Tell me about it

A smile tugs her lips up as the dog promises her the pelt. Still, a game is a game and Fern intends to win. When she drops back to attack the grizzly’s face, the colorful dog is right behind her. He attacks the bear’s paw that would have struck her and the gray girl realizes that her reflexes are just a little slower than normal. As she runs away, trying to put distance between herself and the extremely angry bear, Fern’s attention narrows. All she can see is the open space before her and hear the sound of the raging bear behind her. A primal instinct to stay alive overrides every rational thought in her mind.

Suddenly, a shoulder slams into her, sending the dazed wolf sprawling off to the side. Aqua eyes watch as the bear slams down into the space she had been moments before. Sluggishly her mind puts the pieces of the puzzle together as the dog attacks the grizzly. Her body protests every movement as she scrambles to her paws and darts in to attack the bear. As a paw barely misses the colorful dog, Fern’s eyes find an opening in the grizzly’s defenses. Since the bear has its attention fully focused on her companion, the gray girl is able to go unnoticed by it. The need to end this fight quickly spurs her onward as she dashes into the bear’s space.

The bear has all four paws planted on the ground and is roaring angrily at her fighting companion. Taking her chance, Fern sprints toward the grizzly, coming at it from its left side. Being slightly behind the creature, Fern rushes up close to its side before changing her direction and speeding toward its head. In a flash of gray, Fern gathers her flagging strength into one final burst of speed and launches her body into the air. Twisting her head, the gray wolf strikes home as her teeth close around the bear’s last good eye. Feeling her teeth strike flesh, Fern quickly tightens her jaw.

Blood fills her mouth as her teeth rend the flesh around the socket, sinking down further and further until… ocular fluid spurts into her mouth as the eye pops and the bear screams in pain and rage. Releasing her hold, Fern allows gravity to pull her back to the ground. Relief floods her exhausted body as the gray girl lands on her paws, ready to end this fight once and for all. The grizzly flails about madly, roaring and swinging its large paws in every direction. As Fern dodges a couple errant swipes, she dashes out toward the wild dog, a playful smile on her lips.

As her mouth opens to say something witty, one of the clawed appendages finds its target. Pain spears her brain as she is lifted off the ground and sent sprawling a little distance away. Her right shoulder is fire as Fern tries to suck in a breath. The torn flesh and muscles fire off random pain signals to the brain, causing her chest to hitch and tears to well in her eyes. The claws have reopened a large area of her shoulder that is healing from where an abscess had once been. The world blurs for a moment as Fern focuses on regulating her breathing and taming the pain.

A fleeting thought is given to her companion and the bear as Fern hopes that the dog is able to finish off the grizzly by himself.


"Speech"