Beastly Little Boy

Prologue

Bernard's claws clicked on the tile floor as he paced in front of the kitchen counter. Alice glanced at her son as she coated the last of his dozen salmon fillets in a mixture of dill, parsley, and ground valerian root, silently praying that the herbs would mask the taste of the potent sedative. The way the bear's muscles rippled beneath his fur sent chills down her spine, but his muzzle was mercifully blood free today.

"What's that awful smell?" asked Bernard as he wrinkled his nose. "It smells like something died in here."

"It's a new herb I'm experimenting with."

Bernard snorted. "Again?"

"Just give it a try for me, okay? It's full of vitamins. Now, would you rather have your salmon raw or cooked?"

"Raw, of course," the bear responded in a rumbling voice much too deep for a ten-year-old. "You know it's gross otherwise."

Alice put her hands up in a placating gesture. "Take it easy, honey. I'm just checking." She put the salmon onto a plate, added a generous handful of blueberries, and set Bernard's dinner onto the floor. "If you ever get tired of eating salmon, I'd be more than happy to get you something else next time I go shopping."

Bernard growled and flattened his ears against his head. "Is this about the fawn?"

Alice's trembling hand instinctively went to the series of scars on her arm, a constant reminder of what her son could do if she angered him. Waking him up from a nightmare had been enough to make him claw her arm. The fawn hadn't gotten off so easily.

The bear's eyes widened as they tracked her hand. "It was an accident," he muttered.

Alice had no idea whether he was talking about the fawn or the scars on her arm. Either way, he ended the discussion by holding his plate in place with his front paws and bending down to devour his dinner.

His mother pulled out her notepad and pencil. As she pretended to jot down a few ideas for her next Camper's Digest article, she watched Bernard to make sure he ate all of the sedative.

Sure enough, all twelve of the salmon fillets and the valerian root coating them soon disappeared down his throat. The blueberries followed suit moments later, leaving a purple stain on his muzzle. He turned to leave for his nightly foraging trip.

"You know I'm not going to let you leave the house looking like that," Alice said.

He sighed. "As if it matters what I look like anymore." Despite his comment, he stood still while his mother scrubbed at the juice around his mouth with a wet paper towel.

She bent down slightly and felt through his fur for burs and parasites before ruffling the fur on his head. "That's better. Remember, I expect you to be back inside by nine."

Bernard grunted and turned to leave.

"And Bernard." He paused as his mother's voice cracked. "I love you."

Bernard cast a puzzled glance over his shoulder before letting out an annoyed huff and venturing out into the yard. He looked far more at home among the maple trees and fallen leaves than he did within the house as he pawed through the leaf litter, searching for mushrooms.

It didn't take long for the sedative's effects to become noticeable. Within minutes, Bernard yawned and flopped down with a huff.

Alice scurried to the phone. She grabbed it so tightly her knuckles turned white, but she still found herself pausing with her fingers hovering over the buttons. She could still stop her plan if she wanted to. Bernard would dismiss his sleepiness as a sign that he would be ready to hibernate soon.

Alice's eyes wandered over to the picture of her husband that she kept in the kitchen. What would he think of what she was doing? As she stared into those eyes that looked so much like her son's used to before he started turning into a bear, she found her answer.

Just as she was about to put the phone back on the receiver, Alice reminded herself what happened to her husband after he had decided he could deal with a bear. She whispered an apology to her husband's picture and gave it a quick kiss. She refused to die at the paws of a beast the same way he had.

If what he did to that poor fawn was any indication, there might not be anything left of Bernard's humanity by the time the transformation was complete. He already wasn't her little boy anymore. It might not be long until he wasn't her little bear either.

Before she could lose her nerve, Alice called one of her husband's former coworkers with trembling fingers and an even shakier voice. "Hello, I'd like to report a- a-"

"Ma'am, is everything alright?"

"There's a bear outside my house. He doesn't look aggressive, but..." Alice choked out a sob. "Please come quickly!"

The ranger assured Alice he and his team would be right over.

Alice hung up and bit her lip in an attempt to make herself stop crying. This was for the best. No matter how much she loved Bernard, there was simply no way she could give him the care he needed. The rangers were sure to take him somewhere with plenty of food and warm dens where he could stay away from humans.

Including her.

Alice desperately wanted her little boy back, but all she could do was hope her giant bear would remember her. She made her way to the window so she could watch her son one last time. His side rose and fell slowly as his mother waited for the rangers to arrive.

The hum of a car's engine announced the rangers' arrival minutes later. Alice should have been relieved, but something was wrong.

Bernard was moving.

The grizzly hauled himself onto his feet. He opened his jaws in a massive yawn, exposing his fangs. It wasn't hard to imagine them stained with blood.

Nearby, a branch broke.

Bernard swung his head in the direction of the small group of men that had begun sneaking up on him from within the underbrush. He reared up on his hind legs.

When Bernard roared at the rangers, they crouched, ready to run for their lives at a moment's notice. The youngest of the group reached for the gun in his pocket with a trembling hand. He froze with his fingers on the grip after one of his fellow rangers shook his head. Alice swallowed a half-formed scream.

Bernard dropped back onto all fours and let out a series of miserable huffing noises. He rubbed his muzzle with his paw as if to check if it was still his.

Alice waited for Bernard to cry for help or call out to the rangers, but not a single word came from his mouth. His frantic huffing increased in intensity until his sides were shaking. He called out softly. The low, mournful sound brought tears to his mother's eyes.

One of the rangers took advantage of the bear's confusion and shot a tranquilizer dart into his shoulder. Bernard bellowed and charged at the men with the dart protruding from him like the world's largest thorn. The rangers scattered into the underbrush to wait for the bear to collapse as he halted several feet away from them.

Bernard swung his head around to try to dislodge the dart, but he couldn't quite reach it. After half a dozen attempts, he gave up as his motions became increasingly sluggish. With the last of his strength, he looked through the window.

His mother turned away and sobbed.