AWAKEN THE RAGE
Rain began to patter on the leaves as a loud CRACK from a breaking bush and not the sky rang through the area. The bushes parted and shook violently, freeing leaves from their branches. The very earth seemed to shake as ragged breathing could be heard approaching the Walker Homestead. A lumbering figure carving a heavy game trail by itself moved through the green canopy like a shark in the water. Snorting as if trying to assert its dominance to any possible challengers.
Through the thick green foliage poked a large barrel sized head from within the leafy depths.
The remaining good eye of the bear scanned the area with several inhales from its bloody nose. The large bear peered over the cluttered junk and disheveled landscape. Thick white smoke bellowed out from the tin cooking shack chimney. The large frame of the bear trampled everything in its path.
Large and jagged lacerations were etched deep into her dark brown muddy fur. Dark blood scabs traced every line as she scratched at her face desperate to remove more dried blood from her remaining good eye.
With a loud and final snort, the bear emerged from the canopy entering the Walker Homestead.
Sniffing the air, the bear followed the trail throughout the abandoned junk and massive yard. The bear sniffed over an old refrigerator before moving on to an old car engine. Despite the thick noxious fumes pouring from the tin chimney, the bear lumbered towards the small cooking shack. The scent of the smoke grew stronger causing anxiety to grow within the bear. The noxious fumes grew thick enough to taste on her salivating jowls. Her eyes tracing over the structure with a wild and almost frantic desire to get inside.
She could smell her baby, smell her child and her massive paw pushed into the wall. The bear began to stand on both of its feet. Paws shaking the structure as something glass began to rattle against the wall. The bear let out a little groan of anxious frustration. Desperate to get inside and get to her cub, that she knew was contained within the four metal walls. She pushed harder as her claws scratched against the metal. The wall began to give a little wobble with an echoing, WO…WO…WO.
The tin like echo stopped when something could be heard contained within. Somebody inside was shouting and sounded as if their footsteps were heading towards the door. The bear rose up a bit straighter on its hind legs with arms slightly outstretched. “Yeah, yeah hold on a second!” The bear’s mouth opened with an almost habitual premeal lick of its chops. Its black eyes opened wide as hands could be heard unlatching door. The bear’s claws scrapped against the wall one more time. “God damn mush head always gotta be knocking on my God damn door like he trying to break it down.
Boys too stupid to…”
The tin door opened with a rusty CREAK as Pa was unable to finish his sentence. An old shop rag wiping his wrinkled hands dropped to the ground. His eyes trembled for a moment before he let out a horrifying scream. Two giant paws collided onto each of Pa’s shoulders. CRACK, bones could be heard breaking as the bear fell on top of him. The bear’s crushing weight smothered the tiny man.
The bear’s mouth fitted over the entirety of his face as it tore until blood splattered the wall. The bear’s teeth tore into his face as the massive weight imprisoned his squirming body underneath him. Teeth violently shredding his face muffling his dying cries to silence. Pa’s frail arms twitched in sporadic movement with random finger twitches under the bear’s continued mauling.
Blood ran down Pa’s face to pool underneath his head. The bear began to snarl with teeth sunk deep into his cracking skull. The bear seemed unwilling to release him from her vengeful fury. It wiggled the lifeless body of its victim for another several seconds before letting go. The bear began to rise returning Pa’s body to the pool of blood with a wet SMACK.
Swiping once with its claws, the bear tore the vintage overalls easily breaking to the skin. Fresh blood oozed from the new wounds, but Pa remained motionless. The bear satisfied with his demise quickly lost interest, becoming preoccupied with the contents of the room. Stepping over Pa, the bear made its way to the makeshift wooden table. Different glass vials, jars, beakers, and various sized containers littered the surface. The bear’s face ran over the surface, each smell was different, each fragrance was something new, something to be explored. CRASH… One of the vials shattered onto the makeshift metal floor.
The smell became too powerful, too overwhelming, burning the inside of the bear’s nostrils.
With a massive sneeze of discomfort vials and beakers smashed to the floor with a continuous CRASH.
The bear’s body stumbled backwards crashing into a set of makeshift shelves. They came crashing to the floor startling the bear even more. The bear roared with fury at the sudden ruckus and unexpected calamity that it had caused. Numerous loud THUD… THUD…THUD could be heard as white powder flew up into the air like snow in a snow globe. Three broken plastic wrapped bricks fell onto the floor dusted with a thin layer of white powder.
The contents of the plastic bricks fluttered in the air like the first drifts of snow on Winter’s eve.
