Ezra stood at the base of a tall tree, Sharps rifle in hand. He had been searching for a tree that was sturdy enough to withstand the bear's attacks, and limbs that were hopefully weak enough to break if it decided to climb. Otherwise, he would be doomed.

He gulped, imagining the horror of watching the grizzly slowly make its way up to the top to devour him as he sat helplessly cornered. This was far from ideal, but he knew with each passing moment Vincent’s chances of survival were rapidly dwindling, so he took a deep breath and began to climb.

He moved quickly, but carefully with his rifle and ammo bag strapped to his body. He needed to climb up high in order to get a good shot. He made it to the top and used his legs to balance carefully.

It was too far a fall now for him to survive. If he slipped and failed to catch himself in time, his end was all but certain. Sweat poured down his face as he kept his body taut against the tree, flexing his muscles to maintain his balance.

He struggled to calm his breathing. If he was too unsteady, his shots would be useless. He concentrated, zeroing in on his target, and fired. The shot rang out and the kick of the rifle threw him off balance. He strained not to fall back. With great effort, he was almost able to regain equilibrium.

Unfortunately, his weight was too much for the branch and it bowed back. He fell. With no time to think, he instinctively reached out to find purchase, accidentally dropping his rifle.

Ezra cried out as he watched his rifle fall. "Why couldn't I catch it!" He thought in despair. "Why?"

###

Vincent lay shaking from the pain, struggling with the effort of keeping himself compressed in the small space. His body was aching, and he wanted nothing more than to collapse and let himself stretch out and relax.

His breaths were shallow. Sweat mingled with tears fell from his face. He knew he couldn’t hold out much longer. Then to his horror, he felt his abdomen rapidly tightening and he knew it was about to seize up into a severe cramp.

"They always come at the worst time!" He thought angrily.

The cramp struck him forcefully and the pain knocked the wind out of him. His body was desperately screaming for release. He couldn't take it anymore.

He let go and his legs fell out from cover into the open. The bear instantly snatched his foot in its mouth and began to pull. This was his fatal error. Now it would pull him from safety and crush him in an instant.

He could feel the ground shift underneath him as he was pulled forward. He desperately searched for something to hold onto and was able to grab a small handhold in the rock. With his newfound leverage he began pulling himself back toward safety. He felt something pull loose and he knew his leg must have been severed from the sheer force of the beasts' jaws. He squeezed his eyes shut, preparing for the killing blow.

###

The rifle had fallen, but lost momentum as it hit resistance on the way down. Ezra quickly scrambled down just far enough to reach the rifle and then climbed back to a spot where he could get a good beat on his target.

The effect of the first shot had been completely unexpected, but subsequent shots were less precarious as he was prepared for the kickback now and he hit his target repeatedly. Some shots were misses, but as he fell into a rhythm, he consistently landed direct hits.

###

Having just pulled free of its clutches, Vincent squeezed back into the safe haven as much as he could manage. He could feel the hot breath of the grizzly and gritted his teeth, preparing for the bear to tear into his flesh once more, when a shot rang out. The grizzly roared from the pain, and this seemed to only increase its determination to devour its prey. More shots rang out and he saw the impact of a bullet explode into the bear's hide, leaving a gaping wound and spattering blood. Its flesh hung loosely in a flap where the bullet had connected, and the grizzly pulled back from the pain.

After a few more hits, it was beginning to lose resolve and it growled in protest before turning and lumbering off around the other side of the ridge. Vincent lay there, squeezing his eyes shut, cringing in anticipation. Expecting at any moment, the sting of the grizzly’s bite. He held his breath, knowing that it would come. Then, when he could no longer hold out, he exhaled suddenly. Daring to open his eyes. His searched his field of view frantically for any sign of his attacker.

He was shocked to find the grizzly nowhere in sight. He sucked in air and exhaled in relief. He looked down at his foot and found it bare. The grizzly had pulled off his boot, but mercifully his limb was still intact. He smiled. His leg was still bleeding profusely, but at least the other one was in good condition. This was the last lucid thought that passed through his mind just before he collapsed from sheer exhaustion.

###

Ezra sighed with relief as the bear fled. He was quickly hit with the after-effects of the adrenaline. His body was shaking, his hands especially, which momentarily affected his dexterity. His current condition increased the difficulty of climbing down from the high perch by tenfold.

He picked his way down as carefully as he could, eager to get to Vincent. He thought things were going well until one of the branches snapped under his feet. One moment he was steady, and then suddenly he was plummeting to the ground. As he was hit with a wave of vertigo, an unsettling thought flashed through his mind.

"It’s a long way down..."