The Woman, the Man, and the Bear
Once upon a time, a young woman and a young man married in a beautiful forest ceremony, surrounded by their loving family amidst lush greenery, on the edge of a clear, glacial lake that was as smooth as a great mirror. Birds warbled and cooed over their heads while butterflies fluttered amongst their floral arrangements, and the young woman was euphoric over their fairytale beginning.
For their first meal as husband and wife, they dined on grilled trout caught in nearby streams, accompanied by buttery yellow chanterelles, velvety black truffles, and caramel colored morels soaked in an herby wine sauce. Slim tubers were roasted whole with rosemary, along with whole ears of jeweled corn smothered in butter.
For dessert, they were served a tart made from pale, translucent sour berries that only had a name in the old tongue of the people who used to guard those woods. The bride couldn’t get enough of the strange fruit, which had an aftertaste that was faintly coppery, like licking a small wound.
After hours of revelry late into the night, when the candles burned low and high spirits were sated by the free flow of fine wines, the happy new couple stumbled arm-in-arm deeper into the woods, along a small path lit by the yellow-green glow of fireflies.
The young man saw shafts of pale moonlight illuminate a mossy clearing, and dragged his new bridge towards it. Her bare feet sank into the soggy ground, and she recoiled at the cold wetness.
“Darling no,” she protested.
Laughing, her young man simply picked her up about the waist and threw her over his shoulder, all while whispering to her the amorous things he will do to her. Bolstered by the strong wine, she managed to wriggle out of his grasp, and ran off the path into a darkened grove, laughing all the while.
“They said there are bears in these woods!” The young man cried after her, knowing no one said such a thing.
The mirthful bride watched him search for her from behind a great oak for some time, and when he seemed to tire, she slipped out from the shadows to hit him playfully on the back.
When her hand made contact, she heard him scream in pain. The coppery taste of those berries returned to her mouth, but much stronger now. Dazed, she touched a finger to her mouth, and it came away dark and wet in the moonlight.
She opened her mouth to ask if he is all right, and a guttural growl came out. The ground seemed to rush away from her where she stood, and her eyes adjusted so well to the darkness that it looked like day. The breeze smelled sweet of night-blooming flowers, and gently ruffled her fur.
The groom struggled to his feet, and grabbed a thick branch off the ground. Trembling, he held it out towards her like a sword, his face twisted with fear. Their eyes met, and she felt an uncontrollable rage rise up in her like lava, the longer he held her gaze.
“I was reassured that are no bears in these woods!” He said, half to himself. “What have you done with her?”
She stepped towards him, intending to tell him that she was no bear. But instead, she ate him.
But what happened, you ask. Did she live happily ever after? Well, she spent the rest of her days gorging on those berries that tasted of blood, the occasional lost camper, and as much as salmon as she liked. All manners of creatures fled at the sight of her, and she liked that just fine.
The end