The Mysterious Legend of the Bear

The elderly lady walked down the dirt path. Her home was less than a mile away and she often walked this path to relax. She was wearing a pair of loose Khaki slacks, a light blouse and well worn hiking boots. She was enjoying the cool breeze as the sun was hidden by some grey clouds. Short scrub lined the edges of the path.

She stopped and gazed at something on the ground. It was a small object made of stone shaped like a bear. She picked up the object and looked across the hilly land populated by old oak trees and tall grass. She wondered where the stone came from. Finally she started walking again, carrying the stone bear with her.

She froze when she heard a soft unintelligible whisper. She looked around again. "Who's there?"

No answer. She stayed still for a few moments and continued walking. Suddenly she felt tired, very tired. She decided to sit and rest for a few moments.

Another unintelligible whisper. She rose to her feet and hurried home.

During the next few weeks, she told many people about her experience. They said that often when one is alone, one hears things that are not real. She was polite with her response. But deep inside, something was telling her that the voice was real and that the owner of the voice would come back....

Ten years later ...

The old lady who found the little carved bear had passed away and her home had been sold to the Joe and Ann Scott. The little carved bear lay in a bucket of dry earth, waiting to be discovered.

Ann Scott was happy in her new home. At least, happy until the night she was awoken by a noise. She wasn't sure where it came from. She sat up in her bed and pushed her red hair away from her eyes. Then she heard another sound. It sounded like something had been knocked over in the cellar.

She did not get out of bed. She reached for her phone and picked up the receiver. Then she dialed and reported the sound to the police. She told them she was home alone. Then she locked herself in her bedroom and tried to relax.

A police car arrived within moments. After hearing a knock at the door she cautiously exited her bedroom and walked toward the front door. Upon opening it, the police officer identified himself as officer Rivera and showed his badge. She led him to the cellar door.

"Have you heard the sound since you called?"

"Yes," she responded, "Several times."

"What did it sound like?"

"Sounded like someone was moving around knocking things over."

"What do you have down the cellar?"

"Just old stuff I was planning to take to the junk yard."

"Okay. Well it's probably just an animal. I'll check it out." He took out his flashlight, unlocked and opened the cellar door and headed downstairs.

A few moments later she heard him yell, "Nothing down here. Nothing seems disturbed. There are no windows down here. And no other doors besides the one I unlocked."

"Well, thanks for coming to check it out." She responded.

"Just doing my job." He said, "If you hear anything more, don't hesitate to call us."

Suddenly the door swung shut and locked. She tried to unlock it but she couldn't. She ran to the phone to call the police but the phone was dead. Then she heard a loud growl, several gunshots and horrible screams.

Sounds of the officer scrambling up the stairs and banging on the door. "Open the door! Hurry! Open it!"

Again she tugged at the sliding lock bar. "I can't. It stuck."

Then she heard another horrible scream much louder than the first one.

Silence.

"Are you alright?"

No answer.

"Officer, are you alright?"

Her attention was drawn to the locking bar. It was sliding back to it's unlocked position. Then the door opened.

She froze for a moment. Her hands were trembling. Her eyes wide open. Sweat on her forehead. She took a step back from the door. She listened intently.

Silence.

The she cautiously peered down the cellar stairs. No blood. Nothing indicating violence or a fight. She took a deep breath and slowly descended down the stairs. She stopped on the bottom stair. Everything was in perfect order. Nothing had been disturbed.

No sign of the police officer. No torn piece of clothing. Nothing. No evidence of the police officer being there.

She slowly turned and looked up the stairs. The door was open. She looked around one more time before taking a step up the stairs. She listened.

Again silence.

She was fully expecting the cellar door to close and lock before she reached it. But she still climbed the stairs one step at a time. With each step she would stop and wait a few moments.

When she reached the top stair, she heard a loud growl.

--

Ann's husband, Joe Scott, was in his office sitting behind his desk with papers spread out before him. He pressed the button on the intercom and said, "Judy, phone my wife."

"Yes, sir." was the quick response.

A few moments later Joe heard Judy's voice on the Internet. "Sir, has your phone number changed?"

"No, why?"

"Listen."

He heard the automated response over the Intercom. "The phone number you dialed is not in service at this time. Be sure you have the correct phone number before dialing."

"Sir?" asked Judy.

"Um... Thanks Judy."

He looked at the clock. He knew that Ann usually took a nap at this time. He wondered if he should call the phone company. Then he phoned the police and asked them to check out his home. They responded that an officer had been sent there and had not made out a report. That's when he realized what was wrong with the automated message he had heard over the intercom. No phone number was given! "Send another police officer!"

He put on his jacket and raced out of the office. "Judy, cancel all appointments for today." He said as he passed her.

"Yes, sir."

He walked down the hallway and exited the building. After getting in his car, he started the car and exited the parking lot.

When he arrived home, lights were flashing in the house. He parked on the street and approached the front door. His key would not work. He walked around the side and looked in the window. He saw his wife standing by the front door trying to open it. He placed his key in the front door but could not turn the key.

Suddenly he heard a loud scream. It was his wife. He ran to the car, opened the trunk and took out the crowbar. After using the crowbar to shatter a window, he climbed through the window.

"Ann," he yelled, "Ann, are you okay."

