Life Journey: A Werebear's Story: Bears part 1 By. Housecubct housecubct@gmail.com
The Void
Time stops in the void of nothingness, awareness drifts in and out like a feather on the wind. Matt's trained mind was trying to bring him back; to shake him from the state he was in. His awareness came back in sparks, feelings, and jolts. It was like he was being shocked repeatedly by an unknown force. He was being prodded back to the land of the living, pulled back across the river Styx, and thrown back through the gates of Valhalla to the reality he had only just left. It was not his time, this was not where he would meet his end, and he would not join his family at the dinner table today.
He could feel his body being moved, hear the crunch of his bone, and feel the warmth of the animals around him. It was warm ... so warm. The pain he had felt before was drifting away like a dream. He could see Luke and Susan, the dogs, and the home they had just built. They were waving at him. He saw his father standing before him. He had his staff in his hands. Then the jingle of bells came ... louder ... louder ... in the void Matt reached to cover his ears, but his arms would not move. Louder, the bells continued to chime ... He felt something wrap around him, and himself being rolled over. He felt his arms and legs being moved and twisted again; felt his head being rolled around and something close around his throat. He smelled pine, leather, earth and blood.
Then the void came again ... blissful nothingness wrapping Matt in its consuming embrace.
Time has no bearing in the void, sounds came back to Matt as whispers, ghosts in his mind. As feeling came back to his body, he focused on staying still. He tried to control his breathing. He also focused his awareness on his body parts and tried to get a reading on how badly he was hurt and what was going on. The voices he was hearing sounded familiar, but it was hard to place them. It was like an itch that he could not scratch, a memory just on the edge of remembrance.
"No, you can't change him."
"You heard him just like I did; he said he wants to join us."
"I said no, you are not changing anyone. Not till he wakes up and can talk with us."
"Not even then am I'm going to let you change anyone. Maybe one of the others wants a new Cub, but not you two."
"Is he stable?"
"Yes, he is. His body is badly damaged, he's lost a good amount of blood, but his aura and life energy are strong, they seem to be sustaining him. I have never seen this before in a human. In Bears yes, but never a human.
"He is still human. It's going to take some time for him to heal; you three beat the hell out of him."
"The human started it. Not us."
"That human did not start this. You tracked him since town; you three wanted to see what he was up to. So you didn't come and get me first, and now this guy is beat to hell and you three need to have your assess kicked for it. Damn Cubs all of you."
"He feels like a Bear, but he's human. He needs to be changed before he dies."
"That human is strong, his scent is that of a Bear, but he is not. We need to talk to the Elders."
"I thought you were an Elder?"
"No, I'm not. Any clue who he is?"
"I have his wallet. He's an American, living in Virginia. Looks like he is retired United States Military. He only had $2 left, I see receipts for the grocery store in town and the gas station where you know who works. Also, there seems to be a trail leading from California, to Montana, and then north."
"This human came looking for us, but why alone, why like this? It was like he was searching for something. The way he moved through town ... who he talked too."
"Gather his things from the field and bring them here. The way he fought, it reminded me of something."
"What did you say he called you?"
"He called me an Asshole."
"That's about right."
"Okay, I have his laptop; give me a few and I'll see what's on it. Nothing is too badly damaged from his pack. He had the important stuff in the center. So when he got whacked nothing was really damaged. Whoever he is he's smart and he's skilled. "
"You do that. Now tell me again how it started and why you decided to kill him rather than run him off like the others."
"Hey everyone, I have something. It's the only file on his desktop; its title is "Bears, Read This First."
"Well? Go ahead and read it."
`OK, here we go- Hello, I have been searching for your kind for about a year now. I mean you no harm, I have come unarmed, and in search of the truth. I feel compelled to find you from the stories I read online and the tug in my heart. Contained in several files on this hard drive are the journals of my travels and my background. If I'm worthy, I hope to join you. I have considered the ramifications of giving up my humanity and have already made the choice to either find you, or die trying. That is my choice and this is my life to give. So, if you are reading this, either I have given it to you, or you found it after something happened. Please read the rest of the files. Thank you. Matt Owens.'
"There you have it, he wants to join us."
"It's not that simple, we need to talk with him before any of us do anything else.
"Okay, looks like we are staying where we are for the night, let's gather more wood for the fire and settle here. If he survives till dawn, we will take him back with us."
Despite the stillness Matt was attempting to maintain, his heart leapt and the smallest of smiles creased his face. He quickly re-attained stillness and let himself drift back into the void. It was so warm, so incredibly warm and safe.
In the void, the dreams came again. These were starkly different than the last. His father and mother visited him; Dad was dressed in his Military Uniform and Mom in her jeans and button down shirt and they beckoned him toward something. As he walked along with his parents, they led him through a forest and into a cave. The sound of ringing bells was ever-present and getting louder as they walked. The cave was vast and as they walked, Matt could make out paintings on the walls. They depicted great battles with Bears and men, sometimes fighting beside one another and in others against each other. As they walked, the cave opened into an alcove within was a Bear, sitting on an outcrop. The ringing stopped as they entered the cave and the Bear raised its head looking at its visitors.
