05/23/2026
He was a young black bear who was, by all accounts, a rising star of the New River Valley. He could climb a cedar tree faster than a squirrel and catch fish with a single, elegant swipe.
But then, the world started to get... smudgy.
It began with a beehive. He spotted a golden, shimmering lump hanging from a low branch. Mouth watering, he lunged at the lump only to realize he’d just aggressively bitten a very dry, very angry hornet’s nest that looked nothing like a beehive from three feet away.
By the next week, he had developed a permanent case of "The Stumbles." He didn't just walk through the forest; he ping-ponged through it. He’d apologize to boulders, thinking they were his mother, and once tried to have a serious conversation with a mossy stump he mistook for a rival male.
His low point came during one foggy morning. While stumbling through the forest, he stepped out onto a grey ribbon of hard pavement. Fear gripped him as he saw a shiny red sports car coming straight at him. He closed his blurry eyes and said a quick prayer.
The sound of squealing tires assaulted his ears, and the smell of burning rubber filled his nostrils. Silence filled the air, and the only sound was the gentle purr of the car’s engine, only a few feet away from him. In a few moments, he thought he could make out the shape of a kind-looking, blonde young man staring down at him.
“Are you okay, little guy?” he heard the man ask. That’s when his vision faded to black as the man’s words echoed through his head. He felt his body being gently lifted as he lost consciousness.
To be continued...
