Her Bear In Mind Read Online Free PDF

as she drew closer.
     
    The road led out into what looked like a small housing project. There were at least thirty nondescript houses lined up in rows. The houses had a rough look to them, more like cabins, but without the charm. They were mostly unpainted, rough wood the constant rain had turned black, and green with moss. Were there people living out here?
     
    Sierra crouched low and hugged her body against the buildings, trying to avoid the windows. It didn’t look like anyone was home. She suspected they were all out cheering for whatever event was taking place. Sierra pressed on towards the noise. Between some of the houses, a large space had been devoted to a vegetable garden. She spotted grape vines, rows of corn, and tomato plants. There was even a little pot growing in one corner. The garden could have easily fed all the people who lived in these houses. It was then that she noticed several fruit trees scattered among the buildings. There was a well next to the garden and a distillery propped against one house. It appeared that this was a self-sustaining community. She thought of hippie communes. Then she thought of cults. Did these people just want to live off the grid, or did they have something to hide?
     
    Sierra ducked behind a trash can and peered over the top, finally able to see the source of the noise.
     
    Men, women, and children were gathered in a circle around a pit. The area was lit up with tiki torches and the light of the full moon. Most of them looked a lot like Eric. Lots of tattoos, blue jeans and boots or no shoes at all, and torn up clothes. Lots of long hair in braids or dreadlocks. They were drinking PBR’s and cheering for the action down in the pit. A lot of them were waving money and placing bets. The kids were either watching the action down in the pit or playing on the outskirts of the crowd. Some of them were clutching sparklers. There was a mom sitting at the edge of the pit, breast-feeding a baby while scolding another child.
     
    Sierra craned her neck to see what they were all looking at.
     
    Bears. Two of them. Seven foot tall, 500 pound black bears. The larger of the two, one with deep black fur, let out a roar and launched itself at the smaller white one. The white one dodged, then slashed his claws at the larger opponent.
     
    They were fighting, Sierra realized, in horror and amazement. Like medieval bear baiting, these people had captured wild bears just to watch them kill each other. It made Sierra sick to her stomach. The formally friendly, community sporting event vibe she had gotten from the scene before seemed perverse now. This was animal cruelty any way you spun it. No better than dog fights.
     
    She looked away as the black one pinned the white, baring his long yellow teeth at his throat. She didn’t want to see the end.
     
    Is this what Joe was hiding? Bear fights? Illegal gambling? Is this what the charity money went to? Bile rose in Sierra’s throat as she recalled kissing that monster the night before. She should have trusted her instincts about him.
     
    The fight was clearly over. There was muttering from the crowd about the next round. Cheers and applause came from the victors and the unlucky bettors surrendered their cash.
     
    “Look, I’m good for it,” she heard one man say to another. “I left my wallet in the house. I’ll be right back.”
     
    The man started walking right towards her. Struck with a terrible vision of being thrown in the bear pit, Sierra frantically searched for a place to hide. Desperate, she ran around the corner and let herself into the darkened house, praying no one was home.
     
    She shut the door quietly behind her and looked around.
     
    The house had a small kitchen with scrubbed wood table currently taken up by a jigsaw puzzle. Kid’s artwork adorned the refrigerator. The living room had a stained floral patterned sofa and a glass topped coffee table. There was an old cathode tube style TV.
     
    And in the middle of