Dreams - A collection of Short Stories

Northern Plight

     The steamy waters from the hot spring pulled the white furs of Ursa's pelt down into a soothing trance. The night was cool, and on nights like these, she would come to the springs and release all her tension.

     Like an alarm, sudden hues of green, purple and blue danced across the sky in a streak above Ursa, their twinkling gestures opening her eyes and luring her onward. The bear climbed out of the water and let the warmth drip off, left behind as she trotted along the path of the lights. Her body felt light, as if she were flying in the sky. But she was cold, very cold.

     The arctic was desolate at this hour, except for the occasional ripples in the spotty lakes that indicated a fish who couldn't be still. Other bears found peace in sleep, reindeer roamed away from the ice. Ursa was suspended in a lonely night, with only the luminescent radiance above her. But despite the seeming warmth the light gave off, she was cold, very cold.

     At long last it seemed like hours had passed of Ursa chasing the mysterious glow, but she was satisfied, excited even. They traveled so far that the young bear felt like she now knew what all of Alaska looked like. Without a word the bear picked up her pace and halted to a complete stop once the lights disappeared. Now Ursa felt as light as a feather, and had to swim through the air to reach the frozen ground. The illumination from the sky was gone, and strangely with it, Ursa's shivers.

     Below the snowy animal were two bodies: one, a small white bear with Ursa's same features, and another of similar appearance but bigger size. Ursa was confused, and grew even more so as many two-legged creatures circled around. The bodies were taken away, and as Ursa's limp form was transferred behind her mother's by the humans, her ethereal form disintegrated into the air.

     From that night on, the Northern Lights carried the sad eyes of the polar bear, waiting for her mother to return.