I see there is none.
So, Maya’s still here. But where?!
My light flashes towards the tall trees lining up the mountain. Maybe Maya went further up? Fuck, I’m getting a really bad feeling.
I’m walking towards the trees when my ears pick up a sound from a distance to my left. For a moment, I try to listen carefully to it, trying to distinguish it against the howling of the wind.
Suddenly, my legs spring into action. My chest starts to beat faster, my face pales, and my sweat trickles down my spine as I realize what it was—
A chilling scream.
Chapter 24
Mariah
Well shit. I’m in big, big trouble.
I know full well there are a lot of bears in Utah, but I never expected to be faced with one today. Just several feet away from me, a bear emerged from the snow-covered forest. It can definitely see me. It’s just standing there, perhaps debating with itself if it were to come and attack me.
My mind goes over what I need to do first. I remember there are different kinds of bears, each with different approaches on how to deal with them. This particular bear looks around six-hundred pounds, with a white patch on its chest and muzzle. The small head and straight back tell me one thing.
I’m facing a black bear.
I have several options. Either I spray it with a can of bear spray, or I lay a piece of garment and try to sneakily walk away. Or better yet, I stay still and challenge it and make me an unappealing prey. This is a black bear.
Playing dead won’t cut it. I call that bullshit even, but if there’s a strand of chance it’ll take mercy on me in doing so, I’ll play dead for as long as necessary. But the cold will kill me first before the bear.
Either I call its bluff and be prepared to fight or find a way to escape. Running is not an option at this point.
I rush to check if I have any bear spray on me. I usually have one. But, as it turns out, I had left my gear at the shack. Just my luck! I must’ve laid it down somewhere when Sean and I were arguing.
Great! That just leaves me with two damned options!
My eyes fall upon the bear as it shakes the snow off of its body. I hear a low grumbling followed by a loud growl. I notice the opening of its huge pinkish mouth, big enough to bite my head with no problem.
By accident, my eyes fall upon his. Bad idea!
It stands up tall on its hind legs. From here, I could tell the bear is around six and a half feet tall, tall enough to completely dominate me if it chooses to attack. Some parts of its black fur are scratched off. I can tell it has been through a lot. Maybe it’s been able to escape a hunter?
Either way, it is definitely unhappy to see me.
I try to step back. The moment I move, it starts thrashing on the snow below it, growl and all. I flinch and stare at it. My mind knows what it needs to do, but I can’t bring my body to do it. I’m completely frozen.
Back in ski school, we instructors were already taught how to manage a potential bear attack. But it’s one thing to learn about it in class and another to experience it for yourself.
I try to calm myself down but the panic sets in. My fight or flight response isn’t working. My throat starts to dry up from the freezing air around me. Snow accumulates around my feet and legs, burying me in a small bit of snow.
The bear moves closer to me. Its paws leave deep impressions on the snow as it trots towards me. I can hear its heavy breathing as it approaches. My impulse wins me over. I do something I’m not supposed to do.
I run.
My ski plates hit the snow with a loud thud. The adrenaline kicks in and I rush forward. I look behind me and see the bear following close behind. My feet move faster in a desperate attempt to escape.
My chest is pounding; I feel it nearly bursting from the stress.
In front of me, I spot a big boulder near the edge of the mountainside. Like the characters in the film of Mulan, I quickly make my way under it, trying to hide from the bear. My breathing starts to quicken in pace. I grab my chest and feel the pounding. I must be going insane as I can literally hear my own heartbeat.
This is it, isn’t it? This is the end for me. There is literally no way I can escape this. The sound of snow being shoved and pressed loudly echoes through the air. Soon, I hear the low growling once again and see a paw just above the edge of the boulder on top of me.
The bear is on the boulder!
I start to pray like I’ve never done before, hands clasped together over my chest. I close my eyes as I hear the bear snort and sniff downwards. At this point, I am petrified and completely convinced that I am going to die.
I never thought the end would come this way by way of a bear attack. I can’t help but think if this will be over very soon or will it still play with me as I struggle to live? Will it be a quick death?
Memories flash in my mind as I feel death approaching. It’s exactly as they said, that once you’re about to die, your memories just come to you.
The first thing I see is my parents. We’re at our home in Canada, just before we moved here to Utah. We were just enjoying the scenery from one of the local mountain clubs there. I’m five years old. It was Christmas too. I tell them that I love them but that I love the snow more.
Cut to when I was eight. We were living in Utah already, and that’s when I experienced my first traumatic event with regards to mountains. A friend of mine and his family were buried in a thick pile of snow from an avalanche. It was swift and unexpected. It was all an accident.
But it shook me to the point that I could not bear to go to the mountains for weeks. Everyone in town mourned the loss of a young family. Everyone in school laid flowers on and in front of his locker.
