Lost

Wandering around the forest, Alex started to doubt his sister Anna's sense of direction. It had been exactly two hours since they had accidentally left the fairgrounds. Anna had definitely gotten them lost.

"Hey, Anna," called Alex, "I think that we're lost."

Anna rolled her eyes, then replied, "It took you two hours to figure that out?"

"Well," Alex admitted, "I sort of thought that you knew where we were going."

"I thought you knew where we were--," Anna started to say, but was cut off by a low growl from the bushes. They both froze.

"Maybe we should keep going?" suggested Anna.

"Good idea, after you," Alex smiled weakly.

Anna took off running, but kept hearing a low panting breath beside her. "Alex?" she called, but no answer. She tried again, "Alex?"

Silence. The sound of rustling leaves came closer and closer. Suddenly a small bear cub burst through the bushes beside her. She came to a stop. Anna grew even more worried because Alex was nowhere in sight, and she knew that where there is a bear cub there is usually a mother bear. A shout went up from her left.

"Alex!" Anna shrieked. She darted toward the sound. Anna ran into him full force. Alex pulled her up and continued running, dragging her behind him.

"Mom, bear, chasing, run," Alex managed between gasps.

"Don't you know that a she bear can outrun almost all people?" panted Anna.

Suddenly they both paused. There was absolutely no sound at all. Then the mother bear crashed through the trees. Standing, she was at least seven feet tall, with glowing red eyes, a foaming mouth, and gleaming white teeth. Alex suddenly whispered to Anna, "Pretend to be dead."

"What? Why?" she asked.

"Because bears never attack dead bodies," Alex replied.

They both collapsed onto the forest floor. The mother bear sniffed them. Then, deciding not to bother with them, she left. Alex helped Anna to her feet. They set off together in a random direction. Half an hour later they stumbled upon the fairgrounds. They joyfully ran off to tell their parents what had just happened.