With a trembling hand, Nolan fumbled for his radio, his final hope. But the bear’s huge paw crashed down, splintering plastic with a sickening crunch. A hiss of static rang in Nolan’s ears, suffocating reason. His mind screamed that this was the end, his world poised to vanish. Yet death didn’t come. Instead, the bear paused, exhaling in a low, rumbling growl that rattled Nolan’s bones.
Then, as though summoned by some unseen signal, the polar bear lurched away from him. It sniffed the air, suddenly more interested in the lingering scent of fish than in Nolan’s trembling form. That small mercy jolted him from the brink of blind terror.