The bear’s paws scrapped across the plastic brick fumbling it over itself causing it to spray like the foam off a river. The bear recoiled slightly, nearly crashing into the table again. Bottles reading DRAINO and SUDAFED reflected in the bears increasingly watering eye. The bear snorted in discomfort with a mighty PHEW! The air reintroducing the particles of snow into the air. They began to sting against the open wounds across its nose and face. The bear’s head lowered as he involuntarily ingested more. The irritation began to increase the bear’s growing displeasure with the events transpiring. It began to collide against the table as if desperate to get out. Pa’s body had become entangled in its large legs.
Head drooping lower letting his nose sink into the powder. With a large intake of air, the
powder absorbed into its nostrils easily caking on the sides. The bear’s remaining good eye dilated into its entirety as it began to succumb to its increasing anger and discomfort. The large forearm was sent crashing down onto a small corner table of dirty tools and various equipment. The contents clattered noisily against the metallic floor as the bear continued to smash the table. Glass and chemicals splashed across the entire walls mixing with Pa’s fresh blood. The bear began frantically thrashing roaring with aggravation toppling out the tin door.
The bear hit the dirt with a loud THUMPF! The howling roars of utter rage trembled every limb and branch of the neighboring trees of the Walker Homestead. A thick white foam seeped from its jowls as it tossed its head from side to side with nostrils twitching frantically. It bellowed an utter rage as it smashed its body against the shack one more time. The tin shack gave a little wobble groaning under the strain of as hopping on all fours towards another scent. A familiar scent, a stable scent at a time of an unknown confusion. Or maybe, it was the blood of something to quench the utter rage still coursing through its nearly broken body.
The bear’s attention had immediately turned with a thick growl from deep within its lungs. A growl that could shiver the fiercest predator of the forest. Shrink them into nature as if requesting helpful assistance. Axe slung across his shoulder Big Hoss was making his way up the hill. Whistling a jolly tune and sporting a large smile he passed the area unaware of his surroundings. His tunnel vision kept him blind to the mountain sized bear slinking around the side of the cooking shed.
Big Hoss stopped before he reached the corner of their house. His lopsided eyes glanced at the cooking shack and widened in utter shock. Unable to for words, Big Hoss gave a pained,
“guck…guck…guck…” The axe dropped to the ground with a THUD followed by a cloud of dirt.
Feet stomped forward as if his shoes were two sizes too big. They seemed to slap the dirt with each hurried step he took. “Gu…” he said his tongue almost several sizes too big for his mouth. He dropped to his knees beginning to examine Pa’s lifeless body. His hands immediately recoiled towards
his face staring at them with an increasingly trembling body. The buttons on his sagging overalls clattered with the trembling of his body. A dull and gut-wrenching howl of anguish erupted from within Big Hoss’s body.
A howl that could pang the densest of cold hearts echoed through the forest and reverberated off the trees. His eyes flicked rapidly between both his hands covered in dark blood. His hands shook as he could not seem to comprehend what he was looking at. The red blood ran down his palms and soaked into his overalls. His eyes flicked down as if still searching for an answer to the question staring at him in the face. He let out a pathetic whimper as he began to wipe his hands over his clothes.
The dirt covered overalls did little to clean the blood from them. He continued to wipe them across the denim whimpering as if attempting to wipe the truth from them.
His head tilted down, and the horror of the event seemed to have finally come over him. He howled again with a whine to make skin crawl as he reached down gripping his Pa. His fragile ancient body seemed miniscule in the tree trunk arms of his youngest son. Big Hoss gripped his father’s body close to him rocking on his knees. The frail old man hung like a rag doll lifeless in the arms of a giant.
Big Hoss wailing into his father unable to accept his Pa was gone. Despite the loss of his face and nearly half of his head, Big Hoss clung to his father relentlessly shedding his tears. His head removed from his father’s bloody neck. His Pa’s blood smeared over his face as he let out pained,
“gu…gu…gu…gu!”
Words seemed to choke in his throat as if struggling to find the air to continue to breathe.
Through his tear-soaked face, Big Hoss turned towards the cooking shack. His eyes scanning the inside realizing the destruction and utter devastation that had taken place. Every broken beaker or vial, every spilled chemical, and broken plastic packages. White powder dusted the floor and surrounding area like the first flurries of winter.
The wailing continued for several seconds before a bellowing growl silenced Big Hoss. The culprit for the destruction and devastation in the cooking shack appeared to be a large female brown bear. The brown bear was also the culprit for the ingestion of Pa’s remaining cooking product. The white powder still visible around and in its salami sized nose. Hoss stared into the bear’s only remaining eye and saw the fury behind it. Its body tensed with tightening muscles preparing to attack.
