THE MOUNTAIN’S STORY
The Polar Bear is still there. People leave food, take photographs, and watch from a careful distance. It is not aggressive. It sits beside the gate as though waiting. The Boy approaches. The Bear looks at him, walks away, stops, looks back, and continues. He follows, past lanterns and orange flags, onto the first trail. At sunset the Bear disappears into the trees. On the ground is a single orange leaf pressed beneath a paw.
Stay: First mountain campsite
Tomorrow: Follow the trail marked by orange leaves.