Looking back at Matt, his parents smiled. Turning, they bowed to the Bear and pushed him forward. The Bear rose and lumbered toward Matt. When it reached him, the Bear inhaled deeply. It's green eyes seemed to penetrate Matt and stared deep within him, as they looked, they saw fear, longing, and respect. They saw sacrifice, strength and a thirst for knowledge. They saw a fractured soul that needed to be healed, commitment and love; they saw mistakes, wrong turns and strife. They saw a human. They saw a human in search of its destiny.
The Bear roared in Matt's face and reared back raising a mighty paw above its head; Matt accepted this action and took a step toward the mighty creature. As the paw came toward him, time slowed and morphed. Matt could make out every muscle in the Bears body, he could hear the Bear's heart beating, and he could feel the heat radiating from its body and breath. As the paw reached Matt's chest, it passed through him. The Bear looked once more at Matt, then turned and walked away. The cave was becoming brighter, its image fading. Matt turned to look at his parents, and saw that they were smiling at him. He started to move but found that could not. He started to speak, but no words could escaped his lips. They faded from sight, as did the cave. Voices reached Matt's ears.
"His energy and aura are even stronger now. What's going on? His wounds are not healing, the blood is not stopping, and it's beginning to ooze through the bandages."
"I'm telling you both, he feels like a Bear. He feels like you and I. Why don't you understand that?"
"He is still human, but he smells like one of us."
"We need to speak with an Elder."
"No one is around; we will have to call."
"Okay, go as fast as you can. Go now and make the call, have the Elder come ASAP."
"He is not going to last that long."
"No. You are not changing him."
"Damn it! You read the entire journal, this guy found us, he is alone, and he wants to be one of us. He fought all three of us, and damn nearly won! If this guy doesn't have what it takes to be a Bear, then let it be my responsibility. He spoke to me like he knew me."
"No. You are not doing that."
"Listen, it's been some time since we changed and how we changed is clouding our judgment. All of us were changed accidentally. This human wants it. He has searched for it. He has prepared for it. Are we really going to let him die?"
"Yes. Yes, we are. If we do this without permission of the Elders, it will make everyone's life harder."
"I think its time we grew up. If this human is not worthy of being our Cub, then who would be? Some scruffy human off the street?"
"That's not what I meant and you know it. It's a one-way ticket to Beardom; there are plenty of responsibilities and things we have to do. This is not a free ride."
"Look. I never said it was. This human traveled largely on foot, scavenged food, hitchhiked, and did whatever he had to do so he could find us. Become one of us. Doesn't that count for something?"
"Both of you need to stop. I don't think he is going to make it till nightfall. We need to speak to an Elder now, while we still can."
"You see? He's not going to make it. We need to change him."
"I said NO! You are not going to change him, unless we speak with him. Now stop it, if he cannot wake up and speak with us, then this is his fate."
The voices faded again as the void pulled Matt back into its ever-consuming embrace. This time it was sudden, a violent shift in environments. Matt found himself in a high altitude free fall like he had been kicked out of an aircraft. He could tell it was high as he passed through the layers of the atmosphere. He could feel the rush of air pass him, the whistle of the air as it changed density and the crackle of static electricity as it passed through his body. He could tell the ground was coming up as night turned into day; while he looked at the stars naming the constellations. The ground was getting close, the chute alarm started to chirp and Matt reached for the ripcord. There was none. He reached for the reserve chute that should have been there but that too was missing. The alarm chirped higher.
Matt had a two choices, life or death. Matt chose life. Glancing at his feet, he noticed he was wearing a wingsuit. He flipped over and attempted with all his strength to flattened his body. He pulled his knees up slightly to change the angle of his fall from a line to an arc; this would help slow his descent. He scanned the terrain; it was mountains, trees, streams, and small lakes. Damn ... Ah-ha ... off in the distance Matt spied a pond or a small lake with a wide stream leading into it. That would have to do. He needed to stall his descent; he curled into a ball and flipped in the air, then opened up his arms and legs as wide as he could. He thanked the gods for the reinforcement in the suit, if not for it his arms and legs would surely have been torn backward on his body like an action figure. He completed this maneuver twice more as the lake loomed closer to him. Exhaling as much air as he could, he lined up on the stream and tucked into a ball. IMPACT! Pain seared through his body as every nerve ending lit up; he skipped across the water like a smooth rock on a still pond.
The pain washed over him in waves and arcs of light, blackness and bright flashes. Matt's body would not move as he gasped for breath trying to stay afloat on the water. He gulped in air-attempting desperately to stay afloat. His legs dangled under him and his arms hung at his sides, not answering his calls for action. Slowly, water filled his clothing and pulled him under the water. It was in those last moments that he summoned all his energy into a single effort. Matt screamed, `NO!,' he roared from the deepest parts of his being. He screamed for his life,bellowed that he was not ready to walk through the doors of the great hall, that he was not ready to speak to the boat master and he was not ready to join the gods among the constellations. In a blinding flash Matt was back;he escaped the void and once again he heard the voices.
