"Just Bears"

A Story by Chris

A depressed Bear, her cubs, and one person who seems to care.

“Just Bears”

Her name is Ursa. She is as wide as a toppled over fridge, covered with brown fur from head to toe. the shaggy hair envelopes her, hanging down far, but not even coming close to the ground. For tree trunk like limbs reach down to the ground, ending in paws the size of saucers. The claws are large and sharp enough to claw the bark off a tree, and ravage flesh if need be. Ursa’s face is pointed sharply, from her snout to her forehead, but rounds off to create a conflicting appearance. At this moment Ursa sits, her back to cold metal bars, her face to the concrete wall ahead. Ursa has not moved, has not eaten, has not drunk a drop. Ursa feels as if she wants to die, she does not know why, nor is she able to comprehend those thoughts. All she knows is that something is wrong, she is lost.

Ursa gave birth to two cubs, as natural and benign as a slowly trickling stream weeks ago. She was kept around for a few weeks, to keep her children alive, to feed them her milk. They would look at her with fondness, the purity of their hearts told in full by their innocent eyes. Then something happened, in the small indoor facility, kept away from people to see she lay nuzzled with her children. Men and women came pouring in, walking briskly towards her. Ursa sulked next to her children, the two legged creatures could prod and control her as they had always done, but not to her children. She stood up on two legs, reaching a height of eight feet, a growl came from deep within her stomach. Down below her, the cubs shuddered. Their mother was mad, but why?

The dart entered Ursa’s neck exactly on aim, she fell to the ground, her children ran to her side. Two men picked up a cub, and placed them back on the nest of hay, “Stay safe, another comfy zoo awaits you”. A resonating howl came from their mouths, if one were to speculate, they would assume the cubs were crying “Mama”. The two legged creatures cared little, “Just animals” they would say, forgetting the same could be said for them. Eventually the cries came to a halt, and the great mother was brought to her own separate enclosure. Food, water, enough room to scratch your back against the bars, what more could a bear want. Well, aside from her children.

Depression ensued, it came in waves across her body. Like the illness that it was, it brought her to her stomach, she lay, wishing once more for death. An entire week had gone by, and the bear would die if her habits did not change. A two legged creature came into the enclosure, her eyes sparkling like that of one of Ursa’s cubs. For a second Ursa lit up, but alas the flame died, she wanted her babies. “Hey big mama, how are you”, the woman asked, tears filling in her eyes. She knew what was the matter, this two legged creature had been watching Ursa for weeks. Every day she would plead with the staff, “Please give her the cubs, she can't live without her babies. Please, just…”, and she would always receive a response along the lines of “Babies? Babies? What do you think she is? Human? It’s time to grow up Jenny, time to put on your big girl pants”. Jenny couldn't put on her big girl pants, because like Ursa she felt in pain and confused. The only difference is, Jenny knew how her people were, Ursa was blind to the lie she was born into.

Though that may not be entirely accurate, for Ursa had been born in the woods. As a child she suckled her mother, and followed her around to eat berries and squirrels. Her first year alive she found herself at a salmon run, she feasted until she could eat no more. It was there that hunters killed her mother, a bullet through the brain, and another through the ribs. Both of the two hunters wanted a shot, Chuck and Bill were their names. “Mighty fine kill we got ‘ere”, “That be right Bill, but what about the little one?”. “Well we could kill her too”. “Nah Bill, we got our meat, let's just call those rangers”. “But Chuck you know we ain't s’posed to be hunting here”, “It’s alright, by the time we make the call, we'll be long gone”. The Rangers came to the site upon the call, and found the baby alone. Knowing that the cub was too young to survive on her own, she was given up to a zoo. A brand new enclosure was built just for Ursa, and a banner hung over it, waving the words “Rescued”.

Ursa didn't feel rescued, she felt lost. Everyday the weird hairless creatures would throw food at her, and try to communicate in a language that made her confused and scared. She would try and hide, but a smiling boy would always move around the barred off enclosure, and try to get as close as possible. There was no peace, until she had her children, but so quickly her personal heaven dissolved before her eyes. Now, she sits sadly, with only a slightly depressed woman by her side for comfort. “Hey big girl, I got some fish” Jenny spoke. “You want some, c’mon big girl. Mama”. Ursa got up and moved away, her ribs were slightly visible. Jenny’s voice began to crack “Mama, don't you want some fish, girl, please, just eat. Please, for me, for your babies”. Ursa rolled over on her stomach, looked up to the sky, and wished with all her might to die. Jenny grew hysterical, “Please girl, j-just eat! You have to, you’ll die, you don't wanna die! Do you?”. Ursa made no movement, she was not listening. On a normal day Ursa would respond to the changing body signals, and volume of voice, but no level of emotion sunk in, nor did she have anything to put out. Apathy seems a describable word, absolute apathy.

