The smaller bear glanced up at her, then back to the larger one, its gaze fixed on Evelyn as if waiting for her to make a decision she didn’t understand. Her throat tightened. Why is this happening? Why me? she thought. Of all the people at that bus stop—why had she been the one they cornered?
She took a shaky step forward. The larger bear’s growl faded instantly, like a test she’d unknowingly passed. But that brought no comfort. The realization hit her hard—they wanted her in the forest. And she was walking there. On her own two feet.
Each step felt heavier than the last. The smaller bear lingered behind her now, keeping her boxed in. The city sounds dimmed until there was nothing but trees ahead and silence behind. Panic crawled up her spine. Where are they taking me? she thought. What if I never come back out?
She glanced back at the bus station one last time, the normalcy of the world outside the woods already feeling like a distant memory. The bears continued their unhurried pace, and Evelyn found herself following them, step by step, deeper into the forest. The forest swallowed her whole.