One Winter Night

It’s been four hours since my car broke down and not one other car has come by.

I knew I should have had the heater in this car replaced and why I never did, is beyond me. It’s freezing out there. Has to be a good ten degrees below zero by now and will drop even more before the nights over.

What makes this worse, I didn’t bring any gloves, not even a scarf or hat. Thank goodness I thought to wear my parka but even that can’t keep the cold chill at bay.

But where the hell is everyone tonight? Usually, I’ll see a good amount of traffic both ways, but no, not tonight of all nights.

If someone doesn’t come along before too long, I could freeze to death out here and—what was that? Thought I heard something, almost like a baby crying. Ain’t no babies outside on a night like this and—there it goes again, only closer.

Better roll down my window and take a quick look. Don’t want to leave it down too long since its windy as hell and—oh no! It’s a Kodiak bear! No way! Don’t bears hibernate in winter?

He’s just wandering around, moaning, as if he’s lost or something and—my god! He just nudged the back end of the car! Now he’s banging on it! What! Oh, I can’t believe he thinks this is a place where he can come in out of the cold? Or had he seen me? Bears can smell real good.

He’s scraping the back of the car to my door and he’s stopped! Now he’s roaring, and his paws are hammering against the window and it’s starting to crackle, but where can I go! Not out there!

Window smashed in, he’s reaching for me and ...