That’s when I started to practice ice skating. If could not climb up mountains, I could do the next best thing and stay on the ice. For the most part, I did well in figure skating. I tried ice hockey too, but it was too brash for me. There, I found friends of my own, some of which are still in my life while others I had to let go of.
It was these same friends who inspired me to try the mountains again.
Then, I see the girl I was when I was thirteen. I had just finished first on one of the local downhill ski competitions at this very resort. I would win every other year for the following years before I started college.
I freeze more when I remember a strange detail. I saw a teenage boy, around three or four years older than I am, posing for the camera as he had just won his third gold medal for the three-peat of the men’s downhill ski division. He had dirty blond hair, with a slender frame, hazel eyes, and light brown skin.
My heart skips a beat as he looks at me and smiles. Something is oddly familiar with him. And then, I hear a lady call out to him.
Mr. Harrington! Smile for the camera!
I feel a tear fall down my face. I hadn’t even realized it. Neither of us realized it. We had seen each other before during that fateful day of the downhill tournament. And then, we never saw each other again. Until, of course, this week.
A smile etches on my face as the memory reel fast forward and starts to show me the events of this w
eek. I see a grown-up Sean with his arrogant demeanor and obnoxious self-confidence that day I first saw him on this same mountain slope.
I recall how much I hated his guts for claiming he was better than I was in skiing when we clearly we’re both of equal skill level. But I also remember how much he tried to make up for it. Suddenly, I can feel his warm arms wrapping around my shoulders and pulling me closer.
I hold onto his hands and squeeze them. The memories of us making love in my suite, his mountain lodge, the showers, the penthouse, and even the truck makes me remember just how much I enjoy his company. It makes me remember how much I wanted him, and how much I still want him.
I remember his words. He told me he loves me. He said me that he would take care of me. That everything will be all right so long as we are together.
He told me he would marry me.
I can’t die now, can I? Not when I have a chance to build something more than myself. Not when someone is waiting for me, who is willing to love me.
He must have a reason why he never told me who he is before. If I die now, I won’t be able to understand why. I am not the type to just wish everything gone just because of one misunderstanding. I shouldn’t be. I’m stronger than that.
I can’t just waste away now.
I snap out of my vision…my epiphany. What seemed like hours were just merely a few seconds in reality. I look around and see the bear’s head sticking down from above, finally seeing me.
I need to figure out a way to get out of this situation and get out of it fast. If I can get to the lifts, then I will be able to save myself.
Had I not let go of the ski plates, I could use them to slide down the mountain. No sane bear would follow a human on skis, right?
But no. Fuck the ski plates. I can retrieve them later. I just need to get back down to safety.
A paw swipes towards my person, and I immediately duck past it. The motion triggers some of the snow to collapse below my feet. I scramble to get up and out of the boulder’s edge. My hand picks up a ball of snow and throws it hard towards the bear’s face, rendering it blind temporarily.
My feet quicken the pace as I ran towards the lift booths but my boot slips in a crevice. Damn these just suddenly pop out of nowhere! Desperately, I try to pull my leg away, but it wouldn’t budge.
The panic sets in again, and I close my eyes as I see the bear closing in on me. Just when my resolve is back, I get another problem to keep me down. My body starts to give in even if my mind is willing itself to try and stay alive.
There’s no guarantee I will win if I try to fight it off, especially with a trapped foot. But I need to try. At least, that’s why I’m trying to think. But my arms just won’t budge.
“Sean…Sean, please…Sean!!” I cry out, trembling and begging.
I can hear the growls of the bringer of my death getting closer and closer. I can feel its massive paws stomp on the snow, suddenly becoming hyper-aware of the vibrations it is making. As my consciousness succumbs to the idea of death, my ears start to hear nothing. Just deafening silence.
And then it cracks.
Bang!
I hear the sound of a loud gunshot. Then another. And another.
The bear falls dead before me. I don’t know how or why but the carcass is there before my feet, oozing blood from multiple shots on its body. I take one good look at it in shock before noticing someone break the crevice wider, allowing my foot to be released.
I stare at my savior. My heart nearly sinks as it dawned on me that the only reason I am alive…is because of Sean.
There he is, panting and red-faced. A hunter walks behind him, a rifle strapped to his back. As the old man approaches the body of the bear, Sean holds me protectively in his arms. I know he is saying something, but I don’t hear it. The darkness takes over, and my vision blackens.
I stare into the void in hopes of returning to my loved ones.
To my Sean.
Chapter 25
Sean
I can still hear her screams.
The wind is howling so loudly, yet I can still hear her begging for me to save her. I close my eyes and hide my face in my hands. I almost lost Maya today. I'm worried it'll happen again.
It was lucky enough that I found a hunter was wondering in the mountains. I had a feeling something terrible was going to happen, and thankfully, someone is equipped for something like this.
