Close encounters of the Bear Kind

Kelly Phillips looked at the sky and breathed in the fresh air. She loved her annual camping trip with her mom, they had gone on it every year since she was five. Her dad used to come too, but since he split with her mother they don't see him anymore. Last Kelly heard from him he was in the Bahamas with some woman. Her dad was always with a different woman since he left them. Kelly use to feel sad about the matter but she was now numb to it. Her father did want to be in their lives and she and her mother did not want to be in his.

The only thing that bothered her currently was that her best friend Regina was suppose to come on this trip with her. She had been ghosting her though since Regina tried to ask her out. She had to turn the her down, Kelly was not like that, not even into it or believed in it. Kelly thought she turned down Regina gently enough but now in hindsight she might have been a little hard on her friend, letting her beliefs slip.

“Kelly,” her mom Katy called taking her out of her stupor. “Are you ready for the Hike?” She asked as she walked from her tent towards the back of her Chevy SUV which had the hatch up. Katy a full-figured big breasted woman with long dark hair tied back into a ponytail. She was dressed in flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled out around her elbows. A vest covered the shirt while her lower half was in a pair of worn jeans with hiking boots completing her ensemble.

“Yeah Mom,” Kelly said with renewed enthusiasm. “I'm just taking in the beauty of nature and all.” Kelly had inherited Katy's curves but since the start of summer she started to diet and working out. She now toned down though her breasts were still impressive more so now over her trimmed waist. Like her mother, Kelly had long dark hair that she wore mostly in twin pig tails. Despite being eighteen her face still was baby-faced giving her a innocent child-like look. She was dressed in a long-sleeve compression shirt under a sleeveless hooded while her legs were sheathed in camo leggings with her feet stuffed into beat up sneakers that she used exclusively for trail walking.

“Well you can do more of that on the trail.”

Kelly smiled, the hike was always her favorite part. Suddenly, the girl felt a shiver down her spine. Like something would go wrong, or she was being watched, she wasn’t sure.

“Hello?” Kelly called out. No answer.

“Kelly, is someone there?” Katy asked as she looks around the back opening of her Chevy SUV. Their campsite was set up around the SUV, it's tents leading into the open doors to use the AC at night if needed and also to make a quick escape. The woods that they were in had some bears.

Kelly looked behind her and saw nothing. “No, I thought I heard something.”

"It's probably a rabbit or fox..." Katy said as she went back to loading her ruck for the hike. "If your ruck is loaded let's get a move young lady, trials not going to hike itself."

Kelly smiled, assured of her mom's confidence in their surroundings. Katy was a park ranger so she knew the park and it's animals better than anyone. She walked back to SUV and grabbed her packed ruck and hiking stick. Soon mother and daughter were on their way for a nice relaxing hike in the mountains.

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Despite nearly 20 minutes of hiking, Kelly still could not shake off the feeling she got earlier. Was it dread, a nervous tick, or something else. She brushed her dark hair in nervousness, trying to push the thoughts aside, they were almost back to the camp site in anycase.

“Something’s bothering you?” Katy asked as they continued their hike.

“I don’t know, I have this weird feeling…”

"Oh Kelly, I told you its a some little animals around us, they always give us those vibes, don't think on too much."

Kelly sighed, "Yeah I know... its something else I have been feeling for a while...ever since...

“Ever since what?” Katy asked with a raised her eyebrow.

“Err…that’s a bit personal,” Kelly said as she rubbed her neck. “But it was something Regina said that erred me the wrong way. She wanted me to do something, and I wasn’t comfortable with it.”

“This is Regina Donovan?” Katy asked. She had been curious why she had not seen the girl around in while. Kelly and Regina had nearly been joined at the hip since their middle school days.

“Yeah.”

“Did you say no? And was it dangerous or illegal?”

“Yes to the first one, no to the second, I may have been a bit rude to her.”

Katy stopped and she turned towards her daughter and put her hand on her shoulder, “ then you should apologize. Tell her you are still not interested yourself, but support her in any way you can.”

Kelly sighed, “Yeah, you’re right. As soon as we get back, I’ll apologize.”

Katy smiled. “Good, how do feel about some s’mores when we get back to camp site?”

Kelly smiled, “I’d like that.”

“Well I brought the….” Katy froze as her eyes widened. “Kelly, do not move a muscle,” her mother whispered.

Despite these directions, Kelly turned around. Standing there in the middle of the pathway was a grizzly bear.

"Oh," she said, louder than she meant to.

“I said don’t move”, Katy whispered once again. But it was too late, the brown bear got up on its hind legs and roared, before going down on all fours and charging at them.

“Okay new plan,” Katy ordered. “Kelly, Run!!!” As Kelly took off Katy got in position to slow the bear down so her daughter could make her escape. She hoped Kelly knew what to do when she got to the camp site. I love you baby...Katy thought as she braced herself.

Kelly turned and was ready to make a full sprint towards their campsite. She suddenly froze in place, her eyes wide her body in running pose. Katy also frozen in place in low crouch with her hiking stick held before like a spear. Her face bore a determined but worry look. The giant grizzle was in full charge when it froze, its massive paws were mere inches above the forest floor as its jaws frozen in silent snarl. None of them noticed the three figures that were walking towards them that had come out of the tree line.