I can’t believe I did not understand until now. As I hear the sound of him feeding on a fresh kill, I remember what it was the sign said, “Don’t feed the bears.” It seemed like such a trivial thing as I began to walk through the woods.

I did not mean to go against the instructions that I had been given. This was not a suggestion that was given by some random passerby, it was given by a person of knowledge and understanding. Such a simple instruction. To think that I could not follow it.

As I lie here in retrospect on the ground listening to the bear rip through tendons and snapping bones, I remember when I was a kid. I would watch these powerful creatures on the television. I would see their brute strength and speed. I was amazed by the agility that they had. Surely there was no other creature on earth like these bears.

The bear slowly looks at me. He grins at me as blood drips down his chin. Meat is hanging from his teeth and a ravenous breathing is escaping his lungs. I am being fed to the bear.