Tessa spent the rest of the day inside. Between Lucas and the strange bear that seemed to be lurking on the property, in her home with the doors locked and her mace nearby was the only place he felt safe.
She couldn’t shake the image of the bear, how it didn’t seem to be some ordinary animal; it seemed as though it was behaving in an intelligent, planned way, like it knew that simply being there would be enough to intimidate Lucas into leaving. And Henry’s comments about how there hadn’t been bears in this area for decades further confused her. Just why were these strange animals making themselves so obvious to her?
Spending the rest of the day trying to work on her art, but distracted by what was going on in her life, the day slowly passed. Tessa had no idea if Lucas would return or if the sight of the bear was enough to keep him at bay. Either way, she knew that he wasn’t the type to just give up; it was only a matter of time before he returned.
The evening arrived and Tessa sat in the living room watching trashy television, reality shows picked out specifically so she wouldn’t have to think. Sitting with her legs draped under her on the couch, Tessa found herself looking at her wedding ring, spinning the band around her finger with her other hand. Taking her ring off was something that wasn’t entirely new to her- she did it every night before bed- but during the majority of the day, it was on her finger. As she gazed at the facets of the stone, she realized that even today, after all that happened the previous night, she had put it on without thinking about it.
So, taking a sip of wine, she worked the ring off of her finger and set it on the coffee table, trying on for size what it might be like to not wear this ring during times she normally would’ve, what it would be like to feel single. Tessa looked at the thin band of slightly paler flesh that wrapped around her finger under where the ring would normally be. Looking at it, she felt a sense of longing, of emptiness; she’d forgotten what it was like to be alone.
But before she could consider these thoughts further, the power to the house cut out abruptly, leaving Tessa in total darkness.
She began to panic as she fumbled around in the dark, wondering what happened, why the electricity cut out. Standing up, she walked with slow, careful steps around the living room, fearful of bumping into anything.
Then, the fear that there might be someone responsible for the cutting of the power gripped her.
That it might be Lucas.
Tessa fumbled in the dark, finally finding her phone and flicking the flashlight on, a bright, cone of light projecting from it. She waved the phone around as though it were a cross being used to ward off malevolent spirits, and, to her relief, found that the living room was empty.
Then, she spotted a figure outside. It was a dark outline against the bay windows of the kitchen, followed by a pair of shorter, skinnier men. Tessa felt her heart jump up into her chest, realizing that this meant the power being shut off wasn’t simply an accident. Now scared that she might be spotted, she flicked off the phone flashlight, the silver glow of the moonlight outside the only source of light, bathing the front lawn in an otherworldly, milky glow. With quiet steps, she moved to the kitchen and withdrew the slim, sharp knife that she used for cutting chicken and held it out in front of her. Tessa knew that if these three men wanted to do something terrible she’d be no match, but it made her feel better than nothing.
Her limbs felt tense and tight as she spotted the three figures, now further away from the house. Moving closer to the window, she watched as the figures, two small and scrawny, one tall and bulky, dash away from the house and into the woods beyond, a small amount of relief washing over her as they vanished into the darkness.
After standing still for several minutes in order to make sure they were gone, Tessa set the knife down, pushing it away from her as she did so, the thought of having to inflict such violence on someone repulsing her on a deep level.
Surrounded by darkness, she knew now that she was likely safe, but the possibility of the men returned was stark in her mind. Tessa debated whether or not to run to her car and drive into town, but even the idea of leaving the house to do that was too much for her. Turning her phone flashlight back on, she debated what to do next.
But before she could think too much about, Tessa spotted a now-familiar rustling in the tree line. But unlike earlier, when one bear emerged, it was now the same wide stretch of movement that she saw when the bears approached her last night.
Terrified, she watched as the pack of bears walked out of the woods, numbering ten in total, with one bear, just as before, larger than the rest. The larger bear walked forward, moving onto the lawn. And just as before, it rose on its hind legs. But unlike before, it didn’t roar. Instead, it waved one paw in a great swipe in front of its face.
Tessa felt insane for thinking this, but it almost seemed that the bear was trying to get her attention.
Then, the bears split up, surrounding the house and pointing their bodies away from the home. Tessa watched them take their positions, all of the bears evenly distributed around the house, as though forming a perimeter. Tessa felt as though she was in some kind of bizarre dream as she watched these bears exhibit behaviors that she could only describe as “human-like.” Once each of the bears assumed their position, they leaned down, poised and ready with the moonlight shining on the sleek, black fur of their backs.
Tessa didn’t know what to do. She knew that their behavior could easily be interpreted as penning her in just as easily as it could be interpreted as protecting her. But something about the bears being there instilled in her a feeling of safety, as though she knew their presence was benevolent. Returning to her living room, she sat back onto the couch and before she could give the matter any further though, slipped into a deep, exhausted sleep.