Because I wasn’t equipped for a bear attack, that's for sure.
I still remember how pale she looked when she fainted in my arms. It must've been horrible for her to be in a standstill with a bear. She was so close to death. Had I been a second late in spotting her or missing my shot, she could have been mauled.
Once I was able to secure her, the guards I had asked to be dispatched arrived at the mountain. They brought along emergency supplies of heat blankets and first aid kits. The engineers from the resort fitted a closed lift for us to be able to lay Maya down while we brought her down to the infirmary.
We immediately rushed her here, where she's still passed out three hours later.
I can't help but blame myself for what happened. Had I known this would be Maya’s reaction, I would have told her long ago about my real status at this resort. I didn't want to lie to her. Maybe I did at first. But that’s just me.
And, as always, I am so worried about women and their intentions. I should have been truthful with her from the very start.
I didn't mean to cause her harm. If I only knew, I would have done everything to keep her out of that mountain tonight.
Lost in anxiousness, I stay beside her bed, holding onto her cold, pale hand. I stroke her slim fingers and palms with my own. Thankfully, she had not been injured except for a few scratches on her leg from the crevice. However, that still doesn't ease my worry of how she will be once she wakes.
Patiently, I wait for her to rouse from her slumber. It's nearly twelve-midnight. I lay my head next to her hand on the infirmary bed, hoping to get a bit of sleep. The images still haunt my dreams, however, as I vividly relive tonight's happenings.
Soon, I feel the touch of a warm hand brush the hair off my flustered cheek. I look up and see Maya looking down at me, a tired look painted on her face. Instantly, I force myself to rouse and accommodate her.
"How are you feeling?" I ask.
She moans a bit and rubs her head with her other hand. "I feel horrible. What happened?"
I frown. Does she not remember?
"You and I…We had a fight, remember? After that, you took the next available lift going to the mountains. I found you being attacked by a bear." I recount.
Maya goes from relaxed to panic in one second flat. She slides up and tries to sit up, eyes wide. She starts hyperventilating. I grasp and squeeze her hand, stroking it as I talk to her.
"Shhh…It's okay baby. Everything is okay. Somebody took care of the bear." I explain.
She looks around, confused by her surroundings. "Where am I, Sean?"
I kiss her forehead and smile at her. "We're at the resort. You're in the infirmary right now. I had a team bring us down from the mountain."
"Wait, so we're back?" She asks.
I nod in response. I climb up the bed and sit down beside her, wrapping my arms around her shoulders. Slowly, my fingers rub her arms. Right now, what she needs is support and love. I just want to make sure I comfort her as much as I can.
She's silent for a while before finally looking up at me. I can tell she had a lot to say and ask. I allow her to find the words that she needs to let out of her chest.
"I legitimately thought I was going to die," she tells me.
I frown and squeeze her closer. "I know…I thought so too. My stress levels were off the charts. I was so worried I wouldn't get to you on time."
"I saw my life flash before my eyes," she says. "I saw my childhood…My teenage life…The past few weeks. I even realize that we actually met before."
"Did we?" I stare at her curiously. "When?"
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"The local downhill ski competition…You won gold then. I think you were seventeen when you won. I'm not entirely sure. I also won gold in the women teen's division." She replies.
I scan my memory to try and remember what she was talking about. That was around two years before my parents' marriage fell apart. I smile as I finally recall what she was talking about.
"I remember now. I even smiled at you, yeah?" I ask her.
She nods at me sweetly and giggles. "I guess we're really meant to be…"
"I guess so. I'm glad then!" I reply.
"Look…" she starts,”…I understand that I may have overreacted. I'm so sorry, Sean. I should have tried to listen to your explanation, at the very least. If I weren't being so overly dramatic about it, this wouldn't have never happened. I wouldn't have caused so many problems."
"Hey. Don't blame yourself for that. I should've been more open to you. I shouldn't have lied." I reply. "Don't take it out on yourself. You're not to blame."
"But Sean…I still want to understand. Why did you lie to me? Didn't you trust me?" She asks.
I feel a knot forming in my throat. How could I explain myself without sounding like an utter jerk? It's quite a weird wish, considering I was Jerk # 1 with her the first time we met.
"I guess, to make things clearer, I need to tell you all about my past. You see, the reason I have so many issues is that…I don't want to end up having the same fate as my dad." I start to explain.
"When I was nineteen, my parents filed a divorce because my dad cheated on my mom with a younger woman. That whore had the gall to force my dad to quicken the pace of the divorce so she can marry him. Then they discovered she only wanted his money." I look down as I explain.
"That's horrible!" Maya exclaims.
"It is. We learned of her true intentions when my dad saw a few text messages she sent to her real lover, who was just waiting for her to marry dad to get his money. He turned her away after. My dad tried to patch things up with Mom, but it was too late. They never got to save their marriage." I continue.