She found herself talking out loud, more to ground herself than to be heard. “Okay… this is insane. I’m following two bears into a forest. That’s normal. Totally fine.” Her voice felt thin against the silence. The larger bear paused for a moment, glancing at her with something that almost resembled recognition.
Time became hard to track. She wasn’t sure how long they had been walking. The sun was still up, its rays slicing through the trees in long golden streaks. But the deeper they went, the denser the forest became, and the light began to fade. At one point, Evelyn slowed down, her legs aching and lungs burning.