Free Secret to Bear by Miriam Becker

 
    SECRET TO BEAR
     
    A chilling morning breeze tousled my hair and my skin clenched with goosebumps. My nipples were feeling tight as I woke up, the tender flesh oddly sensitive as they poked out in the cool air. The world around me drifted slowly into focus, working its way through a hangover haze. Gritting my teeth I rubbed at my aching head with sticky fingers, craving a bottle of pain killers and slowly becoming aware of the raccoon sniffing at my face.
     
    Sobriety sprang quickly from the depths of my tortured brain. My eyes grew wide with dismay as I stared at the animal’s inquisitive face. I squawked in surprise and the ‘coon scampered in panic, leaving me lying alone in the leaves and grass. Pushing myself up to a half-sitting position I stared around at the trees. Somewhere in the distance I could hear a gurgling brook over the rustling leaves and chirping birds. My insides twisted painfully as I looked down along my body—nude and blood-stained.
     
    I struggled to my feet and stumbled awkwardly, probably still a bit drunk, before toppling weakly back to the ground and falling with exposed skin over rocks and small fallen branches.
     
    My heart began racing in fearful confusion, and I forced my body back up onto my feet. There was a smothering sense of humiliating despair sitting in my gut as I stood there alone, lost, and naked, wrapping my arms around my shivering body to cover what I could. A chilling sense of detachment enveloped me as I stared down at my exposed form. My pale skin and light red wisps of blood were alien to me as they glistened, fully exposed in the morning sunlight. My eyes rose toward the sounds of fresh water and I cautiously followed after them.
     
    Hot, scared tears started to tumble over my cheeks as I made my way down a small embankment to the brook, walking as gingerly as I could manage with bared feet. I stepped out onto slippery rocks in the cold water and squatted down like a little girl, hurrying to wash the blood off. My skin and muscles went numb from the icy water, but I clenched my teeth and went on. At last I stepped out of the stream, wet and shaking violently, but clean.
     
    A thousand maddening thoughts swirled through my mind, but none of them made any sense. I searched my body to see where I was bleeding, but except for a couple of small scratches I couldn’t see anything wrong with me. I rubbed briskly at my arms, desperate to warm up, and at last hurried back up along the embankment and stood at the top, forcing myself to stop and listen.
     
    Somewhere in the distance I heard a car passing and my heart leapt with encouragement. Maybe I was close to somewhere that I could get help.
     
    As I scurried toward the sound, my feet quickly aching from stepping on small rocks, I was relieved to stumble across a narrow path. And there, pushed off into the bushes, I spotted my tattered clothes. Beneath my torn dress was my clutch, and I pawed hastily through it. It was all still there.
     
    My dress and panties from the night before were shredded and useless. I held the remains of my outfit up over my breasts, but it didn’t cover much. My eyes searched the tall grasses just off of the trail, and I felt waves of relief when I found my shoes, both still in good shape. I slipped my feet into them, glad to have worn flats the night before.
     
    Hurrying back along the trail I soon emerged behind an old brick building and made my way up through a dim alleyway. I peered out onto the street, my eyes quickly spotting my little blue car waiting for me along the curb. I yanked my keys from my clutch, waited behind a dumpster as a car cruised slowly past, then scurried naked to my car, my unfettered breasts swaying heavily back and forth with every step. In a minute I was driving with my tattered dress draped up over my shoulders and hanging down to barely conceal my nipples. Thank god Sunday morning traffic is so light.
     
    As I pulled in behind my apartment building I took a