"I think he's awake?"
"Did you feel that rush of air?
"Yes, the wind is picking up what's going on?"
"Guys? His aura is getting stronger, and he's hot to the touch."
Matt could hear them; if this were his last chance he would take it. Exhaling deeply, he focused all his energy on waking up. He must regain awareness, he must shake himself from death's grasp. The reaper would not be claiming him this day.
"You fight like Bears ..." Matt whispered with a smile.
"Um ... yeah. Who are you?"
"I'm Matt Owens, I came to join you, not harm you. I want to be one of you. I hope I have proven myself worthy of your company," his human voice was cracking; his eyes were covered with something. As he attempted to move, the pain returned. In a violent jolt, pain shot from his shoulder to his navel and radiated throughout his entire body.
"Stay still, you are badly hurt."
"You see? He wants it. Now that we have talked with him?"
"NO! I said no. Not until we talk with an Elder."
"He is not going to make it that long."
"If I'm to die this night, let it be after you hear my plea to become one of you," Matt said as he went through the events that had led him to this place. He spoke of the entire trial he had gone through and what it meant to find them. He spoke of love and loss. He spoke of understanding and commitment. He spoke his heart to the beings that were in his company. The Bears asked no questions.
Choices Matt finished his story and the Bears watched him silently. He could feel his energy ebbing away and his body was starting to cool off. He had laid everything out as clearly as he could, now all his of life force was used up. The choice rested in the hands of the Bears around him. In the growing silence, Matt could begin to hear the bells again. They were growing louder as feeling faded from his body. He couldn't focus his awareness on his body any longer; he could not force himself to remain conscious. He slipped quietly back into the void, following the sounds of the bells.
"His aura is cooling; as is his body guys. He is dying."
"I need to change him."
"No you are not, this is his fate."
As the Bears argued with each other, the wind picked up around the clearing. It circled them, bending trees and throwing debris. A swirling vortex of wind and electrical static enveloped the Bears and Matt's unconscious body. They looked out into the wilderness searching for the source of the disturbance.
On the wind a scent came to the Bears, all of them perked up noses to the air. It was s powerful, old, and wise; with it the scent carried an air of respect. It commanded the respect you would give an older family member; a reverence that demanded obedience. From the trees stepped a Grizzly Bear of epic size who moved with a stealth unmatched by any creature. It moved silently through the campsite, leaving no prints in its wake. As it approached it looked at each of them, peering at the Werebears as they stood in awe. As the it approached the others backed away from Matt; all but one Bear, Rusty, who stayed by his side refusing to move. Approaching without sound, the Grizzly Bear stopped at Matt's dying body. It sniffed him intently, and then laid a paw on his chest. Looking back at the Bears the Grizzly Bear chuffed at them and then leaned down, pointing his nose at the Bear who stood by Matt's sided. It chuffed softly once more and the Bear at Matt's side nodded and bowed. The Great Bear turned and walked back into the woods.
The wind calmed as the Grizzly Bear vanished into the woods, a ghost on the wind. The Bears stood silent for a few moments, unsure of what to do.
Breaking the silence Rusty turned to his family, "I am Kermode, and I will change him! The Great Bear commands it. This one is destined for his service," His body began its transformation as he spoke in a voice that demanded respect from those around him. He was a Spirit Bear, and he would be respected.
The Great Bear had called Matt to this place and chose these Bears to be present at his change. A Spirit Bear would change this human. The others stood back as Rusty poured his essence into the human, none dared to come close to them. As Rusty changed the human the sky cleared, the wind picked up, and animals of nature came to the clearing. None of the Bears understood what was happening or why, but inside his soul Rusty knew Matt was special, the Great Bear told him so.
Matt followed the bells as they increased in volume. He walked through a dense forest, over trees and around rocks picking his way through dense brush. The bells grew louder the deeper he delved into the forest. Almost frantic to find the source of the sound he ran, tripping and flailing over the terrain. As he burst through a clearing, Matt found himself facing a tall man holding a staff. He had hair of golden blond, body of matching fur, and eyes that were a deep midnight blue. Beside the man walked a Grizzly Bear, with deep green eyes that seemed to reflect the canopies of the trees above them. Together they watched Matt as he walked toward them. As he reached them the man stopped dropping the staff , finally ceasing the ringing of the bells. They stared at Matt and the man smiled while the Bear lowered itself into a bow before him. In a smooth motion, that Matt could not counter, the man struck him in the chest with the staff, sending him back into the brush. He jolted awake suddenly to the smell of bacon cooking and the gentle sounds of nature.
"Great, you're awake! I'm Rusty, and we have a lot to talk about."