Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5 Mel leaped away as the claws whooshed through the air, missing Kevin's cheek by inches. A shard of glass shot into Mel's arm. But she barely noticed the pain. Her eyes were glued to the grizzly's paw. The bear was reaching through the hole in the door, swiping at the air with its pointed white claws. Each claw was at least three inches long.

Mel tried not to think of what those claws would do to her flesh. Or to Kevin's. As if that wasn't horrifying enough, the grizzly thrust its head through the window. Kevin shrieked and Mel stumbled back. The bear started bashing its paws against the old, rattling door. Its dripping-wet jaws snapped open and closed. A cloud of the bear's steaming breath rushed up Mel's nose. She gagged. It smelled like rotting meat and vomit. Pops grabbed hold of Mel's arm and pulled her back.

"Go away!" he shouted at the grizzly. Mel had never heard her grandfather scream so loudly. And somehow it worked. The bear pulled its head out of the door. There was a moment of silence. But then, BAM! The entire cabin shook as the bear threw its body against the door. Bam! Bam! Bam!

The wood of the door groaned and cracked. Bam! A lamp crashed to the floor. Bam! The framed picture of little-boy Pops fell to the ground. Crash! Between each slam, there was a skin-crawling scratching noise, like giant fingernails cutting across a chalkboard. The sound of the bear's claws digging into the wood. Kevin was whimpering in fear, burying his head in Mel's neck. She held him tight. What would happen if the grizzly got inside the cabin? Mel looked frantically around their small room, searching for something she could use to fight back. But it was hopeless. Even if they'd had a loaded rifle within reach, there was no guarantee bullets would stop the grizzly in time. If that grizzly got in here, they were all doomed.

Suddenly, Pops snatched up their dinner bell from the table. It was big and made of brass. He shook it hard, right in front of the broken window. Clang! Clang! Clang! The sound was deafening. Kevin put his hands over his ears. They stood there for one second, two seconds, five seconds, waiting for another bam on the door. But the sound never came. Mel held her breath. Pops stood frozen, still holding the bell high in the air. A minute passed. Finally, Pops lowered the bell and let out a big breath. He peered through the broken window. "It's gone," he said. Mel stepped up and looked outside. Pops was right. The bear was nowhere in sight. But its deathly stink still hung in the air.