“Left on their own… with no further human contact… the bears are said to have reverted to their ancient ways and… they might very well attack a human found out there alone after dark. There had been reports of people hearing them… growling and trampling down bushes as they prowl throughout the forest… but they only venture out under the cover of darkness. Some people have also claimed to have seen them… moving like shadows between the trees… and – apparently – they can move soundlessly when they want to.
“During the excavation process, two women came running down the path, screaming, and claiming they were being chased by a bear… or something with long black fur. Wildlife officials combed the entire area but found nothing… no tracks… no evidence of anything with long black fur… but people still claim they hear the bears out there… crashing through the trees… growling sounds… and heavy breathing.
“That was why no one wanted the houses at the end, those closest to the forest… they were afraid the bears might venture out of the forest… or the spirits of the dwarfs might return. Most people didn’t want to live with either of those possibilities.”
She returned to her office, shaking her head and smiling… Monica had given her a lot of interesting information… most of which she dismissed as superstition and folklore. That night, she checked the Internet and found the same stories Monica had told her… and she came to the conclusion that the stories were being repeated in the hopes of drawing interest to the area… possibly as a tourist attraction.
Then she decided it wasn’t going to stop her from using the path… not unless she actually saw or heard something that she couldn’t explain. She was living her dream… a home of her own, a great job that paid well, and a path for outdoor exercise just minutes from her own back door… and no fanciful stories were going to stop her from enjoying it all to the fullest.
The following Saturday, she set out early, carrying her backpack and camera… as the path went higher, several gaps between the trees offered nice views of the lower section of the town. She returned home shortly after noon as she was in the process of painting the kitchen. Still, as the cottage came into view, she thought that she had not seen or heard anything out of the ordinary.
On Sunday, she set out after lunch, with the camera… and since it was such a beautiful day… she also took a picnic supper. Up at the top of the hill, she wandered off the path… taking photos and stopping now and then to snack on a few remaining blueberries. She was completely absorbed in her surroundings… more relaxed and at peace that she had been in a long time. It seemed that moving here had definitely been the right thing to do.
She was taking photos of the setting sun when she thought she saw a shadow to her left… was someone else out here? – and that low, creaking sound… what was causing that? But, looking around, she saw nothing except a broken branch swaying slightly back and forth. Then she realized the wind had changed direction and was increasing in strength… big dark clouds were quickly moving in… and the temperature had dropped a bit.
All in all, she did not like the look of things overhead and she felt sure the weather was going to change… very fast… and not for the better. She had heard about hail storms in this area… and desperately hoped it would be nothing more serious than rain… but those clouds up there did not look very friendly.
