With trembling fingers, Tina pulled out her phone and dialed James’s number, a friendly animal expert hoping to seek help. When James answered, his voice was a reassuring presence in the middle of all the uncertainty. “Tina, what’s going on?” he asked, genuine concern in his tone.
Tina, breathing fast, quickly told James about the extraordinary events of the night. “James, a wild bear has brought me into the woods. It has something with it, and I can’t leave it behind.” There was a short silence from James, and Tina could almost sense his worry growing.