No answer. Holding the crowbar in his hand he approached the bedroom. The door was closed. He slowly opened the door. After convincing himself that no one was in the bedroom, he returned to the living room. He peered into the kitchen but did not find her. The only other possibility was the cellar.

He walked across the kitchen and opened the cellar door. He slowly descended the stairs. The cellar was quiet. There was no sign of life. That was when he saw a silhouette of a huge creature for a brief instant of time. Then it disappeared. It looked like a bear. That's when he heard the roar.

But a bear could not disappear. He also knew that the area around his home had once been bear territory as was evidenced by ancient native American cave paintings at a historical site in the hills.

But no one had seen a bear in long ages.

"What would a bear be doing in this area?' He asked himself.

That's when he heard a whisper, "You must bring the bear back"

"What?" he asked, "Who's there?"

No answer.

"Where's Ann?" he asked.

No answer.

He waited for a few more minutes and repeated his questions several times. Then he turned and started climbing the stairs. He halted as he heard a scraping sound coming from the cellar floor. He slowly turned around and saw a bucket of dry earth in the center of the cellar. He slowly approached the bucket.

"What do I do with this?" he asked.

Totally baffled by this incident, he climbed the stairs leaving the bucket untouched on the cellar floor.

When he reached the top of the stairs, he heard the voice again, "Return the bear!"

"What bear? How can I return something that is invisible?"

He was exhausted from the stress, anxiety and worries. He walked into the living room and sat on the couch. He was looking at his wedding picture on the wall and fell sound asleep.

Joe did not hear the noises from the cellar. Nor did he hear the knock at the front door.

Outside the front door stood a police officer. Realizing that Officer Rivera was missing, this police officer went around the side of the house and forced open a window. Then he climbed inside and found himself in the bedroom.

"Mr Scott?" he yelled, "I'm Officer Warren. I'm responding to your phone call."

He found Joe sound asleep on the couch. "Mr Scott."

Joe woke up and mumbled "Oh, hi."

Before the conversation could proceed any further, they heard the loud roar of a bear.

"That came from the cellar!" Joe ran to the cellar door and opened it. He followed Officer Warren down the stairs but they didn't get very far. There, in the center of the cellar was a large brown bear which roared loudly again and came at them. Joe and Officer Warren backed up the stairs. Officer Warren had his gun out and shot several times at the bear. The bear kept coming towards them They turned and ran up the stairs and closed the cellar door. The bear leaned it's weight against the door.

"We can't hold it close!" yelled Joe.

Officer Warren fired several more shots through the door. Then they were both pushed back as the bear forced it's way into the room. The bear grabbed the officer and flung him through the window. Then it cornered Joe against the wall. It roared loudly one more time. Joe was pinned against the wall next to the lamp stand. He stood perfectly still.

The bucket of dried earth stood in the center of the living room floor. The bear backed up and stood over the bucket. Then it's image shrunk and disappeared into the bucket.

Silence.

Joe slid down the wall into a sitting position. He was breathing heavily and starring at the bucket. The bear was able to transform itself into a physical bear but couldn't remain so for long. Joe realized that it wasn't really a bear. Whatever it was -- was buried in that dried earth.

Joe got up and slowly approached the bucket. It was coated with something sticky and red. Blood? Joe started sifting through the dried earth with his hands. He felt something hard and pulled it up. It was a bear carved in stone. It had six tiny holes in it. Now he knew what must be returned. But returned to where?

That was when he remembered about officer Warren. He ran out the front door and saw Officer Warren laying on the ground. Joe went back inside the house and called the ambulance.

That night Joe was unable to sleep. The stone bear carving was sitting on his chair. It was glowing in the dark all night. He heard someone in the kitchen.

"Oh no. Not again." he said as he got up and walked out of the bedroom.

When he arrived at the kitchen, he stopped in shock. There, sitting at the table with her back to him was a girl with red hair.

"Ann!" he ran over to her.

She got up from her chair and hugged him.

"Where's Officer Rivera?"

"He's dead. His body is in the cellar."

What happened?

"I'm not quite sure. We were transported someplace where Rivera put up a fight and was killed. Next thing I knew, we were back in the cellar."

"This bear or whatever it is wants to be returned someplace. I don't know where."

An image appeared in the center of the room. It was an elderly lady wearing a pair of loose Khaki slacks, a light blouse and well worn hiking boots.

"Who are you?" asked Ann.

"That is not important." said the elderly lady, "Where is the carved bear stone?"

"It's in our bedroom." said Joe.

"It is beckoning you," said the elderly lady.

That's when Joe and Ann heard the soft roar of a bear. The three entered the bedroom and saw the glowing carved bear on the chair. Joe picked it up.

"Follow my instructions," said the elderly lady. "Or the curse that you have endured will remain."

"Curse?" asked Ann.

"Do you know the cave with the painted bears on the wall?"

"Yes. I've been there once or twice." said Joe.

"Take it there." said the elderly lady.

When they arrived at the cave, they found the elderly lady at the entrance. She pointed inside the cave.

They placed the carved bear down on a rock inside the cave. They watched as the carved bear melted into the rock. Then they heard a growl that sounded suspiciously like the word "peace."

As they exited the cave, the elderly lady said, "The spirit of the bear could not rest until it was back where it belonged. The old bear now rests in peace. And so can I." Then she disappeared.