Its jaw began to make popping sounds as Hoss returned his father tenderly into the pool of his own blood. His hand patting his father’s shoulder as if merely laying him down for a nap. His voice tried to remain steady with a final pat of consoling he replied, “ga…ga…ga guck!”
His head flicked up towards the mountain of a bear preparing to maul him. However, Hoss was not accustomed to being intimidated by either man or beast. A rage seemed to overcome Big Hoss as he scowled at the bear matching its growling. “Gu…Gu…” He said with such finality as he rose from beside his Pa. The bear had clearly not expected such a mountain of a man to rise in front of it nor challenge it. Built like a linebacker, Big Hoss’s lop-sided face radiated a fury matching Pa’s red blood smeared across his face.
The bear instinctively sensing a challenge rose onto both back feet. Despite being slightly taller than Big Hoss, it didn’t seem to shake his confidence or determination to exact revenge for his slain Pa.
Balling his fists preparing to attack, the bear opened its mouth and roared with a force that could topple any normal man. However, Big Hoss stood steadfast against the bear. The bear’s head tilted almost puzzled by Big Hoss’s lack of response. Suddenly and mysteriously the bear gave one more load roar before smashing its head against the tin walls of the shack. BAM, BAM, BAM, the bear’s head repeatedly slammed against the tin walls shaking the shack loose from its very foundation.
The bear seemingly having lost its mind or possibly psyching himself up for its oncoming battle with Big Hoss. The bear growled louder with every repeated collision of its skull. BAM, BAM, BAM, the metal shack began to wobble, losing its balance. The bear’s heavy blows began to collapse the
fragile sides. Big Hoss gazed perplexed at the animal’s display of erratic behavior. Its fangs bared to the world as the shack gave one final creaking groan of protest before a SNAP cracked the air.
The shack toppled to the ground seemingly collapsing in on itself. The bear turned to Big Hoss with its body upright and murder in its bloody face. It leaned forward, took one mighty step and with the force of her entire body roared to shake to the trees and earth. Big Hoss’s thirst for vengeance was unwavering. And with the force of titans, they both collided into each other. The bear’s strength was incomparable as Hoss’s hands collided with its massive shoulders. Big Hoss recoiled slightly underneath the bear’s strength and massive size. However, he remained steady and balanced on his feet. The bear raised its paw preparing to strike with claws outstretched. Despite his large stature, Big Hoss dodged the swipe and caught the bear off guard. With a fist the size of a small boulder, Hoss smashed it into the side of the bear’s face. The bear stumbled onto its left leg losing balance for a moment.
Unable to recover, Hoss was already striking the bear again. WAM… WAM… The blows were hard against the bear and unable to reveal any effect on the large animal. WACK… The bear’s paw backhanded Hoss sending him to stumble several feet back. The bear, sensing an opportunity, took two steps forward before lunging with an open mouth. Hoss dodged the bear as its paw slashed the air desperate to connect. A roar of frustration escaped the bear as Hoss charged at it running his elbow into its side. The bear shifted its weight before losing balance toppling over the wooden railing running across the front of the house. A loud CRASH filled the air as the railing disintegrated into splinters under the bear’s weight.
Hoss charged the bear and began beating his fist against the bear’s skull. The bear swiped its paw and backhanded Hoss colliding with a loud THUD! Claws raised high as Hoss was not quick enough. He cried out, “GA” just as the claws swiped across his chest with a loud SWISH. Blood peppered the air as Hoss’s massive hand shot towards the deep wounds gashed across his chest. Blood
poured through his bratwurst sized fingers as he whimpered in pain. The bear towered over him preparing for its meal, preparing for its final attack. Hoss’s other hand fell to his side and landed on something hard. His fingertips felt the cold surface of the axe that he had been carrying. The same axe that Pa had sent him to chop wood with earlier.
His fingers wrapped around the chipped handle as the bear leaned back preparing to attack. Its arms seemed to spread apart preparing for its next meal. Hoss removed his hand from his chest proving to be a fatal mistake. Blood rushed from his open wounds soaking the front of his overalls.
His other hand gripped the axe and with his final ounce of strength wheeled the axe towards the bear.
The bear howled in pain as the axe collided into its stomach with a sickening THUD! The bear staggered backwards and collapsed into the house. It disappeared in a cloud of dust and an explosion of wood. With one last gasp of breath, Hoss’s head fell to his chest. Resting on his knees, he felt the world leave him and darkness overtake him.