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. With every step, the distant noise of the city grew fainter, until it vanished completely.