Jenny walked out of the pen, wiping her tears, she put on a serious face. She walked out of the zoo, and sent a text to her boss announcing a sickness. She did not specify what sickness, but it was obvious empathetic grief plagued her. She knew what she had to do. At midnight she would return, the time when the last zookeeper packs his bags for the night, giving her three hours to set things right, the next zookeeper and staff would be back at 3am. Jenny did not even try to sleep beforehand, she simply guzzled an espresso, and waited anxiously for the clock to tick by. Her feet tattered on the ground, and she thought for a second, like she was facing the world. “Every aspect of society tells me this is wrong” she thought, “But how could it be, I surely know it’s right. Jail time is imminent, public humiliation probable, loss of friends and family likely”. Jenny was tired of living under the iron fist, she wanted to open up the mortal palm. She wanted to prove to herself, to the world, that good can overcome what others deem irresponsible, crazy, and most of all non conformist.

Jenny darted down the open road at 11:30, hoping to arrive at the zoo by 12:15, by then the staff would all be gone. Twice Jenny pulled off to the side of the highway, to aid her recurrent panic attacks. The adrenaline being pumped into her body made her head throb. She would not give in, she had a job to do. She arrived just on schedule, and with the keys that she possessed for her job, she opened the door to the cubs enclosure. In heated crates they were sleeping, there innocent eyes not open to the world, she looked down upon their young, but large soft bodies and thought of the children she always wished to have. She picked up one crate and rushed it back into her car. She went to go do the same for the second, but then she remembered; How was she going to get mama bear in as well? A light bulb went off in her head.

Jenny opened up the enclosure and allowed Ursa to see what she had in her hands. Like an angel blessed her, Ursa rose to her feet and began running towards Jenny. Jenny ran as well, straight to her car. On her heels was Ursa, running not with rage, but as if she knew what the plan was all along, and she just had to act like the careless animal many believed her to be. Jenny quickly placed the crate into her car, where four back seats used to be before she removed them. Ursa jumped into the car, her body barely fit, if she had been a tad larger the plan would have gone to hell. But somehow Ursa knew just how to work herself into that jeep, so that the largest part of her faced the back, and her head to the front. Jenny climbed into the driver's seat, and took off. Feeling like a mad woman, but loving it, because her conscience was clean.

To the woods she drove, high up into the rocky mountains. It took her eight hours, she heard her name on the radio in six. “Woman Steals Bears, well Rick that’s a first, but seriously guys watch out this woman could be armed, dangerous, and mentally unstable”. “So be it” she thought to herself. The bears were quiet, Jenny had been able to release the cubs, and they were snuggled against Ursa. Smart had Jenny been to pack two deli chickens. Though Jenny realized that the mother, although in a situation she would never expect to be in, was euphorically happy. She had her babies and that’s all that mattered, plus the emaciation from not eating for a week might have played a crucial role in the docility.

Jenny reached the destination, an area that she considered Bear heaven. It was full of small animals, foraging plants, and even deer and elk. As far as Jenny knew there were no other competing bears, but Ursa should be fine anyways, she is just a female. When Jenny opened the door the bears came running out, the cubs disappeared into the undergrowth, and the mother chased after them. Hopefully, Ursa had not forgotten the useful lessons taught by her mother long ago. Jenny thought that was all, and she was relieved it was finally over. Though, as if a daughter forgetting to kiss her mother, Ursa came back, and nuzzled against Jenny’s shin. Her rough fur scratched against Jenny’s jeans. Ursa then darted off, naturally.

Jenny drove back to her house in serenity, it was dark once again by the time she made it home. The police were waiting for her, like she knew they would. Jenny got charged five years, plus another three for not telling where she hid the bears. She went in happy, and six years later, due to a reduced sentence from good behavior she came out, happy. Jenny never went to see the Bears again, nor did she ever work at a zoo again. her friends and family all though she lost it, but Jenny knew deep down the truth. Jenny decided that love does not lie only in the heats of those able to contemplate it, it lies in the hearts of all willing to experience it. How greedy would she be to let another animal feel such a familiar pain of yearning love, all the while knowing she could stop it?